We seem to live in a world today which thrives on gory descriptions. The bloodier the movie or book, the better it will sell, or so it is thought. We see movies like the Final Destination series and the Saw chain and realize we are obsessed with debased scenes. I refuse to watch gore, unless it is based on a historical war scene (in such matters I do not want to be lied to either, as I remember the stories my grandfather told me of the horrors of the Second World War.) Yet when it comes to entertainment, we gravitate towards the bloody; as writers, it should not be so with us. Too many works are created everyday that detail slimy, butcher-like scenes. That is not art; neither is it acceptable. Some may think it difficult to create a horror story without gruesome detail. I disagree. Below you will find a few hints on how to write a very good work of fiction without the mess.
First, and most importantly, let the imagination work on its own. When a person is engulfed by a book, their brain is running “wide-open.” They are viewing the scenes you describe; they are engaging with the characters and the plot; they are remembering places and names, and perhaps even conjuring memories of their own. You need not inundate their minds with details of a bloody nature. Poe illustrates a good example in the Black Cat, where he plucks out the eye of the cat. What could have been a very blood scene in writing was glossed over very quickly with little to no gory detail. The mind knew what to think; everyone can create their own scene without unwanted detail. Let the mind of the reader work freely on these parts. This leads me to my second point, if blood is necessary, move through it quickly.
If writing a horror story, you will encounter bloody moments. It is inevitable to create a story with violence and no blood shedding. To dwell on the bloodthirstiness of the scene, however, is not necessary. Pass through it quickly. In most of Poe’s works, he passed through the scenes very quickly and with little detail. In my works, I give very little detail on such matters, and opt to move around them quietly. Does that make me a bad writer? I should think not, since my work is more about art than mere entertainment. I write for the joy of writing and the art of the work, not subtle blood splattering. The action may be necessary for the storyline, but the excessive detail is not; mention and move on.
Finally, remember your audience. It is always a good idea, if writing horror, to write to as general an audience as possible. Keep the gore to a minimum for the sake of the readers, and you will have better success with the reading population. People can enjoy a good scary story; not all people can stomach gruesome scenes. Write to the greater reading population and you will do alright.
Well, still feeling the need to elaborate on the exploding head? Remember, what you create is art, not just archaic symbols on a page. You may walk into a museum and look at the works of Warhol and think, what? Some people may walk into your story and think the same, even though you, like Warhol, are brilliant.
As always, good luck writing.
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