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inthememetime · 2 years

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It is disability awareness month, and because of this and the fact I, too, am disabled, I've decided to go with a trope that's tricky to write without being offensive.

That's right.

Body Horror

Here are the questions we'll cover today: What is body horror? What makes this trope go from an excellent horror device to an offensive abelist stereotype if not done correctly? How do we avoid being offensive? When is it most effective to use body horror?

It's all tricky; and sometimes, as with any time you're writing about a character's body, there's no way to avoid being offensive. But that doesn't mean we can't do our best!

Body Horror is basically a trope where someone goes through negative physical changes. See where this can get really offensive to disabled people really quick?

Things to avoid in body horror:

If your body horror is somebody in a wheelchair, you're not writjng body horror. You're being abelist.

If your body horror is scarring, again, you're being abelist.

Skin color changes to natural colors. Yes, I have seen body horror played like this before. Unless the skin color is changing to something unnatural, or growing massive scales, or similar, you're not writing body horror. You're being racist.

If your body horror involves somebody wearing/using oxygen, or- look. In general, if your body horror is what a disabled person goes through every day? You're either mislabeling your work, or you're abelist.

Things you should use in body horror:

Open wounds! Pus! Blood! Acid! Boils! Go for it! But please do not compare it to what a disabled person goes through. It should be in a context of"wow this is so terrible, this person is constantly oozing bright green blood and spores and stuff, or just looks like a walking corpse", NOT "wow this is so terrible, this person has bad acne, or wounds that need to be debrided regularly."

Eyes! No eyes, more than a normal number amount of eyes, weird pupils, glow, black pits where eyes once were, tears of blood- go for it! Have fun with the messed up eyes! (If your body horror consists only of cataracts, again, you're being abelist and ageist, not scary.)

Horns, scales, hooves, claws, messed up teeth- yay! Again, have fun! Go for it!

Hair- eh. It's tricky, hair loss. You can definitely use it, just be mindful that you don't portray ALL your evil characters/monsters as going through hair loss. Extra hair, though, can be fun!

A not normal number of limbs- does your OC develop 6 arms? Do they turn blue? Do you maybe need to look up deities in Indian mythology before writing something offensive? That aside: extra arms, legs, heads, wings, organs- usually pretty cool! If your body horror is someone is an amputee (no matter how many limbs they've lost), it's abelism.

With all the examples above, it's less what you write, and more how you write it. Let's use the monsters from I Am Legend. As part of a horrific virus, their skin bleaches out (turning to another natural color), experience full body hair loss, and temperature changes.

If it had focused on just one monster, that could've become a horrible racist and ableist thing very quickly. However, it's not. The body horror is a secondary thing to the very real and present horrors of isolation, constant vigilance, and violence.

In The Thing (something that helped really get the genre rolling), it's VERY effective body horror. It combines the terror of what this thing is becoming with isolation, distrust, fear.

In Teeth, the main character has what could be called a disability. However, she learns to use it, gets revenge, and likes having it at the end. In that, it's not ableist, any more than somebody learning how to use their crutches and finally being able to get around is. (Hint: not at all)

Now, body horror can also be played for laughs, like in Danny Phantom. Danny turns his lower chest into a giant ring of oozing ectoplasm to avoid a projectile. He gets cut in half and has a delayed reaction. In the phandom, there's tons of body horror chalked up to Danny being Danny, or 'Body Horror, but guys this is DP'.

The difference between these four is the atmosphere. And this is when it is most/least effective to use body horror:

Combined with fears of others/distrust

Combined with isolation/ can't get help

Unexpected- nobody knew this would happen, least of all the victims

A way for the change(s) to be useful, or even beneficial.

The victim liking the changes/thinking they're cool/using them to escape danger.

Changes in power dynamics. For example, if you have a victim of something, held against their will, then physical changes that enable them to get away and turn the tables on their captors might not be body horror to them. Better believe it's horrifying to the captor!

I hope this helps, if you needed it! And remember: the leas human/more horrifying the changes are, the less likely it is to be abelist.

#inthememetime #horror writing tips #body horror

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imastoryteller · 2 months

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19 Most Common Character Flaws in Horror Fiction

Curiosity: Characters who are overly curious may investigate dangerous situations or places, leading to their downfall.

Arrogance: Arrogant characters may underestimate threats or refuse to heed warnings, putting themselves in danger.

Recklessness: Characters who act impulsively or without considering the consequences may find themselves in perilous situations.

Naivety: Naive characters may be easily deceived or manipulated by villains or supernatural forces.

Overconfidence: Overconfident characters may believe they can handle any situation, leading them to take unnecessary risks.

Stubbornness: Stubborn characters may refuse to listen to advice or change their course of action, even when it's clear they're in danger.

Greed: Greedy characters may prioritize personal gain over safety, leading them to make unethical or dangerous choices.

Distrust: Characters who are overly distrustful may alienate allies or miss crucial information, making them more vulnerable.

Cowardice: Cowardly characters may abandon others in dangerous situations or fail to confront threats when necessary.

Impulsiveness: Impulsive characters may act without thinking, leading to mistakes or putting themselves in harm's way.

Lack of Empathy: Characters who lack empathy may disregard the well-being of others, making them more susceptible to manipulation or isolation.

Overprotectiveness: Overprotective characters may prioritize the safety of loved ones to the detriment of their own safety or the safety of others.

Addiction: Characters who are addicted to substances or behaviors may make irrational decisions or be more easily controlled by external forces.

Obsession: Characters who are obsessed with a goal or idea may pursue it at any cost, even endangering themselves or others.

Paranoia: Paranoid characters may see threats where none exist, leading them to take extreme measures or isolate themselves unnecessarily.

Lack of Self-awareness: Characters who lack self-awareness may fail to recognize their own limitations or the impact of their actions on others.

Insecurity: Insecure characters may doubt their own abilities or judgment, making them more susceptible to manipulation or self-destructive behavior.

Ignorance: Characters who are ignorant of the true nature of the threats around them may underestimate their danger or fail to take necessary precautions.

Desperation: Characters who are desperate may make rash decisions or ally themselves with dangerous individuals or entities in hopes of achieving their goals.

#writing tips #writing advice #writers on tumblr #writeblr #creative writing #fiction writing #writerscommunity #writing #writing help #writing resources #horror #horror fiction

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tlbodine · 9 months

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OK, look, I guess I have to say this...

The killer's identity in a mystery/thriller/horror needs to mean something.

I think a lot of folks read a couple Agatha Christies and came away with all the wrong lessons. So let me clear this up for you: the mark of a good murder mystery is not that the killer is completely impossible to guess.

The response you are looking for from a reader is "ohhh, of COURSE! now it all makes sense!"

You are NOT looking for "wait, what? who the fuck is this guy?"

Introducing a walk-on role on page 5 and then patting yourself on the back for "foreshadowing" it when he's revealed as the killer is stupid, actually. Not only is that not really playing fair with your reader, it also fails to say anything interesting.

Look: The cozy mysteries where the victim is an asshole and everybody in town could plausibly be the killer because everyone has motive? That entire construct is saying something. It's a form that follows function.

The reason why "everyone in the slasher thought the killer was the weird guy who's in love with the final girl, but actually it was the rich/popular guy" is such a common construct is it is taking an expectation we have in society about who is trustworthy and inverting it.

If your killer is the weird creepy old dude, that delivers a message about your world-view.

If your killer is the rich handsome prep, or the scorned lover, or the trans person, or the quiet religious one, or WHATEVER, that is sending a message whether you intend it to or not. So you'd damned well better pay attention to the message you're sending and be willing to own it, or else change gears and put a different killer in the hot seat.

And, yeah, you absolutely can have the take-away message of your piece be "there is no meaning to this, the killer is not significant in any way" but if that's what you're going for, you have to commit to it and build it up through the narrative, not just tack it on at the end for a surprise shock value twist.

#writing advice #writing tips #mystery #horror #playing fair with the audience #stories have messages whether you want them to or not #own it or else #you'll end up saying shit you didn't mean #or else just feel like you're writing half-baked nonsense

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cryptwrites · 1 year

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Poisons

Hello! I'm gonna share how I go about writing poisons and the things I think are helpful to keep in mind. Now, I have never actually poisoned someone - shocker - but I have done extensive research on the topic, so I would say I know a decent amount about how to effectively poison someone. Disclaimer: This is for writing purposes only, don't poison people. Thanks.

Keep In Mind:

Poisoners need little to no physical strength although they do need a strong sense of self control & nerves of steel. Shooting or stabbing someone takes a mere moment of consideration and is frequently the result of a split second decision, while position requires dedication. Many poisons require a certain amount of time to work and the poisoner usually must administer several doses of poison in order to work. The poisoner also usually must be within close proximity to their victim and often will have to look them in the eye and engage with the person while the person slowly dies.

Exotic poisons can be more trouble than they’re worth. Importing exotic poisons leaves a trail for authorities to follow, and they require more research to correctly use.

Smart poisoners work with what they’ve got. The clever killer looks for drugs that are already in the victim’s medicine cabinet and that could be deadly. Read medical warning labels to get an idea of how to use them.

Poison can be used in ways that aren’t deadly. If the goal isn’t death, you can render someone dizzy or dopey, making a character vulnerable to a bad influence.

Common Poisons

Hemlock: Poison hemlock comes from a large fern-like plant that bears a dangerous resemblance to the carrot plant. It was readily available for treating muscle spasms, ulcers, and swelling, but in large doses will cause paralysis and ultimately respiratory failure.

Mandrake: It was used as a sedative, hallucinogen and aphrodisiac. Superstition mediaeval denizens believes when the vaguely human-shaped root was pulled out that plant gave a piercing shriek that would drive anyone to madness or death - hence the harry potter scene.

Arsenic: Arsenic comes from a metalloid and not a plant, unlike the others but it’s easily the most famous and is still used today. instead of being distilled from a plant, chunks of arsenic and dug up or mined. It was once used as a treatment for STDs , and also for pest control and blacksmiths, which was how many poisoners got access to it. It was popular in the Renaissance since it looked similar to malaria death, due to acute symptoms including stomach cramps, confusion, convulsions, vomiting and death. Slow poisoning looked more like a heart attack.

Nightshade: A single leaf or a few berries could cause hallucinations - a few more was a lethal dose. Mediaeval women used the juice of the berries to colour their cheeks, they would even put a few drops on their eyes to cause the pupils to dilate for a lovestruck look which is why Nightshade is also called ‘Belladonna’ or “Beautiful woman.” The symptoms include dilated pupils, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, tachycardia, loss of balance, staggering, headache, rash, flushing, severely dry mouth and throat, slurred speech, urinary retention, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, delirium and convulsions.

Aconite: This toxic plant, also called Monkshood or Wolfsbane, was used by indigenous tribes around the world as arrow poison. The root is the most potent for distillation. Marked symptoms may appear almost immediately, usually not later than one hour, and with large doses death is near instantaneous. The initial signs are gastrointestinal including nausea, and vomiting. This is followed by a sensation of burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth and face, and of burning in the abdomen. In severe poisonings pronounced motor weakness occurs and sensations of tingling and numbness spread to the limbs. The plant should be handled with gloves, as the poison can seep into the skin.

If someones poisoning another:

The character should analyse the daily life of the target well before attempting to poison them. Note what sort of medicines they take, at what moments they are most vulnerable, how attentive they are to their surroundings, and so on.

Choose a poison that suits your needs. You need to be as discreet as possible and not arouse suspicion. Too dramatic and people will know something is up. Choose poisons that are easy to slip into meals/don't have to be administered constantly, or you could simply frame it as an overdose by using the target's own medicines.

Think of how you want to administer the poison. Some take effect through touch while some require being swallowed. Based on that, come up with a plan to poison your target.

Make sure everything corresponds with the plot and characters, and nothing becomes a plot hole. Don't have a typically nervous character be perfectly calm when thinking of poisoning. Don't poison someone just for the sake of it. Have everything tie back to the plot, your characters rarely should be poisonings someone just for the "cool" effect. Trust me, it doesn't actually have that effect and just comes off like lazy writing. Have your characters act in accordance with their personalities.

Research time periods and history when choosing poisons. Not all poisons were popular during the same time periods, and not all of them are native to the same geographical areas.

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operaticsigh · 8 months

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could anyone give me some good tips for writing horror? how do you disquiet a reader and how do you make them uncomfortable with just your words? usually visuals play a big part in fear for me, so some writing tips would really help. thank you!

p.s. i don't want to rely on just gore descriptions that feels lazy :(

#tips for horror #writing #writeblr #writing tips #writers on tumblr #help #horror #horror writing #writers #writing advice

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thepedanticbohemian · 8 months

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My writing has been compared to Stephen King, Thomas Harris, Dean Koontz, and Peter Straub. Why? Because I'm unafraid to go there when it comes to disturbing imagery. Gory details don't scare me, though they will likely scare my readers. Sort of the point, really. lol

#writing #writers #writers on tumblr #writing community #writers and readers #writing tips #writerslife #novel writing #writerscommunity #writer things #writing horror #writing suspense #writing thrillers #show don't tell #writing prompts

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lord-of-the-prompts · 1 year

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HORROR/THRILLER/SUSPENSEFUL STORY SETTINGS AND PLOT IDEAS:

[Feel free to use any prompt that shouts out to you! I would very much appreciate a tag if you post a story that was inspired by a prompt of mine! Happy writing everyone!]

amusement park (where the ride breaks down with everyone trapped on them, and there is a killer loose in the park…)

art gallery (where paintings trap visitors inside the frame and force them relive the scene the painting was based on...)

aquarium (where the protagonist gets trapped inside one of the shark tanks...)

basement (where the basement floods, there’s no way out, and there’s something weird swimming in the water…)

blood bank (where a blood bank is run by a vampire cult…)

board game cafe (where a group of teenagers are forced to play a game of snakes and ladders in real life, with real snakes and real ladders…)

bunker (where the captor holds his victim hostage in an old bunker and convinces the girl that he is protecting her from a world apocalypse…)

car (where a taxi driver picks up the wrong person and fears he may never live to tell the tale…)

castle (where the gargoyles come to life and attack the royal family…)

circus (where everyone who is hypnotized by the magician turns into a member of his unholy cult…)

desert (where a group of travellers are swept away by a sand storm and wake up in a haunted oasis…)

dungeon (where the visitors pay to torture subjects and the subjects are paid to be tortured…)

farmhouse (where the scarecrow comes to life and attempts to create a new body for himself with the farming family’s bodies…)

forest (where a lone hiker is caught in a bear trap in the woods and unable to escape, the bear is close by…)

graveyard (where the dead buried at the local cemetery come back to life and all the living people in the town die, except for you…)

haunted house (where a house manages to kill anyone who enters it…)

hotel (where the concierge is a vampire with a thirst for his visitors’ blood…)

house (where the family home falls into a sinkhole that leads straight to hell…)

island (where a new species of insect is discovered, and when the travellers get bitten, they start mutating into bugs…)

jungle (where a group of explorers start disappearing one by one during a rescue mission deep in the jungle…)

library (where the ghost of character killed off in a series haunts anyone who reads the book…)

military base (where a group of soldiers end up face to face against their canines who have somehow turned into werewolves…)

opera house (where the killer murders the musicians with their instruments...)

operating theatre (where an unwilling subject wakes up part way through the operation and is unable to move no matter how hard they try...)

prison (where the inmates are released from their cells and the officers are locked up in their place, leaving them at the complete mercy of the prisoners…)

psychiatric ward (where patients are forced to fight to the death in padded cells…)

pyramid (where archeologists discover an ancient tomb and unleash an ancient curse…)

railroad (where a cowboy spends his final hours repenting his sins as he lays tied to a railroad track…)

research centre (where the subjects loose the ability to either see, hear, or speak…)

sewer (where a family takes cover in the sewers when a nuclear missile is headed towards the city…)

shipwreck (where divers explore an ancient shipwreck, but the pirates are very much still alive and do not take well trespassers…)

space (where there is an explosion on ship leaving the crew without enough oxygen, there are only four extra tanks left, but there are six people…)

submarine (where there's an unknown killer aboard and no way to escape the deep ocean...)

tavern (where a knight is seduced and kidnapped by a handmaid who plans on avenging he sisters murder in the most heartless of ways…)

underwater (where evil merpeople kidnap scuba divers...)

university (where a group of students engineers create an artificial intelligence that goes rogue and attempts to create a real life body out of human remains…)

virtual reality (where virtual reality becomes a true reality, and to escape, 10 players have to survive all levels of the game, but after every level, the loser dies…)

zoo (where the animals turn into zombies and attack their abusers…)

#writing prompt #writing ideas #writing tips #creative writing #writers of tumblr #writers block #writing things #writing #writing advice #prompt list #horror #thriller #suspense

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armyangxls · 2 months

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A reminder you can make fictional characters how ever you want, no matter what's "canon", that goes for fanfic and f/o!! Even if the character is completely unloving! You can them being loving to just you or anyone! You can make them soft and sweet! Literally anything!! <<<<33333

(Obviously nothing weird or bad though!!!)

Proshippers please don’t interact!!!

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bitethedustfools · 3 months

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TWST Story Idea (6)

Inspired by a post from a long time ago, but I don't remember their name.

Twisted Wonderland with Yuu, who is not scared of meeting beastmen, ghosts, or fairies, not because they're brave but because they've already seen horrors that Twisted Wonderland never saw before.

Yuu was at first amazed and wary of the existence of magic and those who are not human. They were rather dismayed at living in a ramshackle dorm and were reluctant to accept Grim, though Yuu eventually accepted that it was better than being alone.

However, days of staying with Yuu made Grim learn something about Yuu, and that Yuu had rules. It's not just normal rules like "don't make noise after 10" or something, nor were they stupid rules like Heartslabyul.

No, it's so much different than that.

'Don't step outside after dark', 'don't go to the woods alone and make noise', 'don't answer anything until you feel certain it's a person', 'don't jinx', and so on.

Well, it is stupid like Heartslabyul, but the way Yuu looked at Grim just makes it sound ominous, and it doesn't help that Yuu followed these rules to a T.

One day, not long after Grim settled in that house, he almost broke a rule.

It started late at night where he heard knockings on the door. Grim woke up, blearily and upset for ruining his good sleep. He thought that a certain three ghosts was playing tricks on him.

They were always trying to prank him, and this was the last straw. He shouted at the ghost to stop, and the knockings ceased.

It was quiet indeed, just like Grim wanted, but Grim couldn't get rid of the horrible feeling creeping up on him.

The knocks continued, this time followed by a voice.

"Can I come in?"

Grim jolted awake, fur bristling. It sounded like Yuu, but it couldn't be Yuu. It sounded so weird and scratchy, like it's his first time talking, and Yuu is right here in this room with him, so who is behind that door?

"Grim, can you let me in?"

It knows his name.

The door knob budged repeatedly, growing aggressive as time goes by. Yuu had locked every door and window that leads inside dutifully, and this room is no exception, but Grim feared that it's going to break from how loud it's turning.

Grim tried to wake Yuu up, but Yuu didn't show any slightest hint of stirring awake, too deep asleep. Grim hit Yuu again and again to no avail.

Grim is alone, and the monster won't leave him alone.

The door creaked, and something peeked through the cracks. Grim cried to leave him alone, and the monster merely responded by getting closer, inch by inch, red eyes locked on Grim's shivering body.

And then, Grim woke up. Sweats covered his paws, and Yuu hovered above him with concern. Grim sniffled, the bed sheet, and some part of his fur wet with tears. He was glad to know it's only a nightmare until Yuu said,

"Which rule did you break?"

It was on that same day that Grim followed the rules with devotion, fearing the same thing to happen. These rules don't limit to Grim and Yuu only but to the guests as well.

Ace was first; he knocked on the door of the ramshackle dorm somewhere late at night, wanting to sleep here instead.

He knocked and knocked, but no one answered. He decided to loudly yell for them instead. This proved to be the right choice since he could hear woods creaking and shuffling from the inside.

The door opened in a matter of seconds, and Ace would greet casually like he just didn't come here late at night with a collar but stopped at the panicked look on Yuu and Grim's faces.

"Stop screaming!" Yuu hissed.

He didn't have to say anything since Yuu grabbed him by the tie and dragged him in. He found himself in their bedroom, awkwardly standing as Yuu explained the rules they have on the house.

Ace huffed wearily, saying how he got tired of the rules courtesy of Riddle, but Grim's reaction was very out of character, to say the least.

Ace would ask why, and they said to wait till morning. In the end, they all went on the same bed. Ace doesn't even bring up about sleeping in their bed; it was Yuu who wanted him to, so who was he to deny opportunity?

Ace tried to sleep, but the collar is just so cold and it's digging on his neck. He tossed and turned, and his eyes laid on a curtained window.

Weird, he thought. Almost everyone he met slept with opened windows and parted curtains to let moonlight and the coldness of the night in. The curtain in this room was closed tightly, and sleeping on the bed with another two is already hot enough since the fan is slow.

Ace made up his mind to open both the curtain and the window. However, tonight moonlight is bright enough that there's a distinct shadow behind the curtains in the shape of a person.

'But this is on the second floor,' Ace will gradually realize. He will reason that it's someone using the broom to fly, but the shadow is completely still.

At this point, Ace remembered some of the rules that barely got into his brain.

'Do not look outside at night.'

'Do not acknowledge or respond to it.'

'Do not make noise.'

'Pretend you didn't see it.'

Ace quietly got into the bed, closed his eyes, and went under the sheet as he tried to make sense of what he saw. He had to wait until tomorrow; there's only a few hours before morning, but his will is tested with the scratches on the windows.

Ace couldn't tell when he got to sleep, but he woke up with a gasp as sunlight shone in his face, and Yuu staring at him.

"You'll get used to it."

Deuce was the next victim. Despite what happened that night, Ace is still willing to sleep in the ramshackle dorm or maybe he doesn't have a choice because something is following him and yuu knows how to deal with it. Deuce, however, didn't know any better until Yuu explained the rules.

Deuce, being dumb, will then say, "Huh? You mean ghosts? We see them all the time, don't we?"

A look of horror crossed their expression, and then there's laughter in the hallways that most definitely don't belong to them.

Deuce's instinct was to fight in the adrenaline moment. Just as he stood up, he immediately fell down and got dragged out of the living room down the hallways right before their eyes.

The lights flickered, showing them a horrifying shadowy figure holding Deuce by the ankle. Deuce screamed as he was dragged into one of the rooms, and the door slammed shut.

Deuce yelled as he banged on the door repeatedly. The others tried to open it to no avail until Deuce kicked it off its hinges, face pale and full of sweats while his eyes kept darting back to the empty room.

Deuce wished to go back, but Yuu didn't allow him to do so.

"If you leave, it will follow you. Stay here; I'll protect you."

They weren't the last. Those who became friends of Yuu were now well aware of these rules but not before experiencing the horrors.

Trey is concerned about the rules, but he always obeys them anyway, so there shouldn't be any problem until he borrows the kitchen and witnesses dishes pushed off the table and breaks them. He also hears an indescribable noise that's a mix between moaning and growling from one of the rooms in the ramshackle dorm when Trey is passing by, as though something is trying to attract his attention.

There was also a rule that said to avoid using a camera in the dorm. Cater didn't like that much, seeing that a haunted ramshackle dorm sounded like a good way to attract more likes on Magicam. Cater didn't give any thought when he tried to take a picture of himself when suddenly, the square thingy used to identify a face is multiplied and scattered all over the screen.

Riddle once came unannounced, and the entrance door opened, so Riddle invited himself, though he found it suspicious that no one is inside. He thought it was Ace and Deuce who tried to prank him and shouted to stop it at once. There was silence until Ace's voice said, "You got us, Riddle."

Riddle instinctively tried to reply, "It's Housewarden Riddle for you," before shutting his mouth when he realized that the voice sounded weird, and Ace still hadn't popped out yet.

"I'm right here," Deuce said this time, slightly echoey and out of tune.

He tried to come closer, trying to discern where the voice was coming from, only to be pulled back.

"I was looking for you." Yuu's voice was calm, but there's a sense of urgency on his face, which Riddle finds out later when he meets with Ace and Deuce.

Similar things happened to the rest, with Vil seeing his reflection move, Epel hearing something following right behind him, and Rook feeling watched but unable to find who.

Kalim saw his doppelganger and attempted to follow him into the woods alone, or that time he was talking to someone, but there isn't someone there at all. Jamil had bruises in the shape of hands and whispers in his ears as he lay in bed.

Idia saw his dead brother, and he almost jumped to his death. Ortho, who is in full battery, would just drain in a matter of seconds. Any attempt to scan would be glitched and met with errors.

As for a certain merfolk and beastman, they are suddenly sensitive to the ramshackle dorm and attempt to avoid it. Jack, however, despite his reluctance to sleep in the ramshackle dorm, proved to be a great asset. Since he's a wolf beastman, closer to dogs, naturally, ghost attacks lowered down to almost nothing. This means beastmen are rarely bothered, mostly just being watched.

For certain Diasomnia members, these types of ghosts are rare and dangerous and cannot be destroyed. They didn't even knoe they exist amyway and magic cannot destroy spirits, no matter how strong they are. Though, just like Jack, ghost attacks will drop down with Lilia and Malleus around, though not to zero. They both will get harassed as well as the other two.

Yuu has a third eye, so they see things. Yuu's spiritual power is so great it affected the ramshackle dorm, waking up/attracting ghosts. Those who get closer to Yuu will inevitably have Yuu's power lingered on them so they can see as well.

So basically, they got 'cursed' unintentionally by getting close to Yuu. Those who can't see ghosts won't get bothered with serious stuff; they only get to deal with ransacked rooms or broken dishes.

#twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #disney twst #twst #twst yuu #writing prompt #twst grim #twst housewardens #twst first years #welcome to villains world? oh nay nay its welcome to yuus world of horror #yuu gonna handle this likes a pro #give rules which is the survival tips and expect them to follow #horror makes you dumb and yuu will finally knows who it is

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saraswritingtipps · 10 months

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Writing Prompts About Ghosts

1. As a child, you could see and communicate with ghosts effortlessly. Now, as an adult, you've lost that ability. However, one day, you encounter a ghost who desperately needs your help.

2. In an old, abandoned mansion, a group of friends decides to spend the night to prove their bravery. Little do they know that the mansion is haunted by a mischievous and playful ghost who starts toying with them.

3. A ghostly figure appears in a small town, haunting a specific location every night. The townspeople are terrified and curious about the ghost's story. Write about their attempts to uncover the truth and put the spirit to rest.

4. While exploring an ancient graveyard, a teenager discovers a hidden crypt. Inside, they come across a friendly ghost who reveals a forgotten family secret that holds the key to their own destiny.

5. A renowned paranormal investigator takes on the challenge of investigating a haunted lighthouse. However, as they delve into the ghostly phenomena, they uncover a deeper, more sinister mystery that connects the present to the lighthouse's dark past.

6. In a small coastal village, a ghostly figure appears near the cliffs every time a storm is brewing. Write a story about a curious local who braves the elements to find out why the ghost is drawn to the stormy weather.

7. A recently deceased ghost wakes up in a realm where ghosts can still interact with the living. They have a limited amount of time to accomplish one final task before they pass on. Describe the ghost's mission and the obstacles they face along the way.

8. In an old, haunted house, a ghostly presence continuously rearranges furniture, knocks on walls, and causes mischief. Write a story from the perspective of the ghost, exploring their motivations and the reasons behind their haunting.

9. A skeptic who never believed in ghosts suddenly starts experiencing paranormal encounters in their own home. Describe their journey from disbelief to acceptance as they navigate the mysterious and unsettling phenomena.

10. A ghost from the past reaches out to a present-day individual through dreams, leaving cryptic messages and clues. Write a story about the person's quest to decipher the ghost's messages and uncover a long-buried family secret.

Follow me on my IG for more Content. https://instagram.com/saraswritingtipps?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

#writing #writing tips #writer on tumblr #writerscommunity #character development #writer tumblr #writblr #writing advice #oc character #writing help #horror writing #horror #ghost oc

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bethhiraeth · 1 year

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I love being a writer. Last night I spent at least two hours researching the Victorian and modern-day spiritual meanings of flowers and various foods for one sentence in my story. I could tell you exactly what a human would be going through at any given stage of blood loss, and how a body reacts after death. Poisons are a given knowledge, stab wounds obligatory. "What do you mean it's 'antisocial' to discuss the best way to hide a body?"

#i love being a writer #if you could call me that #put in the tags your horror stories #writblr #writing #fanfic #ao3 #fanfiction #writeblr #writing tips

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inthememetime · 2 years

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Since you're back to writing horror, are you going to start doing the horror/scary writing tips again? Asking for a friend.

So, I did promise monthly updates...and then got distracted writing a romantic comedy of all things. I'm sorry!

Some things I end up using a lot are foreshadowing and Chekov's Gun, which are pretty closely linked with plot twists, so I'll go over how that relates to horror, audience engagement, and how to avoid punishing clever/invested audiences under the cut.

Let me know of anything you'd like to see next!

Foreshadowing and Chekov's Gun

There are a lot of blogs with GREAT tios and definitions of both of these terms, so l'll just use my short & sweet version.

Foreshadowing is any hint that the creator puts out or the audience picks up on. These hints can be unintentional or intentional, and can lead to something or nothing. Foreshadowing is a great way to keep audiences engaged and interested. After a certain amount of 'what's going to happen next? I can never tell!', there is an inevitable 'ugh, this thing is so random, nothing makes sense'.

Foreshadowing helps you avoid that by putting hints about something in Act 2 or 3 in Act 1, so things do make sense. It can still be a surprise, but just because an audience knows X is going to happen to character 1 doesn't mean they know the ramifications for the other characters- or the mcguffin they're always after.

Chekov's Gun, simply put, is the idea that if you bring special attention to item, it will be important to the plot (or a character) later. Who wants to read 3 pages about some dumb curtains or a dress? It's a pit I used to fall in frequently- I would get so invested in describing what I saw, sometimes on things that had nothing to do with the plot, that readers would get bored and leave.

Chekov's Gun helps avoid that. And it can be any item- not just a gun. Let's look at the paragraph below.

The room was lavishly decorated; carved wood moulding on the baseboards and ceilings covered in gold shone dimly in the light from stained glass reading lamp. The desk was beautiful mahogany, carved with fine panels depicting old fairy tales. That made the plain, unmarked case stand out further; a closer look revealed it contained a bottle labled 'Arsenic'.

So in that paragraph, we've set up a few things. One, our character is in a really fancy place. Two, they notice patterns well. And three- somebody has a bottle of arsenic!

If that arsenic serves a plot purpose, no matter how small, congratulations! You've used Chekov's gun. If it is never used, never referred to, then why bother mentioning it? And why give it the same amount of attention you did anything else?

That leads us to part 3: audience engagement and punishing the audience for being engaged. Do you remember the show Lost? If you don't, you aren't missing much. They'd set up a plot, work towards it, and as soon as a fan guessed it, change directions immediately. It was frustrating! I remember figuring it out- and then feeling like I'd been slapped because all the notes my friends and I took weren't worth anything; instead of moving the plot along, they switched it completely to something new.

Then, once we figured out season 2, guess what the writers did? That's right. I never bothered with season 3. It lost my engagement because it punished me for being engaged.

I'll use a comment on one of my own fics for example: "I KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN BUT I WASNT PREPARED!!!

That's good! You see, the real trick isn't shocking your audience with what happens. After the first twist or two, they'll start figuring out what you're doing. The trick is how you do it.

Is your character secretly a serial killer? Maybe they've figured that out- but they haven't figured out who the killer is going to go for next, or why, or what law enforcement is doing. There's lots of ways to surprise them without punishing them.

Hollywood tells us we have to have the twist ending or twist villain. Do we? Sometimes that's great! But sometimes, especially in horror, the build-up is where you have to put your emphasis. If you don't build up, or you build up to something disappointing, that punishes an audience.

#inthememetime #not lotr #horror writing tips #writing tips #build-up #plot twist

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katapotato55 · 1 year

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How to write a good metaphor

yall seemed to like my post on "how to write good horror" so i figured i should make another one of these.

1- do. not. explain. the. metaphor.

don't.

"oh but how will the audience know my deep and meaningful message- "

SOME PEOPLE WONT GET IT. if you explain what you mean then suddenly the metaphor won't be deep anymore. it becomes a generic forced message.

i know you are tempted to make a character infodump about everything, fucking don't.

followup on this:

2- a good metaphor should potentially have multiple interpretations.

"but i don't want people to get the wrong impression of the story!"

then you either need to make damn sure its an elegantly written metaphor, or none at all. the death of the author is the idea that everyone has their own vision of a story they read, rearguards of authors intent. you need to come to terms with this or else you won't improve your writing skills.

you need to trust that your audience is intelligent enough to understand the metaphor on their own without bashing them over the head with it. sometimes people misunderstand meaning, it is a fact of life.

The game little inferno was thought of as a metaphor about pollution, in which later the creators went out to say it was actually about capitalism and wasting your life with things like exploitative mobile games. you just need make it SUBTLE and hope for the best.

3- The story/gameplay/etc should inform the metaphor(and sometimes reference real life examples)

To mention little inferno again, the "you must wait x amount of time for in-game item to be given to you" is a mirror of mobile games in the real world that use timers to leach money from you.

another example: analogue horror.

broken old technology is scary on its own, but many good analogue horror artists tend to use this to the advantage.

analogue horror can be used as a metaphor for dying trends and technology, like how in the 30's through 70's we used asbestos in the walls. Analogue horror makes a great parralel to this idea (see Blue_channel by gooseworx for a good example.) . the audience questions WHY this is on an old CRT tv and not just a smartphone, perhaps to imply this was an event that happened years ago.

undertale is another example, where most RPG's encourage you to fight and to level up, undertale uses this as a simple metaphor about obsessive control and being cruel to get an arbitrary achievement (i recommend the escapist's video on "why i didn't review undertale" on youtube for way better examples)

tldr: a metaphor is stronger if you lightly reference real life occurances and implement your metaphor in the medium presented.

4- the curtains are blue because they are blue.

not everyone is going to understand your metaphor

and not everyone is going to notice every single little metaphor you add to your story.

remember those teachers that would constantly stretch to imply something in a story is a metaphor and that the curtains are blue because of some deep metaphor for death and sadness and shit?

those teachers are full of it. ignore them.

metaphors are allowed to be simple. not every metaphor needs to be a hyper deep depth defying world changing thing. I could even argue a bunch of small metaphors connected to each other can be better than one big metaphor depending on your story.

relax. don't think too much about it because your average audience member won't.

5- study movies, tv, books, games, etc and understand why their metaphors work.

don't fall into that "the curtains are blue because of a deep message" English teacher mindset mind you.

"but how do i tell what is and isn't a metaphor?" you may ask

simple. trust your gut. you won't understand everything you come across but the human brain has a way of telling what is and isn't a metaphor in stories.

(spoiler about bugsnax)

I could argue Bugsnax is a metaphor about drug abuse and addiction. The characters have personality traits commonly associated with people vulnerable to drug addiction. An athlete, a hippy, a married couple going through a rough spot in their marriage with the threat of divorce, a mentally ill person with trauma and paranoia, etc.

It isn't obvious, many people may disagree with me, but you can't deny that there are signs i may be right.

(end of spoiler) the point i am trying to make: don't stretch to find a metaphor when you don't see one. if you are curious google other people's theories and make your own opinion. metaphors are hard and you will learn over time. and finally 6- do not ever do "it was all just a dream" or "the character is secretly in a coma" etc this applies to writing in general but it is still related to metaphors. the only time i have seen this done well is driver san francisco, but what it did right was A- make it so the players can guess ahead of time the mystery, such as the radio saying voices of your character in the hospital, or if you zoomed out you could hear a heart monitor. and B- it didn't completely un-do the entire story. that is my core issue with this trope. it either wastes your time un-doing the entire story readers worked hard to finish, or it is just nonsensical and terrible. "dora the explorer is actually in purgatory!" "spongebob is a metaphor for the 7 deadly sins!" "ash is in a coma and that is why he never ages! " ooooor it is a cartoon and you are forcing meaning that doesn't exist in something that doesn't even imply it. the world being a bit weird is not enough to be a metaphor for anything. If you want to make a good metaphor: do more effort than just slapping a lazy "it was all a coma" thing at the end. Like horror, stuff like this needs to be built up properly. also consider authors intent. I understand death of the author and all of that, but do you really think a retired marine biologist made spongebob to be a complex metaphor about sinners in hell ? (rip Stephen Hillenburg btw. we didn't deserve him.) thank you for reading, hope this helps. and please, learn to understand the tropes of metaphors before you attempt to make the story of a generation. edit- adding a couple more things i forgot 7- "the darkness is going to destroy the land or whatever!" i see this used all the time. spooky wookey dark shadowy bits going to destroy a land and is the hero's generic bad thing to fight. stop it. it is not a deep and complex metaphor about depression or whatever the hell you are on about. its lazy and stupid. 8- a story should stand up on its own regardless if audience members understand the metaphor or not I don't like Gris. it is a very pretty game with lovely visuals But also the entire story is just the main character moping about artistically and shit and go on about how artistically sad and dramatic this all is. if i don't understand the story without understanding the metaphor, then your story and your metaphor sucks. an example of a metaphor done well: spiritfairer without the metaphor, it is a simple game about running a traveling boat. even if you didn't care too much about the deeper meaning it is a cute story and the gameplay is fun (spoiler) if you look deeper, it can also be taken as a metaphor about greif and learning to accept your loved ones will one day die. things like the boat being filled with empty houses you can't remove is a good example of this. (end of spoiler) your story needs to stand up on its own to be good. don't use a metaphor as a crutch.

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hayatheauthor · 1 year

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How To Get Away With Murder...As An Author

Death scenes are possibly one of the hardest things to write. This isn’t just because of an author’s emotional connection to their characters, but also due to the complexities of killing off your characters in a satisfying way. How can you ensure you don’t come across as under or overwhelming? How do you know when to kill a character? What’s the best way to do it?

If you’re an author writing a death scene and find yourself coming across similar questions, here is a quick guide on how to write a realistic death scene, or in my words, how to get away with murder as an author.

Trigger warning: before delving into this blog post I would like to mention that it includes talks about death and murder. This is in no way detailed or graphic but this is a blog post about how to write a murder scene, so it is definitely mentioned.

Make It Realistic

Nobody likes an illogical death scene. If your character’s death scene wouldn’t realistically make sense, you run the risk of boring or annoying your readers, especially if they were previously attached to the character.

Plot devices and writing styles aside, when writing a death scene it’s important to consider whether or not it would be realistically plausible.

Sure, killing off your character by making them dramatically fall from a cliff or get stabbed mid-battle sounds thrilling, but would such a situation actually kill them in real life?

This is especially important if you’re writing an assassination or killing off a politically significant character. I would recommend taking the time to research similar events that actually occurred in history to get an idea of how to kill your character.

Creating an accurate death scene helps ensure your readers can easily accept your character’s death and focus on the impact it has on your story rather than confusedly wondering whether or not your character is supposed to be secretly alive.

One of my characters gets assassinated because their femoral artery and radial arteries are ruptured by the killer. Another character I wrote a short story with kills themselves by eating a couple of rosary peas because they’re a spy captured by the enemy.

None of these scenes detailed the significance of the character’s wounds or why eating a couple of red seeds killed them, but the reasoning behind their deaths is realistic enough for a knowledgeable audience to buy the death scene.

Describe The Right Things

When writing a death scene, it’s important to describe the right things. I often see writers describing another character’s reaction to your character’s wounds before everything goes black and they swap to the other character’s POV. Or, they will write the chapter from another character’s POV and focus on that character’s emotions rather than the actual death scene.

It’s important to translate how the rest of your characters react to the death of this character, but they can’t exactly react to a situation that hasn’t even been written yet.

When writing a death scene you should always describe your character’s pain and reaction to their situation. Maybe they have a look of horror plastered over their face as their bloodstained hand pulls away from their abdomen, or maybe their thoughts are spiralling out of control as they contemplate how they got to this point.

Don’t describe their surroundings unless they are relevant. This includes any characters witnessing their death.

Remember, the point is to showcase your character’s pain and raw emotions and then go on to show how this impacts your story and other characters. Not vice versa.

Build Emotion

I briefly touched on this in the previous points, but when writing a death scene it’s very important to ensure you evoke the right emotion within your readers. If your readers don’t feel a sense of loss, dread or any other emotion as they watch your character take their last breaths, then you’re not doing it right.

Evoking emotion in your readers can be hard, but this can be made easier with the right word choice and writing style. Don’t use long overly complicated sentences and words, don’t describe irrelevant details. In order to evoke emotion, you need to show your readers what will make them feel that way.

A full page about the room your character is in and how the people around them are crying won’t really leave a lasting impact on your readers, but a paragraph about how frustrated your character feels because they couldn’t achieve their goal and instead needs to watch as their friends live on and fulfil their dreams will make your readers empathise with your characters.

Unsure how to properly write a tense scene and make your readers feel anxious or scared? Here is a blog about how to build tension and make your readers feel scared.

Have A Concrete Reason

This should go without saying, but when killing a character you need to establish a concrete reason for their death. Sure, you could just say it was an accident and use their death as a plot device to impact your protagonist’s reaction to a bigger plot point of your novel. But this can be very boring and won’t leave any sort of impact on your readers.

