There is a lot of advice out there on how to scare readers. But how you do it is what matters. After all, it is your story.
It’s hard coming up with the right story. Knowing how to terrify readers is even trickier. So, how do you do it effectively?
There are many ways to terrify readers. Every subgenre has different elements. There are monsters, the supernatural, demons, etc.
But no matter what subgenre you choose, some ways work. So what are these ways?
Frighten readers with suspense:
Have you ever watched a horror movie that made you jump? These are cheap thrills because they don’t stick.
What does stick, however, is how you build your story. Hitchcock knew this. That’s why they call him the master of suspense.
Suspense frightens readers more than cheap thrills because it sticks long after the story ends.
An effectively frightening story makes us fear what is in the dark. Jump scares make us leap.
But it is more like being startled than authentically terrified of the horrors lurking in the darkness.
Create the perfect character:
People need to care about your character. There needs to be a reason for them to like tagging along with them.
How do the characters get involved in the horror? What kind of people are they? There’s a reason the kids having sex go first.
People root for characters not because they are righteous or virtuous. They love characters that are readily aware.
Characters with no personality need to go. That’s why dimwits always get killed first. But don’t make your protagonist the only character with personality.
Your story should be filled with colorful and fun characters that carry your story forward. As it has been said:
“There are no small parts, only small actors”
Konstantin Stanislavski
Leave the monster in the dark:
I like it when they leave the monster in the shadows. It builds momentum, even if that is a slow burn.
If a reader can sit through the entire story to see the monster, it is so worth it. In some cases, the horror can be psychological.
Plenty of horror asks whether what we see is real or a figment of the character’s imagination.
Some stories never showed the monster. It leaves the reader or audience to imagine what the monster looks like.
It’s up to you to decide what horrors are acceptable to your story. It depends on the atmosphere.
Write chilling dialogue:
Like a finely-tuned character, interesting dialogue spices up your story. I have heard complaints online about older films having poor dialogue.
But how your characters speak can either make or break the story. Dialogue needs to add more to the story.
If it is not adding to the story, remove it. The story must keep moving readers along with the suspense.
It needs to fit the context of the story. Horror is not meant to be naturalistic or realistic. It is meant to be escapist and alluring.
Make the villain unforgettable:
The villain and the monster may be the same. Or they may be two different beings or entities.
Regardless of how they stand, your villain needs to make readers feel goose pimples.
Again, as I said earlier, your monster may not be the villain. They may instead be a misunderstood individual.
A victim of circumstances or cruelty. The villain might be someone who bullies or tries to eradicate their existence.
A few examples are Frankenstein, Carrie, and The Metamorphosis. The villain must be more compelling than your monster.
These are a few ways to create a terrifying plot. How you choose to use these is up to you!