NationStates Jolt Archive

I love horror films, and I love reading horror books. So I want to write my own horror novel. However, I don't think I'll be able to scare anyone because the directors of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003) and people like Stephen King has already made such good and gut grabbing horror movies/novel.

I do have about 3 plots. I want yall to tell me which one you like best. Also feel free to give advice.

1.4 people decide to go camping in the woods, and one of the guy is a pilot. So he flies to the mountains, when the engine dies unexpectly. So they have to ditch the aircraft in a small abandoned field (airport). Its night time and 5 years earlier a murder has happened at the airport. The murder is still out there though, and it may just get these kids.

2. This one is actually deprive from an Urban Legend Here is the link to that Urban Legend.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/campus.htm

A young man is in a small college out in the middle of no where. He is an outcast, and often stays in his dorm room. Girls rejects him and other people whisper at one another when he walks by. This has been going on throughout his life. It keeps on going on until he has had enough. Inspiration hits him when he picks up a hatchet at a hardware store, and becomes inspired to kill those who hurt him. On the night of the massacre, a psychic on TV warns on a talk show that a murder is about to happen at the college. However no one takes her seriously until it happens.

3. A young couple buys a small two story farm house built in the 1940s. However what the couple don't know is that its a site of not only a murder by an abusive husband and father. But of a grave site thats been disturbed by the father when he built the house. The couple lives in the house for 13 days as the spirit of the father and the spirit of the wife uses the couple as pawns in their never ending battle in the after life.

So cast your votes and please feel free to offer advice.

bump.

For those who voted for option 4. What didn't you like about it?

For those who voted for option 4. What didn't you like about it?
On an internet forum you have to account for the Nattering Neighbobs of Negativity who are going to crap on whatever creative effort anyone puts forth. You could post a story about a prince who comes home to find that his recently widowed mother has married his uncle who the ghost of his dad says killed him and there'd be someone who'd post 'Yawn.'

It's just the way, anonymity makes pricks of some people, and some people are just pricks.

I myself don't read horror novels and am not a good audience for you to guage-it's likely that whatever you'd have to do to get my interest would alienate your core target audience, so I can't help you except to say don't sweat the neighbobs-let them put themselves out there instead of stomping on those who do.

Have you written short stories or anything before? I'd start there on some fan fiction sites or something if I were you to improve your game and get some ideas before you start a huge project. A novel takes a year or two, and you probably won't finish it (though I could be wrong).

Sorry, but I'm not personally digging any of those three plots particularly in their current form.

The first one might have potential, but its reaching a bit too far to put those guys at the abandoned airport. Why would campers fly to a location? I've never camped anywhere but it doesn't seem like a typical thing that people would do. I don't feel the second one at all. The third one might be OK, too, but there isn't really enough detail there to make an informed decision as to whether it would be good or not.

Anyway, I don't think the plot is that important. A great writer can make any plot into a great book. Like look at the plot from The Shining... its not much of a plot really, but Stephen King turned it into his best work IMO.

You can still scare people regardless what people before you have done, you just have to find out what your style and strength is and work with that. The Grudge was an awesome movie.. but a completly different style from something Stephen King would do.

Just my opinion.. my fiction writing 'background' is that I wrote 2 short stories for a fan fiction site about 5 years ago, one fantasy and one horror (They got good reviews, too, before it went down for good :( ) so given that it's quite possible that I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

I write alot of short stories. Most of them has a Twilight feel to it. You know it has a twist at the end.

On an internet forum you have to account for the Nattering Neighbobs of Negativity who are going to crap on whatever creative effort anyone puts forth. You could post a story about a prince who comes home to find that his recently widowed mother has married his uncle who the ghost of his dad says killed him and there'd be someone who'd post 'Yawn.'

It's just the way, anonymity makes pricks of some people, and some people are just pricks.

I myself don't read horror novels and am not a good audience for you to guage-it's likely that whatever you'd have to do to get my interest would alienate your core target audience, so I can't help you except to say don't sweat the neighbobs-let them put themselves out there instead of stomping on those who do.

