‘Cowards make the best horror writers, because we know what fear feels like,’
– Rayne Hall
My previous post explored the origins of fear and my own phobias. However, I hereby suggest a universal fear that society should share: the horror writer. For decades Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King and Dean Koontz have seeped fear into their reader’s lives through the power of words.
But, how exactly did they instil fear into their readership?
At face value, the execution of horror fiction is like every other. It’s showered with literary devices like similes and triadic structures to present ‘the world as-it-is-being-known-and-felt’ to evoke a reaction in the reader such as unease, anxiety or empathy. For example, in “The Embarrassment of Dead Grandmothers” Lotz uses the simile ‘Its liver-spotted surface is pliant, like cheap ham’, which creates vivid imagery to make the reader feel queasy and uncomfortable as she explores the theme of death.
However, for those who truly appreciate and understand the nature of this craft, you will know it is one of the hardest genres to delve in due to its innate subjectivity.
Poe believed he had conquered the formula for fear: ‘the isolation of the reader, the stunning of sensibility, the victimisation of emotions and the premature burial of reason’. These techniques are frequently used to create suspense within a narrative which enhances fear.
Writers use isolation within their plots through locations, the protagonist or the reader; loneliness creates unease. This simple element in horror writing is extremely active in the creation of fear as the heightened sense of vulnerability causes dread of what is yet to come.
The victimisation of emotions suggests that all sufferings of the protagonist should be felt by the reader. If a reader does not identify with the main character, the narrative falls flat. Thus, it’s a powerful tool for a writer if the reader feels like the protagonist themselves.
The premature burial of reasons refers to writers withholding information to instil fear within their narrative. ‘The horror writer must walk a tightrope, balancing delicately between predictability and obscurity, telling neither too much nor too little’ as this creates a level of uncertainty and discomfort within the reader. Hence, ambiguity in the plot allows the writer to challenge the boundaries of reality, leaving the reader to question all that they thought was true. A wail in the house at night is no longer a pipe humming but, the presence of something far worse.
But, with the popularity of horror films and video games at an all-time high in modern society, is Poe’s formula enough?
Writers may also use their own phobias within their work to ‘achieve a level of authenticity that other writers cannot achieve’. By knowing the intended outcome, a writer can input precise lexical choices and circumstances within the plot to stir fear in their reader.
Another device intended to ignite terror is the metaphor. Fiction that represents societal fears creates terror in the reader as their worst phobias are being presented to them. As ‘Horror explores the fissures that open in our everyday lives and destabilizes our complacency about norms and rules’, the reader is lead to believe that even their sanctuary is not safe. An example of this technique is in Frankenstein. Shelley may have aimed to exaggerate the societal beliefs of bad parenting by highlighting the repercussions of an absent mother. This, therefore, spread fear amongst 1818 society.
I reiterate, the horror writer should be feared. Their work lives amongst us, breathes within us, stays with us like a shadow. Our overactive imaginations no longer know the line between real and imaginary. Once our bedroom lights are switched off, there could be anything in the room with us.
Word Count (exc. Quotes): 537
Bibliography (in order of use)
Hall, Rayne. “Writing Dark Stories”, Scimitar Press, 2014 (page 8)
Doty, Mark. The Art of Description, Minnesota: Graywolf Press, 2010 (page 49)
Lotz, Sarah. “The Embarrassment of Dead Grandmothers” in New Fears, edited by Mark Morris, Titan Books, London, 2017 (page 244)
Saliba, R.D. (1980). A Psychology of Fear: The Nightmare Formula of Edgar Allan Poe. Washington D.C: University Press of America. (page 17-18)
Taylor, D.W. “How To Write Today’s Horror” in The Craft and Business of Writing, Ohio: Writer’s Digest, 2008 (page 113)
Hall, Rayne. “Writing Dark Stories”, Scimitar Press, 2014 (page 9)
Wisker, Gina. Horror Fiction: An Introduction, Continuum, New York, 2005 (page 9)
Frightmare Fiction 