  Horror/Scary
This week: The Darker side of Femme Edited by: blue jellybaby  
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| We all know that there are some darker characters within society but how often would you assume it's the woman across the room intent on killing someone that night rather than the shady man hiding in the corner? |
| ASIN: B07YXBT9JT |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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I don't know about you, but when I'm writing a horror story it's not very often that the person perpetrating is a woman. I've asked myself time and time again why this is. A lot of media coverage concerning murders and killings stem from men and I know that when I think of a killer, the male form pops into my mind.
That's not to say women do not commit murder and I'm not so naïve as to believe that all women are innocent. We all know in society that women can be just as vicious and brutal as men can and of course can kill. It has happened since the dawn of time for many different reasons, but the female killer is always met with a different reaction to men.
Take these famous female serial killers for example:
Myra Hindley: She was known as the partner of Ian Brady who helped to kill and bury five children between 1963 and 1965.
Rosemary West: She has been incarcerated after being convicted of ten murders in 1995. These were each committed with her husband, Fred West.
Joanna Dennehy: more recently (2013) in the UK, 31 year old Dennehy killed three men and attempted to take the lift of two others. She had two male conspirators, Richards and Layton.
I don't know about you but there's a lot of shock attached to this. Women murdering other women and even children? No. It can't be. Are you sure? Women are generally seen as the caregivers in society, the empathisers, the wives and mothers. So to see women portrayed in a much darker light is a very threatening image to a lot of people.
And perhaps it's because women are generally seen in this more positive light that a darker side could often be missed. Take this scene for example. It's late in a dim bar. The music is soft, the wine is flowing. A man approaches a lone woman at the bar, buys her a few more drinks. He insists on walking her home. What image comes to your mind here? Who do you think is likely to be the victim? I know for me, would assume it as going to be the woman. But this certainly isn't always the case.
Also, I'd like to point out that with the examples above it might look like there's a pattern. With all three examples there were men present at those murders. From what I could see, in all cases both parties were met with the same amount of media attention for their crimes but often there was an emphasis put on the fact that the woman didn't act alone. Does this mean the woman was coerced into her role? Does this mean she didn't make a conscious choice? Perhaps in some cases yes, but we also have to be conscious that it's not always the case and there are also lots of examples in history of female killers working completely independently.
Aileen Wuornos: a female serial killer who murdered seven men in 1989 and 1990. She claimed that while working as a prostitute she killed these men in self defence.
Belle Gunness: a woman born in 1859 and living until 1909. She was said to have killed most of her suitors and boyfriends as well as husbands and her children. Estimates report that she killed between 25 to 40 people over several decades.
Elizabeth Báthory: She was a countess from the renowned Báthory family. She has been labelled the most prolific serial killer in history and is remembered as the "Blood Countess". She is accused, along with four collaborators, of torturing and killing hundreds of girls.
Women, it seems, can be just as vicious and just as brutal as their male counterparts and because it's least expected from society, it is often missed or perhaps pushed away as a male crime.
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| |  | Mountain Madness (18+)
This tale is of female in-mates who manage to escape and reek havoc on a mountain resort.
#1015231 by Coyote |
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1098172 by Not Available. |
| | | Book Bites (18+)
A college student goes home with the lovely female librarian. She has a surprise for him.
#1564907 by neilbco |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1974260 by Not Available. |
And check this out! What a great opportunity to write about a female killer, don't you think?
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1933849 by Not Available. |
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Try writing a story about a female killer. Do the victims expect it? What are their reactions? You could even write it from their point of view, really let the reader get inside of their head.
Here's a couple of comments from my last newsletter:
 LJPC - the tortoise : Hi Blue Jellybaby! That's a really interesting point about the horror before the reveal or after. I loved "Scream" too - lots of scares in there! I think most watchers/readers need to know who did it and why in the end. But it is definitely fun to leave some plot threads hanging to encourage a sequel.
~ Laura
Thank you for your thoughts, Laura. I agree that leaving plot threads can encourage a sequel, after all Scream had four!
Quick-Quill  : I think both have their pluses if done right. It is the suspense. How to build on the killer being so close but one action, movement noice interferes with the finality and keeps the story moving. However not knowing and suspecting everyone is thrill all of its own. It's up to the writer to create the intensity. If you don't the reader will throw that book out so fast it will rival any slash of a knife.
You're right there. There has to be that right amount of suspense to keep the reader with you.
BIG BAD WOLF is hopping  : The scariest is knowing that they are out there, but it's a matter of odds if they will attack or not. Submitted item: "Anthros Versus Zombies"
You make a good point!
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| ASIN: B083RZ37SZ |
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Horror/Scary: April 09, 2014 Issue [#6249]
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