Fearful Writing
Evolution provided our minds with a healthy sense of fear. For example, we learned not to touch fire, say mean things to big strong people or walk near a cliff. Those people who did not have this healthy sense of fear were eliminated.
Since those early days, our world has advanced, which added to our list of things we know about and must fear. Did you know it is possible for a meteorite to wipe out all life on earth? That is a pretty big thing to fear.
Let’s start this article with a good scare. What is the most (safe) fearful activity a person can experience? How about a Halloween amusement park? A person walks through dark rooms, listens to scary noises and suddenly, an unseen hand reaches out. Boo!
How about a less than safe experience? A person walks around an abandoned building, hangs from a tree branch, or drives recklessly. All terrifying experiences, but not too scary to read. Bob waked near a cliff. And nearly fell off! Ohhh. Scared me to death.
So, let’s write something terrifying (that is not graphic). A person walks up to Bob, and they reveal his social security number, address, bank account balance, daily schedule, and family member names. This experience would be frightening in real life because this mysterious person knows so much.
Let’s take this situation a step further. The mystery person tells Bob a personal detail he never revealed. Can this person read minds? Now, let’s push this situation over the edge. “Bob, that scar on your leg. I cut you on your eighth birthday.” What the heck? How did that happen? Time travel? Is this person related to Bob? Now, the push beyond insanity. The mystery person reveals that they could have harmed Bob in the past. This means that Bob is entirely at this person’s mercy—the worst possible fear.
You can start to see the problem. This text is not scary at all, but we would be terrified beyond comprehension if this occurrence happened in real life. Somebody that can time travel and injure us in the past? Wow, there is absolutely no defense. Yikes! This might even be the absolute scariest concept that a writer can create. Yet… I cannot imagine anybody reading this article would give it a second thought. At best, a 2 out of 10?
I am trying to convey that expressing fear in a written format is challenging. Movies provide images conveying emotions and frightening scenes with action, gore, and surprise. Audiences see fear in the actor’s expressions and hear their screams, which helps them connect with their fears. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Written stories must take a different approach. The author first connects with the reader through character development and plot building. Readers become comfortable and form emotional bonds. Only then can an author dramatically write a scary scene, hoping readers relate to this fear. This effort might require one or more chapters of build-up to achieve.
What are some great techniques for creating written fear? Umm. I am still figuring this out. Sorry. My best approach is to do a great job of connecting with readers and slowly building suspense. Do my readers experience a good scare? Probably not, but I can confirm that my characters have a thousand times more drama than my humble life.
For example, in one scene, two characters climb up a cliff and nearly die from falling. I have certainly never done that. I believe I successfully connected with readers in these chapters, but most people would understand that an author cannot kill off the two main characters in the second chapter. So… Not a lot of fear. Bummer.
All emotions are challenging to convey in written form, and fear is no exception. I do my best to keep readers in suspense, but I must bring them back to a comfortable setting to continue the plot. Why? I don’t particularly appreciate reading suspenseful novels or watching horror movies. Yes, that is fear taking the driver’s seat.
You’re the best -Bill
October 09 2019 Updated September 7, 2024
Since those early days, our world has advanced, which added to our list of things we know about and must fear. Did you know it is possible for a meteorite to wipe out all life on earth? That is a pretty big thing to fear.
Let’s start this article with a good scare. What is the most (safe) fearful activity a person can experience? How about a Halloween amusement park? A person walks through dark rooms, listens to scary noises and suddenly, an unseen hand reaches out. Boo!
How about a less than safe experience? A person walks around an abandoned building, hangs from a tree branch, or drives recklessly. All terrifying experiences, but not too scary to read. Bob waked near a cliff. And nearly fell off! Ohhh. Scared me to death.
So, let’s write something terrifying (that is not graphic). A person walks up to Bob, and they reveal his social security number, address, bank account balance, daily schedule, and family member names. This experience would be frightening in real life because this mysterious person knows so much.
Let’s take this situation a step further. The mystery person tells Bob a personal detail he never revealed. Can this person read minds? Now, let’s push this situation over the edge. “Bob, that scar on your leg. I cut you on your eighth birthday.” What the heck? How did that happen? Time travel? Is this person related to Bob? Now, the push beyond insanity. The mystery person reveals that they could have harmed Bob in the past. This means that Bob is entirely at this person’s mercy—the worst possible fear.
You can start to see the problem. This text is not scary at all, but we would be terrified beyond comprehension if this occurrence happened in real life. Somebody that can time travel and injure us in the past? Wow, there is absolutely no defense. Yikes! This might even be the absolute scariest concept that a writer can create. Yet… I cannot imagine anybody reading this article would give it a second thought. At best, a 2 out of 10?
I am trying to convey that expressing fear in a written format is challenging. Movies provide images conveying emotions and frightening scenes with action, gore, and surprise. Audiences see fear in the actor’s expressions and hear their screams, which helps them connect with their fears. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Written stories must take a different approach. The author first connects with the reader through character development and plot building. Readers become comfortable and form emotional bonds. Only then can an author dramatically write a scary scene, hoping readers relate to this fear. This effort might require one or more chapters of build-up to achieve.
What are some great techniques for creating written fear? Umm. I am still figuring this out. Sorry. My best approach is to do a great job of connecting with readers and slowly building suspense. Do my readers experience a good scare? Probably not, but I can confirm that my characters have a thousand times more drama than my humble life.
For example, in one scene, two characters climb up a cliff and nearly die from falling. I have certainly never done that. I believe I successfully connected with readers in these chapters, but most people would understand that an author cannot kill off the two main characters in the second chapter. So… Not a lot of fear. Bummer.
All emotions are challenging to convey in written form, and fear is no exception. I do my best to keep readers in suspense, but I must bring them back to a comfortable setting to continue the plot. Why? I don’t particularly appreciate reading suspenseful novels or watching horror movies. Yes, that is fear taking the driver’s seat.
You’re the best -Bill
October 09 2019 Updated September 7, 2024
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