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Rayne Hall

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Writing Scary Scenes: Professional Techniques for Thrillers, Horror and Other Exciting Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Rayne Hall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 296 ratings

Part of: Writer's Craft (38 books)

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Are your frightening scenes scary enough? Learn practical tricks to turn up the suspense. Make your readers' hearts hammer with suspense, their breaths quicken with excitement, and their skins tingle with goosebumps of delicious fright.

This book contains practical suggestions about how to structure a scary scene, increase the suspense, make the climax more terrifying, make the reader feel the character's fear. It includes techniques for manipulating the readers' subconscious and creating powerful emotional effects.

Use this book to write a new scene, or to add tension and excitement to a draft.

You will learn tricks of the trade for "black moment" and "climax" scenes, describing monsters and villains, writing harrowing captivity sections and breathtaking escapes, as well as how to make sure that your hero doesn't come across as a wimp... and much more.

This book is recommended for writers of all genres, especially thriller, horror, paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

British English.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rayne Hall is the author of over 50 books in several genres (mostly fantasy and horror), published under several pen names and translated into several languages. She is the editor of the Ten Tales fantasy and horror anthologies. Her acclaimed 'Writer's Craft' books are bestsellers.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008IEJTSE
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rayne Hall (January 7, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 7, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1080 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 134 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1519356099

Best Sellers Rank: #377,885 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #43 in Genre Fiction Writing Reference
- #383 in Writing Skill Reference (Kindle Store)
- #898 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)

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4.5 296 ratings

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Rayne Hall

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Rayne Hall MA is the author of over 100 books, mostly Dark Fantasy and Gothic Horror, e.g. The Bride’s Curse: Bulgarian Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. She is also the acclaimed editor of Gothic, Fantasy and Horror anthologies (e.g. Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard) and author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft series for advanced-level writers, including and the bestselling Writer’s Craft series e.g. Writing Gothic Fiction Writing Scary Scenes, Writing Vivid Settings, Writing Vivid Dialogue, Writing Vivid Characters, Writing Deep Point of View.

Born and raised in Germany, Rayne Hall has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain. Now she resides in a village in Bulgaria, where men perform the annual demon dance, ghosts and sirens beckon, and abandoned decaying houses hold memories of a glorious past.

Her lucky black rescue cat Sulu often accompanies her when she explores spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, scratching charred timbers and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths. He even senses the presence of ghosts… but that’s another story.

Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, belly dancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.

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4.5 out of 5

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SeniorCitizen

Great guide!

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2023

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A helpful guide for writing horror tales, especially with respect to keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Chockful of examples and brainstorming ideas. Well done!

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Wm. J. Wilkins

Scary Help for Scary Writers

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2014

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Although I found the book as a whole a little inconsistent in its presentation from time to time, overall I think this is a fantastic reference for writers in any genre. It is full of great advice, along with clear examples.

I've heard it said that this book is not meant for professional writers, but I don't agree entirely. Very experienced, very successful writers probably don't need this book, but I think most writers will find something useful here. I am a professional writer, and I know this is a reference I will always keep close to hand, right along with my dictionaries and my Little Brown Book.

I've also heard it said that, despite the author's caveat, this book really is for beginners. I would disagree with that, as well. It's not for the Stephen King's of the world (but honestly, how many Stephen King's are there?). On the other hand, an inexperienced writer, who has yet to find her voice as a writer, will be overwhelmed by the advice in this book. At best, such a writer will fall into the blatantly formulaic trap, and at worse will get so bogged down trying to apply the advice that she gets nothing written at all.

This book really is for the writer who is right on the edge of being really good, who has enough experience to understand how to apply the advice judiciously, and is looking for some helpful guidelines to kick-start his own scary scenes in his own voice.

Really, that's what the author promises, and I think this book delivers.

4 people found this helpful

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Coffee Addicted Writer (Billy)

Every Writer Should Read This Book!

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2013

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If you grew up reading Goosebumps books, Fear Street novels and anything by Stephen King, then sooner or later you've probably have attempted to write your own spooky story, maybe it was a haunted house story (I have written plenty of them.). Horror writing may not be as easy as it looks, but you are in luck, as author Rayne Hall has written a book just for this situation, titled Writing Scary Scenes.

Throughout the twenty-six chapters, Rayne Hall will help you write the perfect scary scene that will grab a hold of your readers and won't let them go until their hearts are racing and they're afraid to turn to the next page. Learn how to instantly hook a reader with just a simple line of anxiety and fear. Don't try to use too much gore, though it does work for some tales, but try to show your readers what your character is feeling and describe the atmosphere around him or her.

Remember never to throw a character into an unnecessary scene, but give a clever reason or motivation for what is going on. Have your character isolated from the outside world; turn off the lights, cut the land line and either have the cell phone lose signal or the battery goes dead.

Using all five senses (sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch) will give a reader a feeling that they're actually walking along side your character, feeling everything they feel. Give your story a creepy atmosphere with shutters banging, floorboards squeaky, etc.

