Starting a new book, need some suggestions.

Feidb said:

moonwatch178, you're basically eliminating all the horror elements from a ghost story. Not a bad idea, but that's changing the genre, making it more science fiction or maybe a supernatural thriller. I can tell you're really bored with the genre.

Maybe you ought to write something like that, if you haven't already. I'd be tempted to read it if gets published and it isn't first-person.

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Thanks for the idea! Still, I have to disagree. I don't think the suggestion eliminates all the horror elements of a ghost story at all. I think you can have a perfectly pissed off ghost in horror who isn't just *evil* for the sake of evil, but has a broader motivation. Think a ghost predator/ killer a la Criminal Minds. Or Chucky! A ghost that uses its abilities to accomplish a ghoulish goal. And who doesn't whine about or really care that its dead. In fact, maybe it likes being dead.

Have you seen The Others? Now that was a ghost story with a fresh perspective and excellent twist.

The idea that makes a ghost story work is going to have to come out of you, be a part of you, something you know that others do not. Avoid clichés. There's never a reason to use a cliché. It's lazy writing, and lazier thinking. Clichés won't get past a first reader, and shouldn't. There may be only four basic plots, but there are billions of ways to use those plots, billions of stories to tell, and there's always something new to say. Always. Good writers find the new. Bad writers copy the old.

Your imagination, and your life experience, are where this newness is hidden. It's what "write what you know" really means. If you have a good story and good characters, new sells, even if it's something minor. Clichés do not.

Find the new approach, however minor, and you may write the next bestseller. Original ghost stories are always in high demand, and no matter who says otherwise, originality is always possible.

namejohn said:

I don't like seeing a ghost presented as a demon spirit that needs to be exorcised out of the house.

I prefer the ghost as being a person that lived in the house and is living, in it's after-life, in the house. And since it's the ghost's house, the ghost belongs in the house.

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Couldn't agree more. It's a jaded concept where every spirit entity is a demon and boring as hell. If you want to bring demons into it, do it properly.

Desiree said:

Have you seen The Others? Now that was a ghost story with a fresh perspective and excellent twist.

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I thought the twist was highly predicable, in fact I guessed it as soon as I saw the old endless fog trick. However, the spirits trapped in the lower earthly dimensions concept is one that potentially has many permutations.

When it comes to haunted house stories (which I love), I would recommend three just to see how they approached it.
1. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
2. JULIAN'S HOUSE by Judith Hawkes
3. THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR by Anne Rivers Siddons

In each one, the "living characters" are complicated and very robustly written. I think that is more important than how scary the house might be. Also, you can't really tell in each story if the house is haunted or the people are. Again, the key is the characters you introduce us to and how compelling they are.

Jake.Ashworth said:

So I am wanting to write a classic, terrifying ghost story. I have a good base as my grandfathers house was haunted and I have compiled tons of stories from family of experiences that are pretty unique. What I am hoping for from this thread is mainly thoughts on things to avoid. Ghost stories have been played pretty hard and I want to avoid clichés and over used themes. If you wouldn't mind, post below things you just cant stand to re-read when reading a ghost story. For example, big dark gothic mansion in the woods, young family got it for a great price but they have no idea why, spooky stuff happens.

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I know the OP is a couple of months old, but Jake in case you are still following this thread here is a suggestion. One of the risks of basing your story on actual events is if you allow what really happened to limit what happens in your story. So by all means monitor your cliche meter, but also don't let your family experiences inhibit your imagination.

Just my $.02. Hope your writing is going strong.

Jim

SCUBABry said:

It is funny that Dirk Bentley (as a name) was kind of random on my part. Everyone seems to know somebody with a similar name.

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Unfortunately so did Douglas Adams - you might struggle with "Dirk Bentley's Paranormal Detective Agency" when "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" has already been a successful book, radio series and TV show.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Gently's_Holistic_Detective_Agency