3 Mistakes New (and Veteran) Horror Writers Make

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Writer Brandon McNulty

Writer Brandon McNulty

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер
@Dark_Peace
@Dark_Peace Жыл бұрын
You know the bland character is gonna get killed when the writer just gives them a personnality and backstory before the action scene.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
Yep they did this a lot in The Walking Dead TV show. When a guy starts talking about hopes and dreams, you know he’s toast
@NotDeetoWoods
@NotDeetoWoods Жыл бұрын
I though it said blind😭
@pieterd3408
@pieterd3408 6 ай бұрын
Same if a character mentions they just got/are about to get married
@tamaramisner8300
@tamaramisner8300 5 ай бұрын
@@pieterd3408, or if they’re in any relationship.
@blackislands
@blackislands 2 ай бұрын
@@tamaramisner8300 The horror genre hates relationships 😭
@SusanCartersBooks
@SusanCartersBooks Жыл бұрын
"Hey, we're in a haunted house and the monster could attack any second. Let's split up and look for clues."
@NewVegasPsycho
@NewVegasPsycho 8 ай бұрын
I'm dead
@middle_man3217
@middle_man3217 4 ай бұрын
​​@@NewVegasPsycho so are the splitters, probably
@johnchastain7890
@johnchastain7890 4 ай бұрын
@@NewVegasPsycho "Let's split up." Three words nobody should say in a horror story.
@blackislands
@blackislands 2 ай бұрын
We need a story when they split up and actually survive 😅
@susanmckenzie147
@susanmckenzie147 2 ай бұрын
@@blackislands YES!
@TheZetaKai
@TheZetaKai Жыл бұрын
The number one worst thing that a horror writer can do is be inconsistent with the monster's strengths &/or weaknesses. If the killer can rip a man in half in the first act, then they author needs to explain why it can't do that to the protagonist in the climactic confrontation. Inconsistency is the death of an audience's trust in the story, & a distrustful audience doesn't come back for the next tale.
@5216-v4t
@5216-v4t 20 күн бұрын
The worst thing, i agree. And the crazy part its that 99%of horror movies do that... i dont know if writers thinks people are stup!d or something
@Yatukih_001
@Yatukih_001 13 күн бұрын
In my case, it´s determine the passions and main interests of each character first, usually in the introductory paragraph, and then describe the antagonist´s main interests and mentality next - you have to determine everyone´s mentality first - is it fixed, is it growth - based? If it´s fixed chances are you will set that up for your villain. It can also be growth - based, which makes your villain more terrifying. If its growth - based you can set that up for your protagonist and you can also add extra layers by making it fixed. The point is you have to make sure your character has a coherent mental state which becomes the outline of your plot.
@torytellstales
@torytellstales Жыл бұрын
I think one of the biggest problems with writing horror is certain important questions in plots not being answered or the author not having a clear focus on what we the audience should or could really be afraid of. Some authors do this to try to be more ominous or mysterious, but I think most of the time it makes the story confusing.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
I know what you mean. There’s got to be a balance between keeping the audience in the dark and explaining away everything
@AManwithaB0x
@AManwithaB0x Жыл бұрын
A bit late to the party, but I have a take on the "explaining away the monster" mistake: it can be subverted by having the monster be quote-unquote "explained" at the start (maybe by so-called experts on the subject) only for said monster to immediately start breaking those rules and throwing all sense of order out the window, since both the characters and the audience no longer have any idea what might happen. It sets an expectation in story that is quickly shattered.
@pieterd3408
@pieterd3408 6 ай бұрын
I remember this tension being used well in the Jurassic Park novel. The movies too, I guess, but there's it's not focused on as much.
@NoGunPowder.
@NoGunPowder. 2 жыл бұрын
THE THING 1982 is a splendid example of what you can achieve if you don't make the mistakes Brandon has pointed out. BTW I have a question can any story structure work for horror stories or are they specific story structures to follow? Love your content keep it coming, mate.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks, and The Thing (1982) is a classic for a reason. The monster is a mystery, the characters are worth rooting for (and fearing for), and it pushes the envelope in so many ways. Love it. Basic structure (3 Act, 5 Act, Beatsheets, etc.) works for horror. There's no special structure for horror stories that I know of
@NoGunPowder.
@NoGunPowder. 2 жыл бұрын
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty thanks your feedback is appreciated
@Brdatsun
@Brdatsun Жыл бұрын
One of my favorite movies ❤️
@Mixen9408
@Mixen9408 Жыл бұрын
True. Another example would that not be Saw 3 or Freddys Revenge. In both movies, the main cast have some personality and they take time to show their interaction, so the killing stands more out and fell like it matter. :)
@Noursinette_
@Noursinette_ 11 ай бұрын
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty HEY! I have a question. I'm trying to make a story from horror but I want it to be where the main-character is actually the one in the end who's the actual psychopath, and the monster is actually being the one tormented, any tips to go about it? I know I should hint it early on probably, but I'm not sure how to go about it.
