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What makes a good horror story?
Feb. 20th, 2011 09:57 amKes: I have been known to say that being a horror fan is a special kind of masochist, because the amount of crap you will read far outnumbers the really good stuff. Ellen Datlow's criticism, which I quote below, concisely sums up the nature of the crappy stuff.
from an interview with Ellen Datlow
http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com/2011/02/interview-with-ellen-datlow.html
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What qualities do you look for in a short story when selecting one for an anthology?
I want to be enveloped in the story as I’m reading it. That means the characters, setting and atmosphere, voice, and tone all work to draw me in. Those four elements when they’re just right can create a brilliant, memorable story. They don’t necessarily have to be balanced. A character can be so intriguing that it overwhelms any other weaknesses the story may have (although this happens more in novels).
But –and this may seem obvious-- the most important thing is to have a story to tell. I read many many pieces of horror fiction that are merely a series of events or set-ups whose only intention is to 1) end up with scenes of graphic torture or slaughter or 2) lead to the twist ending. This is crappy storytelling.
block quote end
from an interview with Ellen Datlow
http://littlemisszombie.blogspot.com/2011/02/interview-with-ellen-datlow.html
block quote start
What qualities do you look for in a short story when selecting one for an anthology?
I want to be enveloped in the story as I’m reading it. That means the characters, setting and atmosphere, voice, and tone all work to draw me in. Those four elements when they’re just right can create a brilliant, memorable story. They don’t necessarily have to be balanced. A character can be so intriguing that it overwhelms any other weaknesses the story may have (although this happens more in novels).
But –and this may seem obvious-- the most important thing is to have a story to tell. I read many many pieces of horror fiction that are merely a series of events or set-ups whose only intention is to 1) end up with scenes of graphic torture or slaughter or 2) lead to the twist ending. This is crappy storytelling.
block quote end
