Halloween 2022: Indian horror fiction writers discuss challenges, charm of writing scary stories

Authors of the genre feel the setting for ghost stories has to be perfect

Fans of ghost stories shape an obnoxious stock of humans. This writer speaks on behalf of her clique that passionately seeks scare. The pull of fear has you so emotionally invested in spirits that you may want to keep a diary of your favourite creepy crawlies. Halloween is a tempting time to get back to books such as The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. And much though we enjoy such customary reads, we are made to mull the wishful element in pursuing fright. Does the genre carve out a safe space for our vulnerable selves? Three authors tell us about their experience of courting a chilling story.

Make it believeable

The basic ingredients of a good spooky story are atmosphere, emotion and plot. Creating the right atmosphere through language to describe the setting in which the story unfolds, and moving at the right pace can help build up tension. It's the difference between stating that the house was haunted and saying, the house was isolated; that it had dark shadows in every corner, and made eerie sounds in the night. There's more horror fiction available in India than psychological haunting; the latter being more difficult to pull off. There is still scope for well-written ghost novels to be published here. One should focus on story craft and quality to pull off the believability of haunting.

The genre is a favourite across age groups as most readers are addicted to the endorphin rush. A ghost story allows one to feel safe enough to enjoy that heady rush while being aware that it's unreal. I'm a huge fan of Venita Coelho's The Washer of the Dead. The Penguin Book of Indian Ghost Stories is a nice collection which has one of my favourite tales - Fritz by Satyajit Ray, in it. Though controversial, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is still one of the creepiest books I have ever read, and a great study in psychological haunting. I dare anyone to read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill from start to finish without having goose-bumps throughout.

Jessica Faleiro, novelist, jessica.faleiro76

Don't let the dust settle

A scene from The Haunting of Hill House. Pics Courtesy/Youtube.com

I approach the genre by first letting a reader settle into the tale. Then, I proceed to unsettle them. In my books, I am constantly tapping into psychological fears. It is important to find characters with inner demons. When grey characters fight external threats, readers connect their actions to their innermost feelings. Also, getting the process of fear right is crucial. I try to relate it to what I face every time I am expected to board an elevator. Being claustrophobic, it scares me. When conveying a similar phobia, I build on the details to trickle into a reader's mind.

A moment from The Exorcist

As a child, I enjoyed periodicals and magazines with Indian ghost stories - Aytheehyamala, and Chandamama, among others. I really enjoyed Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin. After reading that book, I used to look at my neighbours with suspicion. Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty are two of my other favourites.

K Hari Kumar, author, @TheHariKumar

Grisly possibilities

Horror is no more restricted to tried and tested tropes. It's a wide genre including the dark secrets of the mind, the supernatural and more. Uncharted territories make for good scares. In my book Spooky Stories, there's a tale wherein I have deep-dived into the historical mysteriousness of a place. It is set in China. An emperor has killed some 100 concubines after his favourite concubine was poisoned. My twist to this story was the introduction of a journalist who visits the place to know the truth about its paranormal activities. The setting is significant to spooky tales. Some of my favourite all-time scary reads are Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Shining by Stephen King, The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Tanushree Podder, author, @poddertanushree

The Guide's top 3 tiny spooky picks

While some say brevity is the soul of wit; we believe it is also the soul of scare. Here are three two-sentence stories from the genre, Tiny Nightmares that we recommend from the Web:

. They delivered the mannequins in bubble wrap. From the main room, I could hear the bubbles popping.
. There's a picture on my phone of me sleeping. But I live alone.
. My sister often tells me that our mommy killed her. And mommy says that I do not have a sister.