@LordBaktor
@LordBaktor Жыл бұрын
One thing that recently bugged me in a horror movie was giving the monster abilities for the finale that hadn't been established or foreshadowed previously. The protagonist comes up with a plan to defeat the monster and it fails because it turns out the monsters powers go far beyond what had been seen so far. You could justify it as realistic, a smart and twisted evil spirit doesn't need to show all their cards from the start and would likely keep a couple aces up their sleeve, but from a storytelling perspective it didn't feel satisfying at all. And that movie has been praised as good by many, so it might only be me who felt this way.
@blackislands
@blackislands 2 ай бұрын
There are too many movies like that, some recent examples are “Smile” or “Ouija”. These stories center around the idea of an unbeatable evil, assuring characters (and the audience) there is no way of escaping it. I agree that such an idea leaves a feeling of incompleteness, a certain limitation. I always feel like asking: what’s the purpose of it all, then?
@Snaillearningacademy
@Snaillearningacademy 11 ай бұрын
I picked up the Entry Wounds audiobook because of this video and I can't put it down. Every scene is a big shift in emotion and energy and I'm only 20 chapters in. It's just banger after banger.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty 3 ай бұрын
Late reply, but just wanted to say thank you so much for checking out Entry Wounds! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed it. If you don't mind, please consider leaving a brief Amazon review--those help a ton
@MyWorld-eb9oz
@MyWorld-eb9oz 11 ай бұрын
This is perfect for me, especially #3, takes a weight off my shoulders to keep the realism in my stories.
@alexbadeau5027
@alexbadeau5027 2 жыл бұрын
Great points ! Especially seeing the aftermath of the monster’s action before meeting it; great way to engage the audience
@gandjusks
@gandjusks 2 жыл бұрын
The movie Seven (1995) is a really good example of a looming villain. I noticed having monsters like this (rather than just human antagonists) is pretty effective. Getting to see the destruction in comparison to the protagonist's current abilities leaves a sense of dread and unease as the story continues and the looming threat approaches.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@ØçëāñŠhåŕķ2334
@ØçëāñŠhåŕķ2334 5 ай бұрын
I think one of the biggest mistakes horror writers make is describing actions while theyre happining early on, one thing i did was, right as we got to the area where the monster was, i immediately descried what it did and it took all of the scares out of the ENTIRE story, that was the day i learned that like you said the unknown is a horror writers best tool
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty 2 жыл бұрын
What are some of the biggest mistakes that Horror writers make? Something I mentioned in the video? Something else? Let us know!
@joshcrackedboooi2392
@joshcrackedboooi2392 Жыл бұрын
a lack of logic, a lack of uncomfortable situation where characters is forced to do to reach to their end goal, the usual jump scare fests, and characters that make choices that don't make sense even in distress. my second point is important like maybe the monster is blind and relies on sound and it is standing in the same room you need to get a key from imagine being forced to go to a room that has barely enough space for 2 people because that room has a television or something in it, wouldn't that be butt clinching to think about?
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
@@joshcrackedboooi2392 Have you watched Don’t Breathe?
@kevingluys3063
@kevingluys3063 Жыл бұрын
Making the monster so powerful that it's boring. I've noticed a problem in a lot of movies where I stop caring about the characters because the monster is so arbitrarily strong or fast or smart that nothing anyone does feels like it matters. They live or die because of luck/the writer's whims. The only way for the story to end is either a bummer ending spotted a mile away, or Deus Ex Machina that leaves all their decisions just as pointless as they already felt.
@joshcrackedboooi2392
@joshcrackedboooi2392 Жыл бұрын
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty not yet, i have watched predator though and it has that exact type of moment
@melissajill6174
@melissajill6174 Жыл бұрын
For a something else: depending on the characters making stupid decisions. Things like going off alone to check out that weird noise you heard in the basement without telling anyone where you're going, with your only light that cell phone you forgot to charge and is down to 2% battery. Or like in the Geico commercial, "let's go hide behind the chainsaws".
@MyWorld-eb9oz
@MyWorld-eb9oz 6 ай бұрын
Honestly, characters meant to succeed in the story, the heroes tend to not get enough creative attention, because the writer devotes too much to the monster. They force us to read through boring characters to get to the exciting monster and making it all we care about. This is another thing Terrifier 2 nails. They make the monster fantastic, and what everyone waits for, but also puts effort into making Sienna meaningful to watch on her own.
@SuperFahmidV3
@SuperFahmidV3 5 ай бұрын
This is the mistake I was making in my book. I cant reduce my temptation to make monster more scary and characters bland
@colamola
@colamola 2 ай бұрын
A lot of these points helps explain why I love the writing of Amnesia: The Bunker. We learn just enough about the monster to try to figure things out ourselves, but the why is still left unexplained.
