Do Werewolves Wear Shoes? Building Successful
Horror Characters
by Shaunna Privratsky
The horror genre is often described as gory, bloody and violent, usually with
a disparaging shake of the head. Indeed, some writers use meaningless violence
or bloodshed as shock value. This approach is horrifying, but not in the way the
author intended.
True horror writing is more about atmosphere and emotion. Just like any other
genre, horror authors must develop characters, plot twists and dialogue for a
successful story. Yet he or she must go a step further, into the murky areas of
the unknown.
Fans of the horror story read for thrills and chills, but they want a good
story, too. Remember that readers are willing to suspend their belief and
knowledge of the "real" world, but you must give them a reason to read. Start
with a killer hook. And no, I don't mean that literally, although it could make
a spine-tingling story...
A spooky tale is dependent upon a hook intriguing enough to draw the reader
into your world, whether it is filled with ghosts, goblins or things that
slither and scream in the night. You might begin with a weird occurrence, or
start out "normally" and introduce the horror elements insidiously, like a wisp
of warning smoke that builds to a blaze.
Setting can add tremendously to the horror story in the hands of a skilled
scribe. A few lines of well-placed description should send shivers up the spines
of your readers. Remember not to overdo it, though. Anything that stops the flow
of the story loses points with editors and more importantly, your readers. No
matter how entertaining, a story can't thrive on description and setting alone.
Pick vivid details by using all of the senses and choosing the most pertinent.
Your characters might be ghosts, witches, werewolves or vampires. Despite
your character's otherworldly attributes or powers, you must still make the
reader identify with the players in your story. Give them human emotions or
characteristics. They don't have to be likable to be popular, however. Anne
Rice's ever-successful hero, the Vampire Lestat, seems to be an egotistical
jerk, yet I still buy all of Anne's books and read them voraciously.
There are plenty of ways to instill charisma into your subject. Give them
names, appearances, mannerisms, vocabulary, emotions and actions that make them
distinctive to the reader. The choice of names can send an unconscious message
or meaning. "Bambi" brings to mind an expendable victim; while "Barbara" gives
the impression that this girl might be smart enough to survive. You probably
wouldn't choose "Agatha Krunk" as the name of your lovely young heroine. Yet it
would make the perfect handle for your vicious villainess.
Try not to assign similar sounding names to characters. For example "Edward"
and "Eddie" may be confused or "Marie" and "Mary", especially if they are
similar in appearance. Anything that puzzles the reader or makes an editor
scratch her head detracts from your story.
Your character's description is as important as their name. Never go
overboard; less is more, as the saying goes. Give telling details but don't
dwell on them overlong. Use description to evoke a sense of the broader culture
or background. Avoid the use of mirrors as if you were a revenant fearful of
being trapped in its depths.
If you want your characters to "breathe", give them real emotions, even if
they're not exactly acceptable. Let them screw up or think an unkind thought
about how fat Uncle Randolph is getting since he retired. The reader needs to
empathize with the subjects.
Believe it or not, your main character should have the least description.
Why? Because you want the reader to imagine themselves in the same situation,
even if they are a different nationality, have different hair or eye colors, or
even if they are the opposite sex. Constantly stressing the hero's blue eyes,
blonde hair and bulging muscles reminds a raven-haired female that she doesn't
fit into the story.
The best characters are those that linger in our memories like old friends
long after we've turned the last page. By using some or all of these techniques,
you can create a charming cast of characters with charisma, no matter if they
are ghosts, vampires or shape shifters.
Speaking of unearthly characters, do werewolves wear shoes? Only you can
decide as you craft a horror tale in your world and with your rules. Yet you
must make it believable. You don't want to travel so far outside the range of
human experience that your audience stops reading in disbelief. On the other
hand, you must stretch the mundane and add a fantastical twist to your horror
tale.
Just because your story deals with the paranormal, don't skimp on the
details. A publishable horror tale has all the elements of exemplary fiction. In
addition to setting, description and characters, you need a situation or plot as
well as conflict and resolution. Stringing together a few spooky scenes or an
axe murder or two does not constitute a publishable tale.
To be successful in the horror genre, you have to read in that genre.
Otherwise you won't know what's already been done to death and your submissions
will get rejected. Don't write in an unfamiliar genre just to get an "easy
sale."
You have to enjoy immersing yourself in dream worlds and let yourself
believe, if only for a little while, in witches, trolls, ghoulies and that
nameless, dreaded thing that appears over and over in half-forgotten nightmares.
Once you discover the underlying structure of well-crafted horror writing, you
will be able to write stories guaranteed to scare the socks off the next editor
who reads it.
So, do werewolves wear shoes? Of course! When they are in human form,
werewolves look just like you or me. Well, perhaps a bit hairier, especially as
the moon nears its fullest phase.
The next time you have a vivid nightmare or become inspired by something that
only comes out at night, write it down and you'll be well on your way to scaring
up a sale. Happy haunting!
Copyright © 2008 Shaunna Privratsky
Shaunna
Privratsky is a fulltime author with over 500 published articles as well as
the editor and publisher of The Writer Within Newsletter. Get tons of
writing tips in Shaunna Privratsky's book, Pump Up Your
Prose, and sign up FREE for The Writer Within Newsletter (a paying
market!) at http://shaunna6i7.tripod.com.
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