Horror Writing Tips I Love 💀

[@casualcascade]

For me, setting/atmosphere is just as if not more important than the villian/ghostie/whatever. The scariest monster isn't gonna hit right if they're inhabiting the wrong world for the story.

[@_someonelolz_3185]

I wanna write do a parasite-ish body horror story but i'm scared that it'll be too yucky like- yes i wanna make the mc have a stomach ache and slowly realise that they have a parasite in their stomach, but how ? Vomiting is an option but i'm also scared to mke that too disgusting

[@cavinbardi2375]

For me, its more a question of "What am I going to leave behind"? (When I die) I worry about that & it helps push me to do/be better.

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

At least you are using that as a positive!

[@robstockton7240]

"I am no longer boy, I am now man" had me lollimg, "if you will".

[@SysterYster]

Funny how I feel the exact opposite about death. I'm perfectly ok and even a bit relieved that after death there will be nothing. Just like before I was born. No pain, no stress, no worries, no nothing. But how and when I die... that stresses me a lot. XD Like, will I get old? Will I get to finish my books and paintings before then? Will I get to experience certain things before then? Will I be remebered? Will I leave something good behind me? Will it be slow and painful or quick? D: Gah, that scares me.

[@spookynoodles73]

Non-existence is what I’m truly scared of. And I like gross stuff, but gratuitous gore can be too much. I like Extreme Horror though, where they push the envelope a bunch. :)

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

Agreed!

[@SmallTownCreepy]

Thanks for the thanatophobia trigger...but yea. good vid. heh.

[@TheBluenyt09]

I've been utilizing short sentences in describing a creature on their first appearance with their reaction with the protagonists, it feels as though the is tension rising. I try to make scary setting through the senses. On my latest short story, the protagonists won for a sec but, still loses, well he still lost because his love of his life still died, who loved him unconditionally and he was afraid he wasn't able to reciprocate that love and that it was too late. Thanks for this vid, I learned a lot and it made things more clearer, you see I'm not very good in analyzing things. Can't wait for the next one. :)

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

Thanks so much, I'm glad I could help (good luck with the writing)

[@EmperorZelos]

I didn't get chills, I made peace with it long ago. 13.7 billion years before I had no issue with non-existence, anotehr 1 trillion after ain't gonna do a difference *shrugs*

[@johnchastain7890]

“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” - Mark Twain

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

I'm not quite there yet I guess 😂

[@SysterYster]

Omg, that's my thoughts too! :P

[@RavenRunnels]

I needed this bc I'm working on writing my own paranormal horror short stories/novel (still dunno the medium yet sobs)

[@evanwrites1513]

Don't know the medium? Is that a pun? 🙃

[@RavenRunnels]

@@evanwrites1513 Pfftt perhaps an accidental one! I didn't even catch that 😂

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

Glad I could help!

[@MissEdge102]

These are really great tips 💖 Particularly setting. I never thought about it before but setting itself can add so much to horror.

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnchastain7890]

Some of the folks in my local critique group flub action moments by demoting the action verb(s) to a dependent clause, e.g. (not a real example from the group): "'Meet your maker, Murray!' Rocco growled, as he pumped Murray full of lead and Murray toppled into the swimming pool." I call this kind of sentence "As Backwards." (BTW, just received my copy of Welcome Descent. Just sayin'.)

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

haha my first drafts are always riddled with inactive descriptions 😂 gives me more to do on the second draft though haha Also, thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it

[@AdamDawson1984]

There's a movie called Pandorum, a sci-fi horror. One of the climatic parts to the end of this movie is the characters realising their spaceship may have been traveling for so long that it had reached and surpassed the edge of the galaxy. This was suggested by the lack of stars seen in space from the control room window. That creeped the hell out of me. The emptiness and loneliness of oblivion, except you're still alive and living it, trapped inside a spaceship full of death. SPOILERS Turns out the ship was just at the bottom of an ocean. 😅

[@arkinrain5758]

I think shock value is more of an asset than people give it credit for. Especially when placed at the end of tension building. Fantastic vid man. Good tips and ive learned some fun stuff. Also, are u looking forward to re8?

[@chungusmychungus]

Loving these tips, this is great.