@adamkhan922
@adamkhan922 4 ай бұрын
Terrifier is a bad example for what you are trying to say, I dont think terrifier has much of a story and thats fine. Also you are not considering mediums here. Terrifier works as a movie because of the visuals. It would fail as a book.
@KS-sl4ji
@KS-sl4ji Жыл бұрын
Great vid I’ve never liked when horror writers make characters TOO detestable for the sake of just killing them off
@Joey7Z7Horror
@Joey7Z7Horror Жыл бұрын
One of my upcoming horror story concepts tackles the childhood fear of strangers where this time a group of randomized strangers hiding among normal crowds are killer menaces to society but the twist up is that it's supposed to be mystery. This story is not meant to be taken entirely in the rational mind of adult characters, it is meant to be the mystery a childhood mind would experience with strangers and how this story brings the horrifying nightmare to life similarly to how the film Matilda overexaggerates it's conflicts cause it relates to children's imagination. I'm specifically bringing this up because of the last tip as I plan to leave the past or secret deal with these people decently unexplained unless it is necessary to create what is their deal. I absolutely love the movie Us by Jordan Peele but I feel this story when it does adapt into a film, it will be what Us could've been had they kept the past of the tethered a mystery. (All of my story concepts are generally made with intent to be movies rather than just simply books). One more disclosure, I consider this concept one of my weaker of my story concepts in terms of what I mainly find prominence in but even then I want to take all of them and put true care and construction in the stories as I truly believe every one of mine will find it's own true inspiration and material within so I don't mind sharing this idea here
@joshmcdonald1510
@joshmcdonald1510 Жыл бұрын
I'm just now stumbling upon this & you provided excellent advice for me! I'm currently in the process of writing my first screenplay, which is a horror film, & this gave me ideas for my next draft of the story!
@kilianhartl8853
@kilianhartl8853 Жыл бұрын
perhaps the worst mistake in terms of writing horror is to make horror without a personality, without a unique charm or a special experience.
@ScienceinCooking
@ScienceinCooking 8 ай бұрын
This is a great video. I am addicted to reading and listening to horror short stories and I want to try my luck at writing my own
@castbet9183
@castbet9183 Жыл бұрын
I agree a lot of horror slashers the killer represents some thing like: move on from trauma, or talk about things or something that honestly makes the killer seem less scary to me.
@BenjiGiggles
@BenjiGiggles 2 ай бұрын
3:25 this needs to be a quote..
@chargoesboom6990
@chargoesboom6990 5 ай бұрын
I have been planning on writing a full on book on the 3rd story of the Fazbear Frights #1: Into The Pit book, Count The Ways, to balance the timeline more and to give more depth, of course since it's FNAF, it's gotta have some different endings, 1 canon and 2 non-canon
@canisminor_1
@canisminor_1 3 ай бұрын
As someone who is thinking about horror and was about to try to start making a book after looking at some other videos (including this one) I would say that it is over-description. Mainly of things such as rooms or doors or other unnecessary details (I sometimes suffer from this myself). It is also what has very high effect on mistake 2 and 3 by either telling too much or spoiling too much.
@parkerturner1018
@parkerturner1018 Жыл бұрын
"don't explain the monster" The Haunting Hour is shaking in its shoes right now.
@mattyfox_
@mattyfox_ 2 ай бұрын
Hey! I dont know if all of this advice can apply to script writing but i'd like to write an effective horror screenplay, my favourite horror films are: Skinamarink, Donnie Darko, It Follows, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project, V/H/S, Ju-On, The Ring etc. Im writing it around a name first I want to call it "Stalker" or something that uses the word stalker I am writing it around a fear that i have, my fear is around being followed, watched or never truly being left alone. But at the same time being scared of being left behind by the people i love I already have a style/aesthetic and its to film it in 1950s greyscale black and white style (think nosferatu) and making it so the "stalker" is not easy to see like a blue in the dark, the shadow your scared of but its actually just a coat hanger that sorta thing Does anybody have any kind of feedback they could give me to make it as uncomfortable as possible?
@4shotpastas
@4shotpastas Жыл бұрын
Not having breaks in tension can really ruin a story for me. I don't like being suspended for a full story cause it makes the increase in tension feel less valuable. I like I to have humor or just lighter hearted stuff between the horror so the audience forgets the characters are actually in serious danger. Makes it more meaningful when it's life or death again.
