October ... at last!
On writing spooky fiction for young readers and my TBR
(Milton the Mighty pumpkin)
I couldn’t get too far into October without putting together a post about spooky books. I want to share what I’ve read so far this month, what’s on the TBR, and a little teaser about what I’m writing, but first, some thoughts on how to make your reader feel fear … which, given that we’re talking about kids, always sounds a bit weird!
First of all, don’t worry too much about that - it’s not as outlandish or irresponsible as it might seem - kids love to be scared. More tricky is working out what scares them - they are discerning readers, and writing horror fiction for a middle-grade audience isn’t exactly child’s play.
So how can we build tension, create a scary atmosphere and create an emotional response in our target reader? Here are some tips:
Consider what scares kids, as opposed to adults. Bear in mind where they are in their lives at age 9 to 12 and use that - moving on in school, meeting new people, maybe travelling for school, becoming more independent, making their own choices etc.
make sure your reader cares about your character(s). This might sound obvious, but if you want a reader to feel fear for them, they have to care what happens to them. Use POV to bring your reader in close so they experience the challenges you set your cast of characters alongside them, rather than at a distance
build suspense by withholding information (and teasing it out). You can use cliffhangers, unanswered questions, an unreliable narrator, or misleading flashbacks or internal thought. Leave clues that intrigue, but be sure not to confuse or you’ll break the spell. Make use of a ticking clock
Unsettle your reader. Putting your reader on edge allows you to create jump scares* and heart-stopping reveals - think about how music shifts your emotions in a horror movie and try to replicate this with language; use similes, setting description, and choppy, short sentences. You might sow seeds of doubt and mistrust around a secondary character, or make your setting uncomfortable and awkward. Perhaps the characters themselves might show signs of being unsettled by arguing, behaving anxiously or being confused
Make your reader squirm. Obviously, approach with caution and a good understanding of your target reader’s age, but use visual description to disgust (and delight!) Use all five senses - don’t underestimate the creepiness of sounds or a peculiar taste in the air. Bugs and other creepy crawlies are good for this, as is rotting vegetation or food, bad smells, mould, or broken things - dolls and other toys are a fun trope
*Jump scares only work if you’ve laid the foundations and it’s really hard to know when you’ve got it right. Like jokes, a jump scare has to land. When I launched The Housetrap I did a short reading from when Deliah, Claude and Sam enter the house in search of Amity. Amity is found and told off, but keeps talking about a mysterious ‘they’
Amity hid her face in her hands. ‘I didn’t mean to make you worry, De. I only hid so they wouldn’t catch me and make me a missing kid too.’
‘Who’s they?’ asked Deliah. ‘There’s no one here.
And so on until eventually…
‘I want to go now.’ [Amity] looked genuinely scared, and not just of Claude’s angry gaze. ‘Before they come out again.’
‘Who are you talking about?’ asked Deliah again.
‘The children in the walls.’
There were literal gasps from the audience (which absolutely made my day!) but it was only then that I knew for sure I’d got it right.
Reading-wise, October has taken a decidedly witchy turn for me this year, and I’ve already devoured the Once and Future Witches and have just started The Lighthouse Witches …
with witches hailing from both Manningtree and Whitby to come. Let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed any of these or share with me your favourite witch books - what should I read after these?
Normally, I avoid reading books similar to anything I’m writing, but I have begun making a few notes about a witch story I have been mulling over for a couple of year. It feels like the right time.
But … this isn’t what I’m writing right now. Not really. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share some news soon about what’s coming next from me but here are a few teasers:
This is an homage to a book close to my heart, one that’s been with me since I was about twelve or so (can you guess what it might be?) The end result is a book at least two steps removed from the original, in that it’s inspired by works that were in turn inspired by the source material. An homage to an homage and an enjoyable attempt to twist some firmly adult content into something suitable and engaging for middle-grade readers. And yes, that’s all super vague - hello publishing! All will become clear very soon, I hope.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy cosy-season, that your jumpers, woolly socks and hats have survived the summer and the whispers in the walls don’t keep you up at night.
Emma x