Joe Hill Tells You How To Write A Horror Novel
“For horror to work you have to love the characters.”
The author reveals how he starts a book, what makes the best horror stories, and why some horror films just don’t work.
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels, short fiction collections, and graphic novels. Much of Hill’s work has been adapted for film and TV. Hill also has many writing awards.
How does Hill go about writing a horror bestseller? In the video below, the author reveals how he starts a book, what it is that makes the best horror stories, and why some horror films just don’t work.
“For horror to work you have to love the characters,” Hill says. “I don’t want to root for the bad guy, I want to root for the good guy. And so you look to create characters that have full lives.”
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About Joe Hill
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels Heart-Shaped Box, NOS4A2, The Fireman, and Horns. The book Strange Weather is a collection of novellas. Hill’s other works include the short fiction collections Full Throttle and 20th Century Ghosts, plus several graphic novels, including Basketful of Heads, Plunge, Dying is Easy, and The Wraith: Welcome to Christmasland (which continues the story of NOS4A2’s Charlie Manx).
He is also the Eisner Award-winning writer of the long-running comic book Locke & Key, with artistic maestro Gabriel Rodriguez. In 2011 Hill won the Eisner Award (Best Writer) for his work on the series. The six books in the Locke & Key saga formed the basis for a hit TV series on Netflix. A seventh volume, published in 2022, married the world of Locke & Key to the epic Sandman universe.
Much of Hill’s work has been adapted for film and TV, including Horns (Lionsgate), NOS4A2 (AMC), In the Tall Grass (Netflix), and The Black Phone (Blumhouse).
More about Joe Hill online:
Further reading:
Complete Locke & Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez: The horror comic book that inspired the show
More from Monster Complex
Further reading online
Writing Tips from 31 Horror and Speculative Authors (Monster Complex)
Joe Hill: How Do You Write a Horror Novel When Your Dad Is Stephen King? (GQ)
Horror Story Writing: 9 Tips for Writing Horror Fiction (Neil Chase Film)
What’s The Scariest Thing You’ve Ever Written? Panel with Horror Writers (Monster Complex)
How to Write a Horror Story: 7 Tips for Writing Horror (Reedsy)
All the things I wish I’d known as a beginner horror writer (Writer Mag)
Tananarive Due about being a Black horror author (Monster Complex)
Storyville: Some of the Best and Worst Writing Advice I’ve Ever Gotten (LitReactor)
5 Tips for Writing Horror +3 Things to Avoid (Write Life)
How to Find Ideas: Horror Authors Panel Discussion (Monster Complex)
Try These Books on Writing to Make Your Horror Fiction Bleed (The Lineup)
How to Write a Good Horror Story: An Ultimate Guide (Horror Tree)
Silvia Moreno-Garcia On MEXICAN GOTHIC: ‘We don’t give horror enough respect.’ (Monster Complex)
10 Tips on Storytelling From Oscar-Winner Guillermo del Toro (ScreenCraft)
8 Tips For Writing A Great Horror Story (Writers Write)
The Rondo Awards honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's winners include the reissue of ROBOT MONSTER, the movie GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, the TV series WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, and more! Find out the details here.