@JuicyBurger29
@JuicyBurger29 4 ай бұрын
Here’s a quote from my story script (what I call the thing where I write down each character and basic plot and then also write down examples of interactions): “Oh hello” She keeps staring blankly, her mouth slowly contorting into a smile “Why are you so scared” her face rests into a state of panic “are you angry at me?” she gets closer, closer, closer, “Is it because I hurt your feelings? I’m sorry, I just played with the other person for a little bit” she points to the [unchosen name]’s lifeless corpse “Please don’t be angry at me?” Her entire face contorts into a crooked smile “Silly me! You must just be thirsty! Here have some tea I found lying around”. [protagonist] looks down at the cup of blood then looks up “Um, I prefer water”, she whips around “Oh okay! I think I have some water around here.” Just ignore the many grammar mistakes that wasn’t my focus on the story script lol The monster is always seen throughout most of the story, and no, they aren’t evil, just have a backwards form of emotions. She has love, empathy, and compassion. But she Is oblivious to the consequences of her actions, can’t recognize death, and also is nonchalant over things that we would have panic attacks about. Oh and yes, there is lots of gore but it’s more based on her character and personality rather than being the thing I use to scare. Thought it’s kinda used to scare, but it’s never the main focus
@BodyTrust
@BodyTrust 8 ай бұрын
"Meatbag characters" - the "red shirts" in Star Trek; while every victim in "Alien" we knew and cared about. It scared the hell out of us.
@JayVikSupporter_45
@JayVikSupporter_45 6 ай бұрын
I used to be a romance writer, but I’m deciding to switch it up as I feel mystery/horror would be quite interesting and entertaining to write, I’ve just been looking for tips to improve my writing as I’ve tried many times before and I’ve found my plot lines to be going to quick or the characters not developed.
@унштерн
@унштерн Ай бұрын
bro used fuсkin terrifier of all things as an example💀
@Eldanogrande
@Eldanogrande Жыл бұрын
Horror is the one genre where the reader’s imagination is just as-if not more-important than the author’s imagination.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
Great point
@connorcoltrane1777
@connorcoltrane1777 Жыл бұрын
It's not a mistake per se, but I feel like what often separates bad/mediocre horror from the really good stuff is whether or not there's a real-life thematic core at the center of the horror. I'm not saying all horror needs to be pretentious or arthouse stuff, but I'm much more interested in horror that channels and comments on real fears that people have than horror that only has death or gore to offer. The two examples that most come to mind are John Carpenter's The Thing (balancing the awesome special effects with a narrative about paranoia and social groups falling apart) and Hereditary (using the more supernatural elements as part of a larger narrative on mental illness and generational trauma).
@nonameman7114
@nonameman7114 Жыл бұрын
You mean when the horror is an allegory for something deeper? Would The Fly (1986) count ? That one was sorta about the AIDS pandemic.
@Disgruntled_Grunt
@Disgruntled_Grunt Жыл бұрын
The Mist also did that very well by using the human propensity for groupthink and assigning blame before identifying the true problem as a secondary threat. The social splintering and infighting became just as much of a threat as the actual monsters. But it managed to do so in a way that the story didn't descend into the trope of "people are the real monsters," since the human behavior directly affected how they dealt with said monsters.
@jackie_lad
@jackie_lad 9 ай бұрын
I may be guilty of some of these for the beginning of my book series (my first ever!), but I learned the unknown is my BFG in this situation. I already explained some of the monsters, but there are billions of bugs that they kill to get on with their jobs. It's lighthearted now, but the vibe check is coming...
@CartoonCorruption
@CartoonCorruption 5 ай бұрын
thanks man
@stuffofficial7102
@stuffofficial7102 8 ай бұрын
I think a big problem, especially for newer horror writers is always the same kind of story, or direction, or setting, basically a very linear story that plays out just like the rest of their stories. My friend isnt a professional writer, he just writes for fun, but i notice all his stories have this linear element to them, they all play out the same way. Just with a different setting, monster, and characters. So if you are a horror writer, please avoid this, mix things up a little!
@johntabler349
@johntabler349 Жыл бұрын
The final point explains why the horrer genre on old time radio is so effective
@SSJKamui
@SSJKamui Жыл бұрын
On Explaining away the monster: In my first horror story, I gave a detailed explaination about the monster, but more in a way where people could easily see "with this explaination, there is something clearly wrong. There are these and that logic holes (and characters pointing these out), so that the explaination is directly becoming EXTREMELY doubtful.
@Disgruntled_Grunt
@Disgruntled_Grunt Жыл бұрын
That's a cool idea. It forces the audience to wonder about it and think more in depth, thus exposing themselves more directly to the story's source of fear.
@theonlyairconditioner
@theonlyairconditioner Ай бұрын
The best example of #3 is a movie called "the cavern". It's a great movie... until the ending reveals the monster in an unrealistic and WTF way. That ending ruined the entire movie, because it literally only showed fragments of the monster's fur as it killed each of the spelunkers 1 by 1, but then, when it had the perfect ending of everyone being killed by this monster that we never really see, the movie decides to explain the monster by bringing a couple of the dead spelunkers back to life, simply so that they could figure out what was happening and so that 1 character could survive. That movie didn't need an explanation for the monster. It also, based on where the story was going, didn't need to have any survivors. After seeing the ending, my ability to like that movie became non-existent because I can no longer watch it with the edge-of-your-seat anticipation any more. 😢
@Yatukih_001
@Yatukih_001 13 күн бұрын
To me one of the biggest mistakes horror writers make is not determining the mind - set of the characters. In Stephen King´s It, the mind - set of each character becomes clear once you start reading the book and eventually realise that Pennywise has a growth - based mind - set which might be the result of thousands of years of character development.
