How to Use Descriptions of Light to Create Suspense

Have you ever felt your heart pounding as you flipped through the pages of a book, desperate to find out what might be lurking in the shadows? Part of this experience comes from an author’s use of suspense. Suspense isn’t just about cliffhangers and plot twists — it’s also about withholding information and then revealing it slowly to create a feeling of uncertainty.

Descriptions of light in particular can be a powerful tool in your arsenal, particularly when writing thriller and horror genre books. Here are three effective ways you can use light to create suspense in your own writing:

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The Pros and Cons of Gore in Horror Fiction

When writing horror, there are several elements to consider in addition to setting, character, plot, theme, and conflict. For many horror writers, gore is often a topic of debate. Is there such a thing as too much of it? Does a story even need tons of bloodshed and brutality to disturb or frighten its readers?

In this post, I’m going to explore the pros and cons of adding gore — which includes blood, violent acts, and vile imagery — to help you decide whether to incorporate it into your own writing.

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