Is your monster really scary enough for nightmares?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell

Monsters lurk about in many forms.

Doesn’t have to be Big Foot or a dragon. A hateful neighbor or classmate, a work colleague, even a stranger on the street can be monsters in your story.

One man’s monster is another man’s pet.  A monster can live in the protagonists past, their imagination or in a secret held close. It can take the form of an illogical or logical phobia, or a real flesh and blood monster.  

The trick to writing about monsters as well as fantasy creatures is in the description and then escalating that fear. Bringing that fear to life is the goal of writers.

Readers love to feel the fear of a character. The right description determines whether a character is a paper doll cutout or a 3D believable personality.

Now Y’all know how much I love my cheat sheets, so guess what? Seems there is a list for just about everything. After reading the websites below, I combined some of the high points into an infographic for my readers.

Here is what I learned from the sources below…

A phobia is a great way to start scaring the bejesus out of your readers. Give your protagonist a phobia and build on that.

 

Want more information? Click on these links!

WHAT MAKES A MONSTER SCARY?

MONSTERS AND CREATURES VOCABULARY WORD LIST (282)

Monster – Quotes And Descriptions To Inspire Creative Writing 

Monsters and Mythical Beasts Vocabulary Word List 

Tell me…

Do you have trouble describing scary scenes or monster?

Did these tips help you with descriptions?

Do any of your characters have a phobia? Gonna give them one now?

 I HOPE YOU TAKE A MINUTE AND FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST CLICK ON THE BUTTONS BELOW. I’LL LEAVE A LIGHT ON.

    

17 thoughts on “Is your monster really scary enough for nightmares?”

  5. I have found myself drowning in a silly writing competition in which the mandatory genre is ‘horror’ (not by personal choice, I assure you). I had rather hoped that I could make use of the idea that what is not said is frequently more frightening than what is. I might have to use your ideas instead. Because thus far I have not really said anything at all.

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  8. Brilliant. Horror isn’t my usual genre, but I do like Stephen King whenever I get the opportunity to read him. I would imagine that the greatest way to scare someone would be to take a real life event and try to morph it into something fictional. Sometimes certain things can send shivers up and down people’s spines are things that actually have some basis in fact.

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