@AustinMcMillan-m4p
@AustinMcMillan-m4p 6 ай бұрын
In the horror story I’m righting the protagonist had a nightmare but he thought it was real, in this nightmare he died by the villain but I kept the villain breef and unknown, after the death his eyesight was blank for a couple seconds and when he woke up he was filled of horror and relief and started crying
@_surreal99
@_surreal99 3 күн бұрын
When the character leaves a bag of poop on the bench I immediately get suspicious
@Ashley-cb9th
@Ashley-cb9th 8 ай бұрын
These are excellent tips, thank you!!! I love the what you’ve said!
@zahirecoates
@zahirecoates 10 ай бұрын
1. i try to add character to other characters the best i can 2. try to have the violents as neutral as possible but no promises 3. i do agree try not to over explain the villian/monster then its going to have to much filler
@93kingu
@93kingu 7 ай бұрын
Clicked on this to see what I may be screwing up. Luckily, writing my supernatural horror novel, I'm not on the list. Hopefully there's not another that crept by! Thanks for the video!
@AlienSoda778
@AlienSoda778 Жыл бұрын
these are fantastic tips! thank you very much!
@DAMON409
@DAMON409 Жыл бұрын
I agree. You give the audience disturbing clues to raise questions. Save answers for much later..l
@10kkk_24
@10kkk_24 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for your video! Really helpfull! Please, in one of your future videos tell more about new horror "It follows"(2014). It's really something new in horrors and how it works is not obvious.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
I really should discuss that one more. It works so well because of how persistent the monster is
@blackislands
@blackislands 2 ай бұрын
What if we explain the nature of the monster and its abilities early on, but then explore ideas about how the characters can actually avoid encountering the monster in the first place? They could discover ways to protect themselves, keep their distance from the monster (at least for a while), and seek out someone more powerful to help them. Would it still keep us within the horror genre? Also, you know, the “known” can easily become the “unknown.” ;)
@riptideofthetrident.
@riptideofthetrident. Жыл бұрын
The fact that Nick Cutter’s “The Tropp” literally does every single one of these flaws. 😭
@Gipwx
@Gipwx 8 ай бұрын
The Flop
@riptideofthetrident.
@riptideofthetrident. 8 ай бұрын
@@Gipwx I EVEN SPELLED IT WRONG 🤦‍♀️
@otto_ueue
@otto_ueue 3 ай бұрын
2:05 - You heard that, right Urbanspook?
@marciemartinez6492
@marciemartinez6492 7 ай бұрын
I'm so glad I watched this before writing my horror book
@elizabethweigle6146
@elizabethweigle6146 Жыл бұрын
I am a sucker for paranormal horror, but I feel like most mainstream paranormal horror are variations of either Poltergeist, The Conjuring Series, or The Ring. Give me obscure folk lore paranormal and urban legend horror. Give me tourists who know nothing about the paranormal and accidentally break an unspoken rule, only to get butchered by the entity. Give me a skeptic who laughs in the faces of those who believe the rumor of the Hangman’s Hill only for them to find no sympathy from their neighbors when the Hangman is after them. Give me a protagonist that does everything right, and still loses.
@penoyer79
@penoyer79 Жыл бұрын
i love horror survival one-by-one style movies (Alien, Predator, Friday the 13th) but man they rarely get it right i could watch a hundred movies like this as long as they do it write and avoid the common mistakes.... 1. too many meat bag characters 2. predictable death order (i want to be surprised) 3. stupid characters that insult the audience's intelligence 4. poorly written villain(s)
@fhl60s
@fhl60s Жыл бұрын
I want to know how to write at least 50 pages story . Mine is barely 10pages
@jesusromanpadro3853
@jesusromanpadro3853 9 ай бұрын
In the second Resident Evil movie when a charter didn't do anything in the last two scenes and then they enter an abandoned school, and the camara fallows her. She's death.
@aaronsaunders6974
@aaronsaunders6974 4 ай бұрын
Face melted off: you just said to refrain from excessive gore 😊
@coltonruscheinsky7863
@coltonruscheinsky7863 Жыл бұрын
"I can't imagine horror stories that have at least a little blood shed." Bro, you need some Thomas Ligotti in your life.
@beescheeseandwineplease889
@beescheeseandwineplease889 Жыл бұрын
Revealing the monster too early
@SSJKamui
@SSJKamui Жыл бұрын
One tip here on gore. Sometimes, you can imply a gory scene without showing this. My experience is this works better with visual media where you can control the light. Sometimes, gore works stronger if its implied. There could be extreme gore. Or maybe not.
