Contemporary horror writers emphasize originality--that stories of traditional supernatural horror have become trite and repetitive--and have suggested ways writers can enhance originality. They point out that horror plots become repetitive; with under twenty basic gothic horror plots, it is easy for readers to lose the sense of tension since they already know which plot points to expect. Characters can also become stereotyped; the ghost, vampire, werewolf, Frankenstein-like monster, and other standard monsters have certain expectations surrounding them. Perhaps this is why the "good" "romantic vampire" has become such a popular character type.
Yet those who give writing advice also warn against writing against readers' expectation. If the "rules" of the vampire genre are altered, these writers may criticize the author for throwing the reader out of the story by interfering with the suspension of disbelief. Such a suspension can occur more often if the reader finds him/herself caught in a world both familiar and unfamiliar. Stephen King was a pioneer in placing traditional horror stories with their standard rules into the world of middle class America.
If a writer mixes genres (as Neil Gaiman does, winning awards in science fiction, fantasy, and horror for the same work), each genre maintains some stability of rules while the universe of these forms of speculative fiction is broadened. An example is in American Gods, in which the Norse gods are in the form of familiar human beings any person might pass by in the street. Yet such an attempt, brilliant as it is, my not fully bring out the horror in the old Norse legends.
Although I enjoyed reading American Gods (and as someone reared in Tennessee I found the location of Ragnarok at Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee humorous), I would never label it as a horror novel. I never felt a chill or feeling of fear, or even the mysterium tremendum et fascinans that one can feel while reading a book of horror (especially a good ghost story). Is there room in contemporary horror for lovers of traditional supernatural horror using the familiar tropes--as I am? Is there room for writers of such horror--as I am? How can one be a traditionalist in horror writing and still keep the fiction fresh?
Traditional horror is often rooted in myths that reach deeply into human fears. The ghost story probably dates back as far as animistic fears of dead ancestors returning to exact revenge. Vampires stemmed from deep fears about the corpse returning to life, fears stirred by a misunderstanding of the nature of decay in human bodies. I prefer to keep those myths in their traditional form--which I have not done so, I have found the reception of my work harmed.
Thus I suggest some ways to keep traditional horror stories fresh:
1. Keep your characters interesting. Write vivid characters, true to life, people that the reader can imagine meeting and with whom s/he could have a conversation. Write people you "know," including "combinations" of varioius people you know. I grew up around rural Southern people in middle Tennessee--those are the people I "know best," and those are the characters I write. Give your monster some unique traits--for example, given a ghost a twisted sense of humor. Write about a vampire with dull fangs. Little variations can make a big difference.
2. Write a story in the context of a fully developed world with a particular mythology that is dominant. For example, I write about a world in which the Christian mythology is true. If I wrote a Lovecraftean-like story, I can set it in that world. I have tried, though with difficulty, to combine a Lovecraftean mythology with a Christian mythology, in which the Christian God triumphs over the Old Ones. That tends to offend "purer" Lovecrafteans, and it is easier to stick to one mythology per short story or novel.
3. Use suspense to create and maintain tension. Although the reader may know the rules for how an evil vampire behaves, she should not know in advance whether the vampire will feed on its intended victim. Keep the tension up and do not reveal secrets too soon.
4. In some stories, a twisting or elevating of language can help to bring out vividness or set a mood of fear.
5. Keep your plots logical but unpredictable. Those seem like contradictory aims, but this is deceiving. Each plot point should flow from the logic of a previous plot point--but as we know, from the same circumstances the future can take many paths. Choose an unlikely, off the wall path that at the same time comes across as inevitable. This is difficult and requires much practice, but the author--and the reader--will be rewarded in the end.
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