Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Hauntruss' Guide to Writing Creepy/Gothic Horrror Like Characters

If any of you have ever RP'd with me and Hauntruss, chances are you noticed how I enjoy leaning on the creepy and the gothic horror in the way I do narratives, character speech and general descriptive techniques. Now I am no master writer, I consider myself pretty low on the bar actually compared to the rest of you. But, I do think I have (through experience) amassed some know-how when it comes to trying to make a truly creepy or terrifying character aura. So I thought I'd share my own tips on the matter. Feel free to add to this discussion in the comments. So here are my tips for writing creepy and gothic horror characters.

1. Do some research:
Now this is probably the oldest and cliched suggestion in the book but for this style of writing it is rather very important. To write horror the best way to understand is to read it! Now for Darth Hauntruss' brand of creepy try out H.P. Lovecraft, Robert W. Chambers, Edgar Allen Poe, August Derleth, Geothe and Bulgakov. Their brand of creepy and the writing style that accompanies it is very much the basis of how I write Hiss Hiss. But also Hiss Hiss is a style of mythology too. Due check out early Christian mysticism like the Ars Goetia. Hiss Hiss is RP'd very much like the early Christian demons.

2. Metaphors and Descriptives are your friends
Lovecraft and King are suckers for packing on metaphors - especially profoundly disturbing ones. A good metaphor can bring out the dark imagination in a reader. A good thing to do is to take something that would be mundane in description and warp it into something unfamiliar. The "Othering" of the familiar unsettles the reader, it in a way divorces them from a comfortable reality.

For example, us Sithies love our capes and cloaks yes? There the cloak is an excellent tool for darksiders to in a way bring out the very darkness of their soul and aura. And believe me lightsiders respond to a well described horror.

So take this sentence perhaps. "She was wearing a long cloak that draped over her form." Its rather basic and has the potential to be an intimidating illustration. The "draped over her form" adds some obscurity to her person, and the unknown is a great thing to toy with. But watch as we take the familiar and corrupt it into something bizarre and disturbing. "Dripping from her figure linger threads of meagre black and shadow" Now, at least for me, we have something that hints to the familiar but is described in a unusual manner. Its familiar but just a bit warped that its off putting.

3. Atmosphere is Everything
PATHETIC FALLACY IS YOUR FRIEND. It is the best way (perhaps the most simple and over used as well) method to conveying the darkness of your character to others who exist outside of your perspective. Literally conform the area around you, its appearance, its lighting, its aesthetic to mirror whatever twisted fantasy that spins around in your character's mind. For example with Hauntruss I always like to make a point about how the air itself feels. Often describing it as stale, decayed or stagnate, much like Hauntruss' soul itself. Atmosphere is a powerful tool in drawing in characters and readers into a deep abyss where only through confronting your character can they escape. Control the pacing and the atmosphere and you can control someone's emotions.

4. Don't go full EMO
Remember, good horror is scarce horror. Build up should be your body and suspense your frequency don't pile on the dark imagery and pathetic fallacy too hard too early. It loses its uniqueness and becomes the very opposite of what you want -mundane and familiar. Remember, there is always too much of a good thing.

And writing with creepy music is a good source of inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEUS4uh4c4Y
 
A+ guide. For those interested in writing horror in general, I'd also recommend this: Click me!
Though I have to warn you that it's not PG-13. There's a fair bit of swearing 'n stuff. What did you expect? It's a guide writing horror!
Either way, I'm just going to bookmark this, then go back to singing my glorious Goat-Song (if you read the link you'll get that joke).
 

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