@humblemarty
@humblemarty 3 ай бұрын
Explaining away the monster is my downfall. I love using that as a red herring, though, but overreliance on that is still brutish.
@solved-in-the-dark
@solved-in-the-dark 6 ай бұрын
Thank you, man. You taught me a lot today. I've written two stories so far. and I think my second ones better than my first one. but without Your advice I wouldn't understand how to do it I've been asking aI For feedback and All that gives me is rich. with imagery, punctuation and grammar is terrible. and that's about it. I know something was missing. I just don't know why. all my stories are narratives. But without your help, I wouldn't have. crew of where I was missing.
@RebeccaJones-w7q
@RebeccaJones-w7q 8 ай бұрын
I don't really like horror stories. But what I'm writing has turned into one. my daughter is a writer and she seems to like it. She told me to make some sort of consequences for something, and that's how it became a horror story. And it just keeps getting darker. This is strange territory for me. Any advice? Thank you!
@ChaosTheWriterAndEditor
@ChaosTheWriterAndEditor 11 ай бұрын
I really want to make a scene where the monster grabs one of my protagonists in a realm of nightmares which is later revealed to be a realm above our human reality that was bleeding into it. I want it to open its grotesquely big mouth and it seems like there are infinite more mouths within, at the same time the impossible and possible collide and breaks the mind of Alex, one of the protagonists
@esyphillis101
@esyphillis101 10 ай бұрын
The way you describe the monster it sounds like the creature in the 2022 movie Smile.
@Indie973
@Indie973 Жыл бұрын
So a good writing method is waiting till the climax of book to explain monsters physical appearance
@MackenzieGardner-hc5in
@MackenzieGardner-hc5in Ай бұрын
VERY HELPFUL!!!!!!!!!!
@varanid9
@varanid9 6 ай бұрын
".....or maybe their face got melted off." Ah, another fan of "X the Unknown".
@jesusromanpadro3853
@jesusromanpadro3853 9 ай бұрын
Junji Ito is an expert in not telling everything about the monster. What is Tomie? What is behind the spiral curse in Uzamaki? What is the gas in Gyo?
@joshcrackedboooi2392
@joshcrackedboooi2392 Жыл бұрын
there were a few things i forgot to mention that i hate in horror. i hate the predictable style build towards a jump scare where spooky happens character investigates, it was a bird then BOOOM BIGGER SPOOKY. it's annoyingly predictable. i also hate it when they decide to add that screeching noise to a spooky moment i think you know what I'm talking about. that random ass viola sounding thing. I'm sure it would be much more interesting to see a silent jump scare that makes your heart sink over a moment of shock. or instead of using a god damn screeching violin use real life noises to spook someone.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Жыл бұрын
Valid complaints for sure
@Mporter1981
@Mporter1981 5 ай бұрын
So my question is how do we keep the audience interested long term when we have no intention of giving them a full explanation of what the monster is, or what the situation is. The characters are up against a “horrific unknowable thing” which may have snuffed out all life. Or they may just be crazy.
@Greatermaxim
@Greatermaxim 4 ай бұрын
Lo. You must give them the situation. What does the monster do to be scary. Can you be equally afraid of familiarity and the unknown? It depends on the Author's creativity.
@mothman_the_goat
@mothman_the_goat 4 ай бұрын
This feels like a diss on urbanspook 💀
@patrickmanasco5905
@patrickmanasco5905 4 күн бұрын
A lot applies to drama as well just reframe it
@kylechmieleski5310
@kylechmieleski5310 7 ай бұрын
1:48: _Urbanspook has left the server_
@tahutoa
@tahutoa Жыл бұрын
In my story I have a scene planned towards the start where my villain is searching through the halls of his big 19th century abode for the protagonist. His means of intimidation are literally telling them what his plans are, but I want them to yield no clues as to what he's actually talking about. The one phrase I have in this vein so far is "with you in my grasp, I can finally create the twin for the codex!" He's basically creeping through the halls, knowing that this schmoe he's spirited away to his Hammer film-esque dimension can't possibly get away (even though they do). The guy's the main villain, in the end, and the Twin is just one of the things he's tried to do for his masters. Having someone he supposedly answers to and his arrogance are two things I want to capitalize on to make him seem like another mook for a decent chunk of the tale. I want the reader to believe that he is _not_ the summoner - just the introductory obstacle, another one of the highly dangerous but ultimately foolish "attractions" from that world who seek to capitalize on fresh blood landing in their lap. Maybe he'd say something like "it's been a while since I've had one of you!" Something that's true but vague enough to be misconstrued. I don't know. The protagonist escapes a few other scrapes after that, inside of understood "zones" like the house was, building our expectation that _everything_ here is in a self-contained habitat, where every "setting's" inhabitants stick to that general spot (like how villagers usually don't stray from the village). When he doesn't give up on his search for them like all the other creeps up to that point had, that's our cue that he's different somehow. That might come around the middle of the story. He goes from being 'that old guy' from the start - just some warlock - to being "The Old Man" in the mind of the protagonist. One of the "abstract" spooky ideas I want to explore is the idea that everything in this otherworld isn't real, and not quite fake either, but somewhere in between. The danger is all very real, and yet you have things like 'the phase of the moon being full for the 4th night in a row.' As a result of all of this nebula, you get situations like when the main character is _convinced_ that a weak-rooted oak tree being blown by the wind is actually a monster about to uproot itself and attack. I want that feeling of paranoia to be earned by that point. I know I'm rambling, and I _am_ asking for tips on how I can achieve some of the effects I'm going for, but this is the first time I've written this kind of story. I hope you don't mind :)
