How Much Backstory is Too Much?
Backstory gives stories depth—but too much can drown them. Learn how to balance history and momentum so your characters feel real without stopping the story dead.
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Avoiding Cardboard Cutout Characters
Side characters make or break believability. They anchor worlds, test protagonists, and remind readers that life exists beyond the page. This “Behind the Pages” entry explores how to give secondary characters real motivations, flaws, and private lives—so they feel as vivid and unpredictable as anyone at the story’s center.
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Trigger Warnings in Dark Fiction
Horror doesn’t owe its audience comfort—but it does owe them clarity. Trigger warnings aren’t about softening a story; they’re about trust. In dark fiction, transparency lets readers choose when to step into the dark and when to pause for breath. This piece explores how warnings, tone, and empathy can coexist without dulling fear—and why honesty, not shock, keeps readers turning the page.
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Handling Gore & Disturbing Content Responsibly
Horror isn’t just about what we show—it’s about why we show it. In this Behind the Pages guide, we’ll explore how to write gore and disturbing content with purpose, empathy, and restraint. Learn when to push the boundary, when to pull back, and how to make every drop of blood mean something.
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Common Horror Tropes That Still Work
Readers know when they’re being led toward a familiar beat—the mirror scare, the creepy child, the “we shouldn’t be here” moment—and yet, when done well, these scenes still make their skin crawl. Why? Because tropes are shorthand for our oldest fears. They work because they speak a language the body understands before the brain catches up. The trick isn’t abandoning tropes; it’s learning when to honor and when to betray them.
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The Role of Silence and Stillness in Horror
In horror, silence isn’t empty—it’s charged. Stillness doesn’t calm—it tightens the wire. This post explores how quiet moments amplify dread, how writers from Shirley Jackson to Mark Fisher wield them, and how you can use silence and stillness to make your readers lean in—and never breathe easy again.
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How to Build Unease Without Jump Scares
Horror is more than jump scares. Learn how to build lasting unease through atmosphere, silence, and subtle tension in your writing.
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Interview with Ashlee “Ash” Reynolds
An interview with Ashlee Reynolds.
Interview with Ashlee “Ash” Reynolds Read More »
Interview with Alexandra “Lexi” Torres
An interview with Lexi Torres.
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Interview with Dr. Lisa Calloway
An interview with Dr. Lisa Calloway.
Interview with Dr. Lisa Calloway Read More »