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Were you looking for an article about “How to write psychological horror“? Well, you clicked on the right one. We will dive deep into the art of creating chilling and unforgettable narrative tips that tap into psychological elements to evoke intense fear and leave readers perfectly creeped out.
Psychological horror stories are like an intersection point of the horror genre and the human psyche, which typically focuses on mental illness, a disturbed psyche, and the dark secrets that lurk within. These horror stories differ from traditional ones and aim to engage readers more profoundly.
This article will explore techniques such as unreliable narrator, plot twists, and avoiding common horror cliches so your story stands out. We will also cover the writing process, offering guidance on developing a plot outline, accepting constructive feedback, and having your story critiques to ensure it effectively disrupts the reader’s sense of reality.
1. Understanding the Psychological Horror Genre
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror that explores the deepest side of the human mind while captivating our most profound fears and anxieties to create a deeply unsettling and terrifying experience throughout the story. In psychological horror stories, there is no emanation from external monsters or gratuitous gore; it originates from the labyrinthine mazes of the human psyche.
Talking about writing psychological horror is a delicate art that requires a profound understanding of the human condition and a mastery of suspense, tension, and psychological manipulation.
1.1. The Appeal of Psychological Horror Stories
Now, the question arises: What is the appeal of a good horror story? Well, it has an uncanny ability to leave readers perfectly creeped out and jumping out of their place. Psychological horror writers achieve this by masterfully weaving elements like character development, a narrative that explores the thin line between sanity and madness, and the embodiment of a person’s fears.
Psychological horror isn’t like other genres, which typically focus on familiar descriptions or rely on common horror cliches. Instead, psychological horror focuses on plot twists that go beyond the expectations of the readers, particularly those moments when everything goes wrong. By doing so, they kept readers drawn to the intense moments and unsettling endings that linger in their minds while continuing to haunt them even after turning the novel’s last page.
1.2. Differences from Traditional Horror
One main difference that sets the psychological thriller genre apart from traditional horror is its avoidance of cliche scenarios. Rather than that, this subgenre focuses on a plot outline that ventures into uncharted and unexpected territory. The world of psychological horror doesn’t focus on external monsters or supernatural forces; it makes readers question reality by exploring the intricacies of the human psyche and the manifestation of distinct personalities. In other words, the horror doesn’t come from external threats but resides within the characters.
2. Crafting a Strong Foundation
While writing psychological horror, crafting a compelling narrative is key to immersing the readers in a world of fear, uncertainty, and psychological torment. To create a truly captivating psychological horror novel, the writer must establish a strong foundation of the story that typically consists of three critical elements. Wondering what are those three critical elements? Let’s find out.
2.1. Building a Compelling Main Character
In any horror story, the main character plays an important role. However, the main character takes on even greater significance while discussing psychological horror. This means it becomes essential for writers to build a main character that impacts readers’ minds. However, an important thing to remember is that it should go beyond superficial traits and delve into the character’s psyche.
The main characters should be more than passive observers; they should actively participate in the horrors they face. The transaction from an ordinary individual to the tormented soul of the main character you build should be gradual. This metamorphosis often becomes the core and makes a good psychological horror.
2.2. The Importance of Setting and Atmosphere
The setting and atmosphere in psychological horror stories serve as a character in themselves. They play an important role in crafting the unsettling and tense backdrop against which your story unfolds. Writers have to write a description that evokes a sense of reality and sets the stage for horror to come.
In a psychological horror story, a haunted house or a desolate, isolated location can be the perfect description, as it will create an atmosphere laden with dread. Remember, the environment should reflect the main character’s inner turmoil while also creating an unsettling atmosphere that amplifies the psychological elements of the story.
2.3. Establishing Dark Secrets
Read any good psychological horror, and you will notice they have a dark secret. Same thing you have to do with your psychological horror story. This secret will serve as the linchpin that ties together the main character’s journey, the atmosphere, and the psychological elements. The revelation shatters the character’s sense of reality and plunges the readers into a disturbing ending.
Ensure you carefully integrate this dark secret into the narrative, slowly unravelling it as your story progresses. It should be revealed in a way that keeps the readers engaged and shocks them with an unsettling twist or an intense moment that leaves them perfectly creeped out.
3. Crafting a Disturbing Narrative
In the realm of psychological horror, crafting a narrative that leaves readers on the edge of their seats, disturbed, and captivated is an art that every aspiring writer should acquire. Wondering how you can do it? You must create a compelling psychological horror story by diving into the darkest recesses of the human psyche.
This includes utilizing the unreliable narrator, incorporating disturbing moments, and skillfully weaving in psychological elements that elicit intense fear. Let’s discuss all these three factors in more detail.