@paladox1771
@paladox1771 4 ай бұрын
The biggest mistake I've seen from horror movies is when they kill off the main character/s in the sequel right at the start out of convenience. It cheapens the original story and, at worst, makes the audience want to just not even acknowledge the sequel at all. The writers could at least have the decency to leave the previous survivor/s alone and just do a new story with the same monster (or even a different one). Another mistake I see is when the same type of monster is used persistently in the same universe. Why can't we have a new/different threat for our heroes? The worst offenders here are the Halo games and Stranger Things. I hate that The Flood returned in Halo 2, and would have loved new characters/stories/settings each season for Stranger Things.
@Greatermaxim
@Greatermaxim 4 ай бұрын
It's easy to convince people of something over nothing. Some monster types are used again and again because it's expected and required. You can like the established and/or embrace the new. It's another argument where does consciousness and familiarity originate.
@janeyrevanescence12
@janeyrevanescence12 7 ай бұрын
One step further on the meat bag character…making the others unlikable assholes so you’re cheering when the monster kills them. It’s to the point where my brother and I make bets on who is going to die next. One thing that makes the first two Alien films so effective is that we spend time getting to know the team. We see their personalities come into play so when they do start getting killed off, we have genuine investment and fear that Ripley isn’t going to make it out alive. Don’t make your characters assholes (well, you can, just make them likable assholes).
@cannibalcatgirl
@cannibalcatgirl Жыл бұрын
Thank you for this! I hit a writers block this weekend. I am writing my first story. I was wondering about word count for a first novel? And word count in general? I don’t want it to be too short, but also I’ve heard a very long novel can be bad for a first book ?
@pzaypraxis95
@pzaypraxis95 Жыл бұрын
Anika from Scream 6 is an excellent example of number 1
@davidnance9462
@davidnance9462 Жыл бұрын
How worse can it get? That’s what I ask myself too ❤
@anthonyt1t5
@anthonyt1t5 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the tips! Wish stephen king says these kind of tips on his memoir. He didnt really help much
@splatterdaynightmares
@splatterdaynightmares 8 ай бұрын
Meatbags are like the red shirts on Star Trek.
@RainisaurusRox
@RainisaurusRox Жыл бұрын
Just rad a book that nailed pretty much what I hate about horror or stories in general. The Protagonist was absolutely hateable from the get go. A women he went to school with, insisted on buying him a drink. He treated her like trash the whole time their conversation lasted, his thoughts were even worse. He eventually took the drink, had sex with her in the bathroom and met her days later at home. It is revealed later that he has bullied her at school and she wanted revenge. NO WAY :D. It`s not fun to follow this character, you don`t care about what`s happening to him, and it doesn`t come as a surprise when you learn that he bullied her. He still bullied her, on fricking Page 1, as an adult. Yeah, meatbags suck but damn, do I hate unredeemable trashbags as my protagonists. :D It could have been fun if the the women, the killer, turned out to be the good guy here but she was not a likeable villain and you don`t even see the protagonist die.
@Japeownaa
@Japeownaa Жыл бұрын
I know im late and you probably wont respond but I have a concept in mind I want to make a horror story but the protagonist is the monster and its from their point of view so the question I have is do you think this chould be a good story and what concerns whould you have
@galaxykenny901
@galaxykenny901 Жыл бұрын
im making a horror book called 'discord homicide' and this helped
@JackCry.420
@JackCry.420 10 ай бұрын
thank you gald to know I'm doing things correctly
@aaronbrownlee6807
@aaronbrownlee6807 11 ай бұрын
My story is literally based around the concept of death lol Its a sci fi about humans discovering the land of the dead within an alternate dimension
@Mixen9408
@Mixen9408 Жыл бұрын
Yes, yes and yes yes yes. xD Luckily my current project is still in its first draft state. xP Tge third one i did not thought about right away, but it makes sense. :)
@helium73
@helium73 2 ай бұрын
Well I don't read a lot of horror novels. It's hard to make mistakes in a horror movie. I just have problems with low budget films that are filmed in totally empty rooms. Or they can't find an office I guess so the characters meet up in an access way that leads to the bathroom for some mall and the CEO juset happens to be coming out of his office in the hall. Or they meet in an access stairwell because it's pretty hard to find an elevator in some places I guess although if they are using the access stairway there probably was an elevator. Maybe it's just guerilla filmaking but they still want to do it all in private. Actually I don't know. I also don't like where there's no moving around and the story all takes place in one location. Or if the character is being chased for a long time the forest that they are running through appears to be the same patch of forest during the entire chase sequence. I suppose that could happen if they are in a city with no forests. Someone needs to come out with easy software that literally gives you any location + extras. But makes it easy. With AI that will probably be out any day now.
