: Re: How do I imply the horror of transforming into a werewolf from another character's point of view I am very new to Stack Exchange. I want to ask a question I had on my mind for some time.

@Speyer920

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This is definitely an intriguing situation you're writing about, to say the least. Trying to convey horror of the supernatural requires the writer to know exactly what it is they want to unnerve the reader. So to start off, outside of the sergeant being on a stealth mission and seeing the transformation, what other are you considering?

What unnatural and inhuman features and behavior do they have?
Making the werewolf slim or lanky compared to a regular human already establishes one unnatural trait of the werewolf, and is a great start.
Is the transforming werewolf an enemy soldier or an allied one?
I'm assuming that because it is in the middle of a stealth mission, it is an enemy soldier (or a local caught in the crossfire) that's transforming. This doesn't invoke the fear and confusion of a brother-in-arms you should trust turning into a monster, but seeing an enemy soldier just as horrified of their own impending transformation (or an enemy soldier watching a fellow soldier's transformation) can invoke the same feeling.
Is the transformation itself smooth or is it brutal/gruesome? Is it painless or painful?
Describing the sounds or details of the transformation in a gruesome manner helps to incite a feeling of horror. This is a balancing act of trying not to cram too much detail in so that the reader isn't bored, as well as knowing what details to keep or discard for the reader's imagination to play its tricks.
Is the transforming person confused and fearful of transforming for the first time, fearful of it because it happened before, or in full
control and doesn't fear the transformation?
Remember when Spider-man was dying in Infinity War? Well, the utter sorrow of the moment was enhanced by him processing the fact that he was dying in that moment. The same can be done with horror. If you want, you could make the enemy soldier be frantic and afraid of the transformation, going manic with fear or even suicidal if they know what's coming.
What happens next?
Does it eat a dead man? Does it kill a living man? Does it hunt down the main character? Does it almost catch the main character's scent, and then leaves? Does it immediately charge at the main character, forcing a confrontation in which it is fought off? The horror of a revelation should be followed by the horror of the consequences of what's revealed being part of reality, immediate danger being one of many ways go about the latter.

It all comes down to pacing.

When it's slow, you want to marinate the reader in the moment, making sure they soak in every important detail of this horrific thing that could kill them at any moment. But the longer they need to wade through the bog of detail, the more likely it will be for them to shake off the feeling of unease and instead be irritated. Remember: every important detail.

Then, when it's fast (the moment it attacks a person or begins to charge at the main character), write frantically. Don't bother with details too much, if at all. Weave from one action to the next and don't leave the reader much space to think, the same way that you as the predator wouldn't leave the main character any space to even breathe without risking his life.

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