Genre

Stephen King, in his nonfiction book Danse Macabre, identified three distinct types of fear that horror can evoke: Terror — the finest emotion Horror — one step down Gross-out — the fallback when all else fails This isn’t a value judgment about quality. It’s a recognition that different types of fear work on different psychological levels and serve different purposes. Understanding this hierarchy—and when to deploy each—separates effective horror from cheap scares. ...

Every story makes a promise in its opening pages. Not explicitly. Not with words like “this will be…” But through tone, genre signals, pacing, and the questions it raises, your opening creates expectations about the kind of story this will be. Break that promise, and readers feel betrayed—even if the writing is brilliant. Keep it, and readers trust you enough to follow anywhere. The Unspoken Contract When a reader picks up your story, they’re asking: ...