So I really like the genre horror but I'm not able to make a good horror book. Any tips on how to write a horror book?
Am I the only person who really likes a genre but can't write it?
Horror genre is very heavy on descriptions. It's a hard first attempt as you could easily fall into the trap of overdescripting, which makes the story a chore to read. You can also fall into the trap of underdescripting, where your composition is not scary at all.
A tip is to set the scene as something normal, don't start with a description of horror. Why not? Because horror genre is a slow burn, if you start with the description of horror, your readers will anticipate, anticipate, anticipate and get disappointed as nothing happens. You need to slowly up the ante, to slowly raise the bar. You can throw the readers a bone here and there, by giving them small pieces of the mystery but leave the main element for later. You can also include elements of unreliable storytelling to give readers some small pieces horror as they wait for the big reveal.
Below Ai-chan has helped you translate a Japanese horror novel by the title of Another, by Yukito Ayatsuji.
Book 1
What? ... Why?
Synopsis: Sakakibara Kouichi who have just transferred to Class 3-3 of Yomiyama Kita Middle School feels put-off byt the strange atmosphere in his class. He feels an interest in the mysterious aura of the beautiful student Misaki Mei and tries to get close to her. But the more he gets close, more mysteries appeared.
Suddenly their class president Sakuragi dies in a horrific manner! What is actually happening in this world?!
A horror novel by the popular author Yukito Ayatsuji that will haunt you...
Prologue
"Do you know Misaki? ... Misaki from Class 3-3. And stories about her."
"Misaki... someone's name?"
"Yes. I don't know what character it's written in. It may even be the family name, so it's not necessarily a girl. I don't know if Misaki is the family name or the given name. 26 years ago, there was a student by the name of Misaki.
"26 years... that's old. That's in Showa."
"1972, 47th year of Showa. The year Okinawa was returned to Japanese hands."
"Okinawa was returned? From who?
"You're slow... Before the war ended Okinawa was held by the Americans."
"Oh, that's why until now there's still an American airforce base there."
"Other than that, the Sapporo Winter Olympics also happened in that year. The ransom incident at Asama-Sanso also happened in the same year-"
"Asama-Sanso?"
"You... whatever. What's most important , is that 26 years ago, there was a student by the name of Misaki in Class 3-3 at our school. And you... really haven't heard this story?"
"Hm, let me think. But wasn't the name Masaki, not Misaki? If so, I may have heard the story a bit."
"Masaki? Hmm, that's possible. Who did you hear it from?"
"Senpai at the club."
"What did he say?"
"I don't know if it's 26 years or whenever, but there was a student by the name of Masaki in Class 3-3... oh, from what I heard, the student was a boy. That year, Masaki acted weird in class. But the story was kept secret and not allowed to be spread. So, this was the only thing he told me."
"That's it?"
"Yup, If you tell the story just for fun, bad things will happen, he said. I don't know if this story is that thing. One of thoe 'seven school mysteries'."
"You believe in that?"
"Isn't there... the piccolo in the music room suddenly makes a sound in the middle of the night, bloody hand appearing at the school garden's lotus pond... there are, right? Maybe that's one of the seven school mysteries."
"There's also the story about the real heart in the human replica inside the science room, right?"
"Right, right."
"There are a lot of things, I know about nine or ten equally weird stuff in our school. But the story about Misaki or Masaki doesn't seem to be part of the list. The story feels different from seven mysteries usually talked about."
"Oh! So you know about it?"
"Yeah, a little."
"Tell!"
"You're not afraid bad things will happen?"
"That's all just superstition, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"So, tell me the story."
"Well, it's kinda scary..."
"Come on! Just this once."
"Last time you said 'just this once' too."
"Hehe."
"Tch, you.. if I tell you, don't tell others later."
"I swear I won't tell."
"Alright, if that's the case..."
"Yay!"
"Don't know if it was Misaki or Masaki... let's just call her Misaki. She was popular since back in first year. Smart, active in sports, good artist and a great musician. She was also pretty, well, if it was a boy, then you can say he's handsome. Everyone like here. She was like the school idol."
"Hm... so there was someone like that."
"But come third year, Misaki transferred into Class 3-3 and suddenly passed away."
"Hah?"
"It was during the start of the first semester. Misaki wasn't even 15 yet."
"Why did she die? ... Accident? Illness?"
"Story I heard, it was a plane accident. She went to Hokkaido with her family and her plane crashed. Other than that, there were a lot of stories about her death."
"..."
"Her friends who heard the news were very shocked."
"That's a given."
"They were all, "I can't believe it, can't believe it". There were people who said that was all a lie. Many cried. Even the homeroom teacher had no idea what to say, as the class atmosphere became darker and heavier. Suddenly someone got up and said, "Misaki's not dead. See, she's still here."
"..."
"The student pointed at Misaki's desk and said, "See, Misaki's sitting there. She's still alive and she's there". Then a lot of people believed the student's words. "You're right, Misaki is not dead. She's still alive. She's there"."
"And then...?"
"They didn't want to accept the death of the most popular girl. But the story didn't end there. It still continued in that class."
"Meaning?"
"All the students in that class acted as if "Misaki is still alive". Even the teacher cooperated. The teacher said, "Yes, just like everyone said, Misaki is still alive. At least she's still a part of the class. Even after this, we will all work hard to graduate together." That was more or less how the story went."
"The story is fun, but also scary."
"The students of Class 3-3 continued their lives that way. Misaki's desk was left at its place, and there were people who came and touched, talked and played with Misaki, went home together... but it was all make-believe. During graduation day, they all asked the principal to prepare a chair for Misaki..."
"Hm... this is getting interesting."
"Yup. At first this sounds like one of those inspirational stories. But then something terrifying happened."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"They all took their graduation picture after the graduation ceremony. Then they looked at the picture and noticed something. At the corner of the class picture, there was Misaki, who shouldn't have been in the picture. Her face was pale as a corpse and there was an unnatural smile on her face, like she was someone else..."
[End Prologue]
