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Writing in the Dark Kindle Edition
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WINNER OF THE 2020 BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR NON-FICTION
In this comprehensive textbook devoted to the craft of writing horror fiction, award-winning author Tim Waggoner draws on thirty years' experience as a writer and teacher. Writing in the Dark offers advice, guidance, and insights on how to compose horror stories and novels that are original, frightening, entertaining, and well-written.
Waggoner covers a wide range of topics, among them why horror matters, building viable monsters, generating ideas and plotlines, how to stylize narratives in compelling ways, the physiology of fear, the art of suspense, avoiding clichés, marketing your horror writing, and much more. Each chapter includes tips from some of the best horror professionals working today, such as Joe Hill, Ellen Datlow, Joe R. Lansdale, Maurice Broaddus, Yvette Tan, Thomas Ligotti, Jonathan Maberry, Edward Lee, and John Shirley. There are also appendices with critical reflections, pointers on the writing process, ideas for characters and story arcs, and material for further research.
Writing in the Dark derives from Waggoner's longtime blog of the same name. Suitable for classroom use, intensive study, and bedside reading, this essential manual will appeal to new authors at the beginning of their career as well as veterans of the horror genre who want to brush up on their technique.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateSeptember 16, 2020
- File size2781 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"I still refer to handwritten notes I scribbled down asfast as I could during one of Tim's horror-writing classes. Absolutely incisiveinsights and practical know-how." --Tom Leveen, Bram Stoker finalist andauthor of Hellworld
"As soon as I heard Waggoner was creating a book onwriting craft, I knew I was buying it. His insights are gold." --JayWilburn, author of the Maidens of Zombie Kingdom trilogy
"For some years now, Tim Waggoner's Writing in the Darkhas been my go-to blog for sensible, actionable, sustainable tips for writers.Scarily good advice." --Lee Murray, author of The Path of Ra series
"As a true newbie, I really didn't know much about thewriting world. Tim was my HWA mentor in 2017. During our four months together,he critiqued three of my short stories and the beginnings of a novel. Hisadvice was always on point with an eye toward pacing and story arc (myweaknesses). His advice is straightforward without being either condescendingor cruel. Since working with Tim, I've had three short stories published (oneat professional rates) and have drafted and revised my novel." --ValerieB. Williams, writer of dark fiction and two-time survivor of Borderlands BootCamp
"Tim's writing advice and lessons are simple,straightforward and always actionable. I must admit to having cribbed some ofhis approaches in my own classroom from time to time and, as all teachers know,theft is the best compliment we can give." --Anthony Klancar, High SchoolEnglish Teacher
"Tim helped me find the writer in me. He encouraged meto appreciate and trust my voice to tell my stories." --Patti Balster,Student
"When I engage with Tim Waggoner's writing advice, Ican be sure it will be useful and practical. While realistic and sobering, hisadvice does so in a way that isn't discouraging or downbeat. It gives me arenewed sense of hope and new ideas to try that I hadn't consideredbefore." --Eva V. Roslin, Librarian
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B08GCZ6GK9
- Publisher : Dog Star Books (September 16, 2020)
- Publication date : September 16, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 2781 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 280 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #227,551 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #181 in Authorship
- #418 in Authorship Reference
- #1,170 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and he’s published close to fifty novels and seven collections of short stories since. He writes original fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. His novels include Like Death, considered a modern classic in the genre, and the popular Nekropolis series of urban fantasy novels. He’s written tie-in fiction for Supernatural, Alien, Grimm, the X-Files, Doctor Who, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Transformers, among others. His articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Writer’s Journal, and Writer’s Workshop of Horror. He’s won the Bram Stoker Award and been a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, the Scribe Award, and the Splatterpunk Award. In addition to writing, Tim is also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2021
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It opens with an intro by Tom Monteleone of Borderlands fame demonstrating why Waggoner is qualified to write the book. He's a prolific writer of both horror and media tie-ins. In the preface, Waggoner reveals why he writes horror. We're of roughly the same age, and his journey in many ways mirrors mine. (It's great to meet a new member of the Horror Family. Weirdos unite!)
He progresses through chapters such as "Why Horror Matters" and "Things Unknown" and turns a corner with "Everything You Know Is Wrong." He covers various subgenres of horror, generating unique ideas for stories, and building one-of-a-kind monsters. I especially enjoyed the chapters "The Horror Hero's Journey" (Poor Bastard's Descent into Hell) and the importance of including an emotional core relayed through immersive POV.
Every chapter is insightful, helpful, and entertaining. Each ends with exercises to enable eager writers to implement what they've just learned as well as three or four "voices from the shadows"--accomplished horror writers--who discuss what makes good horror and best advice for beginning writers.
Waggoner teaches college-level writing, so you're getting a college course in a book. I love to study, so I consider it a textbook that's also a tasty morsel of how-to darkness.
My review is actually 4.6 stars. The book lost a few tenths because the type is so small. As I read through, I was hoping for a workbook that expanded the exercises. Well, Guide Dog Books recently announced a companion workbook IS coming, so I'm excited about that. I'll be buying it, too, when it comes out. But I hope the type is a little bigger for those like me over 50.
I can't recommend this text highly enough. Whether you're a beginning, intermediate, or advanced horror writer, you'll get something useful to take your writing to the next horrific level.
Waggoner is a college writing instructor and it shows. He has a knack for describing writing technique with a specificity that's often hard to find from writers who are not also trained educators. But Waggoner, unlike many, also practices the dark art he preaches. His fiction is top notch. I don't buy the whole, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." But I'm always pleased when I find a writing teacher who also rocks the page in their fiction. And Waggoner definitely qualifies.
I don't write a lot of book reviews, and only bother to do so when I read something I think is really special. So there ya go.
Tim Waggoner is an amazing author of truly terrifying and deeply heart-felt stories. His novels and short stories really cut to the quick. But, more than just a novelist, Tim is a teacher. He disperses his wisdom on his website, which so many of us hungrily devour. Now, Tim has distilled his wisdom and years of expertise into this amazing text book. As a horror filmmaker, I jumped at the chance to peek inside Tim’s mind, to get some insights into the ins and outs of writing truly masterful horror. It’s a cliche to say “he wrote the book on” how to write horror, but he really did. And it’s right here, for all to see.
This is a book that anyone can enjoy, but as a text book on horror, it is essential reading.
Top reviews from other countries

