How to Write Horror Fiction by William F. Nolan

Nolan, William F. How to Write Horror Fiction. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest, 1990.

William F. Nolan (author of Logan’s Run and other horror tales) takes a conversational, even light, tone in How to Write Horror Fiction. For Nolan, a good scare is good fun.

Nolan begins the book with his on introduction to horror stories and a discussion of why people read them or see horror movies. People get a thrill and a sense of relief from facing death and overcoming it, even if only vicariously. Maybe especially vicariously.

The book focuses on the particulars of writing horror. Nolan discusses at length what works in horror stories. He illustrates this through examples drawn from a number of authors. He also provides a step-by-step discussion of horror elements by working through one of his own stories. The book contains general tips for writers, but it doesn’t talk as much about the general mechanics and practices of writing.

He has some tips for breaking into the horror market. The upside is there is a lot of demand for horror and places for new writers to break in. The down side is that those open segments of the market pay poorly if they pay at all. Though not well paying, many of the lower market periodicals are serious about quality and finding good new authors, so writing for them can be a good place to build a portfolio while building skill. Film and television can be a lucrative market for writers, though it is hard to get into (after gaining success as a writer elsewhere, most likely after having book optioned for adaption to film).

Some of the references are dated, as one might expect from a book that is almost 20 years old. However, Nolan includes an appendix that lists a number of horror anthologies. Most are probably out of print by now, but also probably cheaply available as a used books. For someone looking to read good horror stories, or to develop a sense of what works as a writer, these books will still be good.