Hi everyone. I am an aspiring horror author. I am especially interested in scary, creepy and disturbing stories. I have not written anything yet but I thought that before starting to write my first novel it would be better to write a few short stories first. I’m also always searching for inspiration for new horror stories. If you know of any websites, blogs or Youtube channels that post regularly about unexplained, creepy and true crime stories, just let me know.
On the first point: I don’t know that it’s better to write short stories first. I suppose there is something to be said for finishing a complete story. But short stories and novels are structurally quite different with very different needs to achieve a successful end product. If you know you want to write novels, I’d go straight into that. On the other hand, if short stories interest you on their own, have at it. Welcome to the site.
Thanks. Because I don’t have experience in writing, I am thinking that it might be easier to motivate me to go through a short story. I was thinking of writing maybe three short stories and then try to write a novel. It’s just that I know myself. I often lack motivation, I postpone tasks and eventually I don’t get anything done
Welcome! I write horror too! Maybe size up an idea and determine how much content you can get out of it before making that decision ahead of time. My advice is to read lots of horror books and listen to books on audible. Observe how they write and the things they do. Lot's of other advice too if you'd like.
Thanks. I would like to listen to books on Audible but they are expensive and can’t really afford this much.
Who are some of your favorite horror authors? I'm a big fan of Stephen King, at least his earlier work, though he tends to fudge his endings. Also Lovecraft, Poe, and many others who are grouped in the Weird horror/fantasy category. Also, it's October 1st, the day I begin my annual perusal of all my horror movies on a daily basis. Wow, this place severely lacks any kind of evil or horrifying smilies. I really needed one of those right here. Ok wait, here we go: As you're probaably aware, Wes Craven based The Nightmare on Elm Street on news stories about young Asian people who would have intense nightmares and in many cases die from apparently no other cause, and one of them had a coffee maker hidden in his closet to try to stay awake for fear of the boogieman getting him through his dreams.
Hi. I don’t know lots of horror authors but here are a few novels and movies I liked. A few novels I like; - Pet Semetery (Stephen King) - The Shining (Stephen King) - Invasion of the body snatchers (Jack Finney) A few movies I like; - REC - 28 Days later - Tchernobyl diaries - Hostel - Texas chainsaw massacre - Invasion of the body snatchers (1978 version) I heard about the story of Nightmare on Elm street. That’s the kind of infos I like. I want to know where authors get their inspiration and how they merge two or three stories together.
Well let's see, in the internet era, you could look at things like A Thousand Ways to Die (is that what it's called? a series showing weird ways people have died), or scour YouTube for titles like Near Death Experiences and variations on that. Probably better though just to search the internet itself (not only YouTube) for strange and unnerving events. You'd have to refine your search terms over time and you should start to get some results. It's all in figuring out the right search terms. If you're lucky you might stumble across blogs or websites that feature strange creepy real-world events and be able to look into their backlogs and subscribe to them. Stories can be adapted to be very different from what actually happened, or in some cases two different people will use the same story and end up with very different results. Both The Shining and the Eagles song Hotel California were based on a newspaper article about a supposedly haunted hotel in California I believe filled with ghosts from an earlier time. I don't remember where King placed the hotel, probably in Bangor or Providence or somewhere in his usual stomping grounds, and Kubrick moved it to Colorado or somewhere.
Check out your local library, they may have an option to borrow books online (Oversrive or Libby). Borrwing is free and they may have lots of audiobooks.
FYI i lived in Bangor for a few years. In fact, in "It" Part 1, theres a scene where the kids are running around by a standpipe. I was in the theater with my son and we both had to do a double take because we literally lived across the street from where they filmed that. King's house there is really creepy. Kool, but creepy.
I like to watch: Fascinating Horror Scary Interesting Dark History Qxir on youtube. I'm not affiliated with any of them, but they cover true disaster stories that might inspire you.
No love for Clive Barker yet I see. He's consistently disturbing, at least. A short story collection or two are worth checking out.
Horror for YA and there’s always R.L Stein and a host of YA books listed as “point horror” They look like (with a funky inscription scrawled across the top).
Hi there DarkWoods, Would you be interested in writing a story for an old school adventure game? Kind Regards, White Rabbit.
How would you define your old school adventure game? I've been politely and correctly asked by the admins not to fish for collaborations so I'm now asking out of curiosity! I like MI2 personally
"You are in a debris room filled with stuff washed in from the surface. A low wide passage with cobbles becomes plugged with mud and debris here, but an awkward canyon leads upward and west. In the mud someone has scrawled, "MAGIC WORD XYZZY". What now? XYZZY You are inside a building, a well house for a large spring. What now?"
