As a horror fan, I’m all for it anytime of year. But there’s something about this time of year that makes it hit different. It must be the chill in the air, nights settling longer and the anticipation of Halloween that provides that extra little something. The vibe is just right for crafting all kinds of terrifying tales.
Horror writing requires a specific set of craft skills. Trying your hand at it can be a great way to grow as a writer, even if it’s not your thing. To help you get started, here are a couple of recommendations, including craft books and sources for inspiration.
Now Write: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror
Edited by Laurie Lamson
A comprehensive guide, it covers basics like defining your genre and finding ideas before diving into story development, world building, themes then narrowing down details like naming characters, creating villains, and depicting violence. The exercises are aimed at practicing a specific skill, each is introduced with a short essay including background information and/or craft instruction. My copy is well worn, with lots of pages flagged for workshops or my own writing practice.
Let Me Tell You A Story
By Tim Waggoner
This book does double duty as a short story collection and an instructional guide. It includes about a dozen of Waggoner’s previously published short stories. Each story is followed by a reflective essay on the piece of writing, including background information like how, why and when it was written along with thoughts on what he might do differently. The section ends with a few exercises to jumpstart your own writing.
If you’re looking more specifically for a how-to guide, you might check out his previous book, Writing in The Dark.
Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
Edited by Una McGovern
This is a great book to skim through for ideas and inspiration. As the title suggests it’s a dictionary of paranormal, supernatural and mysterious creatures, phenomena and events. You may not be this exact book, my copy was a lucky find from my days working at the library. I’ve only been able to find it available on Amazon. I don’t think the new copy is worth the hefty price, but there are a few reasonably priced used copies.
There are a variety of similar texts that would work just as well. You can easily search for encyclopedias or archives of the unexplained or supernatural. Just be sure it’s not a story collection, rather a compendium of entries that provide just enough basic information to spark your imagination.
Ghost & Spirits Tarot
By Lisa Hunt
If you know me at all, you know I love using Tarot cards as writing prompts. This particular set is one of my favorites. The cards are beautiful and include tons of haunting imagery that never fail to inspire. The card illustrations are inspired by a variety of legendary stories, folklore, and mythology having to do with ghosts and spirits. Drawing cards at random as visual prompts is a great way to jumpstart your writing. You can include the interpretations, original stories or pick and choose small details to include or create something all your own.