Due to unforeseen circumstances, Sunday’s Guest spot is on hold.

Instead we will present a Topic Chat on How to write a horror story: 6 terrific tips.

Is Terror the same as Horror?

Mmm, well, not so much.

 ‘Terror’ describes a state of feeling. Oxford Dictionaries simply define it as ‘extreme fear’. To ‘terrorize’, means to use extreme fear to intimidate others. Horror, however, also suggests elements of disgust and surprise or shock. Thus the word ‘horror’ describes not only extreme fear but also revulsion and a sense of surprise and the unexpected.

The best horror stories share at least five elements in common:

1. They explore ‘malevolent’ or ‘wicked’ characters, deeds or phenomena.
2. They arouse feelings of fear, shock or disgust as well as the sense of the uncanny-
3. Horror books convey intense emotion, mood, tone and environments.
4. In horror the ghosts and werewolves are very, very real.
5. Horror tends to deal with morbid situations, from repetitive cycles of violence to death-related uncanny scenarios.

How do you write a horror story or novel like Stephen King, Clive Barker or (looking further back in the genre’s history) Edgar Allan Poe? 

Come to Sunday’s Topic Chat and help us discuss the various aspects Horror and Terror and how to write them.