Writing Horror Bundle 2023
Learn from the experts on how to write a horror story that excites readers for decades (or centuries)! Even the scariest and most attention-grabbing horror story ideas will fall flat without a foundation of knowledge about the genre and expectations of the audience. We've updated this collection for writers in 2023, with brand new webinars featuring subjects like true crime, gothic elements, and psychological horror. With these tools, you'll be ready to research, write and publish a bloodcurdling, spine-tingling horror story that readers are too afraid to put down.
Five Things Every Horror Author Needs to Know (Video): In this OnDemand tutorial, veteran editor and best-selling author Philip Athans provides tips, tricks, and warnings for horror authors. From how to avoid the traps of cliches like the "Needy Ghost" or the "Scooby-do Ending" to the not-so-subtle difference between horror and terror, this is the sort of stuff they don't teach you in English class: how to scare the pants off someone! ($29.99 value)
Supercharge Your Horror: How to Take Your Horror Fiction to the Next Level (OnDemand Webinar): Horror fiction is hotter than ever – in the traditional press, the small press, the indie scene, and of course with readers. How can you make your tales of terror stand out from the pack? By supercharging your horror! Tim Waggoner has written over fifty novels of horror and dark fantasy, as well as seven collections of short stories. In this OnDemand webinar, he’ll share with you the sinister and forbidden secrets of turning hum-drum horror into stories that will have your readers shrieking for more! ($79.99 value)
Terror and Horror: Making a Tense, Unsettling Read (OnDemand Webinar): Writing scary stories is not as easy as it seems. To truly frighten your readers you must understand the relationship between terror and horror. It's pairing the clues, the suspense, the unknown, and dread with the truth, the reveal, the monstrous, and confrontation. In this OnDemand Webinar, instructor Richard Thomas talk about the theories and concepts behind this, as well as techniques for how to execute it in layers, with depth, emotion, and impact. ($79.99 value)
Navigating Through The Real-Life Horrors Of The True Crime Genre (OnDemand Webinar): From the monstrous to the parodied, the true crime genre is in a renaissance. Deciding on whether or not to fully immerse yourself into a grisly story or take a more distant approach is one of the toughest challenges to tackle - and the first of many for a true crime author. Learn about some of the lesser-known obstacles of the genre, including drawing a line between professionalism and sensationalism, putting investigative writing into practice, and protecting your mental health while sifting through the real-life horrors of a nonfiction story. ($79.99 value)
How to Use Psychological Horror to Your Advantage in Fiction (OnDemand Webinar): Horror functions at its best when it elicits a deeply personal response from the reader. The reason why horror can resonate so well with one reader yet fall flat with another comes down to a manifold of specific horrors. By utilizing elements of psychological (and sociological) horror, a writer can root the story within the subconscious, resulting in a palpable window into the pathologies of your novel. ($79.99 value)
How to Incorporate Gothic Elements Into Any Genre of Writing (OnDemand Webinar): The Gothic is very often associated with horror, but if you peel back the layers, you can discover hints of it lurking in nearly all corners of literature. From Gothic Romance to Southern Gothic and Suburban Gothic, there are elements of haunting and decay everywhere you look. Learn how to incorporate the Gothic into your fiction no matter what genre you write, as instructor Gwendolyn Kiste discuss what makes a story Gothic in the first place and how those features are easily transcribed to different places, time periods, and characters. ($79.99 value)
Writer's Digest September/October 2022 (Digital Edition): As the nights start to get longer, the leaves start changing colors, and Halloween decorations start making their appearance, writers start turning to the darker, more haunting themes in their work. And so does Writer’s Digest in the September/October issue, themed around Sinister Stories. It covers everything from writing evil characters to writing horror microfiction to how to avoid scams that would turn one’s publishing life into a horror story. ($7.99 value)
Visual Storytelling: How to Write Compelling and Visual Fiction (OnDemand Webinar): Want to write a story with scenes that keep the reader turning the pages? In this OnDemand webinar, Chris Mooney discusses the techniques used by screenwriters - techniques that can be used in fiction to create compelling scenes and characters. ($79.99 value)
Genre Fluidity: The Secrets of How to Really Land a Book Deal (OnDemand Webinar): It’s easy to get a prestigious label like “poet” or “novelist” stuck in your head. But there are many kinds of books out there. When you’re hitting roadblocks to selling your manuscript, being willing to consider the market and compromise can often lead you to success and big book deals. In this OnDemand webinar, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Susan Shapiro guides writers through what is necessary to really land a book deal and find success. ($79.99 value)
