Category: The Art of Horror
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Sister Mercy
She was born mute, never spoke a word, but they said she could hear thoughts and feel sins. Her prayers grew darker, her eyes colder. One by one the other sisters vanished. When a priest finally entered her cell, he found it empty except for claw marks on the stone walls and a black veil…
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Creating A Horror Book Cover Using Canva or With Photoshop
In an earlier post, I demonstrated designing a book cover using Canva. I do most of my cover design work in Photoshop, but Canva is a great tool that I use regularly to design as well, so this time, I thought it would be fun to try designing the same cover in both Photoshop and…
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Pacing in Horror & Dark Fantasy: 10 Tips
Think of pacing like a musical composition — it’s all about emotional tempo. To create the rhythm of a piece of writing, an experienced author must use all the techniques at their disposal, reeling in their readers at just the right moments. Here are ten tips for pacing your horror. Let me know if you…
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Depression
The artist builds his picture line-by-line, just as the writer builds his story word-by-word. Both are slow processes that grow in the construction until they often, likely most often, don’t resemble what the artisan set out to create. Art is not always a display of talent, but is often an expression of emotion, a story…
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Creating A Horror Book Cover Using Canva (A Free Graphic Design Application)
A great book cover is crucial for catching a reader’s eye, especially in the horror genre, where mood and atmosphere play a significant role. Many indie authors may not have the budget to hire a professional designer, but with tools like Canva, creating a compelling and eerie horror book cover is easier than ever. What…
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Yin and Yang
Most modern people are sophisticated, and quite familiar with the Yin and Yang symbol most intimately associated with Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. This article isn’t meant to be a scholarly treatise on Chinese religion, though, just an introduction to some more disturbing art. The symbol represents the opposites contained in all things, the positive and…
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Succubus
You met her at the bar; at the gym; on the bus. She found you as irresistible as you did her. The spell she wove kept you from wondering why this goddess of loveliness decided that you would be the one to share her charms. Now she waits impatiently at the foot of your bed…
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Seppuku
The sun is setting on this warrior of the rising sun. Pierced by an arrow, his sword arm useless, he has failed his Daimyo. An arrow! The weapon of cowards. He will never see the face of the man who has killed him. No matter. His duty is clear, and his faithful katana will be…
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Ninja
The warrior waits. . . Waits for his war. . . Waits for his enemy. . . Waits for someone to test his blade. . . A fear I have is that of the unfulfilled purpose. Living my life, whether it be long or cut short, I fear dedicating my life to an endeavor that…
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Repulsive
Horror has no boundaries. Most times, horror takes the form of ghosts, an unsolved murder, or even a possessed nun. In this case my idea of horror is an infant left helplessly in the glare of Chernobyl, the blast of a nuke, some form of radiation or infection that gives rise to this three-headed monster.…
Threads that Bind 