Reddit Reddit reviews Writing Scary Scenes: Professional Techniques for Thrillers, Horror and Other Exciting Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 2)

We found 3 Reddit comments about Writing Scary Scenes: Professional Techniques for Thrillers, Horror and Other Exciting Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 2). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Reference
Books
Writing Reference
Fiction Writing Reference
Writing, Research and Publishing
Writing Scary Scenes: Professional Techniques for Thrillers, Horror and Other Exciting Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 2)
Check price on Amazon

3 Reddit comments about Writing Scary Scenes: Professional Techniques for Thrillers, Horror and Other Exciting Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 2):

u/Cdresden · 2 pointsr/fantasywriters

You might consider getting Rayne Hall's Writing Scary Scenes. It's short, $3. Put it on your phone and you can read it in an afternoon.

u/kathjoy · 1 pointr/NoSleepOOC

As somebody also just starting out in the horror genre myself, my first advice is to try reading some horror novels. If you're trying to write something tense and psychological, read a psychological horror story. If you'remaking something gory, try and find something close but not too close. Once you have an idea of how they achieve what you're trying to achieve, give it a practice.

I would say the best way to achieve strong horror writing is to focus on a scary experience of your own and extrapolate. Think of how you felt. If you have to, simulate scary experiences. Go down the basement in the dark (or just generally around your house if you don't have one) after watching a scary movie (just make sure nothing is going to injure you like stuff on the stairs), or go on a rollercoaster, or whatever scares you. There are plenty of places like escape rooms as well that offer scarier packages too. Concentrate on what being scared feels like, both mentally and physiologically. Or even just play a scary game. I can recommend plenty if you want.

The only thing left is just to practice. Your first story is probably not going to be great. But that's fine.Do your best. Then write another. And another. And another. I personally recommend writing different types of horror as well - try your hand at slow burning horror, ghost horror, creature feature horror, haunted house horror, serial killer horror etc. Once you begin to understand how the horror works in each of them it should help you understand how to construct it in your work.

What name you submit your work to is up to you. Whatever you are most comfortable with. If you're not sure orr afraid, by all means do it under a different name until you feel more confident.

Lastly there are plenty of online articles and even books to give you guidance on writing horror and building tension. I quite like Rayne Hall's guidance books. They give step by step guides that allow you to slowly build it layer by layer and give you little exercises for each. Try this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Scary-Scenes-Professional-Techniques-ebook/dp/B008IEJTSE

If you have any other questions, feel free to reply or send me a direct message. I do have a sci-fi horror published. Well more sci-fi thriller but still elements of horror and tension.