A Dead Beat Author: Why I Write Horror

Todays article I’d like to bring some insight when it comes to why I have decided to write and why I love to write horror. It may seem like an easy genre from some to write about but honestly it’s not as easy as many would think. I obviously don’t write it because it’s an easy task but rather I enjoy it.

Would it seem maniacal to say that I enjoy when people are scared or spooked by my work? It’s the same for whatever genre you write- a romantic author wants you to feel emotions, a suspense author wants you to be surprised, a historical author wants you to be intrigued and a journalist wants you to be informed. In the same way I like writing stories that scare people- not because I’m a person that bullies others or gets a kick over scarring kids but rather I enjoy being scarred. It’s a natural response for people to be scarred of the unknown, and H.P. Lovecraft once stated “Man’s greatest fear is fear of the unknown”.

It’s a genre I like so much I actually studied Development Psychology to lean how people think, to know what gets under their skin. When you have a passion for art you have a dedication towards it- even my inspirations like Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft didn’t make an excessive amount from their writings but rather they wrote because it they were dedicated to their talent, and as a result they helped to lay the foundation for others to come.

The one tricky part with writing horror is coming up with a creative idea. In today’s world there are hundreds, if not thousands of takes on horror stories and authors have to be on their toes in creating something unique. Let alone with the internet getting the word out can be a very complicated task that requires a lot of work and dedication.

But in the end it’s always worth it when I present my work to someone and they tell me “That’s scary looking”. In fact that’s what makes it worth writing for.