At the end of every chapter he asks 2 questions of published horror authors: 'What makes good horror/dark fantasy/suspense? And What's the best advice you can give a beginning writer of horror/dark fantasy/suspense? And with 20 chapters and 3 or 4 author answers per chapter that is a lot of wisdom.
This is going to be a seminal work for horror writers in the future; an excellent read.



Felizmente, WRITING IN THE DARK, de Tim Waggoner, não se encaixa nesse tipo. Waggoner é um autor veterano e premiado de contos, novelas e romances de terror (além de professor de escrita criativa) e que usa toda a sua experiência para guiar o leitor (e provável escritor) na tarefa de escrever um bom texto, analisando desde o motivo de se escrever terror, como evitar clichês, técnicas literárias etc. Além disso, cada capítulo traz exercícios para ajudar a desenvolver a escrita, assim como também duas perguntas feitas a autores e editores da área: 1) o que faz uma boa história de horror/suspense/dark fantasy e 2) qual é o melhor conselho que você pode dar a um escritor iniciante. As respostas tão diversas se transformam em dicas valiosas aos leitores.
WRITING IN THE DARK é um verdadeiro curso de como escrever uma boa história de terror, tanto para os que estão começando quanto para os que já tem algum certo tempo de estrada, como é o meu caso.


Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on June 25, 2021
Felizmente, WRITING IN THE DARK, de Tim Waggoner, não se encaixa nesse tipo. Waggoner é um autor veterano e premiado de contos, novelas e romances de terror (além de professor de escrita criativa) e que usa toda a sua experiência para guiar o leitor (e provável escritor) na tarefa de escrever um bom texto, analisando desde o motivo de se escrever terror, como evitar clichês, técnicas literárias etc. Além disso, cada capítulo traz exercícios para ajudar a desenvolver a escrita, assim como também duas perguntas feitas a autores e editores da área: 1) o que faz uma boa história de horror/suspense/dark fantasy e 2) qual é o melhor conselho que você pode dar a um escritor iniciante. As respostas tão diversas se transformam em dicas valiosas aos leitores.
WRITING IN THE DARK é um verdadeiro curso de como escrever uma boa história de terror, tanto para os que estão começando quanto para os que já tem algum certo tempo de estrada, como é o meu caso.


If I'm left with only one book on writing horror, this would be my pick. If I was left with one book on writing, this would be my pick.
Heartfelt thanks to the author for showing me the light in the darkness I love so much.