: Re: What is the structure of a paranormal horror story? Building on the definition of a Paranormal Story (as opposed to Dark Fantasy) described in the answers here: What are most common tropes of

@Deb2945533

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In paranormal stories you first need to establish normality. Make sure that you note down the elements that you have presented as the cardinal staples of normality. You then need to break them, one by one. The order in important. You first break the elements of normality that could be explained by the laws of normality itself as a temporary altered state, or as an unlikely coincidence. Then you can introduce bigger changes until you defy even the laws of physics.

For instance:

introduce a group of students going to school on a schoolbus on a sunny day.
the schoolbus breaks down. The engine won't start. This could just be a normal event.
sudden gusts of wind lift a cloud of dust along the road. Unlikely, but still possible.
animals start appearing at the edge of the road, and they stare, unafraid, at the kids in the bus. Strange, but perhaps there is a not-so-obvious explanation.
black mud starts dripping from the ceiling of the bus. Extremely strange, no satisfying reason can be provided.
the bus is lifted in the air and starts flying. Open defiance of the laws of physics.

With each step, you also need to provide a voice that denies the possibility that these events are paranormal. This is the voice that the reader needs to cling to. It provides a step-by-step transition into the harder-to-believe scenes without immediately dropping the suspension of disbelief. In the example above, I added this voice in italic.

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