You’ll have noticed that the main part of my blog contains short horror stories. I thought I’d explain how I ended up writing horror.
It’s a good day for it in Coventry today. The sky is leaden and threatening to dump rain. There is no wind and it’s freezing. And later, the fireworks will be exploding left, right and centre. But there is a column to write so I’ll get on with it.
First, I’ll provide a quote from Mr James Herbert, the English horror writer that inspired me.
I hate violence, and I didn't plan to write horror; it just poured out of me.
Yes, I understand that. I’d been writing comedy and my columns. One evening I decided to write a different short story. As I began to write, I wasn’t sure what it was going to be. By the time I got to the halfway point I knew and it surprised me.
I kept going. When I finished and checked what I’d written it struck me that I had no idea where it came from. The idea felt alive and kicking. I liked the story but it did make me wonder what attracted me to write it in the first place.
The thing I like about horror fiction is, the good guys don’t have to win. Ever since I was a child, it bugged me that there was always a happy ending. With a horror story, the protagonist is lucky to survive. And will be forever changed.
Stephen King once said:
I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.
Yes, perfect line, is that.
I still have a hero with a goal. The difference is: the obstacles I create might eat the hero. Or main them, even turn them into a monster. The stakes? Survival. Pure and simple. I’ve written short stories where the hero doesn’t make it.
It breaks a convention in fictional storytelling. But that’s fine by me. That’s the point. It can’t be horror if nothing bad happens.
Writing comedy is much like writing horror. The transition for me felt simple. Here’s why. With comedy you escalate then drop the laugh. In horror you escalate then drop the scare. Same structure, different outcome.
At this point I should introduce my creative assistant. I invented him for two reasons: first, to give me a historical character to practice with. And second, to allow my mind to investigate all the dark corners it has.
His name is Tobias Fenn. He is an ancient entity from the year 1646, the time of the English Civil War. He worked with Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne as a forward scout to prepare villages for their upcoming visit. He would find the witches and have note of them for Hopkins and Stearne to investigate.
He did this for profit. Tobias is not a pious man. He believes in the power of coin. Here he is:
Good day to you who read this upon whatever glowing glass or shining pane you hold. As the scribe hath told you, my name is Tobias Fenn. There is a heavy curse upon me, laid by old Alfred in the parish of Wychford Parva, here in Suffolk, in the year of our Lord 1646.
I cannot die. I am bound to walk this earth for as long as the sun burns in the firmament. And so it falleth to me to see that this writer speaks true. Fear not; you shall not be cheated. My calling hath made me look upon many dark horrors, and I warrant you, whatever tale he setteth down will seem but a gentle thing beside the truth of what these eyes have seen.
There he is, old Tobias. An invention, but a fun one to write. And he helps me land the point. Horror is a form of storytelling like anything else.
I do understand that it's not a genre for everyone. But because of the methods we can use as horror writers, it does make it a compelling genre to work with.
While the fireworks go off outside, I'm having to deal with serious side-eye from Tobias. I'd better crack on and write a new story that he will approve of.