We’ve all read those YA fantasy books that start off with a teenager whose parents were somehow killed a month or two before the first chapter. These plot points are fine if done for the sake of making your character seem alone or wounded, but can be lacklustre if you’re looking for a way for your readers to empathise with them.

When killing off a character, no matter how minor they are, remember to establish a concrete reason for their death. Something as simple as ‘their parents died in a plane crash but the protagonist blames themselves for pushing their parents to go on that trip’ is good enough.

You should also consider when you reveal this information. It’s important to know when to reveal what aspect of your character’s death, and how this choice will impact your readers.

The After Affect

Do you know what’s more impactful than the reason for your character’s death? How this impacts the other characters.

Following the previous example, you could say your protagonist is cold and rude to others because they blame themselves for their parent’s deaths, but this won’t be as impactful as the protagonist solemnly confessing the truth to their new friend and mentioning how frustrated they feel for hurting people they care about regardless of how they act.

It’s important to show your readers how this character’s death impacts their loved ones and your plot as a whole. An insignificant character’s demise can be used as a way to make your readers empathise with your protagonist or antagonist.

Remember, killing your character is just the start. Now you need to show your readers why their death matters.

I hope this blog on how to get away with murder as an author will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and folow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday.

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author.

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cryptwrites · 7 months

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writing injuries: 101

hi goblins and ghouls let me teach you how to write that silly little stab would you decided to give your silly little guy so that you could rip out the hearts of your reader, even more.

Hopefully you have gathered from the title that this will be discussing WOUNDS! BLOOD! GORE! OTHER NASTYS! If you disagree with my advice, MORE THAN OKAY! I'd love to hear yours and we can exchange tips! Lets get into it.

Types of Injuries

To write a realistic injury you NEED to know three things: A) What type of boo-boo B) What caused said boo-boo C) Where is the boo-boo D) Who will kiss boo-boo better (optional) edit: according to my friend D is not optional, so. find someone to kiss it better

Common types of injuries

I am by NO MEANS a professional so... take with a grain of salt. There are so many resources out there if you need to get specific but here's some simple shit xoxo:

Abrasion: Remember when you fell on the street as a skin and scrapped the shit out of your knee? Yeah. That. Its broken skin caused by friction against rough surfaces: requires IMMEDIATE cleaning.

Animal Chomps (bites): These can and will cause an infection if you don't treat it. Your 5'3 teenage girl CANNOT brush off that wolf bite apocalypse writers. Get her to the closest med tent.

Avulsion: A injury's caused when a body part is ripped away either partially or fully (HELLO SAW MOVIES). Results in some severe trauma (physically and mentally if they live) Typically caused by gunshot wounds, explosion's, car crashes etc.)

Bruise: Muscle fibers, blood vessels, and connective tissues are damaged with these bad boys. They cause that bluish purply look. Bruises do change colour to a yellow-green the older they are so do your research!

Burn: There are three degrees and a whole lot of different types for this mf and I can do a separate post on burns if you all want, but in general it is damage to the skin caused by heat, chemicals, radiation or sunlight (we all are too familiar with that last one). As some of know it can result in Swelling, Blistering, and scaring. Now if you gave your creature a really bad burn then it can cause shock, death and the destruction of the skin! And it leaves your victim of choice vulnerable to infection! Yay!!!

Fracture: a break in the bone, it literally looks fractured. It causes pain swelling, numbness and possibly deformity. You will likely need to send your character to the doctor.

Laceration: A cut, slice, tear in the skin, these are not stab wounds this is like if you accidentally cut yourself on glass or if someone swung at you with a knife and it sliced you, but it didn't go into your body and stay there. You get the idea.

Puncture wounds: THIS. THESE ARE YOUR STABS. Penetration to the skin caused by any sort of (usually sharp) object. These are the wounds your serial killer might use in the final moments of the kill with his knife, or the final blow to your hero's enemy with his sword.

Sprain: Ligaments (the things you see in x-rays that hold the bones together) that have been stretched or torn which happens when the joins move into unnatural positions. Usually, this results in stiffness, discoloration and swelling.

Strain: NOTE, Sprain and Strain ARE different. This is what happens when a muscle or tendon (not a ligament) is pulled, twisted or torn. Typically caused by over-stretching/contracting. Usually results in pain, muscle spams, and weakness.

Please note, that like I mentioned with burns there are degrees of severity for ALL OF THESE so please do your research this is just a starting point.

Care & Aftermath

LOTS of writers forget this part and its so sad. You want cute scenes between to characters who aren't yet dating but your rooting for? ONE OF THEM JUST GOT HURT AND THE OTHER IS TENDING TO IT. BAM INSTANT CUTE SCENE. Do not forget about your aftermath and medical care. Most injuries if left untreated WILL WORSEN if you leave them alone so FIX UP YOUR GUYS.

Do your research!! Look up the kind of injury your character sustained, the severity of it and you'll find recovery time and the kind of treatment they'll need.

In my experience, the more you focus on the aftermath of wounds, the more realistic it seems even if your dashing hero just got his arm ripped off by a dragon.

Writing the injury

You do not, now listen closely. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE A MEDICALLY ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE WOUND. You're probably writing fiction and not a med student essay. If you are... email your professor I cannot help you here.

Just focus on getting the basics down. What's the bleeding? How bad is the swelling? What's the pain level at? and just leave the rest to the imagination. Unless your character is a doctor or whatever, your little dudes will also not know exactly what an Avulsion is. You can just say that there's a gaping hole or something. They'll be far to focused on the pain or whatever is causing it to diagnose themselves then and there.

Realism

I pinky promise you that as long as you have the basics, your readers will pick up what your laying down. The characters reaction is the most important part. How are they feeling emotionally? Are they having a physical reaction to the pain (Limping, shaking)? Do they have any physical response to the sight of their own/others blood? Do they experience shock? What's their attitude after it all?

These are the questions you should ask yourself. A war-hardened soilder will react differently to a gunshot wound than someone fresh out of high school.

Thanks :] go make the masses suffer :]]

#writing #horror writing #creative writing #writer #writers on tumblr #they/them #writers #writerscorner #horror #writers tips

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