How to Write Your Own Horror Novel
What you'll learn
- Develop interesting characters with compelling arcs
- Draft outlines for full-sized books
- Understand the key elements of the horror genre
- Write stories that will captivate readers
Requirements
- Students must have a strong understanding of the English language.
Description
This course explores horror as a genre as well as what elements of writing are essential to telling a good story. As a creative writer myself, this genre presented in both literature and film has captured my interest for many years. I have noticed that when writing horror, it’s sometimes easy to forget many of the essentials of good storytelling; it is tempting to simply lay all of one’s focus on the antagonist and what they do to the main characters. Although those are important and memorable features of this genre, there are so many key elements that are often glossed over.
It is important to scare readers, but it is much more impactful if you can change them. Do not settle for stories that are just somewhat creepy. Dig deeper! Explore what terrifies you and what truths those horrors represent. Show readers something about themselves or the world that will shake them. If you can make them come to a realization they had not come to before and if you can chill them to the deepest layer of their subconscious, then you will have created horror.
Although this course consists of a large number of writing basics, it covers elements of writing that even the best can get wrong at times. This may seem simple, but understanding and mastering the fundamentals of good storytelling are essential to writing in most every genre. By the end of this course you should have at least one outline for a full horror story, a list of characters with in-depth descriptions of who they are and what they look like, a list of ideas for plot devices to improve your story, and an understanding of how to regularly recreate the aforementioned documents for any future projects.
Thank you for visiting this course and please take the time to look through it further,
Sincerely,
Kalynn Fleischman
Who this course is for:
- Students interested in learning how to write great horror stories
- Students looking to improve their writing in general
Instructor
- 4.2 Instructor Rating
- 603 Reviews
- 14,513 Students
- 2 Courses
Dear student,
My name is Kalynn and I have nearly two years experience tutoring. I currently hold a Bachelor's in Music with Emphasis in Piano Performance from Grand Canyon University (GCU). I graduated Summa Cum Laude and received GCU's highest academic honor, the Ray-Maben award.
Throughout my time at GCU I developed both my abilities as a musician and as a teacher. When working in the GCU Learning Lounge, I was in charge of running walk-in sessions for people seeking help with their Music Theory classes. During this time I taught Music Theory I-IV, Class Piano I-IV, and Worship Arts Music Theory. All of these classes are at the university level. I essentially aided both students and professors by covering the material that could not be covered well enough during class. This position not only tested my knowledge, it also helped me build a strong foundation of teaching experience.
I am passionate about music, teaching, and creative writing. The courses I offer will help you become a better musician and will grow your understanding of how music works.
Thank you for visiting and I cannot wait for you to get started!
Sincerely,
Kalynn D. Fleischman