What scares you the most in horror films/books?

Question

I need some ideas, I want to write my own horror story that can actually scare people. I need things that you find in these that scare you the most.

What kind of stories scare you? Stories about zombies, monsters, serial killers, ghosts, etc?

You may use an example and tell me why it scares you.

Psychological Horror would be better.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Have you ever read the "Hot Zone"? That book was intense just because of how descriptive and vulgar it was...but not in a childish way. More like in a squirm-in-your-seat-this-is disturbing-in-a-good-way kind of way! LoL

Answer 2

Personally, I don't think it's the material, so much as the way you write it. The two books that scared me the most were "The Abyss" and "Christine."

So maybe a story about underwater divers doesn't sound scary - but the author wrote in such a way that I felt panicked and claustrophic the entire time I was reading it. It drew me in, so every shadow in the water made me jump (and want to cry, LOL).

"Christine" is about an evil car. Not scary, right? Oh, but Stephen King is sooo good at forshadowing and making you think "Oh my gosh, something terrible is going to happen".

GOOD horror writing leaves me with a pit in my stomach and a sense of foreboding.

So choose something that scares YOU! Something that you can be soooo enthusiastic about, that your reader is drawn into your world. The subject doesn't matter. It's how you handle the subject.

Answer 3

For the best psychological horror, try out Thomas H. Cook. Especially these three: Instrument of Night, Mortal Memory, and Red Leaves. The first one had me shivering for days every time thought about the ending. I don't want to describe the stories more, because that would ruin them for you.

Answer 4

monsters don't scare me. never have.

what does terrify me though is the things that are real, like serial killers, stalkers etc. that is frightening. and to be honest it scares the hell out me

Answer 5

Things like that don't scare me ;-) but.... the feeling of something being realistic, like something that could really happen to you yourself.

Answer 6

something other people cant see, so they think ur insane. or something u cant see but u no its there and it can communicate with u.