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Degrees of Evil?
Everyone once in awhile, I actually allow someone to peruse my idea file. Usually it's top secret stuff that I wouldn't let anyone near, much less another writer. Maybe I am over-protective of my ideas, but plenty of stuff I'm sure came from my head ends up in other parts of the universe either by accident or my loose blogging security. Plus, I am very attached to my idea file; it is good and scary. But this is not about my paranoid fantasy life.
I have received a barrage of criticism about my ideas lately...well, not criticism so much as commentary but being me I tend to take this kind of thing both negatively and personally. It has come in several directions from several people and I'm just trying to work it all out in my mind. In this case, the assertion is that I take things that are simple, sexy or nice and turn them into something evil, murderous or bad.
First of all, yes. I do this. I admit it freely. I love horror. People like to be terrified, myself included. If I could do anything in the world for a living, I would scare people. So yeah, I do this.
But now that I think of it, there's more to it than that. So much modern horror fails when it comes to being really scary. And indeed, some of the movies I find scariest (Psycho and Silence of the Lambs leap to mind) are more often found in the Drama section than the Horror section. Horror has become much more about partially clad teens falling into bloody circumstances that involve chases and grandiose methods of graphic murder. And truthfully, one can only watch so much of that. But I digress.
Horror seems to do one of two things: either it takes something normal like a romance, a new house, or a week at summer camp and turns it into terror. OR it takes something horrible like blood sucking vampires or cannibals, and makes them so romantic and inviting that we can't help but involving ourselves with them. Which is really more frightening? I mean, you can't hang out with a "mad scientist" and then act all shocked that things have gone afoul?
The other thing to keep in mind about horror is that you have to have a victim. Sometimes there's more than one, but there ahs to be someone in peril for the audience to identify with. There are stupid/passive victims who make a series of mistakes than force them to wind up in peril; and clever/active victims who fight back and can manage to run more than 10 feet without falling down. Sometimes the victim is also the killer. Sometimes everyone is a victim in the end. Just like in real life.
Your assignment for the week is to take something you love and make it terrifying.
And no wimping out...I mean REALLY scary.
And then, or course, comment so I can steal your ideas. ;-}
I have received a barrage of criticism about my ideas lately...well, not criticism so much as commentary but being me I tend to take this kind of thing both negatively and personally. It has come in several directions from several people and I'm just trying to work it all out in my mind. In this case, the assertion is that I take things that are simple, sexy or nice and turn them into something evil, murderous or bad.
First of all, yes. I do this. I admit it freely. I love horror. People like to be terrified, myself included. If I could do anything in the world for a living, I would scare people. So yeah, I do this.
But now that I think of it, there's more to it than that. So much modern horror fails when it comes to being really scary. And indeed, some of the movies I find scariest (Psycho and Silence of the Lambs leap to mind) are more often found in the Drama section than the Horror section. Horror has become much more about partially clad teens falling into bloody circumstances that involve chases and grandiose methods of graphic murder. And truthfully, one can only watch so much of that. But I digress.
Horror seems to do one of two things: either it takes something normal like a romance, a new house, or a week at summer camp and turns it into terror. OR it takes something horrible like blood sucking vampires or cannibals, and makes them so romantic and inviting that we can't help but involving ourselves with them. Which is really more frightening? I mean, you can't hang out with a "mad scientist" and then act all shocked that things have gone afoul?
The other thing to keep in mind about horror is that you have to have a victim. Sometimes there's more than one, but there ahs to be someone in peril for the audience to identify with. There are stupid/passive victims who make a series of mistakes than force them to wind up in peril; and clever/active victims who fight back and can manage to run more than 10 feet without falling down. Sometimes the victim is also the killer. Sometimes everyone is a victim in the end. Just like in real life.
Your assignment for the week is to take something you love and make it terrifying.
And no wimping out...I mean REALLY scary.
And then, or course, comment so I can steal your ideas. ;-}
no subject
Unfortunately I have no Horror ideas. But if you ever want Sci-Fi ideas, let me know. Also, my writing skills are negligible at best.