Back when I started working on Shutter (a horror comic book series), I started getting questions from friends and acquaintances, wondering why I was writing a horror story. If you’re a horror fan, then this question probably seems odd and confusing. But if you’re like (what seems like) the vast majority, horror is a scary thing you avoid and in most cases don’t understand (or want to).

What is Horror Anyway?

The first question to ask is what is horror? There are so many categories within the horror genre. Here’s a quick list of a few of the most common:

  • Slasher – some creepy guy with a weapon chases after a group of young people. (Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween)
  • Haunted house – ghosts and spirits scare a family or vulnerable person. (Poltergeist, The Changeling)
  • Sci-Fi – Alien or other-worldly force attacks an unsuspecting humanity. (Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers)
  • Creatures – Zombies, vampires, werewolves, etc. A strange creature attacks. (Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon)
  • Torture – Primarily focused on the pain of victims inflicted by a maniac or backwoods inbreed (Hostel, Saw)
  • Psychological – Deals with the fear in the mind from what’s not shown (or shown only very quickly) (Hitchcock films like Psycho, Shutter Island)

This is only a short list, there are many others but it doesn’t begin to include all the aspects of horror. Just because a book or a film is not specifically cataloged in the horror genre, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have aspects of horror. There are a lot of action, science fiction, fantasy, dramas and even comedies that have really scary moments. That’s because horror isn’t a genre, its a feeling.

Struggle to Articulate

But when people have asked me why I would write horror, why focus on something so terrible and nasty, why bring more negativity into the world (as they perceive it), I’ve had trouble articulating a succinct answer. I love being scared. It’s fun. I love stories with characters that are in near hopeless situations and seeing how they get out of it. I love supernatural stories, exploring the unknown, what could be possible.

Many people think they don’t like horror but these same people have watched countless other movies and read several books that had horror elements. A lot of the Twilight Zone’s episodes were straight-up horror but it isn’t traditionally classified as a horror show for instance.

The Deeper the Horror, the Greater the Redemption

Horror writer Michaelbrent Collings made a statement in a panel at LTUE 2014 that really helped me articulate why I love horror. Here’s a paraphrase of what Michaelbrent said:

Horror is the only genre that allows a writer to bring a character to their absolute deepest, darkest, lowest point. And because the character can be brought so low, the final redemption of the character is more powerful than any other genre.

A good example of this is the account of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Whether or not you believe in the story, one of the reasons it still resonates so strongly with people around the world is that Jesus was brought lower than imaginable through his trial, whipping, and crucifixion. It is true horror. So his subsequent resurrection and ascendance into heaven is that much more satisfying and wondrous.

It’s a better way of describing it than any I had heard before. There are other reasons of course, but the main thing about horror for me is that the character arc can be bigger, more impactful, more satisfying than any other genre. That’s why even my non-horror stories many times have horror elements to them.