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Story Setting for a Horror Novel
Hello readers!
My name is Jaydeep Shah. I have published horror, thriller books so far, and debut romance novel is on the way to the bookshelves.
Today, as a guest at Buffy’s Ramblings, I’d like to talk about the setting for horror novels. I think it will help you as well if you are planning to become an author of horror genre.
Before I continue, thank you, Buffy’s Ramblings, for having me as your guest today. And the readers, thank you for joining!
The setting plays a critical role in every story of any genre but especially horror. Why?
The reason is the audience must feel the horror not only through the characters’ act but also the setting. If your characters are powerful, but the setting is just like an ordinary world, the audience won’t connect to the story.
When writing a horror novel, it is important to know what type of setting you want. If you want to write a haunted house story, you will need to think what type of horror elements can make your house not only the haunted but also unique, different from other haunted houses in the stories written by other authors.
If you are writing a horror novel, your setting must include one or some of these elements based on what type of horror you want to introduce to the readers: blood, violence, crime, murderers, dead bodies, gore, skeletons, old mansions and ruined buildings somewhere far from the city, haunted houses somewhere in the town where people doubt something fishy is happening, and so on.
These were just some common ideas we have been finding in horror novels and movies. However, you can come up with a new unique setting you think people will find it scary. For example, in my latest release, The Haunting of Black River Forest, a horror adventure short story in which the adventurers struggle to survive on the land, I have created a place of hundreds of skeletons hanging on the trees and gore and dead bodies on the ground. Some people may like this type of setting, some may not. You don’t know every person out there, who likes what.
The most important thing is that when writing a setting for a horror novel, you, as an author of your own story, must feel your hair raised or find yourself shivering or sweat on your forehead. If you don’t get any type of those feelings, you don’t have that setting to feed the readers’ horror appetite.
Finally, I hope you find this article helpful to write your next or a debut horror novel. If you do so, do let me know. I always like to hear from the readers. My e-mail is contact@jaydeepshah.com. I’m also available on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest @imjaydeepshah.
Thank you once again, Buffy’s Ramblings, for having me as your guest today. Also, thank you so much, readers, for your precious time and reading this article until the end.
I wish you all a very prosperous, happy new year.
-Jaydeep
Excerpt
After walking for three or four miles, the trio hadn’t found a way out of the forest.
Their hearts were beating in fear and their legs were tired from walking.
“When will we find the way out of this creepy forest, man?” asked Mia, her arm linked with Oliver’s.
“I wish we hadn’t come here,” said Oliver. “But we have no choice except to keep trying to find the path.”
“I just hope we get to the right path before . . . he finds us,” said Jany.
“That’s what I’ve been praying to God for this whole time,” said Oliver. “I don’t want to encounter him.”
“Right. I just want to escape,” said Mia. “However, if we do meet him, and if he tries to block our path, I will kill him with my axe.”
“You must be kidding!” said Jany. “Please don’t say that again. I’ve seen enough horror.”
“What did I say wrong?” said Mia. “If he finds us, we must fight him and kill him. Otherwise, he will kill us.”
Walking, walking, and walking. Eventually, the trio reached a divide in the path. Following Mia, they took the left.
The trio walked for one more mile, until they saw something that stopped them in their tracks.
Skeletons. Hanging on almost all the trees ahead, as far as their eyes could see. Not one, not five, not ten, but at least a hundred skeletons, swinging on the trees in the breeze.
Jany gaped at them, her eyes filling with tears.
Oliver felt a chill furling through his body.
And Mia stood completely petrified; somewhere inside her, a voice said: My heart may stop beating if I let the horror possess my senses.
This looks really good!