3.1. Utilizing the Unreliable Narrator
An unreliable narrator is powerful for writers to use while writing psychological horror stories. This narrative technique draws readers into a character’s mind who can not be entirely trusted. By doing so, readers start to make a perception of reality in their mind, and as the story unfolds, the main characters’ grasp on what’s happening becomes increasingly tenuous.
This technique helps you keep your readers engaged and amplify the psychological elements. The revelation of the narrator’s reliability can be one of the most unsettling twists, leaving the readers perfectly creeped out.
3.2. Incorporating Disturbing Moments
Incorporating disturbing moments is the lifeblood of psychological horror. These scenes stay with readers even after they’ve put the book down and cause them an intense fear that lingers. Writers should introduce these moments at the right time to create a truly disturbing narrative.
Remember, these scenes should be more than just descriptions of bad things in your story. They should be an integral part of the story, entwined with the character’s personal life crisis and psychological horrors. This combined leads to engaging and terrifying experiences for the readers.
3.3. Incorporating Psychological Elements
Psychological elements are at the core of a good psychological horror story, tapping into the reader’s deepest fears and insecurities. The story is more about the human psyche than any external monsters, delves into the characters’ fears, and gradually reveals the disturbing ending that awaits them.
To incorporate psychological elements into their stories, writers will have to do a deep exploration of human nature to be able to distinguish the characters’ personalities. In easy words, it’s not just about terrifying atmosphere and plot twists but about creating a sense of reality within the narrative
4. Plot and Storytelling Techniques
Plot twists and storytelling techniques are the two pillars of any successful psychological horror story. Writers should master the art of plot twists and unsettling twists, avoid common horror cliches, and maintain an unsettling atmosphere that keeps readers fearful and engaged.
4.1. Plot Twists and Unsettling Twists
Plot twists are the lifeblood of any psychological horror story. These unexpected turns in the narrative of your story will keep the readers engaged, questioning the story’s reality, making assumptions about the future parts, and fearing what may happen next. Also, don’t be mistaken that a successful psychological horror story is only about plot twists; unsettling twists are equally important.
The best psychological horror stories create a sense of dread as readers realize that the truth is far more disturbing than they could have imagined at the beginning of the story. To write a good psychological horror story, weave plot twists that leave readers perfectly creeped out and craving the next part of your novel.
4.2. Avoiding Common Horror Cliches
A hallmark of a good psychological horror story is the ability to avoid the pitfalls of common horror cliches that have been used thousands of times in thousands of stories. In the horror genre, certain tropes and predictable scenarios can disinterest the readers and impact the story on them.
Psychological horror typically focuses on breaking far away from these cliches by crafting fresh and unpredictable narratives. Steer clear of familiar descriptions and cliches scenarios; writers can create a narrative that offers something new and terrifying and stays with them for a long time.
4.3. Maintain an Unsettling Atmosphere
The atmosphere of your psychological horror story will decide if readers will love it or not. Therefore, the atmosphere is an essential element in psychological horror. It should be as much a part of the story as any character, setting the stage for the unfolding horrors. Writers should maintain an unsettling atmosphere from the story’s beginning to write a good psychological horror.
Remember, this atmosphere should not just be limited to the settings but also seep into every aspect of the narrative, developing readers in a terrifying, almost claustrophobic environment. Ensure that the atmosphere reflects the main character’s inner turmoil, which evokes a sense of intense fear and uncertainty.
5. Character Development
Perfect character development is the cornerstone of crafting a compelling psychological horror story. To create a narrative that resonates with readers, writers must invest a good amount of time and effort in developing character backstories, exploring human psych, and detailing the character’s mental and physical traits. Characters should be so compelling that they stay with readers even after reading the novel.
5.1. Developing Character Backstories
Characters’ backstories are the foundation upon which their fears, vulnerabilities, and psychological demons are built. Thus, character development and their backstories are essential to writing a good psychological horror story.
Writers should focus on crafting detailed character backstories. You must provide the readers with insight into the character’s past experiences, personal life crises, and specific events that have them on the precipice of psychological horror.
Remember, the more immersive and engaging the character’s backstory, the more readers can relate to and empathize with the character’s struggles and fears, keeping them engaged throughout the story.
5.2. Exploring the Human Psyche
A deep understanding of the human psyche is crucial when writing a good psychological horror story. Writers must delve into the characters’ minds, unravelling their fears and insecurities as the story progresses.
This exploration should go beyond the surface to unearth the character’s fears and the disturbing moments that haunt them. Digging deep into the human psyche will serve as the core of psychological horror, which resides and is waiting to be unleashed by the readers.
