Tag Archives: writing tip

A Quick Tip for Inspiration

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Only a few minute to write today before the next thing on my To Do List must be done. Thought I would share a tip that really can spur the imagination and get the words flowing.

If you are staring at a blank page, and really have no clue what to write, go to one of the stock sites (Pixabay is free) and look through the images. Find one you like, and start telling its story. Even if the finished product has veered worlds away from the image you started with, you have the juices flowing again.

I first learned about this trick with the Ladies of Horror Flash project, where we are given a picture each month and asked to write about it.

I used it today for a flash fiction call.

Here’s an image to play with. Try it for yourself!

Horror Doesn’t Have to Be Horrific

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red monster night eyes closeup

Horror ranges from the silliness of Scooby-Doo to the terror of The Ring. But some of the most interesting and insidious horror comes when an everyday object becomes unexpectedly evil.

Look at Cujo. The book, and subsequent movie, are visceral and terrifying–and yet, they are about a rabid dog, not some demonic creature. Any dog can be bitten by a rabid animal and go on such a rampage. The story terrifies because it could happen to any household in any neighborhood.

Would Child’s Play have as much impact if Chucky were not a doll? One of the most innocuous toys possible…something in any little girl’s room.

If you are setting out to write horror, don’t think only of the monsters. Think of the mundane items in your world and see if there is something you can turn into the catalyst of your story. Perhaps the water fountain in the square suddenly starts poisoning people. Why? Is it a human intervention, or is there something more devious at work? Perhaps a vengeful water spirit?

Maybe a pet songbird suddenly starts singing words–words that prophesize murder. (Wait…I think I want that one…)

The point is, horror doesn’t have to be full of ghosts or demons or vampires to bring a shiver to the spine. And, sometimes, it is better when it isn’t.