Whenever I do events, I often get asked the same questions. The most popular of these is “Are you rich enough to buy a helicopter?” The answer to this, sadly, is not yet, although I often look at them on eBay and will hopefully one day get myself one. The second most popular question, usually from a teacher this time, is “Can you buy me a helicopter?” Again, the answer is no. Sorry about that!
Anyway, once the questions about helicopters / tanks / ferraris are out of the way, the next most popular question is “Where do you get your ideas from?” I’m sure most writers are asked this wherever they go, and although all writers probably give different answers, most will probably mention that ideas for stories are much easier to find than you might think. When I run workshops in schools I talk about some cool ways to find ideas, but since I can’t do a workshop for every school in the world (the monsters refuse to let me out for more than seventy-two hours) I thought I’d run a workshop here! Over the next few weeks I’ll suggest a few ways of finding ideas and turning them into stories, and it would be great if as many of you as possible joined in!
To start with, I want to talk about ideas! So without further ado I present you with part one of my horror writing workshop! Feel free to use the comments box below to share some of your ideas and stories!
Oh, and if you’d like to download the full worksheet that goes with this workshop then you can find it here!
Part 1: Facing Your Nightmares!
One of the most important things about writing a horror story is finding something scary! There are loads of places to get ideas, but it’s always best to start by looking at what YOU are afraid of. If you’re afraid of something, then when you write about it, it will seem genuinely terrifying!
What I want you to do first is write down some of your worst fears. These can be anything – spiders and snakes, ghosts (or goats), vampires, werewolves and zombies, teachers and homework, vegetables, disease and death and, of course, CLOWNS! Write down as many as you can think of, the more fears you have, the more you’ll have to work with!
Three great places to look for ideas are:
- Experience: Things that have happened to you – did anything really scary happen when you were younger, like getting lost in the woods, or being woken by a noise that might have been a monster?
- Memory: Things from your favourite books and shows – what’s the scariest thing you’ve ever read or seen? Is there a way to use that idea but make it your own?
- What if?!: Crazy ideas – this is the most fun way of looking for ideas. What if… your reflection suddenly started doing things differently, and began trying to take over your life? Or your parents, and everybody else’s, suddenly disappear? Or a neighbour turns out to be a vampire? Learn to question absolutely everything – why is the school basement locked? (What if that’s where the teachers experiment on naughty kids!) What happens when you are hypnotised? (Maybe you are possessed by an angry ghost!) Think up ludicrous and scary explanations for everything!
The idea for Furnace came from all these places: I once visited an old prison beneath the ground and was terrified by it (Experience), I was watching lots of prison shows on television at the time (Memory), and I wondered What If you are accused of a crime you didn’t commit and sent to a terrifying prison? And all of the monsters in Furnace are born from some of my worst fears!
Try playing with some of these idea-making ideas and you’ll have a basis for a story in no time!
Next, we’ll be taking your worst fears and turning them into story outlines. Check back soon for Part Two! And if you add some of your worst fears in the comments section then I’ll try and work them into stories as an example!
Part Two is now available here!
Part Three is now available here!
Part Four is now available here!
01/08/2010 at 1:36 pm Permalink
Excellent advice, sir. Look forward to part 2.
27/10/2010 at 4:03 pm Permalink
boaring dont no why you wrote it
16/12/2010 at 5:48 pm Permalink
Keep going to publish those nice content for us as well, i really love your writing…
01/02/2011 at 7:28 pm Permalink
i love to writ in books
18/06/2011 at 8:34 am Permalink
There were two best friends.Brelee,&Adrinan.they where getting ready for there halloween party.They were walking to party city. Brelee bought a sexy nurse costume while adriana bought a battery costume.So they went to brelees house adriana called her mom.And said she could not make it to her dads funeral.so they got ready and invited all the popular people.While they were ready for the guest to arrive.Brelee poped in a Saw 3 movie and Adriana did her nails.Out of boredom Brelee asked adriana I wonder which one of us will die first.Brelee said lets make that a bet.Ok adriana said its a bet starting now.The guests arrived and the party is boombing.And then brelee notices that the head cheerleader and quarterback arnt there.So she calles them. the phone answers but no body talks.She sais were are you guys then she hears tires screatching.Glass breaking and a loud scream then silence.She freaks out and hangs up.And tells adriana.And she turns around and tells other guests.Adriana silently laughs”just as I planned”.She said.After the party every one left.Than the next morning adriana gets a phone call from brelee.Threatening adriana that she was going to kill her. Then brelee said im coming in your bedroom MUAHAHAH.So adriana hides by hanging from the ceiling.Brelee comes in and look for adriana under the bed.Then adriana jumps on the bed from the ceiling.Brelee sits on the floor and gives up looking for her.so she stands up looks at the room and before she could walk away.She started screaming beacuse adriana stabs her in the back and then adriana whispers in breless ear “I won”
15/09/2011 at 3:54 pm Permalink
Thanks for the article, I love anything horror