Whether you are a published writer or a newbie, I think everybody can benefit from reading Writing Scary Scenes, as it gives great tips. The author even shares a few of his short stories at the end of the book, giving you an idea how to set up a horror scene. I have published several spooky stories for kids and I think the book has great tips that I'll be using in the future.

I received a complimentary sample in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

6 people found this helpful

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Debbie Christiana - CURIOSITIES

Precise and informative

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2012

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I love the horror/thriller genre. Even if you do not; most of us enjoy a good tale of suspense. As much fun as it is to read or watch, it's very hard to write. I've been fortunate to take Rayne's writing classes online including Writing Scary Scenes.

This book explains in precise detail all the ins and outs of making your scene slightly suspenseful or terrifying - depending on the genre you're writing. I think that's what makes this book stand out from others. Other how-to books I've seen concentrate mostly on the horror/gore effect, which isn't what everyone wants. Romantic suspense, YA and mysteries aren't looking for over the top gore but horror and some thrillers are. So whatever your genre, you'll learn how to apply the perfect balance.

There are added chapters from the class. My favorites were Chases and Escapes, Villains and Monsters and Backloading.

Every author, no matter the genre, would benefit from this book. It's helped me tremendously with a couple short stories I've written and scenes in my work in progress.

9 people found this helpful

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Laura

There are better books out there.

Reviewed in Canada on May 24, 2021

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This book feels like a summary of some of the better craft books I have read like: Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner, The Emotional Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and The Anatomy of Prose by Sacha Black. Those three delve much deeper and broader as well.

Did not agree with some of the advice given and was not very impressed by short story examples. I rewrote some of her examples to be stronger. For instance, she likes to interject sentences about sounds somewhere in the environment and not sounds in relation to the character. The sentences literally start with "somewhere in the distance."

Some good info, like about describing doors that hold danger behind them, but not much I had not read done better in other books. Buy those instead and get this one from a library.

One person found this helpful

Loves to read

Great reference

Reviewed in Australia on July 7, 2023

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Another helpful tool for authors to sharpen their skills and techniques. I took many notes to use them as a reminder. Thank you.

Miss Chinaski

it’s because they’ve left out the funny bits. HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2014

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I downloaded this nifty little book having finished the first draft of my NaNoWriMo novel last year. I’m a published author of short stories appearing in magazines and anthologies in the UK, USA, Australia and Canada. Most of my work is character-based as opposed to plot-based, but with my novel I wanted something different.

Though I’ve been writing and reading for decades, there were so many things I learned from Hall’s book about how to write fiction that enriches story and makes a reader want to turn the page. The ‘black moment’, for instance, where the hero surrenders to despair. Using sounds to create atmosphere; also the importance of placing word(s) for maximum emotive impact, which I believe has made all the difference in my final sentence, crafted to lodge with the reader long after they’ve closed my book.

There’s also a very important chapter on humour. In my humble opinion, when horror or suspense doesn’t work, for example the BBC’s dire HINTERLAND, it’s because they’ve left out the funny bits. HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE, on the other hand, is incredibly witty, laced with black humour that rings authentic and helps make it unmissable viewing.

Delia Smith, one of the nation’s most respected and treasured cooks, understood the importance of going back to basics. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, this is the strength of Hall’s book: even if you think you know it all, you might find something new to you. It’s an entertaining read which you can cherry-pick or plough straight through. And for the price, it’s a steal.

Partly down to Writing Scary Scenes (unfortunately I still had to do the hard graft! ;o) I’ve finally accomplished a long-held dream: to write a novel that I’m proud of. So far, from the reactions of my advance readers, people are not only gripped by the story, but feel deeply for characters I thought only I found interesting. Thank you, Rayne.

One person found this helpful

Claire Melville

Un manuel pratique

Reviewed in France on June 18, 2014

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L'auteur commence par décrire les différents degrés de la peur, puis, elle explique comment construire une scène en fonction de l'effet que l'on souhaite avoir sur le lecteur, en utilisant différents outils très concrets et très pratiques.Ce livre est une boite à outils. Il est formulé de manière très simple et abordable par tous. Certains diront qu'il ne s'adresse pas à des écrivans professionnels de par son approche simpliste, mais je trouve qu'il est utile dans la mesure où il liste les trucs qu'on peut utiliser. Après, libre à chacun de choisir les teintes sur sa palettes et de les utiliser par touches pour créer ses propres nuances.

One person found this helpful

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kris

Great for some refreshers

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2020

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Having bought and read this book after completing some drafts of my first book, I found myself flickering through my pages and chapters, peeling my eyes more attentively to spot whatever errors or suggestions discontinued taught me along the way. In particular , I enjoyed the chapter on highs and troughs the most and the book and general races as a good refresher guide for any aspiring author. Check it out! A calm and easy read you can pick up and take with you at almost any instance.

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Writing Scary Scenes: Professional Techniques for Thrillers, Horror and Other Exciting Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 2) Kindle Edition

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Rayne Hall

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