Do You Want to Write?
by Greg "The Undead Rat" on January 2, 2009
Did you know that your local Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library and her branches have an assortment of books on writing? They have books on writing reports and term papers, books on writing articles and biographies and my favorite books on writing fiction and genre fiction. Such as the book below.
On Writing Horror |
On Writing Horror: A Handbook by the Horror Writers Association
Editor: Castle, Mort
Author: The Members of the Horror Writers Association
Format: Trade Paperback
Type: Nonfiction
Page Count: 272pp.
Pub. Date: November 18, 2006
Publisher: Writers Digest Books
Website: The Horror Writers Association Website
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The masters of horror have united to teach you the secrets of success in the scariest genre of all!
 In On Writing Horror, Second Edition, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, Jack Ketchum, and many others tell you everything you need to know to successfully write and publish horror novels and short stories.
Edited by the Horror Writers Association (HWA), a worldwide organization of writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting dark literature, On Writing Horror includes exclusive information and guidance from 58 of the biggest names in horror writing to give you the inspiration you need to start scaring and exciting readers and editors. You’ll discover comprehensive instruction such as:
- The art of crafting visceral violence, from Jack Ketchum
- Why horror classics like Dracula, The Exorcist, and Hell House are as scary as ever, from Robert Weinberg
- Tips for avoiding one of the biggest death knells in horror writing — predicable cliches — from Ramsey Campbell
- How to use character and setting to stretch the limits of credibility, from Mort Castle
With On Writing Horror, you can unlock the mystery surrounding classic horror traditions, revel in the art and craft of writing horror, and find out exactly where the genre is going next. Learn from the best, and you could be the next best-selling author keeping readers up all night long.
Table of Contents:
- Part One: Horror, Literature and Horror Literature
- The Madness of Art by Joyce Carol Oates
- Acceptance Speech: The 2003 National Book Award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters by Stephen King
- Why We Write Horror by Michael McCarty
- Part Two: An Education in Horror
- What You Are Meant to Know: Twenty-One Horror Classics by Robert Weinberg
- Avoiding What’s Been Done to Death by Ramsey Campbell
- Workshops of Horror (and Seminars and Conferences) by Tom Monteleone
- Degrees of Dread: Horror in Higher Education by Michael A. Arnzen
- Part Three: Developing Horror Concepts
- A World of Dark and Disturbing Ideas by J. N. Williamson
- Mirror, Mirror by Wayne Allen Sallee
- Going There: Three Strategies for Writing the Things that Scare You by Michael Marano
- Honest Lies and Darker Truths: History and Horror Fiction by Richard Gilliam
- Part Four: Horror Crafting
- Such Horrible People by Tina Jens
- A Hand on the Shoulder by Joe R. Lansdale
- Eerie Events and Horrible Happenings: Plotting Short Horror Fiction by Nicholas Kaufmann
- Reality and the Waking Nightmare by Mort Castle
- “He Said?” She Asked: Some Thoughts About Dialogue by David Morrell
- Keep it Moving Maniacs: Writing Action Scenes in Horror Fiction by Jay R. Bonansinga
- The Dark Enchantment of Style by Bruce Holland Rogers
- Part Five: Horror, Art, Innovation, Excellence
- Innovation in Horror by Jeanne Cavelos
- Depth of Field: Horror and Literary Fiction by Nick Mamatas
- Splat Goes the Hero: Visceral Horror by Jack Ketchum
- Darkness Absolute: The Standards of Excellence in Horror Fiction by Douglas E. Winter
- On Horror: A Conversation With Harlan Ellison by Richard Gilliam
- Part Six: Tradition and Modern Times
- No More Silver Mirrors: The Monster in Our Times by Karen E. Taylor
- Fresh Blood From Old Wounds: The Alchemist Meets the Biochemist by Joseph Curtin
- More Simply Human by Tracy Knight
- The Possibility of the Impossible by Tom Piccirilli
- Take a Scalpel to Those Tropes by W. D. Gagliani
- That Spectred Isle: Tradition, Sensibility, and Delivery or Ghosts? What Ghosts? by Steven Savile
- New Horrors: A Roundtable Discussion of Horror Today and Tomorrow by Joe Nassise (Moderator)
- Part Seven: Genre and Subgenre
- Archetypes and Fearful Allure: Writing Erotic Horror by Nancy Kilpatrick
- Writing for the New Pulps: Horror-Themed Anthologies by John Maclay
- Freaks and Fiddles, Banjos and Beasts: Writing Redneck Horror by Weston Ochse
- Youth Gone Wild by Lee Thomas (aka Thomas Pendleton)
- Writing Horror Comic Books — And Graphic Novels by David Campiti
- Acts of Madness: Writing Horror for the Stage by Lisa Morton
- Fear Spins Off: The Tie-In Novel Comes Into Its Own by Yvonne Navarro
- The Play’s the Thing on the Doorstep: Writing Video and Role Playing Games by Richard E. Dansky
- Now Fear This: Writing Horror for Audio Theater by Scott Hickey and Robert madia
- Good Characters and Cool Kills: Writing the Horror Screenplay by Brendan Deneen
- Part Eight: Horror Business: Selling, Marketing, Promoting
- Dark Fluidity: Online Research and Market Resources by Judi Rohrig
- The Small Press: Filling Shelves With Rare Books by John Everson
- Sharing the Creeps: Marketing Short Horror Fiction, Version 2.0 by Edo van Belkom
- For Love or Money: Six Marketing Myths by Bev Vincent
- One Reader at a Time: Promoting Your Horror Novel by Scott Nicholson
- Afterword
- Afterword: Quiet Lies the Locust Tells by Harlan Ellison
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This is a must have for any writer of horror fiction. I read the first edition (see book cover to the right) when it was published in 1997 and each page was an education — not only in how to write horror but in why I loved the genre so much to begin with. Over ninety percent of the material in this book could be applied to almost any genre fiction writing — even romance.
Paranormal romance anyone?
{ 6 comments }
Stephen King’s On Writing will always be the definitive how to write book as far as I’m concerned.
Hey Jack,
That’s interesting that you feel that way about On Writing. I read it when I still thought I could be a writer and, while I loved it and loved the insight into Stephen King, I didn’t take away much about writing itself.
What did you get out of it?
I just felt that it gave the best advice – want to write then write. I mean obviously there are some worthy HOW TO books out there but I think the largest section are just out to take your money. Stephen King’s book also shows how his personal life inspired the themes in some of his books. I loved the book and think that it’s structure shows that Stephen King considers most HOW TO books to be junk.
Hello Jack,
After I answered your comment I found my copy of On Writing and began re-reading the second part. This time it jumped out at me immediately. You are right. Somehow I’d missed it — almost all of it. I wonder what was I looking for those years ago? Whatever it was I didn’t find it and I did miss what was there. I stand corrected.
By the way, thank you for dropping by again. I appreciate it.
–Greg
Yeah I suppose of you were looking for a standard – HOW TO WRITE book Steve King’s On Writing would dissapoint but as I say the details all there. It’s an unusual book – half bio, quarter random rants and the rest how to. There’s little about technique but a lot about feeling.
Oh and great blog – I plan to visit regularly
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