Trick Or Treat

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

WARNING: This thread was not approved or authorized by Principal Skinner. Readers are at risk for self righteous public scolding and tirades.


So I visited the Halloween Contest Page and left some tricks & treats.


OK, what makes a story scary?


Times up.


What makes a story scary is an innocent at the mercy of a sadist or nutjob or idgit, and you feel the peril coming before you see it.

 

[SecondCircle]

WARNING: This thread was not approved or authorized by Principal Skinner. Readers are at risk for self righteous public scolding and tirades.


So I visited the Halloween Contest Page and left some tricks & treats.


OK, what makes a story scary?


Times up.


What makes a story scary is an innocent at the mercy of a sadist or nutjob or idgit, and you feel the peril coming before you see it.

Yes... and no, I think. That can be what makes a story scary, but not the absolute only thing. Lots of things make a story scary. Now, if that's what makes a scary story scary enough for you, then that's what matters, but different things are scary for different people.

And though I think it would be in good spirit for the stories to include horror, the submissions for the contest don't have to be scary, they just have to be scary OR related to other aspects of the holiday.

... so how were your findings James? Did you like the majority of the stories? Were there several that were scary or just pretty good for other reasons?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Yes... and no, I think. That can be what makes a story scary, but not the absolute only thing. Lots of things make a story scary. Now, if that's what makes a scary story scary enough for you, then that's what matters, but different things are scary for different people.

And though I think it would be in good spirit for the stories to include horror, the submissions for the contest don't have to be scary, they just have to be scary OR related to other aspects of the holiday.

... so how were your findings James? Did you like the majority of the stories? Were there several that were scary or just pretty good for other reasons?

I almost submitted a story, a story I may submit next time. Its pretty gruesome, and true. The true part is a child wandered away from home and was eaten by an alligator, in my version alcoholic dad takes the child with him fishing, and he falls asleep from too much whisky. A gator grabs the child. Later a man finds her straw hat floating in the lake and takes it home to his young child. He's hanged for child molestation. Years later hunters kill a gator from that lake, and discover a piece of jewelry in its stomach. The sheriff mails the jewelry to the parents at their new home in Georgia.

Most of the submissions are lame. A few are pretty good.

 

[SecondCircle]

I almost submitted a story, a story I may submit next time. Its pretty gruesome, and true. The true part is a child wandered away from home and was eaten by an alligator, in my version alcoholic dad takes the child with him fishing, and he falls asleep from too much whisky. A gator grabs the child. Later a man finds her straw hat floating in the lake and takes it home to his young child. He's hanged for child molestation. Years later hunters kill a gator from that lake, and discover a piece of jewelry in its stomach. The sheriff mails the jewelry to the parents at their new home in Georgia.

Most of the submissions are lame. A few are pretty good.

You're the true crime real life fan of horror I suppose, right? Not that it's a bad thing, just an observation. I think a lot of the stories sorta went the dark and beyond route, or at least a more "fantasy" type approach. Maybe that's why most of them were out of the range of your taste.

Your thoughts on the holiday would be interesting. What do you think about Halloween? Certainly that plays a role in the way the stories are viewed. Some people hate the holiday, some are so involved that it's too tender to touch.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

You're the true crime real life fan of horror I suppose, right? Not that it's a bad thing, just an observation. I think a lot of the stories sorta went the dark and beyond route, or at least a more "fantasy" type approach. Maybe that's why most of them were out of the range of your taste.

Your thoughts on the holiday would be interesting. What do you think about Halloween? Certainly that plays a role in the way the stories are viewed. Some people hate the holiday, some are so involved that it's too tender to touch.

I think people are far more horrible than monsters. I mean, how can poor ol Dracula best Hitler or Stalin? Psycho was scary as hell!

I like Halloween better than most holidays. I'd keep Easter, Christmas, and Halloween, and sell the others to China.

 

[SecondCircle]

I think people are far more horrible than monsters. I mean, how can poor ol Dracula best Hitler or Stalin? Psycho was scary as hell!

I like Halloween better than most holidays. I'd keep Easter, Christmas, and Halloween, and sell the others to China.

Real monsters are certainly friggin scary... because we know they exist. It could happen, has happened, is happening. The monster under your bed often times just doesn't hold up to the one next door. That's real fear, the kind we have to tread carefully around everyday.

The biggest problem with the scary tales involving those "fantasy" monsters (ghosts, demons, vamps, creatures, otherworldly) is the way they are delivered. Sometimes people let the monsters out of the closet too much or too soon, rather than building a feeling of suspense. Then, a monster alone is not enough to simply scare. The writer needs to assault the senses of the reader. Use those little things that we are afraid of and amplify them in the writing. Strange sounds, peculiar movement, darkness. These simple things eat away at the sanity of a reasoning mind by injecting doubt and suspense into the brain.

