Dark Stories
Having a deep understanding of whatever you engage yourself in is a very crucial move one can make. To have an exemplary performance or become outstanding in your piece of work, as a writer you should retreat to find out and master your genre as well. Dark story writers need to understand how to address their audience through their stories to gain more readership.
One critical thing they should know is what a dark story is and how to make it dark. Dark stories include but are not limited to horror stories, psychological stories, thrillers, and moralistic tales. It is not necessary that a dark story has to be so scary or have a given character who kills people left right centre but they can address some things which are outside the acceptable issues in the society especially immoral social issues, themes and ideas.
One critical thing they should know is what a dark story is and how to make it dark. Dark stories include but are not limited to horror stories, psychological stories, thrillers, and moralistic tales. It is not necessary that a dark story has to be so scary or have a given character who kills people left right centre but they can address some things which are outside the acceptable issues in the society especially immoral social issues, themes and ideas.
Dark story writers make people feel awkward or uneasy as they address issues like genocide, drug trafficking, terrorism, child abuse, the horror of wars among the rest. Sometimes these subjects are taboos but the writer explores and exposes the fears of the unknown. In short, The dark moments in a story come out of those things that people fear most. The sweetest part of a dark story is to have a specific reason as to why you are bringing out given underlying darkness.
Precisely, the key elements that make a story dark include:
- Uncomfortable subjects
- Human nature
- Intense emotions
- Dark themes
- Deep and complex characterisation
- Any underlying darkness must have a meaning
- Fears, insecurities and anxieties
- The real world
A History Of Dark Stories
The history of the dark Stories in the UK dates back in the ex-British empire. The stories are used widely to unravel many Psychological and economic relationships in the Empire. After publishing houses were established many talents were moulded in the UK and literature like Voices of the Living and the Dead, Dread Beat and Blood and many more were published.
Short Stories
What Makes A Great Plot?
Writing a short story is not just a walk in the park as its name denotes. It’s something that needs a myriad of considerations to hit the market and attract a lot of readerships. Below is a list of ten tips on how to write a good short story:
1. Ensure that you write your work in one sitting. When you sit to write,
finish the draft of your short story without so much considering the nitty-gritty of writing.
2. For a story to be interesting, as a writer you should develop your protagonist. The protagonist should be able to make decisions.
3. All along with your story, create suspense and drama. Always put the protagonist in question and avoid oversharing of information.
4. Show every scene in your story. Do not just tell us.
5. Good dialogue is a pleasant spice to your short story. Master your characters well to achieve this.
6. The success of a good story is pegged on death. Write about death.
7. Before you share your story, edit it professionally. You are at liberty to write more that one draft for perfection.
8. An accomplished writer should know the rules and break them.
9. If you seem to be stuck somewhere while writing, do not stop but just write.
10. Finally, share your story for criticism by even getting into contests. The plot of a short story should begin with conflict, followed by good things, then bad things, victory and winding up.
Segal Short Stories
by author
Andrew Segal
What is the human condition if not a foetid tangle of greed, savagery, prurience and blackest farce?
Nightmares Are Made Of Segal's Short Stories.
From a master of a disturbed imagination, here’s a taste of the dark, macabre and sinister aspects of human nature.
Nine tales of horror, perversion, the surreal and the supernatural, that promise to keep you up all night.
Dark Story Writers
& Their Stories
The list of Dark Story writers is endless but below are the selected four and how they rose to be Dark Stories Writers.
Stephen King
This son of Donald and Nellie has proven to be the world’s leading dark stories writer. Though he did not start as a writer, King has made so many strides in the genre by not only producing innumerable books but also generating so much money through it. This high school teacher found himself in a fix when he missed a chance to teach and resolved to venture into writing. While undertaking his Bachelors Degree in English, Stephen King started by writing in one of the University as a columnist. He participated in writing workshops also while at school.
In 1967, he published his first professional short story called “The Glass Floor” and later published more stories like “The Raft.” As an author, Stephen King has produced a lot of work in various areas like supernatural fiction, horror, fantasy and suspense. He has sold over 350 million copies of books which have also been featured in films, television series, comic books and miniseries. He has a total of seven novels and 200 short stories.
Through writing, Stephen has received many awards and recognitions as any other successful person. Some of them are World Fantasy Awards, Bram Stoker Awards and the British Fantasy awards.
Joseph King
Famously known as Joe Hill, Joseph Hillström King is also another prominent Dark Stories Writer. He got a privilege to be born in 1972 to Stephen King and Tabitha King, who are authors, which perhaps may have shaped his writing skills and developed him to feature among the world’s top authors. He published his first book called “20th Century Ghosts”, that contained a collection of fourteen short stories.
The collection hit the market rolling until it became the best fantasy collection and won the Bram Stoker Award. Other works include the short stories like “The Strange Weather” produced in the year 2017. His novels are: “Herat-Shaped Box, Horns, NOS4A2 and The Fireman that he published in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 respectively.
The collection hit the market rolling until it became the best fantasy collection and won the Bram Stoker Award. Other works include the short stories like “The Strange Weather” produced in the year 2017. His novels are: “Herat-Shaped Box, Horns, NOS4A2 and The Fireman that he published in 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 respectively.
As a comic writer, Joseph Hillström King has produced a series of comic books including Locke & Key from 2008-2013. The series has won him a total of three awards that are: twice British Fantasy Awards – 2009 & 2012 and Eisner Award of 2012. The stunning part of his life in art was when he featured in a film in 1982 while he was 9 years. The film was called “Creepshow” and was written by his father and directed by George A. Romero.
Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is an amazing author who developed an interest in literature since he was a child and teenager. He constantly read works of many authors like Michael Moorcock, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Rudyard Kipling, Lord Dunsany, Mary Shelley, G. K. Chesterton and Will Eisner. As a teenager, he also was a diehard fan of Monty Python comedy and had a Monty Python's Big Red Book.
At the age of 20 years, he set out to visit his all-time fiction writer R. A. Lafferty, to get counsels on how to become an author and R. A. Lafferty did not disappoint him but in return he sent Neil Gaiman a letter full of encouragement and literary advise. Later, he wrote his first book in 1984 and then articles and interviews in the British magazines.
H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft gets into the record as one of the oldest Dark Stories authors who lived between 20th August 1890 to 15th March 1937. Though he died, H. P. Lovecraft was a magnificent American Horror and fiction writer. The Tomb, Dagon, "A Reminiscence of Dr Samuel Johnson", "Polaris", "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" and "Memory" are some of the works he wrote. Through his writings, he has inspired so many young authors who have drawn motivation from his works. Lovecraft also has done collaborations, revisions and ghost-writing.
Calling Short Story Lovers!
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