That's good advice, too, Oak... if you're serious about writing you're gonna hear 'no', or 'this sucks' every so often even if you're a top writer, and you've gotta be strong enough to shake it off and keep at it (and learn to differentiate assholes from honest, good criticism).

Yea, I admit that the airplane one might be lost on the general audience. I just thought of that one up because I actually camp, and I'm actually a pilot. So I thought that one up on a night flight to a camp site that has a grass runway.

I think the three plots you outlined have been explored all ready by various authors and/or movies in one form or another. Unless you have a completely fresh and unexpected twist to those themes I'm not sure it would make much of an impression to most people.

One good way to come up with a storyline for a horror story is to explore your own life for something that terrified you and see if that could be modified into a horror tale. Mary Shelley came up with Frankenstein after a nightmare I seem to recall reading somewhere, and no doubt at least one of Stephen King's stories were inspired by his own life.

Actually Plot 2 came from my own life. Its a sick twisted fanasty of mine lol. Plot 2 gives the horror from the killer's prespective instead of from the victims prespective.

Yea, I admit that the airplane one might be lost on the general audience. I just thought of that one up because I actually camp, and I'm actually a pilot. So I thought that one up on a night flight to a camp site that has a grass runway.

I actually liked the plane and the abandoned airfield aspect of it a lot. It was the campers and the murderer in the woods that didn't strike my fancy. That part of it seemed a little too cliche to me, but maybe you have a different spin on it than I'm envisioning.

If you're a pilot, you can't beat the plane premise... being able to write from a foundation of experience is so much easier. Knowing that you're actually into flying, I think number 1 might be the right track. And if you can link the flying and camping in some way, it would be great but it sounds like it would be tough to do.

I actually liked the plane and the abandoned airfield aspect of it a lot. It was the campers and the murderer in the woods that didn't strike my fancy. That part of it seemed a little too cliche to me, but maybe you have a different spin on it than I'm envisioning.

If you're a pilot, you can't beat the plane premise... being able to write from a foundation of experience is so much easier. Knowing that you're actually into flying, I think number 1 might be the right track. And if you can link the flying and camping in some way, it would be great but it sounds like it would be tough to do.

Well how would you change plot line one so that it wouldn't be cliche?

Well how would you change plot line one so that it wouldn't be cliche?
Think more about what the menace is doing up there. A murderer just sitting around waiting for the odd plane to land to kill some teens is a little thin. What is he doing up there? What is he trying to protect? How'd he get up there? Is there something up there that the kids aren't supposed to see? Did they accidently offend someone who would otherwise be peaceful? Was he peaceful and then just snap? Is it something that the kids could have avoided? Does he need the plane to escape?

Keep in mind everything I listed is variations on things I've seen (and I keep thinking of the Mamet movie The Edge...) but you get the idea.

Think more about what the menace is doing up there. A murderer just sitting around waiting for the odd plane to land to kill some teens is a little thin. What is he doing up there? What is he trying to protect? How'd he get up there? Is there something up there that the kids aren't supposed to see? Did they accidently offend someone who would otherwise be peaceful? Was he peaceful and then just snap? Is it something that the kids could have avoided? Does he need the plane to escape?

Keep in mind everything I listed is variations on things I've seen (and I keep thinking of the Mamet movie The Edge...) but you get the idea.

Yea I know. Well thinking about this alittle bit better. The killer would be a janitor that got fired from a job and the boss of the airport at the time was an asshole. So he kills him during night and buries him in a spot at the airport. The case was never solved and the janitor got off sotch free. However since the janitor was basically a lunatic who snapped when he got fired. Hes paranoid so he feels like he has to protect the crime scene. He even built a little cottage in the woods. He sees the kids landing at the airport and gets nervous. Hes afraid that they'll find the body. So he kills them. I hope this is a little better.

Wow, you remind me so much of myself at your age. It's great that you're starting now, there's plenty more time when you don't have to spend it making rent & bills. ;)
I write myself when I have the time, and have had one story published in a gothic fiction mag called Blue Blood. I was only 20 at the time, and now that I look back at it, it was pretty bad. Oh well.

If you haven't already, I would definitely advise that you read this book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743455967/002-9051232-2747251?v=glance). Without all of the cheesy hyperbole and craptacular "insider" advice, it tells it like it is. Best and most realistic advice anyone could ever hope for.

Good luck, and let us know if you've found a good site to publish your work on (the online fiction market is great to get a breakthrough, and most of the editors of these sites will offer a lot more advice than any paper mag editor ever will.)

A good place to get lots of good advice, and post stories for people to read is ChuckPalahniuk.net (in the Writer's Workshop). He's even going to publish some of the best stories.

Keep us up to date on your progress! :)

Well how would you change plot line one so that it wouldn't be cliche?

Well, if it were me I would make the abandoned airport the setting for most of what goes on. The woods would serve to cut off communication and so on, but most of the action would take place in the airport.

I'm envisioning like an old concrete runway, maybe something that was constructed in WWII (or WWI, if you really like grass) and since abandoned. Then you can say the place is haunted or has something demonic about it, either by your old graveyard routine, or by someone who died unjustly during the war, or by military experiments that took place during the war, or by some half ass cult that did stuff up there in the 50's and 60's and unleashed something.

That's just random shit off my head... dunno if that helps. Then again I used to work as a security guard at an abandoned prison which was quite haunted... night shift, so I have a real leaning towards abandoned buildings as a setting and dead people playing the scary role, just like you seem to have leanings more towards serial killer types. Much of it is just personal preference and you might do a better job keeping your first plot as is and putting your own style on it.

With your janitor idea, if the airport was active 5 years prior, then why is the area so desolate now? Wouldn't there be other people living nearby?

Anyway, I'm off to bed... I'll probably be back in the morning but good luck with this if I don't check back in. :)

I will. I have gotten my short stories published in High School and college newspaper. Most of them having the Twilight Zone/ Outer Limit feel.

Well, if it were me I would make the abandoned airport the setting for most of what goes on. The woods would serve to cut off communication and so on, but most of the action would take place in the airport.

I'm envisioning like an old concrete runway, maybe something that was constructed in WWII (or WWI, if you really like grass) and since abandoned. Then you can say the place is haunted or has something demonic about it, either by your old graveyard routine, or by someone who died unjustly during the war, or by military experiments that took place during the war, or by some half ass cult that did stuff up there in the 50's and 60's and unleashed something.

That's just random shit off my head... dunno if that helps. Then again I used to work as a security guard at an abandoned prison which was quite haunted... night shift, so I have a real leaning towards abandoned buildings as a setting and dead people playing the scary role, just like you seem to have leanings more towards serial killer types. Much of it is just personal preference and you might do a better job keeping your first plot as is and putting your own style on it.

With your janitor idea, if the airport was active 5 years prior, then why is the area so desolate now? Wouldn't there be other people living nearby?

Anyway, I'm off to bed... I'll probably be back in the morning but good luck with this if I don't check back in. :)


Eh, the 5 years was just off the top of my head. I really like the experiment gone wrong angle. I have like 5 books on the Phillidephia Experiment alone so I know how to work that angle lol.

Yea I know. Well thinking about this alittle bit better. The killer would be a janitor that got fired from a job and the boss of the airport at the time was an asshole. So he kills him during night and buries him in a spot at the airport. The case was never solved and the janitor got off sotch free. However since the janitor was basically a lunatic who snapped when he got fired. Hes paranoid so he feels like he has to protect the crime scene. He even built a little cottage in the woods. He sees the kids landing at the airport and gets nervous. Hes afraid that they'll find the body. So he kills them. I hope this is a little better.
To be honest, it still feels rather weak. Then again, I've never been one for the serial killer genre, so you can disregard my opinion if you like.

To be honest, it still feels rather weak. Then again, I've never been one for the serial killer genre, so you can disregard my opinion if you like.

lol, well I could take Ay-way suggestion and make the airport a site of a WW II experiment gone wrong. An experimental bomber could've crashed there and its top govermental secret because they were testing radioactivity fueled engines.

Read som Lovecraft, Ligotti and David Schow and come back in a month and ask again.


I love horror films, and I love reading horror books. So I want to write my own horror novel. However, I don't think I'll be able to scare anyone because the directors of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003) and people like Stephen King has already made such good and gut grabbing horror movies/novel.

I do have about 3 plots. I want yall to tell me which one you like best. Also feel free to give advice.

1.4 people decide to go camping in the woods, and one of the guy is a pilot. So he flies to the mountains, when the engine dies unexpectly. So they have to ditch the aircraft in a small abandoned field (airport). Its night time and 5 years earlier a murder has happened at the airport. The murder is still out there though, and it may just get these kids.

2. This one is actually deprive from an Urban Legend Here is the link to that Urban Legend.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/campus.htm

A young man is in a small college out in the middle of no where. He is an outcast, and often stays in his dorm room. Girls rejects him and other people whisper at one another when he walks by. This has been going on throughout his life. It keeps on going on until he has had enough. Inspiration hits him when he picks up a hatchet at a hardware store, and becomes inspired to kill those who hurt him. On the night of the massacre, a psychic on TV warns on a talk show that a murder is about to happen at the college. However no one takes her seriously until it happens.

3. A young couple buys a small two story farm house built in the 1940s. However what the couple don't know is that its a site of not only a murder by an abusive husband and father. But of a grave site thats been disturbed by the father when he built the house. The couple lives in the house for 13 days as the spirit of the father and the spirit of the wife uses the couple as pawns in their never ending battle in the after life.

So cast your votes and please feel free to offer advice.

the reason other writers are so brilliant is because they tap into our childhood fears and insecurities, i suggest you start by looking there. Isolation is always good, emotional isolation is better. Try to keep it in the mind of the reader. Suspense is better when it is open ended. The biggist thing though is your character development. If the reader doesnt care about the protagonist, they will not be fearful for them. Make the characters easy to identify with, make a little of each of us in them. Let me know how it goes. I wish you the best of luck, horror is a difficult genre.

the reason other writers are so brilliant is because they tap into our childhood fears and insecurities, i suggest you start by looking there. Isolation is always good, emotional isolation is better. Try to keep it in the mind of the reader. Suspense is better when it is open ended. The biggist thing though is your character development. If the reader doesnt care about the protagonist, they will not be fearful for them. Make the characters easy to identify with, make a little of each of us in them. Let me know how it goes. I wish you the best of luck, horror is a difficult genre.

Yes it is, but I don't see myself writing anything else. If I write anything else I would just laugh my ass off while writing it lol.

I dont think any of them would make a good novel. However, all of them could make commercially successful movies with the right actors, soundtrack, and marketing. All three stories are too cheesy for a novel, but perfect for hollywood. Maybe you should do a script instead of a novel.

I dont think any of them would make a good novel. However, all of them could make commercially successful movies with the right actors, soundtrack, and marketing. All three stories are too cheesy for a novel, but perfect for hollywood. Maybe you should do a script instead of a novel.

Yea, I thought about doing a low budget movie. But who doesn't have a low budget movie these days? Beside I have no clue how to write a script.

i would also avoid technological horror plots (anything nuclear or top-secret government operations) unless youre prepared to do a ton of research.

Yea, I thought about doing a low budget movie. But who doesn't have a low budget movie these days? Beside I have no clue how to write a script.

First, you do a search on script writing and you read a variety of web sites on the topics. This is a good place to start:

http://www.screenwriting.info/

Then, you should read scripts for movies you are familiar with. Here is a link to the script for the sixth sense:

http://imsdb.com/scripts/Sixth-Sense,-The.html

Then you can start writing.

i would also avoid technological horror plots (anything nuclear or top-secret government operations) unless youre prepared to do a ton of research.

Well if it does deal with top secret stuff, it is going to be aviation related, since I am a master of aviation knoweldge.

First, you do a search on script writing and you read a variety of web sites on the topics. This is a good place to start:

http://www.screenwriting.info/

Then, you should read scripts for movies you are familiar with. Here is a link to the script for the sixth sense:

http://imsdb.com/scripts/Sixth-Sense,-The.html

Then you can start writing.

Ah cool, thanks. You wouldn't happen to know how they do the special effect where the killer insert the weapon of choice into the victim do ya?

Well if it does deal with top secret stuff, it is going to be aviation related, since I am a master of aviation knoweldge.
thats good, stick to your strengths. huh, im talking to you in two threads, just realized that. try to keep the plot twisted to keep suspense.

thats good, stick to your strengths. huh, im talking to you in two threads, just realized that. try to keep the plot twisted to keep suspense.

Shouldn't be too hard. My dad got me hooked on the Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, X-Files, The Hitchcock movies such as Psycho and the birds etc. He also got me hooked on Star Trek. lol.

Ah cool, thanks. You wouldn't happen to know how they do the special effect where the killer insert the weapon of choice into the victim do ya?

Any number of ways. The poor mans solution would be tricky camera work and using the " sometimes its what you dont see thats most terrifying" theory. Perhaps shadows or facial close ups

If you,ve got money to burn, photoshop and Adobe After Effects is the way to go. that way you can get as explicitly graphic as you want or need. Id also invest in a bottle of stage blood. Im something of a filmmaker myself and if you choose this route let me know and I can assist you. Also, if you buy these programs, use Ebay, its cheaper. Also, you'll need good shot planning for when you need to hack someone up (sometimes youll need extra shots of just the background to fill in gaps etc)

you're right, a lot of people have already written horror novels/screenplays with a lot of plots, and frankly, I’m almost always disappointed with them.

I think if you want your novel to be successful, you've really got to come up with something completely original. or, as you did for the college-themed plot, you could take an old urban legend and turn it into a longer, more elaborate story.

in my opinion, I always like reading and watching stories that have lots of details in it rather than just someone running around slashing people up. I thought Kôji Suzuki did a great job with a lot of his work as far as plot-wise, but his stories didn't really scare me at all. I think you'll be inspired by him seeing as how one of his very short stories was turned into a blockbuster film, and I’m not talking about the ring trilogy.

I have one final comment, and I really hope I don't offend you, but I noticed in your posts that you're really not the best writer in grammatical terms. I’ve done a lot of editor work and when I read your posts, I kept seeing myself with a red pen, marking up all your errors. you just don't write like a writer and unless you've done other work, it's going to be very hard to write a novel and even harder to get it published. and I don't mean getting it published on the internet.

but anyway, good luck.

you're right, a lot of people have already written horror novels/screenplays with a lot of plots, and frankly, I’m almost always disappointed with them.

I think if you want your novel to be successful, you've really got to come up with something completely original. or, as you did for the college-themed plot, you could take an old urban legend and turn it into a longer, more elaborate story.

in my opinion, I always like reading and watching stories that have lots of details in it rather than just someone running around slashing people up. I thought Kôji Suzuki did a great job with a lot of his work as far as plot-wise, but his stories didn't really scare me at all. I think you'll be inspired by him seeing as how one of his very short stories was turned into a blockbuster film, and I’m not talking about the ring trilogy.

I have one final comment, and I really hope I don't offend you, but I noticed in your posts that you're really not the best writer in grammatical terms. I’ve done a lot of editor work and when I read your posts, I kept seeing myself with a red pen, marking up all your errors. you just don't write like a writer and unless you've done other work, it's going to be very hard to write a novel and even harder to get it published. and I don't mean getting it published on the internet.

but anyway, good luck.


Yes I realize that my grammer, well sucks. Its because I had ADD early in life, and well I tend to asbored things a little bit slower than normal people. Don't worry in the fall I will be taking a grammer course in college. Eh what can I say, sometimes you got to come back to the basic.

For those who voted for option 4. What didn't you like about it?

I voted four. They are all rather predictable, no? Like you said, Stephen King and similar people have done those kinds of plots quite a bit. Do something original, as hard as that is to do about now. I find the most effective ones are very psychological. I'd reccomend thinking about it a bit more but I definately respect what you want to do.

I voted four. They are all rather predictable, no? Like you said, Stephen King and similar people have done those kinds of plots quite a bit. Do something original, as hard as that is to do about now. I find the most effective ones are very psychological. I'd reccomend thinking about it a bit more but I definately respect what you want to do.

I chose these scenerios because well. My favorite era during the horror genre would have to be the 70s and 80s. Because back then they didn't have all these fancy computers effect. They just relied on a good plot and lots of blood, scream and chills. I espically like "Halloween" "The Amitvyille Horror" etc.

Any number of ways. The poor mans solution would be tricky camera work and using the " sometimes its what you dont see thats most terrifying" theory. Perhaps shadows or facial close ups

If you,ve got money to burn, photoshop and Adobe After Effects is the way to go. that way you can get as explicitly graphic as you want or need. Id also invest in a bottle of stage blood. Im something of a filmmaker myself and if you choose this route let me know and I can assist you. Also, if you buy these programs, use Ebay, its cheaper. Also, you'll need good shot planning for when you need to hack someone up (sometimes youll need extra shots of just the background to fill in gaps etc)

Or you could just use actual violence (not recommended. You only have one take, then theres the whole lawsuit thing, prison, not to mention the burning eternally in hell) on second thought, avoid that option like the plague.

No offense Oak, but I hope your writing isn't as disjointed, unintelligible, unplanned, and... well... shitty as your descriptions were. I mean, Jesus, you skip at least two words in every sentence, your thoughts are hardly coherent, and it's a struggle to figure out what ideas you're putting forth. Besides the shameful grammar, your descriptions also didn't conclude properly, i.e. you brought up points and didn't finish them.

I guess I'd pick either 1 or 3, though the first is more original (though I'm not entirely sure what the entire plot for 3 was... you totally lost all writing ability by the end of that one.)

No offense Oak, but I hope your writing isn't as disjointed, unintelligible, unplanned, and... well... shitty as your descriptions were. I mean, Jesus, you skip at least two words in every sentence, your thoughts are hardly coherent, and it's a struggle to figure out what ideas you're putting forth. Besides the shameful grammar, your descriptions also didn't conclude properly, i.e. you brought up points and didn't finish them.

I guess I'd pick either 1 or 3, though the first is more original (though I'm not entirely sure what the entire plot for 3 was... you totally lost all writing ability by the end of that one.)

There is a little thing called brain storming. These are just BASIC plots. I do not go into detail until I am sure I have a winner. It worked with my short stories and it will work here.

With very few exceptions (Aldous Huxley, Bret Easton Ellis), no decent book has ever been written by anyone under 30.


From your mediocre ideas; I'd suggest you haven't got what it takes

With very few exceptions (Aldous Huxley, Bret Easton Ellis), no decent book has ever been written by anyone under 30.


From your mediocre ideas; I'd suggest you haven't got what it takes

and yet, the author of "Frankenstein" was only 18 when she wrote her book. Kind of blows that theory out of the water doesn't it?

There is a little thing called brain storming. These are just BASIC plots. I do not go into detail until I am sure I have a winner. It worked with my short stories and it will work here.

I know, but damn man, try and make it easy for the people who you want opinions from. We don't know what's going on in your head. And since some people do write like that, I wasn't going to sugar coat it.

As I said, I prefer 1, it's the most original. (Besides the fact that the "murder" is coming back to kill the kids.) The problem with 2 is that the killer is known and that the plot rests on an impetus for "inspiration [to] hit him." And lastly 3, is shamelessly taken from Amitvyille Horror, although you might have something different -- you can't really tell who the dead abusive guy is the father of nor what's important about the grave that's disrupted.

Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em. And being obsessive compulsive, it irks me to no end when people get away with murdering English like you did.

hmmm 'very few exceptions' - don't you think that this could stretch to a few hundred examples considering how many book are in print?


apologies if I only listed a couple of the top of my head

prick

From your mediocre ideas; I'd suggest you haven't got what it takes

Mediocre ideas are what makes good slasher fiction. Duhh.
You think Wes Craven is famous because he has innovative and groundbreaking ideas?

I know, but damn man, try and make it easy for the people who you want opinions from. We don't know what's going on in your head. And since some people do write like that, I wasn't going to sugar coat it.

As I said, I prefer 1, it's the most original. (Besides the fact that the "murder" is coming back to kill the kids.) The problem with 2 is that the killer is known and that the plot rests on an impetus for "inspiration [to] hit him." And lastly 3, is shamelessly taken from Amitvyille Horror, although you might have something different -- you can't really tell who the dead abusive guy is the father of nor what's important about the grave that's disrupted.

Hey, I just call 'em as I see 'em. And being obsessive compulsive, it irks me to no end when people get away with murdering English like you did.

Like I said, it takes a little bit longer for me to asbored things ok. Its not my fucking fault that I was born with a dent in my skull, or that I had ADD. Trust me, I do not write like this because I am stupid. I am actually very intelligent, (GPA: 3.5). I'm just stronger in some fields than other. I think I will go with plot 1, and maybe 2. 3, yea it did borrow from the AH, so I will have to rewrite that one. But I am keeping the farm house and the couple.

prick

No, no. You got severely pwned. Admit it you whiny ol' bitch.

hmmm 'very few exceptions' - don't you think that this could stretch to a few hundred examples considering how many book are in print?


apologies if I only listed a couple of the top of my head

prick

Well I am still going to do this project. Either as a novel or a low budget film. I love writing horror, and I love the horror genre. Do I expect to be like Wes Craven, or Stephen King. No I do not. That is why I am a history major instead of a journalism major, or English major.

Like I said, it takes a little bit longer for me to asbored things ok.

Yeah. I'm sorry I snapped. We all have our different ways of expressing ourselves when our creative juices are flowing. Don't let us bastards keep you down.

Sorry, they're all waaay to cliché, you need to find something innovative, or you'll wind up writing kitsch.
Really, a story with few characters, and a paranoid main character would do
(I know because it worked on my teacher)

Ah cool, thanks. You wouldn't happen to know how they do the special effect where the killer insert the weapon of choice into the victim do ya?

You can buy weapons with blades that sink in at prop stores or magic shops.

In my opinion the best horror stories are the ones with the fewest elements of supernaturalism as possible. The more believeable they are, the more you can see the same things happening in your own circumstance, which is why you will be scared. Films like the Ring and such are just too supernatural and thus you cant believe the situation could possibly ever happen in the real world, so you arnt as scared. Supernaturalism in a low level is good, but not when it becomes the driving force behind the plot.

No, no. You got severely pwned. Admit it you whiny ol' bitch.


oh dear - someone who doesn't appear to be able to spell or comprehend what is written in front of them.


Why are you even commenting on this thread? - you don't seem like you would be able to read a book and understand it at the same time; even an utterly pedestrian and derivative piece of genre fiction as is being proposed.


I imagine that your favorite writer is Dan Brown.

You can buy weapons with blades that sink in at prop stores or magic shops.

Cool. Theres a few magic shops here, so I'll look around.

If you have issues in writing (God knows I do) hire a proof reader (no don't ask one of your freinds) before you try to publish.

No offense but really those 4 ideas suck. Horror is the hardest of all things to write because there is no willful suspenstion of disbelief. Everybody can see themselves in an action or romance story but nobody WANTS to be the protaganist in as horror story.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
Read the "Count of Eleven" and "The Face that Must Die" by Ramsey Campbell and American Gothic by Robert Bloch before you even think about ever writing horror. I would also strongly suggest David Schow's anthology "Seeing Red" also.


Like I said, it takes a little bit longer for me to asbored things ok. Its not my fucking fault that I was born with a dent in my skull, or that I had ADD. Trust me, I do not write like this because I am stupid. I am actually very intelligent, (GPA: 3.5). I'm just stronger in some fields than other. I think I will go with plot 1, and maybe 2. 3, yea it did borrow from the AH, so I will have to rewrite that one. But I am keeping the farm house and the couple.