@gianthills
@gianthills 5 ай бұрын
Characters without a goal is not a character. maybe that should be your first point.
@mandy_was_here5382
@mandy_was_here5382 2 жыл бұрын
I was watching the video and got jumped scared when you starting showing a horror movie randomly (and I really hate getting jump scared). I quickly stopped watching. I'm one of those people who doesn't like watching horror movies, I get too scared, but I do like reading horror stories sometimes because the visual parts aren't just there in your face I guess.... I was interested in learning how to write a horror story but the horror movie you showed put me off watching the rest of it. Sorry! Maybe I'm just weird...
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
@WriterBrandonMcNulty 2 жыл бұрын
Jump scares! Another mistake!
@Psychology_Guy
@Psychology_Guy 5 ай бұрын
Showing the monster to early.
@thomasciarlariello
@thomasciarlariello 5 ай бұрын
No wonder Philip K, Dick almost went mad.
@davidbgreensmith
@davidbgreensmith Жыл бұрын
Cartoon villains. This is why I don't care for Stephen King's work. His villains are all one dimensional bad guys.
@LordDeuce-ul7my
@LordDeuce-ul7my Ай бұрын
Ive been trying to find some authors i like, but they all seem to have low i.q. and a lack of mind blowing creativity.
@Mondomeyer
@Mondomeyer Жыл бұрын
I have another one; don't be Ray Garton.
@anthonyt1t5
@anthonyt1t5 Жыл бұрын
Why?
@Mondomeyer
@Mondomeyer Жыл бұрын
@@anthonyt1t5 I personally don't like his work. That makes it bad.
@gnarthdarkanen7464
@gnarthdarkanen7464 Жыл бұрын
I know... late to the rodeo... haha I gotta start here... HOW THE HELL IS #3 A THING SINCE JAWS??? Seriously, doesn't literally EVERYBODY know that Spielberg was SO far behind schedule and over budget that his CAREER was practically teetering over the toilet before it was released... AND that it made "instant classic" status as a horror movie 100% BECAUSE they waited so long before the first visual of the shark and they limited interaction with the shark on screen to such a degree???? Christ!!! Doesn't ANYONE bother paying ANY attention to storytelling or cinematic history??? Humans are SCARED SH*TLESS of the unknown. Lovecraft capitalized popularly on the "unknowable" and the limits of intellect before "such deep knowledge would drive you out of your mind"... That was horrific in its day and CONTINUES to scare new readers and audiences in spite of the primitive style and dubious Lovecraftian Tropes... As to notorious horror mistakes??? Over reliance on "weaker" victims to elicit an emotional connection. Too many writers insist on targeting women and/or children as the "low hanging fruit" to cheaply draw us into the story and get an emotional reaction. In cinema, it's almost pornography in a thin disguise because there's ALWAYS a lead female who's top heavy and spends WAY TOO MUCH TIME in her undergarments running to the rooftops instead of clubbing the psycho' to death in follow through when she has the opportunity and means, or just getting to the Cops. AND the friggin' PSYCHO TROPES... I'm sick to death of "BRILLIANT" killers being motivated 100% out of twisted psychosis, psychopathy, or some other dubious mental illness EXCUSES! Sure Evil Bastards have to be Evil Bastards. Kick the damn puppy! It IS a horror story, after all. I get that. BUT Evil does NOT mean "brain damaged"... all twisting a damn mustache and chuckling about "Look how evil I am!" Truly REMARKABLY EVIL sons of b*tches are seductive, tempting, and calculating. They still HAVE FEELINGS! The truest art of THE devil is being able to prove that he isn't so bad, and walk you through baby steps to doing HORRIBLE SH*T for him. The most dangerous lies are the ones with between 40 and 60 % verifiable and quantifiable TRUTH easily researched and confirmed. AND finally, a monster is just a friggin' animal. Trust me... The bear that's ripping your guts out while you scream is EVERY BIT as terrifying as the one that would claw you down or smash your skull in just because it hates People... The only difference is MY bear is only HUNGRY... and you just happened to be convenient. ;o)
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