You could find a way to bring technology into your story, maybe nanotechnology. She was an “energivore” and she surrounded herself with sad, lonely people, and fed off of that misery. If the conventions of vampires are blood, crosses, garlic, caskets, fear of sunlight, and immortality, how can you tweak it? I wrote a short story called “Transmogrify” and my protagonist didn’t feed off of blood, she survived on the sorrow and suffering of others. ![]() And of course there are the more current examples such as True Blood and Twilight-or perhaps Let the Right One In. Nosferatu is different than Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which is different than King’s Salem’s Lot. That’s why you need to read the books, or watch the films. So, one of the most overused characters in horror is the vampire, right? But, there is a wide range of traits and appearances when it comes to their history and behavior. When you start to head in the other direction, it really changes the expectations, and allows you to write unique stories, with original characters.Įach culture has its own rich history, something that can be tapped into, showcasing unique myths and legends that may not be common to Western audiences. Do you see your protagonist as a strong, fearless white man? Recast him as a shy little Hispanic girl. Feel like you have to write a vampire story? Search for a less familiar monster, like the Wendigo or Bunyip. Feel like all horror has to happen at night? Show us your story in the light of day. If you come across a character, plot, or setting that feels clichéd or too familiar-run in the opposite direction. The first thing you can do when writing horror stories is to do the opposite. Look at authors like Cormac McCarthy, Dennis Lehane, or William Gay-they create terrifying environments, and narratives that aren’t your typical horror stories. And that goes beyond the obvious choices, the people I just mentioned. So take the time to educate yourself on horror. There is nothing worse than sitting down and coming up with a brilliant idea only to find out it’s been done a million times already. ![]() If you’re a horror writer, you should have read the masters, like Stephen King, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and Jack Ketchum. It may be hard for you to avoid tropes if you haven’t read a lot of stories and novels. One of the reasons I tell people to read constantly is so they know what’s been done, what’s come before them, and what’s been beaten to death. How can you change and innovate your writing? How can you write horror stories that are not the same old regurgitated pap? Well, I offer up a few suggestions. What exactly is a trope? Wikipedia says a trope can be described as “…commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in creative works.” These are the standard expectations and formulas, and while they aren’t inherently bad, what we’re looking to do here is avoid the common, the normal, the expected, and the bland. ![]() Today we’re going to be talking about tropes, and how to avoid them while writing horror stories.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |