Scary mary...
Tue, 2001-05-29 20:42
#1
Scary mary...
I've been having a bash at writing horror stories, but I'm finding it hard to make them scary in any way, shape or form. Thinking about it, I don't think I've ever read something that actually SCARED me, as a horror story is supposed to (except for maybe H.P.Lovecraft)...
What sort of things, when read, would scare you into a change of underwear?
Taj Hayer
Changing underwear is quite scary. What does it change into? A small scorpion or an even smaller pair would be quite scary (and painful).
wolfgirl
Horror is different for each individual, shaped by many factors such as your own fears, phobias, experiences and so forth. Personally, I find blood and gore a giggle at best, boring at worst. I prefer psychological horror that lingers after you have read it. The only story which still makes me really shiver is Edgar Allen Poe's 'The Telltale Heart'. It's truly horrible. Why do so many men write horror and so few women? Anne Rice and Mary Shelley are the only female horror writers I can think of immediately. I've never written horror either; if you have a bash, I will too. Let's see if we can raise the shares and Marks and Sparks.....
Emily Dubberley
Psychological stuff does it for me - After the Hole (now re-released as The Hole, to tie in with the film), Turn of the Screw, American Psycho (OK - it's hideously violent too - but far more scary from a psychological point of view - I didn't share a cab alone with any of my male mates for a while after reading it. Well, at least a couple of days...)
1984, Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 gave me genuine nightmares - although in the case of 1984, it may have been influenced by watching the film shortly afterwards - that scene with the rats - eugh!
curua
You're on, Wolfie. I've already had one bash... it's called 'Lost', but I didn't think it was scary enough, so I'm doing another...
Emily Dubberley
Wolfgirl - we must have posted simultaneously cos your post wasn't there when I was writing mine - try Poppy Z Brite - brilliant female horror writer.
curua
I agree, Emily, especially 'Lost Souls'... ('Drawing Blood' was quite cool too)...
stormy
Play Misty For Me and Fatal Attraction scared me more than any horror film or book - although the original Bram Stoker came close.
Maybe that says more about me than the genre though.
(pssst .... women are scary.....but don't let on)
dogplop
In 'The Shining' the twin girls are scary. Also the Omen, and The Exorcist are scary. I think if you make a child the narrative voice things can suddenly become a lot scary because vulnerability is so much greater.
The white hard bits on bacon are scary.
Poppy eyes are scary.........I've got poppy eyes.
Tony Cook
Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte - now that really is a scary film!
Scary writing doesn't attract me - I scare myself enugh already!
pip pip,
tc