Remember These Two Stars: Setting and Atmosphere

One thing I have noticed in many of the best crafted horror novels out there is that they incorporate two stars particularly well: setting and atmosphere.

Now this doesn't mean that we all have to write something akin to Wuthering Heights with its lavish descriptions of the wailing and howling moors, but the setting and atmosphere should not be neglected. In some cases, the setting may even be an actual character within the story or so imposing that it might as well be a character like the crumbling house in Crimson Peak (though in fairness, both of these are more Gothic romances with minor horror elements).

The setting is the physical location of the story. The atmosphere is created through the descriptions and verbs you use in the setting. Most classic Gothic horror novels tend to go over the top with this sort of descriptiveness, and you don't have to do that. In fact, it probably won't work with most modern novels. You need to provide enough to immerse the reader and influence the perception of the scene. Don't assume that this must be done with adjectives. Oftentimes mood is set just as much by the right verb. Consider these two sentences.

1) Children shrieked and moaned, their wind blistered hands clinging to the faded jungle gym.

2) Children laughed and burbled, their chapped little hands twined around the faded jungle gym.

While both of tell the same thing, the atmosphere set through the words is distinct. It may be helpful to define from the beginning what kind of horror novel you want to write as well as the setting and the overall atmosphere that you want to achieve. This way you can check yourself to ensure you are on point.

Go Beyond What Is Seen

Many writers tend to focus on the visual effects within a story. Particularly in horror. It's easier especially with many writers imagining their stories as movies in their minds (an excellent technique by the way). But good writing should engage all the senses, and in horror writing, the other four senses can create an especially vivid tale. Don't just tell the reader about blood dripping down the walls. Remember to mention how it smells, how it sounds, how it feels, and so on.

Many horror stories also play off what is not seen. After all, what's more terrifying than the monster in front of you? The monster you can't see. You know the serial killer is in the haunted mansion, but where is he? What is he doing? The death by a thousand cuts supposedly began by presenting the victim with instruments of torture and then cutting out his eyes. After that, the weapons were sharpened within earshot and the torture prolonged before any other mark was placed on the body. Some victims purportedly died of terror.

You may find it easiest to first write about what can be seen. But then go back and layer in the other senses afterward. A fun (perhaps a subjective term) is to write a scene that takes place where the POV character can see nothing. Then everything must be conveyed through the other senses.

Remember the Unknown

One of the things I love about horror is how often it delves into the unknown. Sure, in some cases like Stephen King's It, the resolution of the unknown is somewhat of a letdown (in fact, some would say that's a regular criticism of his work with a few exceptions). Particularly after all the great buildup. But there does tend to be an inherent fear for what people don't know or understand. You don't have to go so far as to include that as a line in your story. (In fact, if you do have someone say that people fear what they don't understand, you're quite likely to be mocked as the line has been used so many times it's lost much of its strength.)

However, what is unknown can be terrifying. Perhaps one of the more chilling aspects of Babadook, one of my favorite psychological horror movies, is that it's unclear what the Babadook is and what it can do. The poor mother's agony and terror as the story progresses intensifies as this fear of the unknown is approached, expanded upon, and finally confronted.

When working with the unknown, do pay attention to your resolution. You need to avoid letdowns whenever possible. M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense is one of my favorite examples of a well constructed horror story with all the clues laid out and a probing into the unknown with a fantastic twist that is absolutely brilliant. I won't spoil it for you in case you don't know it. But it was quite expertly done.

On the flip side of that, M. Night Shyamalan did almost the opposite with Signs, featuring a lot of build up to a somewhat disappointing payoff that didn't really make sense in light of the world created and which featured a rather predictable alien design. Look to see whether the clues you've laid out in the story leading to the revelation or exploration of the unknown actually add up. And always look to see if you have done your work in making it rewarding. If it turns out to be what people have already seen, you're going to have to work that much harder to make it rewarding in another way. Otherwise, folks are likely to be disappointed or feel let down.

As a side note, watch out for those twist endings as well. A good twist ending still has to make sense. You can technically have anything happen. But if you want your readers to keep coming back for now, make sure that it works within the world and the scenario you've created. Ideally, the conclusion should always be available for the reader to work out even if the reader misses it the first time through. That's what made The Sixth Sense such a classic. You could watch it both in the beginning when you didn't know what was happening and then afterward when you did and have the experience still make sense.