Horror vs. Non-human

[wife2hotblk]

As I was looking over the stories in these categories, I noticed that quite a few of the horror stories were about vampires, werewolves and ghosts. So could someone that writes in those categories explain the difference to me, please?

I have never attempted horror and I realised yesterday that the fabulous story I was writing in that category about a young woman running from her ex-boyfriend when she discovers he is a serial killer can never be used on Lit because he specifically targets very young Africa-American girls...and changing that one thing would gut the story. No tears cause this one I might be able to actually sell.

 

[oggbashan]

Horror is often written for the Halloween Contests and yes, does include vampires etc. The horror category should include horror and SEX.

Non-human is about SEX with non-human creatures who can be mythological such as naiads, mermaids, satyrs but also includes vampires and werewolves. There does not have to be a horror element to Non-human.

Horror = horror and sex
Non-human = sex with non-humans (but not animals unless they are mythical)

Og

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

As I was looking over the stories in these categories, I noticed that quite a few of the horror stories were about vampires, werewolves and ghosts. So could someone that writes in those categories explain the difference to me, please?

I have never attempted horror and I realised yesterday that the fabulous story I was writing in that category about a young woman running from her ex-boyfriend when she discovers he is a serial killer can never be used on Lit because he specifically targets very young Africa-American girls...and changing that one thing would gut the story. No tears cause this one I might be able to actually sell.

There are two routes to take to understanding the horror genre. Go with the Hollywood conventions and stereotypes OR become informed about the supernatural as its expressed in the cultures where it exists.

In the 1890s, for example, dissection cadavers were scarce and expensive, and the market for them created ghouls who kidnapped blacks and sold the bodies to medical schools and apprentice MDs. Its much easier to snatch a warm body than excavate a dead one. They called the ghouls NIGHT DOCTORS. Blacks believed they were supernatural, but they were simple traders of human flesh.

 

[wife2hotblk]

Would detective/mystery type stories work? Living in London (well actually even before) I have always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper. But I cringe at the thought of actually describing that sort of sex; I would probably be more comfortable writing something like the From Hell movie, where the focus is actually on the people/detectives searching for him.

 

[Weird Harold]

Would detective/mystery type stories work?

As Erotic Horror?

The Detective/Mystery format will work in any category as it's the details of the case/mystery that determine the category as far as Lit is concerned.

The difference between non-human and erotic horror is the emphasis placed on the horrific elements of the plot. IMHO, Erotic Horror is more closely related to the Non-consent category than it is to Non-human.

Non-human is more for consensual inter-species sex -- Rithshatra(sp) is the term coined by SF author Larry Niven -- as long as both (all) participants are sentient.