Beetlejuice ablaze.

[n_maranda_coy]

"A horror story with nothing supernatural in it"...

That's what joeymichaels called my "Making Fire" run-off piece written for LJ Idol a few seasons ago. It was a tale set in 1990, told from the point-of-view of an overworked wife angry at her [perceived-to-be] lazy husband. Her exhaustion sets the stage for a terrible accident. Very little happens in the

Comments

Residual energy.

[livejournal]

User p_m_cryan referenced to your post from Residual energy. saying: [...] Game" piece for for the first time in ages. Link is http://n-maranda-coy.livejournal.com/7066.html [...]

[halfmoon_mollie]

I'd like to ready it. I've read ARS and some of Shirley Jackson's short stories.

[whipchick]

So true - what I enjoy most about even supernatural horror is being able to bond with the characters and sympathize with them (or be horrified with them!)

Is there anything supernatural in PSYCHO?

[ellakite]

The horror stories which have always scared me the most are the ones that were *COMPLETELY* believable.

Because as you and I both know, sometimes the worst really does come to pass. Monsters do walk among us. They look just like the rest of us... and that makes it worse.

I will agree that it helps a lot for the characters involved to be sympathetic... but I absolutely must believe in them as people and I must believe that the situation they're faced with could happen for me to really be invested.

[halfshellvenus]

I actually don't think you need supernatural elements in a horror piece at all. Really, human beings can be terrible enough to each other that ghosts, evil forces, etc. are needed to build suspense.

Ax-murderer movies! Killer clowns! These are horror staples, and they don't have supernatural stuff in them either. ;)