Comments for Suspense Magazine's Blog Site

Comment on Guest blogger Danny Gallagher “Why does Horror have such a bad reputation?” by Jay Zimmer

Jay Zimmer — Sun, 05 May 2013 14:05:11 +0000

I have to agree. First, in the past, women have been the main victims of horror situations because they show terror and fright much more graphically than men do. Lately, though, horror has devolved into a showcase for bare breasts in motion and not the flowing emotion of their owners.
It might also be possible that most horror plots have been used, and everything that comes down the pike today is simply a reworking of one or another of plots that have gone before — with the scantily clad women to make it look different.
Indeed, nudity has always been a part of the horror genre for a few thought-provoking reasons. Once, nudity was daring and adventurous, and relatively rare. Today, though film makers haven’t figured it out yet, nudity so commonplace that it’s no longer shocking or titilating to must sophisticated viewers.
And it’s that prolific exploitation of skin that gives horror a bad rep. How well I remember the Saturday afternoon movies of my youth where I would scrunch deep into my jujube-stained seat as the monster came at me from the screen.
So long ago!

Comment on Guest blogger Danny Gallagher “Why does Horror have such a bad reputation?” by Chris Allen (@IntrepidAllen)

Chris Allen (@IntrepidAllen) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:16:59 +0000

G’day Danny,

Thanks for a thoughtful post. I think that the art of good horror as a genre can get lost when we can’t escape horrific news stories in our Facebook news stream and on the TV / radio most days and nights. That said, I think the author often uses horror not to just shock the reader (although that is a side-effect) but to paint a picture about how they feel about a character or situation. That, and to lead them (with bated breath) to the next strand or juncture of their all-important storyline.

Best, Chris

Comment on New Year, New Blog, Same great people!! by Major Sandoval

Major Sandoval — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:50:05 +0000

I have to go with Star HERO, because it balances readability with content. I like Fantasy HERO for its crunchiness but it doesn’t flow as well. I liked Champions, but I felt it didn’t really add as much as Star HERO did for stepping into the genre. However, some of that may be that my entire background with Champions/HERO is that superhero genre, so it’s harder to impress me, I admit. Very tough choice though – all the books are quite useful and have a high standard.

Comment on Guest Blogger, Richard Godwin, “Gothic Roots of Horror” by Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw

Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:14:07 +0000

Excellent observations… I always come away from reading one of Richard’s essays feeling a bit like I’ve just been in a lecture and should have been taking notes. This is a good thing!

So then, the fiction writer reconciles his or her irrational impulses by creating an alternate reality where those impulses can be set free without causing harm to others. I like that.

I like Richard’s explanation… the distinction between terror and horror. A lot of people don’t get that and think that one always has to follow the other.

Great post! Thank you, Richard! As always, a pleasure… and an education.

Comment on Guest Blogger, Richard Godwin, “Gothic Roots of Horror” by AJ Hayes

AJ Hayes — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:56:45 +0000

Very nicely put, Richard. I’ve made the definition that horror is the monster that lurks outside the circle of firelight and terror is the monster within that circle. I wonder where “dread” fits into that equarion. As usual you gave me something to think about, my friend.

Comment on Guest Blogger, Richard Godwin, “Gothic Roots of Horror” by Salvatore Buttaci

Salvatore Buttaci — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:17:42 +0000

Brilliant observations! If more college students would’ve had Richard Godwin as their Literature professor, there’d be a rather good number more Literature lovers out there. An excellent essay from an excellent author.

Comment on Guest Blogger, Richard Godwin, “Gothic Roots of Horror” by Paul D. Brazill

Paul D. Brazill — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:16:43 +0000

Great post. I’ve always thought the serial killer as a very Gothic creation- Mr Hyde, for example.

Comment on Guest Blogger, Richard Godwin, “Gothic Roots of Horror” by JD Mader

JD Mader — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 23:17:42 +0000

Very astute observations. I especially like the idea of the shadow…something that certainly applies to most of the writers I know. Thank you for this excellent examination of distinctions that, though fine, are fascinating for their shading of our reader’s lens.

Comment on Once in a while I get interviewed, check it out here. by Kim Chamberlain

Kim Chamberlain — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 18:12:30 +0000

“If you are talking about a short story, then plot would be more important. Otherwise you spend all 5000 words just developing the characters, but they don’t do anything. With a book, I say 100% character is the most important part. ”

Interesting comment.

I think characters can be well defined by their actions and reactions in a given situation, with the cumulative effect of those throughout the story defining the character for the reader. No backstory required. A woman at 7-11 paying with EBT drops a twenty on the floor, and the guy in a suit behind her picks it up, putting it in his pocket. The trick comes with taking the time to create situations wherein the behavior will effectively describe the character intended.

A writer can choose to write pages about how sad, hurt, and confused a character is over the break-up with the ex, (never mentioning it again except the odd reminder, as most do) for instance, or (as one example) the writer can have the character carry a greeting card that says ‘I really miss you’ to the register, but as he’s about to pay for it, put it aside, now leaving the place in a different mood. Two or three variations on this in the story will show me the character’s thoughts and emotions without the narrator once telling me how sad the guy is. And the activities involved can be used as plot elements, as opposed to what I call ‘Character appendages,’ which are backstory passages that do not bear on the activity of the plot.

Anyway, just talking. Enjoy these posts.

Comment on New Year, New Blog, Same great people!! by Weldon Burge

Weldon Burge — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:30:34 +0000

Words of wisdom! I just started my own horror/suspense publishing company, Smart Rhino Publications, just over a year ago. I’m no slouch when it comes to marketing, but I have to say that getting Smart Rhino books reviewed has been the biggest challenge in getting the company off the ground. It’s a neverending challenge as well!

But, I also need to point out that it is actually easier today than it was even a decade ago–thanks to technology and social media. You want to sell books? You must be omnipresent online. Being Web-savvy and using technology to market your books is not only essential, but critical.

John’s advice is spot-on correct. Listen to him, folks!