Since the dawn of time, people have told tales of creatures that lurk in the dark, wicked beasties ready to devour us should we step out of line or dare wander too close to the shadows. These stories speak to us all on a primal level, and many horror writers today continue to use monsters in their stories.
The question is this: in an era filled with the real world horrors of school shootings, kidnappings, and car bombs, how do you create a truly frightening monster?
Traditional Horrors or New Monsters
Perhaps you hanker to use a good old-fashioned werewolf or ghost in your latest tale.
Maybe your story involves telepathic, fanged worms that burrow into the brain, or maybe your monster is something else, something so unique and twisted that you even scare yourself.
But how do you get the readers to believe in your monsters?
Let Your Monster Live
Suspension of disbelief is critical in horror fiction. To make a monster convincing, you have to make it as real as possible. Know what it wants; know why it does those terrible things; and know its past – even if those things never make it into the narrative.
You must know your monsters as well as you know your protagonists. When readers are capable of ‘entering your fictional world’ so to speak, you have them by the throat.
When Monster Building, Keep the following in Mind
· Remember: nothing simply exists – there is always a reason for its being. This is especially true in fiction. Look to your novel or short story’s theme and you might be surprised with what you can learn about your monster.
- Know your monster’s motivations.
- Make sure the monster’s strengths, powers, and vulnerabilities remain consistent. If a shotgun blast to the noggin kills your zombies in the first chapter, it had better kill them in the final chapter. If your villain is a telekinetic mute throughout the first two thirds of your story, don’t let her suddenly gain mental telepathy so she can read the protagonists thoughts. When you don’t stay consistent, readers roll their eyes and put down your story. For even the greatest horror writers, suspension of disbelief is tenuous.
- Make the rest of the world as real as possible. If your reader can imagine living in your fictional world, then they will be convinced that the horrors there are real.
· If you have done a good job with the other characters in the story, if the reader can identify with them and care about what happens, then the threat of the monster will seem even more terrifying.
Be sure to learn by reading the genre greats. Dean Koontz creates some of the best villains in fiction, as does Stephen King.
You may also wish to check out Brian Lumley’s Necroscope series to see how he handled creating his own type of vampire.
Remember to keep in mind the most important thing in any writing endeavor: have fun. Then you can worry about selling your story to a magazine or publisher.
Jason M. Tucker - I am a fulltime freelance writer living in the southern California area. More than 300 of my short stories, audio dramas, and articles ...