5.3. Character’s Mental and Physical Traits
The character’s mental and physical traits are the tools you must use to make an image in the reader’s mind. You will have to reveal the story’s psychological elements of the characters as time passes. All writers need to consider how mental illness, personal crisis, or a character’s distinct personality will shape the perception of the world and their reactions to the horror that unfolds.
Characters’ mental traits can lead to a psychic break while revealing an unsettling twist in the narrative and providing the readers with an experience like no other. Talking about their physical traits, they are equally important and can manifest in intense images to play on the reader’s fears, such as a young girl with a physical ailment. Writers should carefully weave these traits into the character’s development and enhance the psychological horror elements.
6. The Importance of Other Characters
Although the main character takes center stage in a psychological horror story, that doesn’t mean the importance of other characters should be ignored. Secondary characters play an important role in shaping the whole narrative, providing Interaction with the main character, and creating a distinct personality for the story. Writers should include some secondary characters in their stories to make them more interesting and engaging.
6.1. The Role of Secondary Characters
Secondary characters are essential to the plot’s development of the psychological horror story. These characters can serve as foils to the main character while highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Writers can also use secondary characters as vehicles for the revelation of critical information and helping to unravel the story’s dark secrets.
Crafting secondary characters with depth and purpose will enhance the complexity of the narrative. Readers need to relate to, empathize with, or fear these characters; only then will they be able to further immerse themselves in the horror of the story.
6.2. Interaction with the Main Character
Interaction between secondary characters and the main character is the key element writers can use to make the story more engaging. Depending on the story’s needs, these interactions can range from supportive relationships to adversarial ones. Tensions and conflicts within these relationships can serve as a good narrative as it can intensify the story.
For example, a secondary character’s erratic behaviour or gradual descent into madness can mirror the main character’s experiences, which will typically heighten the sense of unreality and terror. Creating meaningful and eerie interactions with secondary characters will help readers stay engaged throughout the story.
6.3. Creating a Distinct Personality
Whether primary or secondary, each character should have a distinct personality and contribute to the psychological horror’s overall atmosphere. Writers must craft each character in a way that complements the story’s themes and amplifies its disturbing elements.
By incorporating unique traits, quirks, and psychological idiosyncrasies into each character, the writer can create a cast that is not only memorable but also integral to the psychological horror’s success.
7. Narrative Structure and Writing Process
To learn how to write psychological horror, you must craft an effective narrative structure and master the writing process. This section will cover creating a chilling and unforgettable psychological horror story.
7.1. Creating a Plot Outline
Before you begin writing your psychological horror story, it is crucial to create a well-structured plot outline. This outline will serve as the backbone of your narrative, allowing you to organize your thoughts and create a road map for the story’s progression.
These outlines should include key plot points, character arcs, and the gradual revelation of the story’s psychological elements. By establishing a solid foundation through your plot outline, you can ensure that your story goes in the right direction.
7.2. Writing from the First Disturbing Moment
The success of psychological horror depends on whether the story contains suspense and dread. Writers can captivate readers by starting their narrative from the first disturbing moment. This introduction should set the tone and create an immediate sense of unease.
These moments could be anything from a sinister discovery, an unsettling interaction, or a mysterious event. Starting with such moments, you instantly immerse your audience in the story’s psychological depths.
7.3. Unveiling the Disturbing Ending
An unexpected climax is the key to leaving your audience craving for the next part of your novel. Readers invest their precious time in a story with the expectation of a deeply unsettling ending, and writers should keep this in mind.
Make sure the final reveal is psychologically impactful, involving an unexpected twist, an intense moment, or a shocking discovery. The ending should be so unexpected that it leaves readers to jump from their couch and ponder the story’s psychological elements long after the final page.
Final Words
In conclusion, crafting a compelling psychological horror story that stays with the readers even after a long time is an art. Writing horror goes beyond cliches and delves into the complexities of the human psyche.
Writers can write a good psychological thriller by creating a compelling main character, focusing on disturbing moments, and maintaining an unsettling atmosphere throughout the story. Experimenting with plot twists and unexpected elements is the key to success. Make sure you build compelling secondary characters and craft interactions with the main character.
Character development through intricate backstories and exploration of the human psyche is vital. While keeping the focus on psychological elements and understanding the horror genre, writers can truly achieve an unsettling ending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why is horror so addictive?
Horror is addictive because of the adrenaline rush, the thrill of the unknown, and the brain’s fascination with confronting fear. All this combined makes us curious about what’s going to happen next.
Q2. Is psychological horror bad for you?
There’s no official proof that psychological horror is bad for anyone, but extensive watching of such movies can impact your emotional state and sensitivity to disturbing content.
Q3. Is psychological horror the scariest genre?
Psychological horror is often considered the scariest genre because it preys on our deepest fears, invoking dread and lingering psychological unease.
Last Updated on by Joyeeta Biswas