Just by turning a monster loose and letting him run rampant and fling body parts this way or that isn't enough. You have to grab a hold of those baser fears people can't control or can't explain, then invite your hideous creature to play with them.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Real monsters are certainly friggin scary... because we know they exist. It could happen, has happened, is happening. The monster under your bed often times just doesn't hold up to the one next door. That's real fear, the kind we have to tread carefully around everyday.

The biggest problem with the scary tales involving those "fantasy" monsters (ghosts, demons, vamps, creatures, otherworldly) is the way they are delivered. Sometimes people let the monsters out of the closet too much or too soon, rather than building a feeling of suspense. Then, a monster alone is not enough to simply scare. The writer needs to assault the senses of the reader. Use those little things that we are afraid of and amplify them in the writing. Strange sounds, peculiar movement, darkness. These simple things eat away at the sanity of a reasoning mind by injecting doubt and suspense into the brain.

Just by turning a monster loose and letting him run rampant and fling body parts this way or that isn't enough. You have to grab a hold of those baser fears people can't control or can't explain, then invite your hideous creature to play with them.

After posting here earlier I hatched another horror story idea. A man's wife and daughter died 20 years ago, and now theyre back, and he has to kill them.

 

[SecondCircle]

After posting here earlier I hatched another horror story idea. A man's wife and daughter died 20 years ago, and now theyre back, and he has to kill them.

How and why? As in, how do you mean they come back? As spirits? Or walking abominations, maybe Pet Semetary style? And why would he need to kill them? (Granted the why hinges on the how).

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

How and why? As in, how do you mean they come back? As spirits? Or walking abominations, maybe Pet Semetary style? And why would he need to kill them? (Granted the why hinges on the how).

Naaah. They were never dead, they eloped to Iran with a student the wife fell for. Then they returned to the US 20 years later. My guy runs into them at a function, and gets curious. He's a government killer, and his 'daughter' is assigned to him for field-training. Then he discovers his 'daughter' is a terrorist agent, as is mom and her Iranian husband.

So he struggles with I CAN FUCK HER, BUT CAN I KILL HER?

 

[patientlee]

I almost submitted a story, a story I may submit next time. Its pretty gruesome, and true. The true part is a child wandered away from home and was eaten by an alligator, in my version alcoholic dad takes the child with him fishing, and he falls asleep from too much whisky. A gator grabs the child. Later a man finds her straw hat floating in the lake and takes it home to his young child. He's hanged for child molestation. Years later hunters kill a gator from that lake, and discover a piece of jewelry in its stomach. The sheriff mails the jewelry to the parents at their new home in Georgia.

Most of the submissions are lame. A few are pretty good.

Why not submit? I'd like to read that one.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Why not submit? I'd like to read that one.

My brain constantly drips story ideas. I have so many I feel like a hoarder.

I hatched a gay-male idea this morning tho its not really gay male but it is. What it is, is an ongoing feud between a small business owner and the governor who lives next door in the state mansion. The governor wants to condemn the business to use the site for his assistants and parking. But the business is kinda protected as a historic site, tho the local historic committee is under pressure by the governor to rescind the protection. It deteriorates to guerilla warfare and quasi-blackmail. Kind of a YOUVE GOT MAIL plot without the romance. The business owner is gay, and the whole world wonders about whose team the governor plays for. I call it TO SERVICE AND PROTECT. The governor is caught in the arms of a robust young state trooper while wifey is outta town. Prolly oughta put it in Humor Category.

Maybe I'll sketch out the alligator story, and see what happens.

 

[patientlee]

Maybe I'll sketch out the alligator story, and see what happens.

Animals are scarier than vampires, therefore more interesting to me. My Halloween story was hatched when my bio teacher friend put a wolf spider (in a plastic cage, thank god) on my desk.

The alligator death roll scares the shit out of me. You have to know you're going to die.

 

[SecondCircle]

Animals are scarier than vampires, therefore more interesting to me. My Halloween story was hatched when my bio teacher friend put a wolf spider (in a plastic cage, thank god) on my desk.

The alligator death roll scares the shit out of me. You have to know you're going to die.

And yours was pretty damned good. Good blend of romance, complexity in relationship, and utilization of real fears. I liked the little lead on with Jeffrey. I think my favorite thing though was the symbolism and imagery you used with the dream and the fish tank. Very vivid, unique, and just an attractive thing to read. Certain things felt a lil rushed to me in places, but call that personal preference. I'm too wordy in my stories anyway. Great job, Teach.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Animals are scarier than vampires, therefore more interesting to me. My Halloween story was hatched when my bio teacher friend put a wolf spider (in a plastic cage, thank god) on my desk.

