Writing a Scary Short Story 2-3 pages typed using Arial or Times New Roman font 12-point Include vivid description of setting and characters Include two.

Writing a Scary Short Story

• 2-3 pages typed using Arial or Times New Roman font 12-point

• Include vivid description of setting and characters

• Include two examples of foreshadowing• Include an example of flashback• Include an example of irony (verbal,

situational or dramatic)• Will be counted as a writing grade!

Writing a Scary Short Story

•Before we begin…–Free write for the next five minutes-jot down any ideas that come to mind pertaining to the scary story you want to write. You don’t have to write in complete sentences.

Developing Your Premise

1. Make a list of your greatest fears.2. Add a “what if” element to your greatest fear.For example, if you fear being trapped in an elevator, ask yourself, “What if I was stuck in an elevator with a dead person?” Or, “What if the elevator

mirror was a door into an evil world?”


3. Work your fear into the setting of a story.

Use the setting to limit or trap your characters in the story.

Think about what kind of confined spaces scare you, such as a cellar,

a coffin, or an abandoned town. Where you would you dread or fear being trapped in the most?


4. Try taking an ordinary situation and adding something horrifying.

Look at a normal, everyday situation like taking a walk in the park,

preparing lunch, or visiting a friend. Then, add a terrifying or bizarre

element. You could come across a severed ear during your walk, cut up a piece of fruit that turns into a finger or

a tentacle.


5. Look for a story in the news. Check out the local section of your newspaper or go online and scroll through the day’s articles.

Maybe a burglary in your neighborhood took place, tied to a larger string of

burglaries in another area of the city. Use a newspaper story as a springboard to

create a story idea.

Developing Characters

1. Develop your central characters.

To create a good scary story, you need to have characters who are relatable to your readers. The readers must empathize with your character(s) based on the character’s desire or internal struggle. The more your readers empathize with your characters, the closer their connection to the story will be.

• Villain• Other supporting characters (family member, best friend,

love interest, etc.)• Minor characters (postal worker, gas station attendant, etc.)


2. Make up specific details for each character.

When you are beginning to develop your characters, you need to work out who

they are, what they do, as well as their motivations.

• Name, age, physical description (include height, weight, eye color, hair color, etc.), personality traits, likes and dislikes, family history, best friend and worst enemy, five things the character would never leave home without


3. Make the stakes for the character clear and extreme. The “stakes” of a character in a story is what your character has to lose if

they make a certain decision or choice in the story. If your reader

doesn’t know what is at stake for the character in the conflict, they cannot

fear loss.


4. Make your villain not quite right. Go for the strange when developing your villain. Instead of making a person or creature “normal,” make this character a little off.

For example, think about Dracula. He doesn’t have a mouthful of “normal”

teeth; instead, the reader is told that he has two sharp, pointy teeth.


5. Make life difficult for your characters. Most horror is about fear and tragedy, and whether or not your character is capable of overcoming their fears. A story where good things happen to good people is heartwarming, but it will likely not scare or terrify your

reader.


6. Allow your characters to make mistakes or bad decisions. Have your character respond with the wrong move, while convincing themselves they are making the right move against the threat.

Writing the Story1. Create a plot outline. Once you find your premise, your setting, and characters, create a rough outline of the story.

•Exposition: Set the scene and introduce the characters.•Inciting incident: Have something happen in the story to start the action.•Rising action: Continue the story, building excitement and suspense.•Climax: Include a moment that holds the most tension in the story.•Falling action: These are events that occur after the climax.•Resolution: Here, the character solves the main problem.•Denouement: This is the ending in which the characters resolve any remaining questions.

Writing the Story2. Show, don’t tell, your story.

The most effective scary stories use description to show the reader how the characters feel in a story. This helps the reader feel like he is stepping into the main character’s shoes and identifying with this character

•”I was too scared to open my eyes, even though I heard footsteps coming closer.”•“I wrapped the blankets tighter around me and let out a sick whimper. My chest was tight, my stomach rotten. I would not look. No matter how close those shuffling footsteps came, I would not look. I would not, I would…not…”

Writing the Story3. Build tension as the story progresses. Allow the story to get more suspenseful as it goes on.

An effective way to build tension is to alternate from tense or bizarre moments to quiet moments. Allow your character to take

a breath, calm down, and feel safe again. Then, amp up the tension by re-engaging

the character in the conflict. This time, make the conflict feel even more serious or

threatening.

Writing the Story4. Try foreshadowing. As you craft your story, use the foreshadowing storytelling device.

Foreshadowing is when you give a hint that something will happen in the future. The reader should be able to find clues of the

outcome or story goal. Foreshadowing also makes the reader anxious that the

consequence will occur before the main character can succeed.

Writing a Good Ending

1. Write the climax.

•The climax is a turning point or crisis in the story. The climax in a horror story might be a danger or threat to the character’s physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

2. Add a twist ending.

•A good twist in a horror story can make or break the story. The twist is an action that the reader doesn’t expect, such as a character that we thought was a hero is actually a villain.


3. Decide how you want to end your story.

•The very end of your story is the time to wrap up loose ends. But scary stories often don’t tie up loose ends. This can be effective because it leaves the reader wondering about certain things. Did the killer get caught? Does the ghost really exist? Leaving the reader hanging can be a good plot device, as long as the reader isn’t confused by the ending.


Writing a Scary Short Story 2-3 pages typed using Arial or Times New Roman font 12-point Include vivid description of setting and characters Include two.

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