Writing a Horror Story

[Activity designed by Anna Asián]

I. What makes a horror story a horror story?

II. Watch the short tutorial on how to make your writing suspenseful and then answer the questions.

1. According to classic horror writer H.P. Lovecreaft, what creates the strongest kind of fear in a story?
 
a) Monsters
 
b) Fountains of blood
 
c) Fear of the unknown
 
d) Things that jump out

 

2. What effect does “a state of suspense” have on the audience?
 
a) The audience is terrified
 
b) The audience is satisfied
 
c) The audience does not know what’s going on
 
d) The audience anticipates what’s coming next
3. A “limited” point of view means that . . .
 
a) the story is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator
 
b) the story is told from the perspective of a character who doesn´t really know what is happening or why
 
c) the audience knows more than the characters themselves
 
d) the story is told from the point of view of various characters
4. Suspense and tension can be created by . . .
 
a) using vivid imagery
 
b) setting the scene in a dark, sinister or deserted palce
 
c) using short or fragmented sentences
 
d) all of the above
5. “Dramatic irony” means occurs when . . .
 
a) the narrator says the opposite of what s/he means
 
b) the story is funny and serious at the same time
 
c) the audience knows elements of the story that the characters don´t know
 
d) the audience is kept in the dark until the end of the story

III. Now it’s time to write your story.

a) First of all let’s check the guidelines to write a horror story.

b) Now have a look at this specific vocabulary. What words are you going to use in your story?

Now you’ve already got the basics to write your story. Hands on!

IV. Once you’ve written your story, go through this rubric to check out whether your writing follows all the steps to be a perfect scary story. 

V. Design a booklet for your story.

 – Design a cover and choose a title for your story.

 – On the second page write a bio about the author (that’s you!)

 – Then write the story

 – Design the back cover. Write a summary or blurb and a design to illustrate it.

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