China Naming Network - Eight-character fortune telling - What should we pay attention to when writing horror novels? (This kind of master and writer is coming)
What should we pay attention to when writing horror novels? (This kind of master and writer is coming)
There are more and more writers of horror novels, more and more works, and more and more publishers, but most of the horror novels aimed at a single book have little sales. After four or five years of development, why are horror novels more and more like snacks circulated in the early days, with many varieties but no price? Why didn't a big plate appear? What is the reason? In addition to the efforts of publishers in packaging and their unfamiliarity with the market, the defects in the creation of horror novels, that is, routine and stylized writing, are also a factor. When a certain kind of literary works is popular, there may be routines in this kind of works, and everyone may consciously or unconsciously move closer to the popular style. Such as military novels, officialdom novels, detective novels, etc. , have seen such a situation. So are horror novels. So what is the creative routine of horror novels? I read some works and summarized them. The first is to stay away from life. Many horror works like to set the story scenes in barren hills, Nomura, ancient temples and old houses, thinking that these places are horrible in themselves and can increase the horror elements of the works. In fact, this is a lazy behavior. Because readers in real life are getting farther and farther away from these so-called horror elements, they lack understanding of these things, and they are exposed to more and more horror works and feel numb. Putting the story in a place far away from reality, although easy to imagine at will, will be comfortable and simple to write, but it laid the groundwork for the failure of this work. No matter what kind of novel, it should not be divorced from life. Second, there are too many descriptions in the first person. Writing from the perspective of "I" is also relatively easy and quick, especially short and medium-sized horror novels. But I think that first-person writing, from the market point of view, is a disadvantage, because readers must first accept the "I" perspective. If the identity of "I" is too special, or the author's writing is too subjective, it may be difficult for readers to accept. Moreover, if several short stories form a collection and there are a lot of "I", it is easy to repeat the same tune and cause reading fatigue. Third, only the description of the horror scene lacks the logic of the story and has no ideological connotation at all. This is a common problem in a large number of horror works. In other words, it is relatively easy to write a horrible scene according to legends or observations in life. Many writers also have the impulse to create. In the initial stage of the novel, they described a lot of horrible scenes and cast suspicious eyes, but they lacked a grasp of the overall context of the story. After writing, the screenwriter can't fully control the situation, which leads to the story being full of loopholes and even unable to justify itself. In the case that the basic story logic is difficult to grasp, of course, there is no ideological connotation, or what you want to express through the story. The only consequence of this writing is to bring immature or failed works to the market. Fourth, horror novels can't give readers anything except horror. Many people have this understanding, that is, horror novels can't be scary for the sake of horror. But not for terror, but for what? The success of last year's Ghost Blowing Lights inspired people a lot. Because this novel contains a lot of geography or biology knowledge besides the climax, it is extremely risky and can greatly enrich readers' reading. To put it bluntly, after reading it, I have gained a lot of knowledge-although this knowledge has yet to be verified, it is enough to make Ghost Blowing the Lamp a unique work and let readers perceive a new taste. Nowadays, many so-called horror works lack this kind of "beyond terror". This has a lot to do with the author's interest and knowledge level. Fifth, the language is dull and monotonous. What language should horror novels be written in? Many people consciously or unconsciously choose a serious narrative way, that is, a more serious narrative, and then use such language to create a horrible effect. Because there are too many people writing like this, it is easy to create the same scene. However, if you think about the popular works in the past two years, most of them have abandoned the stereotyped language, and the author has his own language personality, such as Muye Zhang, such as a candy. In fact, the language is entirely in the hands of the author himself. Even if you write a horror novel, there is no need to put on airs. It can be humorous, sad and magnificent. In any kind of creation, successful people have their own language. Sixth, the logic of horror novels is too simple. The so-called logical point is what happens when a story develops to the end and the puzzle is uncovered. Too many horror novels are looking for logical places, which are nothing more than hallucinations, mental patients, dreams, ghosts and gods, inner senses, or mysterious people. This gives people a sense of boredom. Life is so colorful, the author of horror novels should be good at exploring in life, not too rigid. After all, there are still too few people who encounter the above situation. Seventh, and most importantly, revenge complex. Revenge complex appears so intensively and frequently in horror novels that it has to be said that it is a great misunderstanding of the author's creation. A thing, a life, or a ghost coming out to scare people, or encountering a strange problem, in the final analysis, is a kind of revenge. In fact, the source of the story is easy for readers to guess, that is, who has been wronged, has been wronged, or failed in love, and so on. In any case, even if you become a ghost, you must take revenge, so that you can be reborn contentedly. Now the revenge complex in horror novels is very similar to the treasure-grabbing complex in martial arts novels. Everyone is ready to fight for any liar. In horror novels, everyone is ready to scare people for the grievances in life. This kind of creation is probably influenced by the thought of karma, and people want to punish evil and promote good through immediate revenge on bad people. In fact, this is another trap, because readers can easily realize that all traps are for revenge, so everyone only cares about the means and degree of revenge, which makes writing more difficult and even boring. The writer racked his brains to find out how to retaliate, which is bloodier and scarier. This is also a bad misleading for readers. In fact, only people are vengeful. In the realm of ghosts and gods, even if it is a wrongful death, I am afraid I may not want revenge so much. Karma has its own cycle. Why don't so many ghosts reincarnate and stay on earth to control evil with evil? Of course, this is a superstitious statement. But in real life, are there so many things worthy of revenge? If everyone is wronged, we must find a way to get it back, just like in horror novels. Isn't life without fun and hope? So when you write, don't fall into the stereotype of revenge, because too much revenge is not a good thing for the development of horror novels. Having said so much, I just want to explain one meaning, that is, there are many varieties and large quantities of horror novels, but there is a lack of quality products. An important reason is that many works stick to a routine. Although their outer packaging is different, they are just like the same boiled water in different cups, which makes people tired easily. This is of course related to the official restrictions on horror works, but the fundamental reason lies in the author's own cultivation and quality. China's horror novels need more reading, more experience and observation of life, and more understanding. It is not enough to just sit in the study and write with enthusiasm and interest.