A Good Scare- Editorial

This doesn't look so bad. At least the house has electricity!

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

-H.P. Lovecraft

"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality."

-Edgar Allan Poe

Since today is Halloween, I feel it's only appropriate to touch on a topic my friends and I discuss quite often. What defines a good horror? Wikipedia defines it as a genre that intends to "scare or startle the audience by inducing feelings of horror and terror." It's a commonly accepted definition among horror writers in both literature and film.

If you're anything like me, you enjoy a good scary movie/story/game from time to time. Horror stands as a personal favorite category of mine, simply because of the myriad fears that a horror story can tap into. Some people fear the sight of blood, while others tremble at the thought of being locked in a small room. The almost staggering amount of freedom the genre offers can give creators an outlet where they can really flex their creative muscles and cut loose on an unsuspecting audience.

There are plenty who ask the question "Why would anyone even like horror?" Horror is a genre that is specifically tailored to making the viewer feel fear; a negative sensation. While this notion is true, for some people, by experiencing the emotions that horror provides they can better comprehend those emotions. In some cases it may even allow someone to face their own fears, and potentially conquer them. For another, it may be merely the love for the adrenaline rush that a gripping horror can give. Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that there are plenty of individuals out there who simply love to feel scarred.

For a lot of us though, none of this is news. We know what horror is and why it is sought out. The question this editorial is asking is "What defines a good horror?" Oddly enough, I think the answer to that question is deceptively simple. A good horror is simply a good story that happens to fall into the horror genre.

Do You Feel Me?

Essentially the key element to making that good horror is by having one thing that most creators almost always lack in their material; audience empathy. All too often a pitfall that most horror writers fall in is that they try to put the horror element so prominently to the front of the story that all the other elements become superfluous. Characters are usually the ones who suffer the most because of this common mistake. Without good characters the audience can relate to, it becomes almost impossible for the audience to empathize with their plight when things start going wrong. If the audience is brought down into a sense of apathy towards the characters it's almost inevitable that they're not going to feel scarred by anything either. By having interesting and relatable characters viewers allow themselves to become more invested in the story. Having other basic things like an engaging conflict, and good pacing all add to the equation.

I would actually go so far as to stress that nailing the empathetic part of the story down is even more crucial when it specifically comes to the horror genre. The elements that comprise the horror could be so fantastic that they require an even greater suspension of disbelief than what you would get out of say, a romantic comedy. Creators need to be mindful of what they do, and what they don't do when composing their horror scenario. Again, having good characters is paramount to making the work a success. The better the audience can empathize, the better off the creator will be at getting them to feel scarred later.

Elementary My Dear

Horror elements are also deceptively simple at a glance. Ultimately horror can come down to but a small handful of types. Internal or external, real or imaginary, atmospheric or in-the-flesh, natural or supernatural. While this pool may seem tiny, the possibilities are almost limitless, as this is where a creator can really let their imagination soar.

Perhaps the story is about a deadly infection that slowly kills its victims by dissolving their flesh? A once loyal family pet is suddenly turned bestial and is on the prowl for prey? A group of people are locked inside of an elevator, and one of them is a killer? Even with the basic horror story structure, it's still possible for creators to throw their viewers for a loop, and push them well out of their comfort zones. The amount of success depends on how well the audience can empathize with the characters, the horror those characters are experiencing, and how much it all plays into the audience's imagination.

Keep 'Em Reeling

Alfred Hitchcock once said "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." Another thing that gets tossed to the wayside of horror these days is the sense of tension and suspense. Without a good lead in to the scenario audiences have a hard time finding the edge of their seats. Keeping an audience in suspense of when something may happen is usually way more effective than just throwing things out at them with a loud noise and from a shadowy corner. By fleshing out the setting with appropriate atmosphere and ambiance, the more the monsters that populate the story will become tangible. Pitch perfect pacing can allow bouts of tension that either resolve with a well earned scare, or keep the audience reeling to beautifully maddening levels.

I feel there is an important distinction to be made on startling a viewer and scarring one. Jump scares are (in my eyes) the lowest form of horror. Pretty much anyone with even a slight knowledge of the genre can pull one off with little to no effort. That's not to say that a jump scare can't be good. A well earned one can last in people's minds til the day they die. For sensations like creeps and thrills though, they are usually created through a sense of anticipation brought about through use of sounds and sights. These things are earned over the course of the experience and usually yield a far more long lasting impression. The importance of building a suspenseful atmosphere is tantamount to getting a viewer to start biting at the bit for when the hammer will fall. It goes doubly if they actually empathize with the characters in accordance with the situation. By just having a cat jump out from a closet with an orchestral sting, you're falling back on simply startling the viewer instead of building them into a state of fear.  

In Conclusion

It's funny in a way at how effective a good horror can be, especially when one takes the time to consider how simple (in so many ways) that it is to actually pull one off well. Keeping all of the things I've mentioned in mind I'm sure it will help a lot of aspiring horror writers to build a fairly solid foundation for a potentially good horror story. I say potentially only because this is all my opinion, and I'm sure that there will be plenty who disagree with my stance. Perhaps Leonardo Da Vinci said it best when he said "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."