![]() ![]() Instead of one physical reaction, he dumps the whole bucket on us. Every inch of my skin broke out in gooseflesh. My eyesockets seemed to be expanding and my eyeballs contracting, as if my head were trying to turn into a skull. …every gut and muscle of my body seemed to come unwound. He’s in the basement and hears the sound of someone striking the insulation, but no one else is home. In Bag of Bones by Stephen King, the protagonist, Mike Noonan, begins to believe that his house is haunted. As an author, you must find the written equivalent to the scream. Ever wonder why there are so many screams in horror movies? It’s the same thing. Nothing creeps out a reader faster than letting the protagonist freak out. This idea is cemented in the reader’s skull with the driftwood, described as dismembered limbs. We wonder what’s creating that pattering sound, and the not knowing makes us uneasy.ĭisturbing details: The water is stained violet, a bloodlike color. Reversal: The narrator thinks it’s raining, but then there’s no rain. The whole thing brought to mind a petrified forest. It was easy to imagine them as body parts, dismembered and immobile. The light bathed the driftwood lying on the beach. The full moon stained the ocean’s surface in a violet hue. I got up and looked out of the closest window. At first, I confused it with the pattering of rain the sound of heavy and distinct drops. It was more or less like a heard of goats trotting in the distance. Just then, I heard a pleasing sound far off. Here an unnamed narrator just inhabited a weather station on a deserted island. Consider Cold Skin by Albert Sánchez Piñol. Each one, taken by itself, does little, but in combination, they imbue the reader with unease. Use disturbing details or reversals when describing your scenes. However, a more subtle approach can work wonders. Don’t get me wrong, camp can be great (if it’s intentional). Most writers who delve into horror hit the prose with a bag of clichés and heavy handed stage props-swirling fog, glowing eyes, wicked laughs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |