You Can Write Horror – Really!

Hi everyone,

Today I’m sharing a horror-related excerpt from my non-fiction writing book, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction. As an author of more than 95 short stories and 19 novels, I’m often asked: Where do you get your ideas? How do I get published? How do you write a book? What advice do you have for writers who are just starting out? 

I’ve answered these questions many times in interviews and addressed them in guest blogs, but I always wanted to say more. One day, I started thinking about everything I’ve learned over the years, and inspiration hit me: Why not write a book on how to write? The result? You Can Write—Really!

This fun and practical book walks you through the story-creating process step-by-step: from getting a great idea to meeting your characters, developing a plot, and on to writing, revising, and submitting your work. I also included helpful tips all writers can use, plus easy writing exercises to get you motivated.

Here’s an excerpt from the section on writing horror:

Horror readers want to be scared (or at least made to feel nervous), so start scaring people on page one. Use a clever hook, details, and setting to pull readers in. Start with a pool of blood on the floor or give us all the details of your haunted house. Let readers experience what it feels like to be chased across a field by a werewolf.

In horror, you can write almost anything and get away with it. Play on childhood fears and things people hate (or are afraid of). Here’s a short list: clowns, creepy dolls, being buried alive, stuffed moose heads, basements, closets, the dark…

As you write, keep the tension and suspense constant. Enhance anticipation and fear in layers. Your novel or short story needs twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and wondering, “What happens next?” Be sure to end scenes (and/or chapters) with a cliffhanger or other danger.

If your antagonist is a monster (of the non-human variety) you must believe your monster is real (whether he’s a vampire, a werewolf, or a slimy sewer creature). If you don’t write the creature believably, readers won’t buy into it. Make your monster as real as any other human character and show him in action.

Because your monster is not human, it’s okay for readers to hate him. They should know he’s bad news from the start of the story, so make him awful. You don’t want readers (or other characters) sympathizing with your monster—you want them to fear him.

TIP: Don’t mix monsters. Only include one primary monster or menace in your writing. Don’t have vampires, werewolves, zombies, and demons running around in the same story, attacking a town during a full moon on Halloween. It’s overkill—and not in a good way.

If your monster is human (serial killer), depict him at his worst. Don’t shy away from showing him doing really bad, socially unacceptable things. Horror stories are generally dark and explore themes and ideas that expose the bad side of people. If you’re not comfortable going to “the dark side” to write terrifying stuff, you may want to consider writing thrillers or suspense stories.

Your human “monster” needs to be fleshed out. Develop his character through details, give him a history, and show why he’s so warped. If your villain is a racist, show readers how nasty he is through his actions, dialogue, or vocabulary. Make readers hate him. Get readers emotionally involved so they can’t wait for him to get what he deserves in the end. (And he will!)

In a way, it’s fun to show two sides to your villain. Maybe when we first meet him, he seems charming and sweet and is a perfectly normal eighth grade science teacher. Later, when we see the torture chamber in his basement, we’re thrown for a loop.

When creating a human monster, take cues from reality. Most predators are cunning, manipulative, without remorse or conscience, and have a sense of entitlement. They’re great at tricking people and identifying weak spots or vulnerabilities. They are practiced liars and good at covering their tracks to avoid detection. In general, people underestimate them. Many serial killers blend into society and nobody suspects a thing—now isn’t that scary?

If you are writing a serial killer-type villain, be sure he exhibits traits consistent with a predator. He can’t be nice. He can appear nice on the surface as he lures unsuspecting people into his van, and he’s very polite—but it’s all for show. Underneath he’s dangerous.

TIP: There are a lot of books about serial killers/predators and their psychological profiles. Use them to understand your character’s thoughts and behaviors. If you are writing about a villain, you might need to know if he’s a full-blown sociopath or just has narcissistic tendencies.

I’ve written dozens of speculative fiction (horror and sci fi) short stories as well as three paranormal romances. For me, creating disturbing villains and exploring the “dark side” of fiction is fun.

Here are two writing exercises to motivate you to write a horror story of your own. How will you scare people?

EXERCISE 1: Take one of these first lines and write a few paragraphs about it. See what ideas come to you as you start writing.

Steve knew his house was haunted, but that didn’t bother him. He had bigger problems.

On a warm June day, the body of Ann Marie Duncan washed up on shore.

“I have to tell you a secret. I’ve got six bodies buried in the cellar.”

Mike got a strange call from Dave on Friday. After that, he never heard from him again.

EXERCISE 2: Here are some wild “what if” questions to get you thinking about story ideas. Pick a few and write three to five paragraphs about each. What if…

…archeologists uncovered a living mummy while excavating in Egypt?

…your character inherited a haunted house and knew the ghosts?

…a killer picks his victims according to their birth sign?

…the weird Goth kid down the block really is a vampire?

…a woman finds a blood-soaked clown hiding in her garage?

If you’re ready to get writing, order your copy of You Can Write Really! here:

http://www.amazon.com/Write-Really-Beginners-Guide-Writing-Fiction-ebook/dp/B00THWLFQU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1423749384&sr=1-1

Don’t miss my latest horror short, Kropsy’s Curse: http://www.amazon.com/Kropsys-Curse-Kelli-Wilkins-ebook/dp/B014IAH848/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1440681198&sr=1-1

 Next week, I’ll be sharing more about the horror genre.

Until next time, you can catch up on all of my writings on my Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins and my website: www.KelliWilkins.com

Happy Reading,

Kelli

Horror – It’s Not Just for Halloween!

Hi everyone,

As loyal blog readers know by now, I divide my time between writing romance and horror. (Yes, I know it’s an unusual combination, but I go with it.) My horror stories tend to be based in psychological terrors rather than blood and gore. They’re set in a wide range of seasons and settings, and my characters run the gamut from small children to mentally fragile suburban housewives. 

I like reading and writing suspenseful tales, and I got to thinking – why does it seem that horror stories and scary movies are only out in the fall?

Yes, we all know that October is “horror month” because of Halloween, but there are plenty of spooky things going on the rest of the year.  Readers and writers of horror fiction know that a good horror story is just as scary on a warm June day as it is at midnight on Halloween. (Remember, JAWS took place in the summer, and a haunted house can be terrifying on a rainy March afternoon…)

 

So to celebrate the horror season early (If the Christmas stuff can come out in July, I can write about horror in September, right? Where’s the Krampus?), I’m featuring all things speculative during the months of September and October. My blogs will touch on my standalone horror fiction (including a new story!), anthologies, paranormal romances, (including vampires and shifters), writing horror, movies and… whatever else pops into my devious mind.

Let’s start this journey with my latest horror short, Kropsy's Curse!

Late one Halloween night, two young boys venture into a secluded graveyard in the hopes of conjuring up a spirit. Although Kyle is skeptical and would rather be home eating candy and watching horror movies, he reluctantly goes along with Jerry’s plan. He doesn’t believe Ouija boards work—until this one starts spelling out a message…

This Halloween-themed 1500-word short story is a cautionary tale about playing with a Ouija board in a graveyard. It's only $.99 on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Kropsys-Curse-Kelli-Wilkins-ebook/dp/B014IAH848/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1440681198&sr=1-1

Here’s a mini-excerpt:

“Where is it?” Kyle whispered.

“Over there.” Jerry swung his orange plastic flashlight to the left. “Why are you whispering? It’s just a graveyard. Ain’t no body here,” he joked, then laughed. “Come on.” Jerry hoisted his black backpack over his shoulder. “Hurry up. It’s almost midnight.”

Kyle’s sneakers slipped on the dewy grass as he followed Jerry down the last hill in the cemetery. He paused and glanced around. The moon appeared as a slit in the night sky. Dark clouds floated out of its way, and a sliver of pale yellow mixed with the blue-black night. Something made a noise off to his right, and he jumped. Maybe they should go home. This didn’t seem like fun anymore.

Kyle watched Jerry head deeper into the graveyard. He wanted to call out to him, tell him his plan was ridiculous, it would never work, they shouldn’t have snuck out and come here. Halloween night should be spent trick-or-treating, watching monster movies, and eating candy—not creeping around in an abandoned graveyard and trying to talk to a dead man.

I hope you’ll check it out!  I welcome feedback and questions from readers and other writers. What subgenre of horror do you like to read (or write)? Zombies, shifters, werewolves (Dog Soldiers, anyone?), vamps, hunters (hello Grimm & Supernatural), Halloween-themed horror, ghosts, possessions, serial killers, creepy monsters….

Drop me a line and let me know!

 
I’ll be sharing more next week, and until then…

“Unpleasant Dreams”!

Kelli

 

Horror writing, ghostly encounters, and more!

Hi everyone!

Today, I'm sharing excerpts from my interviews about writing horror fiction and my story "Thursday Night Bingo" that appeared in the Wrapped in White horror anthology.

I also included links to my latest guest blog on writing paranormal romances, and a link to the spooky October issue of my newsletter.

Enjoy!
Kelli

Kelli A. Wilkins is the author of the story

THURSDAY NIGHT BINGO

in the anthology from Sekhmet Press

WRAPPED IN WHITE

Thirteen Tales of Spectres, Ghosts, and Spirits

Hi Kelli! Thank you for joining me today. Let’s kick off this interview with the most important question. Have you ever encountered a ghost?

Yes, I’ve had plenty of “supernatural” or “paranormal” encounters with spirits. My husband and I like to explore creepy old places (historical houses, castles, battlefields, etc.), whether or not they’re reputed to be haunted. Sometimes we come across spirits, sometimes not. Our travels have taken us all over: the UK, Gettysburg, Alcatraz, Eastern State Prison, local historical sites, and hundreds more I can’t even remember. 

Sometimes we get a “feel” that there’s someone around and other times we’ve heard things that have no rational explanation such as voices, footsteps, and we’ve even seen a few apparitions. There are too many to go into details on all of them, but I wrote about seeing my husband’s deceased dog in the anthology Departed Pets. When I first saw the dog standing in front of me, I didn’t think much of it. He looked like he always did. Then a minute later I remembered that the dog had been dead for a few weeks. 

These things don’t scare me or freak me out. I think they’re interesting. A lot of people have ghost stories, but most of them are reluctant to open up about what they’ve experienced.

Your short story, Thursday Night Bingo” is based on a true story, tell us more!

When I heard about Wrapped in White I thought, “I have a ghost story that’s not doing anything, let’s give it a try!” Growing up, I read lots of horror anthologies and always dreamed of “one day” seeing my stories in them – and now I have. Most of my horror tales have been published in anthologies and I love being included in them. I think they’re a great way to reach readers and it’s always fun to read the other stories in the collection.

This story was a unique family betrayal story. I love how the dead continue to find new ways they have been wrongly killed. Can you tell us how you were inspired to write Thursday Night Bingo? 

This story is based on a real incident. Several years ago, my great aunt was convinced that every night she saw a woman walk down the hallway and go into her linen closet. We didn’t think much of it (maybe she was dreaming…) but she was very insistent. Then she told us that her dog used to bark and scratch at the linen closet, like he was trying to get in there. That got me wondering… What if there really was a ghost (or spirit) wandering around? What if the dog saw something we couldn’t?

Many of my horror stories are based on a conversation, a detail, or something else that most people wouldn’t notice, and then I start to wonder, “What if…?” I put all these thoughts on the backburner for a while, then one day decided to write a story using her “ghostly encounter” for the premise.

I took liberties with a lot of the details, but kept the part about her being in a wheelchair, not taking crap from people, and nobody believing her. (But in real life, her son is nothing like the character in the story!) I let my imagination wander and got creative with how the ghost got there and what she wanted, but kept the son’s motive open-ended. The original title for this story was “The Ghost in the Green Dress.”

What’s the most shocking book or story you’ve ever read?

I’ve read a lot of things that have stuck with me for one reason or another. The first horror story I ever remember scaring me (and still sticks with me) is “Wendigo’s Child” by Thomas F. Monteleone. It was in an anthology for children called Monster Tales: Vampires, Werewolves, & Things. (And I'm still looking for a copy of it - with the illustrations!!) I read it when I was in grade school. Anyone who has read it understands the last line. “It was looking up at him.”

Do you remember a particular moment or incident that made you decide to be a writer?

Yes. The first book that ever had a major effect on me was Stephen King’s Night Shift. I read this collection of stories when I was nine or ten, and I was impressed. Up until that point, I’d read the Little House books and Nancy Drew mysteries. They were okay reads to pass the time, but something about horror clicked with me. I was entranced by the way the stories were told, the characters, the descriptions, and tone.

At that moment, I decided I wanted to write horror fiction and have my stories published in a book someday. From then on I read every horror novel and short story I could find. Eventually I began writing my own tales of terror!

Do you have a certain space and time set aside for writing or is it more of a free-form process?

I’m definitely free-form. I’ll write anywhere, anytime. I don’t block out certain hours of the day to write or give myself a goal of writing so many words or pages a day. I find that too suffocating. If I’m writing a story I’ll work on it as much as I can (or want to) until it’s done. Then I put it aside for a while and write something else or take a break from writing for a day or two. I find it hard to be creative on schedule!

What other sorts of themes or genres would you like to explore?

When I’m not writing horror stories, I write romances! Yes, it’s a very strange combination and I like to say that one half of my mind writes the horror and the other half writes the romance. On occasion, I combine them into a paranormal romance, but I have to be careful that the “horror side” doesn’t take over and make the romance too scary or bloody. I am a traditionalist when it comes to “monsters” though, so I have to get past the idea of someone falling in love with a bloodthirsty undead creature. (I think my novella Confession of a Vampire’s Lover did a good job balancing the two ideas.)

I like switching between the two genres because they’re so different. Horror lets me explore characters, themes, plots, and settings that I couldn’t write about in romance. After I finish a romance I usually go on a “binge” and write two or three horror short stories just to switch things up. Aside from horror and romance, I’ve also had dozens of sci-fi stories published in The Sun.

Please briefly describe your path to publication.

I started out writing horror stories and submitting them everywhere I could: to contests, magazines, anthologies, you name it. One of my first acceptances came from The First Line. They published my short story “Guest of Honor” and even included it in The Best of the First Line. From there, I wrote sci-fi stories for The Sun, and then won the First Place Award in the Weird Tales World Horror Con writing contest for my story titled, “The Uninvited”. Since then, I follow the same format, write the best story I can, and submit it. I’m happy to say that my short stories have appeared in several horror anthologies.

Who are your favorite fictional antagonist and protagonist and what was it about them that struck a chord for you?

I thought about great literary characters and drew a blank. Then I asked myself, what movie do I watch over and over every time it’s on? One of my favorites is Slingblade. The connection between Frank (Lucas Black) and Karl (Billy Bob Thornton) is interesting. I like how Karl immediately bonds with Frank and looks out for him in a big brother way, and yet, Karl has a dark side that everyone else is a little leery of. I think deep down, they both understand more about their situation than they’re letting on, and on a surface level they pretend everything will somehow turn out okay.

And I absolutely love Doyle (Dwight Yoakam). He’s a delightfully nasty SOB who goes over the top and eventually gets what’s coming to him. (The scene where Doyle is playing with his band always cracks me up, because I’m also a fan of Dwight’s music.) The dialog and the many subtle layers of interaction between the characters also make it one of my favorites.

Aside from writing, what is your favorite artistic medium?

I’d have to say music. I’m constantly listening to music and I go to concerts as often as I can. And after all, songs are short stories set to music!

Thanks again for joining me today and letting us get to know you better. I wish you the best of luck with Wrapped In White and all of your future endeavours.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts about writing and horror fiction. I welcome feedback and questions from readers.

Happy Haunting!

***

Don’t miss the October issue of my newsletter. It’s filled with news about horror anthologies, paranormal romances, and more!

http://us3.campaign-archive2.com/?u=22898315cc16de805e424f799&id=8f3ccbf57d&e=a49cf7ab1f

Read my newest Saturday Storyteller Interview here:

http://www.lovelustandlipstickstains.com/2014/10/saturday-storyteller-interview-kelli.html

 

Catch my guest blog on writing paranormal romances: http://gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/exploring-paranormal-romances-just-in-time-for-halloween/

See you next week!

Kelli