One of the first things to do when deciding how to write your ghost story, is to choose a point of view. There are many writing books written on point of view and tense, but here are my thoughts: Your primary aim is to create a blogger.comted Reading Time: 7 mins Jan 29, · When writing your ghost story, don’t be afraid of withholding information. Your readers, by the very act of reading, have activated their imaginations. Use this against them! Don’t bog them down with long descriptions of a gruesome specter; instead, use simple words to sketch a vague impression Oct 04, · It all depends on your personal writing style and what works for your story. Build an Emotional Core “Horror was rooted in sympathy in understanding what it would be like to suffer the worst.” —Joe Hill, Heart-Shaped Box. When you’re thinking about how to write a ghost story, don’t neglect the potential for big, deep blogger.comted Reading Time: 7 mins
How to Write a Chilling Ghost Story | The Writer's Cookbook
Posted by Kristina Adams 22 Jun, Writing 0. Capitalising on popular trends will always be beneficial for your book sales. Which gives you a bigger potential audience. Every trend will always have their die-hard fans, but most people follow trends and get bored once a market is saturated. Anyone remember dystopian YA? So, if you want to capitalise on this trend, how do you write a ghost story?
Here are some tips to get you started:. Obviously the concept of ghosts is, in itself, scary. There are also write a ghost story of films and TV shows that have done non-scary ghosts, such as Charmed. Then, at the other end of the scale, you have the super-scary, such as The Nun from The Conjuring Universe.
Or somewhere in between. Everyone finds different things scary. You need to know your ghost lore and be consistent with it. Die-hard fans of the genre are unlikely to be on your side. You want to make sure that they do that in a consistent way, write a ghost story, otherwise avid readers will comment on it—and may even give you negative reviews.
There are lots of settings which are common in ghost stories, from haunted houses to ghost ships. How could you play with those settings? Consider how ghosts interact with their surroundings. How easy is it for them to be corporeal and move objects? Does it change based on where they are? Atmosphere is really important in a ghost story, write a ghost story. You want people to feel the tension, and that requires a certain writing style.
This was something new to me, but my poetry background helped. Poetry is all about evoking a certain feeling in someone using language, which is exactly what you need to bring atmosphere to life.
You can always add the description that invokes your atmosphere during the editing stages. Stuart MacBride does this brilliantly in his first Logan McRae book, Cold Granite.
The description brings the characters, world, and plot to life in a way that most writers never achieve. The fear of the unknown is bloody terrifying. So, instead of showing the audience the ghost, focus on the reactions of the characters to the ghost instead.
It usually starts with objects being write a ghost story, noises, smells, someone touching them when nobody is there, etc. This builds the tension and scare factor much better than showing the ghost right away. We see shadows; we see an outline covered in an old sheet; we write a ghost story a child sleepwalking. Who are you writing your ghost story for? Fantasy readers? Mystery readers? Young adult readers? The write a ghost story, subgenres, and audience of your book should play a big part in how you bring your book to life.
But, for the sake of marketing and reaching my audience, I need to know the closest genre and audience to target my books at. I get not wanting to dig your writing or your books or yourself into a box. There are lots of elements to consider when writing a ghost story, but, when it comes down to it, the key elements are similar to writing any fantasy story.
The most important thing you need is consistency. When you forget your own ghost lore, you can dig yourself into a hole and emerge with fewer fans and more negative reviews. But when Edie receives an important message from a ghost, she may not have a choice. Their hometown is haunted. And they could be anywhere.
When a ghost arrives on the doorstep of family friends, Niamh and Edie must race against time to protect the people love. Adamscoming ! Kristina Adams is an author of fiction and nonfiction, writing and productivity blogger, and occasional poet. She has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Derby and an MA in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University.
She can be found under a pile of books with a vanilla latte. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed, write a ghost story. Discover how to write faster—while improving your writing skills—with these easy, instantly actionable tips.
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Get early access to upcoming episodes of our podcast, The Writer's Mindset, bonus content, accountability calls, and more. BECOME A PATRON TODAY Become a Patron! How to Write a Chilling Ghost Story Posted by Kristina Adams 22 Jun, Writing 0. Fantasy trends come and go, and right now, one of the trends in fantasy is ghosts. But does it need to be scary? Know your lore You need to know your ghost lore and be consistent with it.
How does your ghost appear? When do they appear? What do they look like? How do they cross over? Where do they go? Play with setting There are lots of settings which are common in ghost stories, from haunted houses to ghost ships. Think atmosphere Atmosphere is really important in a ghost story.
Be visual To bring your atmosphere to life, you want to be as visual in your description as possible. Research your audience expectations Who are you writing your ghost story for?
Conclusion There write a ghost story lots of elements to consider when writing a ghost story, but, when it comes down to it, the key elements are similar to writing any fantasy story.
Next How to Write Any Kind of Relationship With Accuracy and Honesty. About The Author. Write a ghost story Adams Kristina Adams is an author of fiction and nonfiction, writing and productivity blogger, and occasional poet. Related Posts. Leave a reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Write faster, write a ghost story, write better Discover how to write faster—while improving your writing skills—with these easy, write a ghost story, instantly actionable tips.
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Writing a Ghost Story
, time: 6:16How to Write a Ghost Story - Classic Ghost Stories Podcast
One of the first things to do when deciding how to write your ghost story, is to choose a point of view. There are many writing books written on point of view and tense, but here are my thoughts: Your primary aim is to create a blogger.comted Reading Time: 7 mins Jan 29, · When writing your ghost story, don’t be afraid of withholding information. Your readers, by the very act of reading, have activated their imaginations. Use this against them! Don’t bog them down with long descriptions of a gruesome specter; instead, use simple words to sketch a vague impression Oct 04, · It all depends on your personal writing style and what works for your story. Build an Emotional Core “Horror was rooted in sympathy in understanding what it would be like to suffer the worst.” —Joe Hill, Heart-Shaped Box. When you’re thinking about how to write a ghost story, don’t neglect the potential for big, deep blogger.comted Reading Time: 7 mins
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