: Re: I'm not sure where to start with writing a horror story I haven't written anything horror, but I have had scenes in my past stories that my friends have stated was 'creepy,' so I've decided

@Samaraweera193

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A lot of horror stories don't actually start with scenes of terror and gore - generally, these stories will start with - not exactly a happy scene - but an everyday scene, that will then be subverted by the horror aspects. Then again, I've also read a fair few horror stories that grab the reader's attention with a terrifying extract. For example, a story might start by reflecting back fifty years ago when a family was murdered in their beds. This might act as the prologue, and then chapter one would begin with this everyday scene. Different methods work for different writers, so maybe try each and see which one you prefer!

I might also add that if you want to write horror, one of the most affective ways of doing this is by harnessing Freud's theory of "the uncanny". If you're unfamiliar with this, it's kind of like that feeling when you're walking down the stairs and you think that there's an extra step - it's all about taking something familiar, ie. your home, and changing small details that only you would notice. It plays on humanity's fear of the unknown and is generally very effective.

Anyway, good luck with the writing and I hope that you get the hold on that opening!

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