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A review by vondav
Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre by Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale, Clive Barker
5.0
As an avid reader of all things horror, I have always had an interest in where authors get their ideas, how do they just sit at a keyboard and write. These and many more questions are answered. With interviews and articles each chapter has an authors insight on where nightmare come from.
In every chapter I learnt something new and in something cases even found some new authors to read or films to watch.
One chapter I was really interested in was Urban Lore and the Rise of the Creepypasta by Michael Paul Gonzalez. Learning about the origins of Creepypasta had me intrigued and when I have some spare time I will google some just to take a read. Throughout this chapter I was waiting for the one character that my kids would not shut up about and that was Slenderman . Reading about him showed what an big impact his stories had on people.
Reading how Ramsey Campbell edited his story made the words come to life and it was a fine example on how a change of word here or there really made the story. It felt you were leaning over his shoulder reading and watching the words as he wrote.
Each author’s chapter had a friendly tone to them and not once was there an element of talking down. Each and everyone wanted to share their knowledge which in some cases spanned years. I attend many book events where I sit in on interviews and panels and this book felt like I was at one of these event but it was a lot cheaper.
Whether you have that burning desire to write a story or have been writing for years this book will suit a vast amount of people. But it does not stop with novels, there is a lot of media where horror plays a big part and if you fancy yourself as a screen writer or an author of graphic novels than you will also find some useful tips.
In every chapter I learnt something new and in something cases even found some new authors to read or films to watch.
One chapter I was really interested in was Urban Lore and the Rise of the Creepypasta by Michael Paul Gonzalez. Learning about the origins of Creepypasta had me intrigued and when I have some spare time I will google some just to take a read. Throughout this chapter I was waiting for the one character that my kids would not shut up about and that was Slenderman . Reading about him showed what an big impact his stories had on people.
Reading how Ramsey Campbell edited his story made the words come to life and it was a fine example on how a change of word here or there really made the story. It felt you were leaning over his shoulder reading and watching the words as he wrote.
Each author’s chapter had a friendly tone to them and not once was there an element of talking down. Each and everyone wanted to share their knowledge which in some cases spanned years. I attend many book events where I sit in on interviews and panels and this book felt like I was at one of these event but it was a lot cheaper.
Whether you have that burning desire to write a story or have been writing for years this book will suit a vast amount of people. But it does not stop with novels, there is a lot of media where horror plays a big part and if you fancy yourself as a screen writer or an author of graphic novels than you will also find some useful tips.