54 - The Shadows of your World - Worldbuilding Horror with Seth Ring

Horror lives just outside of our eyeline. In the peripherals of our vision. It's a feeling we can't quite shake when something seems amiss and the hairs on the back of our necks rise as our pulse quickens. To that end, world-building is absolutely critical to that tangible atmospher of dread. But how do we create this sensation in our visitants?

Happy Halloween everyone! For this spooky episode of the WorldCraft Club Podcast we dive into how we can create horror in our fictional settings by twisting familiar stories. Ramp up your spooky worldbuilding and give us a listen.

Key Takeaways

• Horror is found in the gaps - A lot like wonder, horror is really based in what is not known more than what is. Leverage this by resisting the urge to lavish details where they may not be needed. Let your visitant's mind wander into grisly possibilities.
• Twisting tropes is powerful - Fear is often based in seeing something that should be familiar but finding that it's altered in some unsettling way. This is true for familiar stories and tropes
• Worldbuilding is critical for horror to land - The atmosphere of dread is almost as important as the dreadful elements of the story itself. It's the setting that tells a reader the situation is unusual or that something is amiss before even your protagonist has become fully aware.

Links and Sundry

• Zack Goings interview - More on horror from our interview with the excellent Zack Goings.
• Uncanny Valley - You know when something doesn't look quite right? You're in the uncanny valley. Nearly human... but not quite.
• Review of The Conjuring - If you love movies and don't mind missing a few weeks of sleep I highly recommend this movie. Check out this review from Ryan Hollinger, my go to source on horror filmography.
• Bug Man Men in Black Scene - This scene still freaks me out to this day.

Come hang out with us!

• WorldCraft Club LinkTree - This is our LinkTree, here you can find the Worldbuilder's Journal, access to our fantastic Discord community as well as other ways to get in touch.