[@SysterYster]

For the most part, people love my action scenes, and I have always quite naturally used shorter and longer sentences for good flow and sense of speed. There were two instances though that I can currently remember where I wrote way too long and detailed about something that was meant to go fast. They felt like slow-motion scenes. But I have fixed that since. :P I have had many issues about other things though. Like the common beginner mistake of NOT using names, but pronouns instead (he, she, they, the man, the teacher, the dog, the vampire, the girl...) I hadn't thought about it, but I did that a LOT! Just write their darned names (if we know them)! At least most of the time.

[@camerynekayne6288]

Super awesome video! I’m excited for your series! 😎💀🙌🏼

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

Thanks 😊

[@Studio_SamSalem]

Hello from Egypt brown I am horrorstories narrative and love your work keep up man 😎

[@zoejung5570]

Very useful advice and not only for horror👏. I have never attempted writing in that genre but I always love sprinkling in some gut wrenching morbidity no matter the story and those are some solid tips😈

[@megantvenstrup7687]

Lady Dimitrescu! You have good taste in tall vampire ladies. :)

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

She is one dang fine vampire giant, I can't lie 😂

[@eepmeep8550]

Body horror is so much fun to write when you don't describe the blow-by-blow of what's happening to what. It's like a sex scene in a YA book rather than one in erotica. You don't always need all the gory details.

[@josephfeliciano4084]

Why is the chicago tornado siren between points? Feels like the 1st Tuesday of the month.

[@rey4874]

Because the Chicago tornado siren is associated on an internet creepy pasta

[@daisyduke805]

So many good points!

[@cavinbardi2375]

Awesome!!! I love your content! Great advice!

[@judyshinohara]

Hi, new subscriber here! I like your videos.

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

Thanks Judith!

[@nicolefarmer2512]

Superb 😎😃 i often think of long descriptions as looking at a car accident in the slow lane... You see a whole lot but it can get boring after a while as your car slowly creeps by the carnage. You see the tragedy and maybe even the blood, but after you pass the car, it's go time. I mean who the hell likes being in a traffick jam 2 hours after you've passed the wreck??? 🤷🏾‍♀️ Just my take on handling tension and pace. Also close ups should matter .. if you make me pay attention to water dripping like blood from a sink i better damn well see blood mimicking that water somewhere ir else you just made me look at dog 💩 and no dog....

[@laurasalo6160]

Im afraid that I'll do it wrong. That I will be eternally aware but unable to communicate or do anything.

[@RelaxxationStation]

I think you should try writing comedy aswell, because youre brilliant :D

[@RelaxxationStation]

well, youre already writing it for the videos, but I mean for a novel or short story :)

[@RelaxxationStation]

ALSO, whats that movie called? from the elevator

[@gloomydays9814]

Not sure if you read manga, but Try “Gintama” the manga is mainly comedy and it’s done perfect

[@RelaxxationStation]

@@gloomydays9814 thanks😀

[@danecobain]

Did I hear Siren Head? :o

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

😏

[@alexchristoffels194]

Ah yes, another writing tip video.

[@isaacriggs4656]

It's not an anthology if it's by one author.

[@koryleonard8147]

Gore is not scary. It just makes you wanna throw up in a trashcan and not continue the story.

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

I can definitely see how gore wouldn't be for everyone

[@skully3242]

Gore IS scary, because it symbolizes death and pain. When you see someone get hurt in horrific ways, you know you would hate to be in their situation. And yeah, it’s gross, which is the point. I don’t understand why people complain about it.

[@StarryRoses]

I've noticed that in writing, female authors tend to generally use longer sentences while men use shorter, more clipped sentences. I do agree though that it has a lot to do with genre and those shorter sentences really draw tension within a scene. The longer ones are more like poetry -- probably why I'm struggling with cutting down a 120k word book.

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

I've never noticed that, that's super interesting though! 😮

[@SysterYster]

I have never noticed any difference between authors in the sentence regard. But in the way they portray relationships and how their characters are and behave, that can vary between male and female authors that I've noticed. Maybe it can also differ between genres? How men and women write different genres? What I have also noted is when a man and a woman writes a book together, they have a tendency to get very well developed and realistic characters. :)

[@StarryRoses]

@syster that makes me want to co-write something with a guy

[@JJVin4476]

You won't have the fear of nonexistence if you believe in God. Great video, though. Really great info.

[@Garydoug]

I believe in God, but not in the afterlife. My belief of where we go when we die is the same place flames go when they get snuffed out. Non existence is what gives existence meaning