On Writing Horror

On Writing Horror PDF Author: Mort Castle
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1582974209
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
The masters of horror have united to teach you the secrets of success in the scariest genre of all! In On Writing Horror, Second Edition, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, Jack Ketchum, and many others tell you everything you need to know to successfully write and publish horror novels and short stories. Edited by the Horror Writers Association (HWA), a worldwide organization of writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting dark literature, On Writing Horror includes exclusive information and guidance from 58 of the biggest names in horror writing to give you the inspiration you need to start scaring and exciting readers and editors. You'll discover comprehensive instruction such as: • The art of crafting visceral violence, from Jack Ketchum • Why horror classics like Dracula, The Exorcist, and Hell House are as scary as ever, from Robert Weinberg • Tips for avoiding one of the biggest death knells in horror writing—predicable clichés—from Ramsey Campbell • How to use character and setting to stretch the limits of credibility, from Mort Castle With On Writing Horror, you can unlock the mystery surrounding classic horror traditions, revel in the art and craft of writing horror, and find out exactly where the genre is going next. Learn from the best, and you could be the next best-selling author keeping readers up all night long.

Writing in the Dark

Writing in the Dark PDF Author: Tim Waggoner
Publisher: Guide Dog Books
ISBN: 9781947879195
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
In this comprehensive textbook devoted to the craft of writing horror fiction, award-winning author Tim Waggoner draws on thirty years' experience as a writer and teacher. Writing in the Dark offers advice, guidance, and insights on how to compose horror stories and novels that are original, frightening, entertaining, and well-written. Waggoner covers a wide range of topics, among them why horror matters, building viable monsters, generating ideas and plotlines, how to stylize narratives in compelling ways, the physiology of fear, the art of suspense, avoiding clichés, marketing your horror writing, and much more. Each chapter includes tips from some of the best horror professionals working today, such as Joe Hill, Ellen Datlow, Joe R. Lansdale, Maurice Broaddus, Yvette Tan, Thomas Ligotti, Jonathan Maberry, Edward Lee, and John Shirley. There are also appendices with critical reflections, pointers on the writing process, ideas for characters and story arcs, and material for further research. Writing in the Dark derives from Waggoner's longtime blog of the same name. Suitable for classroom use, intensive study, and bedside reading, this essential manual will appeal to new authors at the beginning of their career as well as veterans of the horror genre who want to brush up on their technique.

The Secrets of Story

The Secrets of Story PDF Author: Matt Bird
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440348235
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
You've just boarded a plane. You've loaded your phone with your favorite podcasts, but before you can pop in your earbuds, disaster strikes: The guy in the next seat starts telling you all about something crazy that happened to him--in great detail. This is the unwelcome storyteller, trying to convince a reluctant audience to care about his story. We all hate that guy, right? But when you tell a story (any kind of story: a novel, a memoir, a screenplay, a stage play, a comic, or even a cover letter), you become the unwelcome storyteller. So how can you write a story that audiences will embrace? The answer is simple: Remember what it feels like to be that jaded audience. Tell the story that would win you over, even if you didn't want to hear it. The Secrets of Story provides comprehensive, audience-focused strategies for becoming a master storyteller. Armed with the Ultimate Story Checklist, you can improve every aspect of your fiction writing with incisive questions like these: • Concept: Is the one-sentence description of your story uniquely appealing? • Character: Can your audience identify with your hero? • Structure and Plot: Is your story ruled by human nature? • Scene Work: Does each scene advance the plot and reveal character through emotional reactions? • Dialogue: Is your characters' dialogue infused with distinct personality traits and speech patterns based on their lives and backgrounds? • Tone: Are you subtly setting, resetting, and upsetting expectations? • Theme: Are you using multiple ironies throughout the story to create meaning? To succeed in the world of fiction and film, you have to work on every aspect of your craft and satisfy your audience. Do both--and so much more--with The Secrets of Story.

We Hear Voices

We Hear Voices PDF Author: Evie Green
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593098315
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
“Prepare for major goosebumps.” —PopSugar “The must-have for any horror fan.” —Marie Claire An eerie horror debut about a little boy who recovers from a mysterious illness and confronts the shadowy forces behind his new imaginary friend... Kids have imaginary friends. Rachel knows this. So when her young son, Billy, miraculously recovers from a mysterious flu that has proven fatal for many, she thinks nothing of Delfy, his new invisible friend. After all, her family is healthy and that’s all that matters. But soon Delfy is telling Billy what to do, and the boy is acting up and lashing out in ways he never has before. And Billy isn’t the only kid suddenly hearing voices.... Rachel can’t shake the feeling that this is all tied up with the flu, and something—or someone—far more sinister is at play. As rising tensions threaten to tear her family apart, she clings to one purpose: to protect her children at any cost—even from themselves. We Hear Voices is a gripping near-future horror novel that tests the fragility of family and the terrifying gray area between fear and love.

Where Nightmares Come From

Where Nightmares Come From PDF Author: Clive Barker
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781640074682
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
"The art of storytelling in the horror genre, taking an idea from conception to reality--whether you prefer short stories, novels, films, or comics."--Page [4] of cover.

The Wickford Doom

The Wickford Doom PDF Author: Chris Priestley
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 1800900589
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 99

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Book Description
A haunting, historical adventure. When Harry and his mother inherit old Wickford Hall, they come up against an ancient evil. Can Harry defeat it? Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+

How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction

How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction PDF Author: Jerry N. Williamson
Publisher: Betterway Books
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
The masters of speculative fiction share how-to instruction on writing stories about the weird, the fantastic, the unknown and the imagined, in 27 succinct chapters.

Red Rain

Red Rain PDF Author: R.L. Stine
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 145163613X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 449

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Book Description
In the aftermath of a hurricane from which she barely escapes while on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, travel writer Lea Sutter impulsively adopts a pair of orphaned twin boys against the wishes of her family before encountering the twins' sinister natures.

The Conspiracy against the Human Race

The Conspiracy against the Human Race PDF Author: Thomas Ligotti
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0525504915
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
In Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction outing, an examination of the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life through an insightful, unsparing argument that proves the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination but instead are found in reality. "There is a signature motif discernible in both works of philosophical pessimism and supernatural horror. It may be stated thus: Behind the scenes of life lurks something pernicious that makes a nightmare of our world." His fiction is known to be some of the most terrifying in the genre of supernatural horror, but Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction book may be even scarier. Drawing on philosophy, literature, neuroscience, and other fields of study, Ligotti takes the penetrating lens of his imagination and turns it on his audience, causing them to grapple with the brutal reality that they are living a meaningless nightmare, and anyone who feels otherwise is simply acting out an optimistic fallacy. At once a guidebook to pessimistic thought and a relentless critique of humanity's employment of self-deception to cope with the pervasive suffering of their existence, The Conspiracy against the Human Race may just convince readers that there is more than a measure of truth in the despairing yet unexpectedly liberating negativity that is widely considered a hallmark of Ligotti's work.

Writing Horror

Writing Horror PDF Author: Edo Van Belkom
Publisher: Bellingham, Wash. ; North Vancouver : International Self-Counsel Press
ISBN: 9781551802817
Category : Horror tales
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Takes you through the process of creating horror, including the art of suspending reader disbelief, the creation of atmosphere and believable characters, and the seven steps of plotting.