I've developed a half-decent elevator pitch when people who aren't familiar with my work want to know the kinds of stories I write: "I write supernatural suspense novels and short stories, so it's suspense but with ghosts and demons and other strange things. If you're familiar with Dean Koontz, my books are a similar genre to his."
(I like to throw Dean's name around a lot.)
It's cool when people get excited to learn that I write in one of their favorite genres. Sometimes people are curious and ask me why I have chosen to write supernatural suspense, so here are some reasons why.
1. It's more subtle than all-out horror
While I would consider myself a fan of certain brands of horror, I'm not much into the slasher variety. Give me creepy; don't give me entrails. My own writing has been mildly gory in the past, but I've toned it down a bit in recent years. Guts don't scare me--I just think they're gross. My personal favorite brands of horror are of the Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling varieties.
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(I know Rod Serling didn't write that episode, but it's a cool GIF.)
2. It creates a broad range of possibilities
This probably goes for most genres, but I feel that I could take a story anywhere using supernatural elements. I've written stories featuring ghosts, demons, angels, people with mind-control powers, a cursed mirror, and a painting that eats people's souls if they stare at it too long. The possibilities are endless!
3. Stories are scarier if they hit closer to home
The vast majority of my stories take place in the present-day and feature regular people who have terribly bizarre things start happening to them. It's the same with supernatural suspense novels by other authors I've read, such as the aforementioned Dean Koontz, Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and Erin Healy. I think a story is scarier if the remote possibility exists that it might be able to happen in the real world.
4. It's fun
Maybe I'm just mean (as all authors should be!), but I enjoy pitting my characters against enemies of a supernatural nature, whether they be ghosts, demons, or something else. They have to think outside the box when figuring out how to defeat them.
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I'm assuming that since you've read this far, you're probably a fan of supernatural suspense. And now I must ask: Why do you like reading it? Tell us in the comments!