The alligator death roll scares the shit out of me. You have to know you're going to die.

Lemme read your story!

 

[patientlee]

Lemme read your story!

Ok, but be nice. If you don't like it, just let me down easy.

http://www.literotica.com/s/jeffreys-murderer

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Ok, but be nice. If you don't like it, just let me down easy.

http://www.literotica.com/s/jeffreys-murderer

Go read it.

I wanted to launch a NO PUMPKIN CUPPACCINO!!!! Joan Crawford moment. But I'm better now.

 

[patientlee]

And yours was pretty damned good. Good blend of romance, complexity in relationship, and utilization of real fears. I liked the little lead on with Jeffrey. I think my favorite thing though was the symbolism and imagery you used with the dream and the fish tank. Very vivid, unique, and just an attractive thing to read. Certain things felt a lil rushed to me in places, but call that personal preference. I'm too wordy in my stories anyway. Great job, Teach.

I don't actually like pumpkin cappuccino. Sometimes I throw in things like that just to separate the character from myself. I'm not a lesbian college student either. I was aiming for 2 pages, and couldn't shut up.

Thanks for reading. Now go write the alligator story. As soon as I catch up on correcting, I'll need something to with the rest of my sick day.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I don't actually like pumpkin cappuccino. Sometimes I throw in things like that just to separate the character from myself. I'm not a lesbian college student either. I was aiming for 2 pages, and couldn't shut up.

Thanks for reading. Now go write the alligator story. As soon as I catch up on correcting, I'll need something to with the rest of my sick day.

I'll argue any side of any question, cuz I like to debate and raise hell.

Yep, I started the gator story, with a quarrel tween ma and pa. It might be on the shelf by Halloween.

 

[SecondCircle]

I don't actually like pumpkin cappuccino. Sometimes I throw in things like that just to separate the character from myself. I'm not a lesbian college student either. I was aiming for 2 pages, and couldn't shut up.

Thanks for reading. Now go write the alligator story. As soon as I catch up on correcting, I'll need something to with the rest of my sick day.

Well, I can relate there. I'm not a chick, but I've wrote from that POV. Other times I do like you said, and just throw in some things that seem to fit, not cuz I like 'em, but because the character seems like it's something they would do or like.

 

[patientlee]

Well, I can relate there. I'm not a chick, but I've wrote from that POV. Other times I do like you said, and just throw in some things that seem to fit, not cuz I like 'em, but because the character seems like it's something they would do or like.

Yeah, I use Bud Light to distinguish characters from myself. If it's a hoppy IPA, the story just might be true. Bud Light- you know it's not.

 

[patientlee]

Go read it.

I wanted to launch a NO PUMPKIN CUPPACCINO!!!! Joan Crawford moment. But I'm better now.

I'd rather a wire hanger.

 

[patientlee]

And yours was pretty damned good. Good blend of romance, complexity in relationship, and utilization of real fears. I liked the little lead on with Jeffrey. I think my favorite thing though was the symbolism and imagery you used with the dream and the fish tank. Very vivid, unique, and just an attractive thing to read. Certain things felt a lil rushed to me in places, but call that personal preference. I'm too wordy in my stories anyway. Great job, Teach.

Quoted the wrong message in my response. Sorry!

I opened yours to read about 45 minutes ago, then the drier buzzed. You're next on my list SC.

Thanks for the message. The fish tank wasn't in the original idea, but I liked that part too.

 

[SecondCircle]

Quoted the wrong message in my response. Sorry!

I opened yours to read about 45 minutes ago, then the drier buzzed. You're next on my list SC.

Thanks for the message. The fish tank wasn't in the original idea, but I liked that part too.

Well, then I apologize before hand if it's a bit... I dunno, harsh? I've never used dialogue the way I did in this one, but it fit the, er, character. I guess.

 

[patientlee]

Well, then I apologize before hand if it's a bit... I dunno, harsh? I've never used dialogue the way I did in this one, but it fit the, er, character. I guess.

That was freaking horrifying! Very suspenseful. Excellent descriptions. I followed every step through the house. And those hardwood floors did not help my headache, that's for sure. Excellent story. 5 stars.

 

[SecondCircle]

That was freaking horrifying! Very suspenseful. Excellent descriptions. I followed every step through the house. And those hardwood floors did not help my headache, that's for sure. Excellent story. 5 stars.

Thanks Teach. That's five stars for both of us then. : )

If you liked that one, then keep in mind it's Halloween all year round for me. Though I don't turn out stories as often as I'd like, I have a few horror stories along the lines of this one. I do the erotically scary, as well as just plain erotic.

And I'm sure I'll be hanging around your stories page.