The genre of horror brings
mixed images to different people. Some see a traditional scary story,
some see an elaborate paranormal thriller, and others may see the
simple phobic elements. No matter what your opinion is of this
fiction area, it has remained a highly popular among readers for centuries.
The horror genre has had its
share of dark hours. While fiction of this nature continues to find
its way onto the major bestseller’s lists, many professionals
are reluctant to even examine a horror manuscript.
While everyone loves a good,
"ghost story," the number of "bad" horror novels
multiplies every year. The genre has lost its former literary value
and assumed a "second-rate" significance. It would seem
it’s no longer the human struggle with good and evil, it’s
the commercial vampires. It has went from graphic references into the
human psyche, to graphic references on the human body. Many horror
novels lose their real "horror" due to bland and gratuitous material.
Yet, despite all the
enjoyment we obtain from horror novels, it is a "shunned"
genre. No one wants it. How many literary professionals have the
bold, type-faced announcement, "NO HORROR," on their
submission guidelines? The numbers are staggering. How can such a
beloved and traditional genre be so ostracized? First, we will
discuss a little of the genre’s history.
There is no known beginning
to fictional horror material. Perhaps the most well-known
"first" horror novel was that of Dante Allegeri, The Divine
Comedy. This book came to be known as, Inferno, among other aliases.
The Fifteenth-Century satire chronicles a journey through both heaven
and hell, it contains all basic elements of a horror novel.
As centuries passed, there
came others who carried on the tradition. Elements of horror can be
found in many works through time. From Shakespeare and Francis Bacon
to Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Even Charles Dickens
created the ghosts of Christmas in, A
Christmas Carol.
Horror has had a place in literature, far longer than much of the
genre fiction we know today.
There is no way to precisely
know how many different categories of horror there are. The stories
are as diverse as readers and authors together. There are complex
novels which involve many elements and details, and there are simple
tales which don’t have a set purpose. Before writing horror, its
important to have a knowledge of what is original and how to avoid a
chestnut novel.
Clichés and
stereotypes have been one of the most notable causes of horror to be
shunned. It is uncertain if it is truly the ideas that are bad, or
the simple lack of attention by the author. It may be a lack of
attention to accuracy, editing, or delivery, but it has pushed the
genre from a popularly accepted to a generally avoided.
Avoiding overuse of themes
doesn’t involve a great deal of time or effort. It may be as
simple as re-arranging scenes and the order of events. For some
unlucky writers, it might mean a complete re-write of the novel. The
finished product will be well worth the extra effort.
One good example of a genre
which has been abused is, "vampire" fiction. This genre
skyrocketed into stardom when Anne Rice’s, "Interview With
A Vampire," came to theaters. Presently, there are publishers
completely devoted to nothing but books about vampires. It isn’t
the material, it’s usually the delivery. The vampire in the
novel will always be attractive, some will have the power to seduce
anyone. They will be allergic to daylight and occasionally be fearful
of crucifixes. There is nothing unique or memorable about any novel
using this equation simply because so many exist.
This is like film, any horror
fan from the decade of the 1980s will recall how many vampire movies
were made. There seemed to be a new movie each year based upon the
simple task of the common vampire. They were delivered the same way,
developed the same way, and usually always had the exact same
conflict (kill the vampire with sun or wooden stake). Bram Stoker
started a never-ending cycle of books about his vampire, although
none have ever reached his status in literature.
The "vampire" category is just one example of how the horror genre became slandered
over time. While this subject is ripe for exploration and diversity,
so many times has fallen along the same process as those novels before.
Another factor that has
tainted the genre is gratuity. This bane of editors and readers has
revealed itself in more and more horror novels. Instead of a good
suspenseful build-up, there are pages from a common operating room.
Instead of realistic characters with a genuine sincerity and
believable reactions to the events around them, many horror novels
read like an excerpt of an erotica novel. Ask an avid horror reader
and most will not be fans of romance or erotica, yet so many horror
authors use pages of needless sex scenes to fill their novels.
Gratuity isn’t limited
to intimate scenes. This term can also be used to describe needless
gore, violence, and language. Many horror novels are written by
writers who want to "shock" the reader via gratuitous
scenes, many newer authors believe this is how to make their writing
more interesting. When this method is utilized, it is obvious.
Overuse will throw the novel’s progression, a reader will be
pushed out of the plot with the misplacement of obscenities and
needless gore.
When you use a sentence in
your novel, the idea can be repeated on a minimal scale to emphasize
your idea. Yet, when gratuity enters the picture, you are verbally
"beating the reader over the head with it." The prominence
goes from the plot, which the reader purchased the book for, to the
scene at present. Books are exactly like film when gratuity enters
the picture. Reading a book full of gratuitous scenes is like
watching a movie with needless sex or violence. While the extended
and insignificant scenes are occurring, you keep returning to the
plot. What happens? You can’t discover it for wading through the excess.
Horror writers should not be
deterred by the lack of professional exuberance for the genre. With
knowledge and skill, a horror novel can easily reach literary
importance and be full of depth and meaning. It isn’t always the
equivalent of a "pulp" novel which has no deeper message or
story. The shallow "shock" novels belong in a genre
themselves, and not necessarily such a historic genre as horror.
The decision to write horror
is like any writing decision. Horror authors aren’t
"morbid," nor do they spend their days in cemeteries or
mausoleums. They aren’t abnormal or "warped," most
simply enjoy a good ghost story and want to publish their own.
Edgar Allan Poe was the
victim of many terrible rumors after his death. He became the epitome
of how most view "horror authors." Rumors traveled that he
was involved in all macabre and disgusting behaviors imaginable. From
necrophilia to opium addiction to murdering, he was seen as terrible
and evil.
When you take another look at
his life, Poe was a literary critic. He wrote absolutely scathing
reviews of Longfellow, and several other negative reviews of the
classic authors who were popular at the time. As time would have it,
his death proved excellent opportunity for vindictive fans of the
other literary greats. Rumors started when he died and haven’t
ceased. For his generation, these rumors would have been the worst
insults imaginable.
To close this article, the
decision to write horror should come from the appropriate reasons:
pure enjoyment and a keen interest in your subject. It shouldn’t
be a product of peer pressure or other reasons. Likewise, you
won’t be labeled or "typed" unfairly by peers simply
because you write a scary story. You aren’t limited by
tradition, if you have an idea that goes against convention, utilize
it. With proper construction and attention to progression, horror can
again be a notable and respected genre by all professionals.
Do these statements agree with your work? Some traits you avoid, some you embrace, but all are common in the spectrum of contemporary horror writing.
