How to Write a Horror Story in 7 Steps

Horror is a genre of storytelling that taps into the emotion of fear. Horror writing is sometimes categorized within the broader category of thrillers, but not all horror follows the thriller structure. Classic horror fiction—whether expressed as a novel, novella, short story, or film—will tap into topics that reliably frighten most humans. Common topics include ghosts, werewolves, vampires, zombies, serial killers, murderers, and the fear of the unknown.

These horror tropes can often devolve into clichés. A downside of horror’s popularity is that many horror books and movies recycle old content in uncreative ways, but when properly executed, horror stories can thrill audiences and even often commentary on the human condition.

At its best, the horror story taps into our fears by combining the ordinary with the shocking, the unnatural, and the grotesque. Many horror stories place their man character in relatable settings such as a new house, a summer camp, a sleepover, a hotel stay, or a camping trip. The relatability of these settings primes the audience for future terror.

The more the protagonist’s point of view reflects that of the audience, the scarier it will be when the protagonist encounters moments of terror. For instance, it’s scarier when a young family in a new house encounters a slasher than when a robot in outer space encounters a slasher. Why? Because most of us know what it’s like to move into a new house. None of us know what it’s like to be a robot in outer space.

Believe it or not, many authors believe that the closest companion to writing horror is writing comedy. The two genres are related because both horror and comedy rely on subverting familiar situations. In comedy, the familiar is subverted by something absurd and incongruous. In horror, the familiar is subverted by something grotesque and threatening. Audience reactions to horror books and comedy routines come from the same place: delighted surprise at how a normal setting was subverted.

If you’re looking to tackle the horror genre in your own writing, you’ll be well advised to consider a few key points. Like all creative writing, the horror story has no set rules. A great horror story can be any length and tackle any subject matter. Here are some valuable writing tips to help you start writing in the genre:

1. 1. Read more horror. There’s no better way to understand what a good story looks like than to read one for yourself. The universally acclaimed masters of horror are Poe, Lovecraft, and King, but the list doesn’t stop there. Other noted horror authors include Shirley Jackson, Dean R. Koontz, and Robert Bloch. Meanwhile, John Bellairs and R.L. Stine specialize in horror books for young readers.
2. 2. Remember that horror can transcend genre boundaries. Many contemporary writers—including Joyce Carol Oates, Chuck Wendig, and Neil Gaiman—don’t limit themselves to horror but frequently feature elements of the genre in their other work. So yes, read Carrie and The Tell-Tale Heart and the Goosebumps series, and watch Halloween and Rosemary’s Baby, but also make time to explore the work of horror-adjacent creators.
3. 3. Focus on your own fears. Much like comedy, horror benefits from authenticity. In essays on writing horror, Stephen King has written about how the process helped him overcome a litany of personal fears; his know-how was born of experience. So get personal: If you can scare yourself, you can probably scare an audience.
4. 4. Create three-dimensional characters. Write characters whose character flaws feed the action of the story. All good literature and film contains well-wrought characters with desires, emotions, and a backstory. The more human you make the characters of your story or screenplay, the more their missteps and bad choices will resonate with an audience.
5. 5. Recognize that the real can be scarier than the surreal. Sure, you can make up an army of googly-eyed bad guys or plant a severed head in your main character’s bed, but will you really scare your reader? Not necessarily. In most cases, psychological horror sticks with audiences far longer than a jump scare or gross-out moment in a slasher film. There’s a reason that audiences couldn’t stop talking about films like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity—both of which were gore-free. Toying with people’s real-life fears tends to scare them much more than just grossing them out.

Whether you’re writing as an artistic exercise or trying to get the attention of publishing houses, learning how to craft a good horror story takes time and patience. Horror-writing legend and author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series R.L. Stine has spent decades honing his craft. In R.L. Stine’s MasterClass on writing for young audiences, Bob explores how to conquer writer’s block, develop plots, and build nail-biting suspense that will thrill readers.

Want to become a better writer? The MasterClass Annual Membership provides exclusive video lessons on plot, character development, creating suspense, and more, all taught by literary masters, including R.L. Stine, Neil Gaiman, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, and more.