What makes a good spooky story

Telling a story aloud allows you to use your voice to scary effect. Give your old man character a gravelly voice and the little child a high-pitched voice. Pause for dramatic effect and pace the story to slowly build tension.

Sometimes, the scariest stories are told quietly, or even in a whisper. You can get loud all of a sudden to scare your listeners. Nothing says scary like a bucket full of gooey eyeballs—ditto for lighting effects. Dim the overheads and shine a flashlight at your face from below to cast eerie shadows. You can also use spooky sound effects. If there are noises in your story, imitate them. Arcane books of forbidden lore, disturbing secrets in the family bloodline, and terrors so unspeakable the very thought of them might drive you mad.

These have become standard elements in modern horror stories. But they were largely popularized by a single author: H. Lovecraft, whose name has become synonymous with the terror he inspired. The prisoner strapped under a descending pendulum blade. A beating heart buried under the floorboards. But just what is it that makes Edgar Allan Poe one of the greatest American authors? Scott Peeples investigates. In , Lord Byron proposed a challenge to a few literary guests he had gathered in his house on Lake Geneva: Who could write the most chilling ghost story?

Welcome, foolish mortals. Haunted music and monsters are just the beginning—look here for spooky resources. How do fables and myths explain the unknown and preserve cultures?

What makes a good story? How do plays comment on societal issues? Grab a pencil and prepare to create original poems, experience the Civil War through letters, and parse symbolism and metaphor in this exploration of language arts. Greek and Egyptian mythology, the story of the Lion King, and the legend of King Arthus are just some of the ways these resources explore the different cultural interpretations of heroes. Creators of spooky tunes know exactly what they are doing when they send shivers down the spines of listeners.

Eric Friedman Director, Digital Learning. Tiffany A. Bryant Assistant Manager, Audience Enrichment. Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U. Department of Education. Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A.

Kenan, Jr. The Pennywise sewer scene from that novel — and the whole idea behind it — pulls us way outside of our comfort zone. We like to think of sewers and storm drains as harmless components of neighborhood infrastructure. Innocuous and predictable. This is a key component that makes for a good horror novel. You have to pull readers into the dark. You can shock your readers in many ways. All you have to do is take something the reader knows and understands, and present it in some new way.

Find the dark side of it. Twist it up. Pervert it. The answer of course, is that it varies. Different people are afraid of different things. But there are some things that most people fear, and you can use them to write a good horror novel. You can tap into universal terrors. Many people fear the dark, on some level and at some point in their lives.

It starts early. We begin our lives with this kind of fear. Think about it. I like it nice and dark when I sleep! Tapping into these common fears can make a good horror novel. Though you certainly could. What makes a good horror novel? You want a character, or characters, the reader can care about. You need something that threatens those characters, be it a villain or monster. You need to push readers outside of their comfort zone, shake things up, turn their expectations upside down. Deadlines are great for anybody writing in the thriller or horror genre.

Create a worthy antagonist. You can write about monsters — real or made-up. The real people who are monsters are often the scariest. If you want to terrify your character and your audience slowly remove everything that makes them feel secure. Even though horror requires the suspension of belief, their actions should make sense to them. Cross your genres. Use this list to choose one.

Sometimes, the slower the pace, the more horrifying the story. Think of zombies and their relentless, slow progress. End with a horrifying plot twist. Something unexpected must happen.