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arwoodrum's review against another edition
2.0
You should just read Stephen King's "On Writing" instead.
rodneywilhite's review against another edition
2.0
Most of these essays were written in the 80s & 90s, so they're addressing an industry that's basically as outdated as phrenology nowadays (I mean, even articles about publishing from five years ago seem outdated now). There were one or two articles I found interesting, but mostly they can all be boiled down to two basic premises: 1) Believe It or Not, Horror Fiction Can Be Good; and 2) If You Apply These Beginner-Level Principles, Your Fiction Will Be Better.
donasbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Instagram Review: www.instagram.com/p/B95ej-fAxbF/
I finished this one a while back, but I gave it four stars so I must have really liked it when I finished it. That being said, it's a year later and I don't remember it. The only article I remember with any clarity-- where I've cited it or referenced it since-- is Stephen King's acceptance speech for the 2003 National Book Award.
Normally in a circumstance like this, where I remember liking a text, but I don't remember why, I would go back and reread the text, but I don't think I will do that here. For one, because the material is outdated and has little bearing on the publishing or horror industries today. Even if the material was fresh, the virus just swallowed everything whole and I doubt the material would have any bearing on the horror or publishing industries anyway.
But also, I suspect I am remembering what I loved about the collection. Just that speech. So maybe don't waste your time with the book; just look up Stephen Kings acceptance speech. It's wonderful.
Stay healthy writers and creatives <3
I finished this one a while back, but I gave it four stars so I must have really liked it when I finished it. That being said, it's a year later and I don't remember it. The only article I remember with any clarity-- where I've cited it or referenced it since-- is Stephen King's acceptance speech for the 2003 National Book Award.
Normally in a circumstance like this, where I remember liking a text, but I don't remember why, I would go back and reread the text, but I don't think I will do that here. For one, because the material is outdated and has little bearing on the publishing or horror industries today. Even if the material was fresh, the virus just swallowed everything whole and I doubt the material would have any bearing on the horror or publishing industries anyway.
But also, I suspect I am remembering what I loved about the collection. Just that speech. So maybe don't waste your time with the book; just look up Stephen Kings acceptance speech. It's wonderful.
Stay healthy writers and creatives <3
jennadactyl13's review against another edition
3.0
This is a pretty good starting point, but if you know some of the basics of writing, it might not help too much. It's more basic ideas, like how to create character, how to make that character authentic. At one point, it suggests using this new thing called Google. It also several times suggests reading horror novels and non-horror novels.
mgakis's review against another edition
4.0
Not just for horror enthusiasts - a lot of tips and tricks in this book can be used for any genre.
ameliareadsstuff's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.0
This is a tricky book to review simply because so much of its advice is firmly rooted in the year it was published—2006.
While many of the book's essays contain general horror writing advice that has stood the test of time, there's an even mix of articles that feel varying degrees of outdated. Some feel dated because the genre has moved on or expanded in the intervening years, while others are literally outdated, giving advice that is no longer as helpful (or even true) as it once was. There's also a little bit of this that feels like inside baseball circa 2006—most notably, the inclusion of the Harlan Ellison interview where he spends the duration slagging off the horror genre and horror writers.
On Writing Horror would have been at least a four-star book when it was published almost two decades ago, but now it has sections that read a bit like quaint historical artefacts. I'd love for the HWA to tackle a third edition that takes into account how much has changed in both the real world and the horror world. If you surgically removed the best articles and grafted them onto a new, fresher creation, you could easily spawn a guide invaluable to horror writers of the current moment.
While many of the book's essays contain general horror writing advice that has stood the test of time, there's an even mix of articles that feel varying degrees of outdated. Some feel dated because the genre has moved on or expanded in the intervening years, while others are literally outdated, giving advice that is no longer as helpful (or even true) as it once was. There's also a little bit of this that feels like inside baseball circa 2006—most notably, the inclusion of the Harlan Ellison interview where he spends the duration slagging off the horror genre and horror writers.
On Writing Horror would have been at least a four-star book when it was published almost two decades ago, but now it has sections that read a bit like quaint historical artefacts. I'd love for the HWA to tackle a third edition that takes into account how much has changed in both the real world and the horror world. If you surgically removed the best articles and grafted them onto a new, fresher creation, you could easily spawn a guide invaluable to horror writers of the current moment.
brianbbaker's review against another edition
4.0
I learned how to better craft a plot and how to craft dialogue that does not feel wooden
tjr's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty good selection of articles tailored to the Horror genre. There is a lot of information packed into this little gem, quite useful, for someone interested in writing a horror piece. If writing horror is your thing, pick this up. You should not be disappointed.