People have been entertained by the thought of ghosts since the dawn of time. There is something mysterious and enchanting about a person coming back as a ghost many years after they have passed on. There is a reason why there have been so many books both fictional and non fictional written on the subject and why it has also spawned so many films. There is an endless fascination in the supernatural which is as strong now as it has ever been.

Ghosts come in many guises. They can be of the good, kind charitable order or they can be sinister, evil creatures who bode no good to anyone. In my novels I try to pit the good elements of the paranormal world versus their evil counterparts. I am a firm believer that good should always triumph over evil in the end although it has a hard battle on occasion to achieve this noble end! At times I have been surprised at the dark places my imagination takes me to. They are certainly not situations I would like to find myself in.

To me writing supernatural fiction provides limitless opportunities to dip into some strange waters. A writer can use his imagination to the fullest when exploring the paranormal. There are no boundaries in his way and this can conjure up some remarkable storylines. I am happy to be writing in this most extreme of genres where the writer’s job is to take his readers on a dangerous ride, a rollercoaster of excitement, with suspense and frights playing a large part in the action.

It should not be supposed, however, that horror fiction is a never-ending run of tension and despair. No, there has to be some relief from all of the extremes of emotion. This is where humour comes in. Yes, I did say humour! If one looks at the work of someone like Stephen King it can clearly be seen how astutely he plays with the readers’ emotions, lulling them into a false sense of security with some amusing scenes. But this is used only to get them off their guard so he can then return with some more frights soon after. This is a great example of the sleight of hand which a horror writer has at his disposal and it is one I enjoy employing myself.

Categories:My Horror Blogs

Tags: ghosts