Scare Your Readers: My Top 10 Tips for Writing Horror that will Haunt Your Reader

Horror is a genre that can do really well when the writer uses the right storytelling techniques. However, if the techniques are lacking, the scariest genre loses its edge. How do you tap into the reader’s fears and craft a story that will keep them on the edge of their seat? Fear not, that’s what we will be talking about today as I share with you 10 tips for writing horror that will haunt your reader long after they’ve finished the story.

That’s enough suspense, let’s dive into the very first tip!​

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1. Developing a Sense of Uneasiness Throughout the Story

Creating a sense of uneasiness is key to writing a successful horror story. Right from the beginning you need to establish this feeling that reoccurs in those tense moments. And establishing this feeling goes beyond jump scares and gore. A real sense of unease is achieved by building tension and suspense throughout the story, making the reader feel like something is not quite right.

Now, there are many ways of doing this and one of the most simple and effective ways is just to establish a character that is not safe anymore. You can do this through a long build-up, where they follow some clues or wind up trapped somewhere, or you can do it with a single shift.

If the character is among friends, separate them. If your character is alone, make them feel like they are not alone. This is the most common and effective method because it helps the character, as well as the reader, get into a mentality that something bad is going to happen. That is dread and it is an effective tool to use throughout the story.
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2. Explore the Psychological Elements of Fear and Horror

We have all heard about psychological thrillers or psychological horrors, but what is ‘psychological’ about these stories exactly?

Psychological elements are just factors in the story that work well in evoking emotions and influencing the reader's imagination. That means considering the fundamental fears that keep us alive, that we are all familiar with. When writing a horror story, you have to be willing to explore these psychological elements and find out for yourself what works best in your story.

Or better yet, use what best suits your characters.

That added depth will make their experiences more relatable. Be sure to get creative as well, and think outside the box when it comes to exploring psychological fear in your writing. The more unique and thought-provoking your approach, the more likely you are to leave a lasting impact on your reader.
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3. Use Vivid and Sensory Descriptions to Evoke Fear

Speaking as a writer who prefers to write with a simple, straightforward writing style, I can still say with confidence that sensory language and vivid descriptions are fantastic ways to evoke emotion in the reader, including fear.

Your choice of words and descriptions can help you establish an atmosphere that calms the reader, lulling them into a false sense of security, or establishing a truly terrifying scene that puts them on the edge of their seats. The way you do this is by making the scene feel more immersive by considering the details that make that scene scary.

Yes, you first establish the setting, key details, and characters, but don’t forget to tackle the senses with some colorful descriptions. You can talk about the disturbing sounds, the repulsive smells, the hair-raising chill, etc. Through descriptions such as these, you bring your story to life, and in a horror story, that is the last thing the reader wants!
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4. Symbolism Does Incredibly Well in Horror

Now, I can’t tell you how to shape your plot, it’s something that I try to avoid except regarding structure. However, there is an element of story-telling that works well with one’s plot and in the horror genre, and that is symbolism.

Symbolism does well in any genre, but horror is a special case where the darker situations that characters find themselves in symbolize the average situations they find themselves in. Most horror stories tell the tale of someone who is not in the best of places, either haunted by an incredible trauma or in a bad mental and emotional state, plagued with the regular fears that bring everyone down.

Having the horror elements of your story symbolize their personal struggles and forcing them in a way to grow stronger in order to overcome them, is a fantastic way to show growth in their character. Be it in overcoming smaller fears, dealing with personal anxieties, or simply becoming a stronger, more confident person in all aspects of their life.
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5. Use the Unknown to Play with the Reader’s Imagination

Sometimes the imagination of the reader is an effective tool one needs to take advantage of. One of the main reasons we as humans are afraid of the dark is because it limits our senses. We struggle to move around, a threat can be in any direction and it might have better vision in the dark than we do.

We can use the unknown element almost anywhere in a horror story. The threat can be anywhere, do anything, or be anyone, and suddenly your character, and reader, is a bundle of nerves who no longer trusts anyone or anything around them. For the reader’s imagination, this is an opportunity to construct a threat that is specific to them, that terrifies them.

The use of the unknown is the closest a writer can get to tapping into everyone’s fears in creating a threat unique to each reader. It awakens a feeling, more than it constructs a monster and that feeling will have a lasting effect.
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6. Balance Violence, Gore, and Suspense

Let’s face it, violence, gore, and suspense are key elements in any horror story. Many readers pick up the books to see what disturbing scenes the reader might encounter in the story. However, too much violence and gore can be overwhelming and take away from the suspense, while too little can leave the reader feeling unsatisfied with the horror in their horror story.

Like with writing a thriller story, it is all about pacing the moments in your story. There is calm, then build-up, and then moments of shock and terror.

Remember, the goal is to keep the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat. Lingering too long on certain moments can lessen that effect, be it the high-energy or low-energy moments in the story. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries, but also know when to hold back. That’s why I say one should balance violence, gore, and suspense, as these are key factors that need to be balanced in order to be effective in a horror story.
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7. Use Primal Fears and Universal Situations

There are many fears built into our very being. I have already mentioned the dark being a natural element that can raise one's anxiety, but to feel true fear is something else. Some people are afraid of a specific thing, such as spiders, that being arachnophobia. However, some things put all of us into a state of fear and panic, even those not afraid of spiders.

That is the threat of pain and death.

To give you an example of what this fear feels like, imagine you are in a swimming pool. You are holding your breath underwater and at some point, you decide to swim back to the surface and get a fresh breath of air. However, the time it takes you to reach the surface feels too long and the effort to swim upwards makes your desire to breathe greater. Now, as you near the surface, something floats on the surface above you, making it impossible to get a breath of air. Now, full-blown panic and fear set in as you have to swim further away before you can break the surface.

At that moment, one’s mind needs oxygen, which already puts the body into a fearful state. After that, the feeling only grows more intense as the threat to one's life grows with each passing second without air. These are fears, situations that anyone can understand and you can write such situations into your novel.

You need only think about all the common anxieties that everyone is familiar with. A sudden fall, being home alone, being followed at night, you get the idea.
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8. Tapping into Your Own Fears

Many writers stand by the saying, “write what you know best.” That saying applies well to horror writing. When you properly understand your fears, your reactions to them, and how your imagination can construct these terrifying moments, you can write a truly gripping horror novel.

That is why so many stars in the genre suggest taking a step back to examine yourself. It isn’t about self-improvement, it’s so you can write horror effectively.

Yes, you can make great use of the primal fears and usual anxiety-inducing situations that I mentioned in the last tip, but the structure and delivery can vary depending on your story. If you want to construct a scene that targets a specific fear, you need to write a story that can scare you. The more nervous you become in writing it, the more effective the scene will be on the reader.

If your writing gives you goosebumps, then someone who understands your fear will certainly feel the same way!
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9. Relatable Characters Means Better Reader Connection

You want the reader to become emotionally invested in your story in order to influence their emotions. If you were to write a story that doesn’t create this connection, the terrifying scenes you construct will only have a small effect.

Some stories detail an exciting adventure and the reader can enjoy it fully immersed or not. Then, some stories require a certain level of connection for the reader to fully understand the situations and emotional atmosphere of the scene. Horror is one of those genres, requiring the reader to not only understand the scene but place themselves in the skin of the character they are following to some degree. Only then could a reader feel the same thrills, the same sense of dread, your character may feel in that scene.

That means you need to pay attention to your characters and their relatability. You need to present a character that the reader likes, or sympathizes with. A character that has depth, that feels real. If a reader sees your main character as well rounded, as well as well grounded, the high points in your scene will be more effective.

In short, if your reader doesn’t have that connection, your character can be chased by Michael Myers or a kitten that sneezes rainbows; the impact will be the same.
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10. End the Story on a High Note

The final scene of your horror story is a crucial moment. It’s what the reader will think about the most after your story is finished, it’s your last chance to leave an impression.

Think about wrapping up the story in a way that ties up all the loose ends, while still leaving the reader with a sense of unease. There is more to your story than hero and monster, so spend the last scene finishing that deeper part of your story. If you like to leave your story with some elements of mystery and suspense, there is still space to do that. It could be that your threat escapes or isn’t truly defeated.

In doing so, your reader leaves the story with a sense of closure, while also having a lingering feeling of fear.

Of course, you can also end your story with a final twist leaving the reader with a lasting image or thought that will stick with them. In doing so, your reader will feel satisfied with the story, but also be kept thinking about your story long after they have finished reading it. As I said earlier, I don’t want to change the plot you envision, but these are some ideas for story elements to include in that final chapter.
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My Thoughts

The horror genre is an interesting genre to discuss for me. I enjoy a good scary story, but it so often misses the mark in more modern reads. The horror genre is easily trumped by the thriller genre, the difference being that the thriller genre tends to tackle more serious, dramatic story themes with horror elements, whereas horror focuses on horror.

I think some of the best horror stories are also on the shorter side for this reason, as fear is an emotion that quickly grows tiresome. If I ever want to enjoy a story that has a longer-lasting effect, I typically turn to thin horror novels, short story compilations, or even scary story podcasts and old radio shows.

If you plan on writing your own horror novel, I hope you find these tips useful. If you are an experienced horror writer or reader, what tips would you give beginner writers? Let me know in the comments below!

I hope you enjoyed this post and as always,

Good day, goodnight, and happy writing!
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