Horror Newsletter, July 11, 2007

About this Newsletter:
Men fear death as children fear to go into the dark; and as that natural fear in children is increased with tales, so is the other.
~Sir Francis Bacon


No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.
~Edmund Burke


When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
~Nietzsche

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.
-- H. P. Lovecraft.

Fear of monsters attracts monsters.
-- Unknown.


From the Editor:

While recently reading a book on writing for children (yes I'm a multi-genre writer), one chapter covered how to build characters by using perspective. This started me to wondering, how would one build a monster's character?

Oftentimes monsters, while integral to the story, are merely hinted at. The reader knows they exist and we may even receive a physical description but we rarely get a look inside its psyche.

Have you ever wondered what Jason was really thinking or how Frankenstein truly saw the world around him? What would food taste like to them? Would it make them ill? Anne Rice's vampires were a wonderful example of delving deeper. Once they joined the realm of vampire, their senses sharpened and she describes it all brilliantly!

What about imaginary monsters? Does the noise of the family walking upstairs get on the creature in the cellar's nerves? Is the air there sweet to it or does it smell musty? Is there something it may like to eat rather than rats and roaches?

When writing about monsters, explore sensory perception (smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight) as well as the psychological makeup. Use good descriptive words to help your readers develop a connection. People connect with human monsters because, on some level, we can relate to something in their life. The same can be done for fictional creatures.

I challenge you, readers, to write a story about a monster that retains its horror while giving your villan qualities that your readers will relate to. Make it truly breath!

Until next month, stay out of dark corners!

Nikola










Feedback:

Some wonderful answers this month! Thank you, one and all, for your insights.

From David : I read your recent horror newsletter and enjoyed it. I write horror and was interested in
seeing what other authors thought of the genre. One small thing, Stephen King doesn't spell his name witha V he used a PH.

Oops!

From Lauriemariepea : hi, nikola--
great horror newsletter!
i'm intrigued by your questions, too.
so, here goes:

1. to me, horror must involve something unnatural. something unnatural, with the added element of the unfamiliar.
take a murder. murder is disturbing, for sure. unfortunately, people have a natural tendency toward violence, and murder happens far too often in reality.
but, add the twist that the murderer killed the victim in order to eat their brains. ooh, that's a bit kinky. i'd perk up a bit. eat their brains, did you say? i wonder why he'd want to do that?
now, add the element of the unknown, or unexpected. "as the murderer was sinking his sharpened teeth into the gray matter, a tentacle slid from underneath his coat, the tip caressing the side of the dead girl's face as he fed."
to me, that's kinda creepy.

2. i'd say, however graphic you need it to be to allow the reader to feel what your characters are feeling.

3. well, stephen king, for sure.

thanks, nikola!

From likenion: Extremely interesting newsletter! It was so cool to read what published authors think of the genre.
I would define horror as the type of genre, which can grip your heart, make your breath ragged, feel watched and spend days on the edge of nervous breakdown.
My fave in the horror league is Stephen King. He gives me that kind of suspense and I know that in the end I am going to be scared.


From A Solitary Traveler : I would agree with most in that fear is the key element in any horror story. It's what lurks around the next corner or what hides just out of site that creates a fear in all of us I think. I recall a funeral home where I lived that had a circular driveway, several large forboding oak trees that seem to come alive when the leaves vanished and four stone pillars, two on each side of the driveway entrances. I could never walk by that place regardless of the time of year and not wonder what was hiding behind a pillar.

As for graphic content, blood and gore all figure into any horror story but I can conjure up a far more disturbing scene when it's left to my imagination. Is there a place for it? Yes but it need not be spelled out completely. A hint,in most cases, will suffice.

I like King for his story telling, Koontz for his roller coaster rides and any number of others for the sheer joy of their imaginations.


From Demon Squirrel of Doom! : Good questions, Nik!

1. What is your definition of horror? Anything that makes it hard for me to sleep at night. It could be monsters, serial killers, or that pesky demon dust bunny under the bed!

2. How graphic do you feel a horror piece should be? That depends on the kind of story. Zombie tales need to be graphic, because Zombies are pretty gross. That said, there are many stories I've read that don't have a gross part in them, and the stories terrifed me to the point of sleeplessness! It doesn't have to be gross to be scary

3. Who are your favorite horror authors and why? I like King, Koontz, and Lumley, because they know how to weave a horror tale that makes me think. I also like Charlaine Harris, who uses romance and horror together and Jim Butcher who has come up with an entertaining hero for his Dresden series.

Great newsletter,

Darkin
That must be some dust bunny!

From W.D.Wilcox © ¿ Φ : Nikola,
I really enjoy reading Dean Koontz. His metaphors are over the top and his writing style is fun and easy to read. Although I do read King, I find his character development to be deeper and more psychological and complex. Which is the more frightening? I'd have to say King because he knows what scares us--he knows how we think--how we will react to a horrorfying situation. To me, the two writers are as different as night and day, but each is a master storyteller. As far as graphic horror, if used to further the story than it is very appropriate. But if used as 'shock factor' I can do without it. If you're trying to show how insane and evil your character is than it is absolutely necessary to the story. There is a technique I have stumbled upon that allows graphic violence to be described as if you were seeing it from the corner of your eye rather than looking directly at it. It makes the violence more paletable and tasteful.

From StaiNed : I think horror should be a glimpse of beyond what one may see on ordinary. Take what's beautiful, and light, and twist, and taint it in all I hold dark.
Horror should bother the reader, scare, mystify ,raise fear, or questions. Horror doesn't need to be gory, that element if not needed to truely give fear.


From SendintheClown : Fear of monsters attracts monsters.
-- Unknown. (The story of my love life...lol)

Seriously,

I'm writing to thank you once again for including my little tale "Horse with no Name" in this issue.

I was waiting till I had time to visit all the links, etc. so I oould send a real erudite response..smile

But at the rate my schedule is going, that day could be next year...of course with this little pea-brain the odds of ever writing something erudite would place that date somewhere like "never"..rof

I hope a thank you from my heart will surfice.

Victoria