
The premise, fear of the unknown, has always intrigued me. For my first horror story, “The Door,” Tommy Stockton knows there’s something hideously evil behind a locked door, but he doesn’t discover what it is until―you guessed it―the ending. Knowing something horrifying is just around the corner, but not knowing what it is, is a sure-fire technique in creating what I call―the fear factor.
The horror writer explores the malevolent and the inexplicable. Using the proper atmosphere, they arouse fear by building a heightened sense of suspense, mystery, and surprise. (Predictability to a horror writer is like an iceberg to the Titanic). As the successful writer builds suspense, they employ longer sentences. For action sequences, they employ a short, staccato-like structure.
The horror writer explores the malevolent and the inexplicable. Using the proper atmosphere, they arouse fear by building a heightened sense of suspense, mystery, and surprise. (Predictability to a horror writer is like an iceberg to the Titanic). As the successful writer builds suspense, they employ longer sentences. For action sequences, they employ a short, staccato-like structure.