Writing in the Dark: Blood, Guts, Sex, and Violence: Writing Extreme Horror

Am I an extreme horror author? I don’t know, but some people see me primarily as one. Here are a few quotes from Goodreads reviews of my latest horror/dark fantasy novel A Hunter Called Night:

“This was quite an imaginative and shocking, gore-fest of a horror book.” – Luvtoread

“There was no shying away from the gore and disgusting imagery which made the scenes more real and thrilling to experience.” – Missy

“A Hunter Called Night is everything you come to expect from a Tim Waggoner novel. It’s gory, it’s fun (and often dark), it’s chaotic, it’s unique and it will stay with you long after reading.” Siobhain

“Tim Waggoner knows how to craft a scary, and often brutal, story. He likes to take readers on tours along the more extreme side of horror and often leave them cringing yet captivated by his imagination.” – A Reviewer Darkly

I do purposely try to blend different types of horror in my novels – I love all horror! – but it always surprises me when reader reviews focus on that one aspect of my novels. I guess I don’t take the gore in my books seriously. On one level, it’s like Coyote vs the Roadrunner violence – just ridiculous fun. But I also want to keep readers guessing as to what’s going to happen next, because anything could. Horror fiction shouldn’t be safe, and that also counts for readers’ expectations. The sudden appearance of an extreme element in a story can be an effective way to keep readers off-balance. And sometimes I use extreme elements to comment on the genre itself. In several of my novels, I critique the use of sexual violence against women in horror through extreme scenes where women get the upper hand.

Extreme Horror is currently rising in popularity with readers, and if you’d like to give it a try – or if you currently write it and would like to further hone your craft – read on.

What is Extreme Horror?

“Horror fiction that usually features graphic depictions of violence, sex, sexual violence, violent sex, gore, and other such things. Well-known examples include Jack Ketchum's Off Season and Edward Lee's The Bighead.”– The Urban Dictionary on Splatterpunk

“If it's transgressive, addressing social or political ills, not pulling punches, and pushing the boundaries, then it's Splatterpunk.” – Brian Keene

Extreme Horror and Splatterpunk might seem to be different versions of the same thing, but Splatterpunk is more socially conscious. The example I used earlier about how I invert the trope of sexual violence against women in Horror to comment on the misogynistic nature of the trope itself? That’s Splatterpunk.

A Bloody Rose by Any Other Name

There are various terms people use for the overall category of Extreme Horror:

· Extreme Horror.

· Hardcore Horror. I think Extreme Horror and Hardcore Horror are interchangeable terms for the most part.

· Splatterpunk. A more socially conscious variant of Extreme Horror.

· Sadistic Horror. I don’t like this term as it seems like a pejorative to me, plus I don’t see it used a lot. It strikes me along the same lines as Torture Porn.

· The general audience often think “Horror” is synonymous with “Extreme.”

(Blood) Types of Extreme Horror

There are different varieties of Extreme Horror, and they can be combined in a single work, especially a novella or a novel since there’s room for a larger story.

· Splatterpunk: In some ways, the metafictional nature of the Scream movies might fit this label. Same for Dale and Tucker Vs. Evil. American Psycho with its critique of 80’s empty consumer culture would count as well.

· Torture Porn: Think Hostel and Saw series.

· Slasher: Halloween, Friday the 13^th and a zillion others.

· Body Horror: David Cronenberg’s films. Society – especially the last twenty minutes or so

· Erotic Horror: The Hot Blood anthology series and The Safety of Unknown Cities by Lucy Taylor.

· Survival Horror: Deliverance and The Gray.

· Splatstick: Think the Evil Dead movies and Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive.

· Psychological Extreme Horror: Martyrs and Midsommar.

· Supernatural Extreme Horror: Baskin and Terrified.

What Does an Audience Get From Reading Extreme Horror?

· A thrill ride

· A walk on the wild side

· A jolt of adrenaline

· An endurance test

· It feels more real to them than Supernatural Horror, and thus scarier.

· Fears connected to the most primal parts of being human

· Stories with VERY high stakes

· Fiction like movies

· Stories that bypass the intellectual and emotional and go straight for the physical

· Amusement at the sheer ridiculousness of it

Elements of Extreme Horror

· Gory depictions of violence

· Over-the-top

· Pushes boundaries

· Transgressive

· Crosses the line – then crosses it again

Extreme Horror Tropes

You can mix and match tropes in your fiction, but if you try to use too many in a single work, it could descend into parody, which is okay if that’s what you’re going for. Otherwise, a story with All the Tropes might be too much for readers.

· Killers: Stoppable/Unstoppable

· Victims: The Vulnerable

· Survivors

· Predator/Prey

· Hunting/Being Hunted

· Hands-On Violence

· Awful Intimacy

· Experimentation

· Torture/Torturing

· Sexual Violence

· Mental Illness

· Bodily Fluids

· Deformity

· Mutilation

· Disease

· Cannibalism

· Physical Transformation Through Injury/Disease

· Protagonists Pushed to Their Limits and Beyond

· Non-Violent People Needing to Become Violent to Survive

· Protagonist Becoming as Bad – or Worse – Than the Antagonist

· Wrong Place, Wrong Time

· Cultural/Societal Class Conflict

· Isolation

· Betrayal

· Evil Doctors

· Mad Scientists

· Maniacal Inventors

· Subhumans

· Atavism

· Evil Woodsman/Survivalist

· The Wilderness: Woods, Jungle, Desert

· Small Town

· The Country

· Abandoned House/Building

· The Underground

· The Lair

Positives of Extreme Horror

The audience contends with the harshest realities and most difficult questions of life:

· Violence

· Injury

· Pain

· Cruelty

· The Illusion of Safety

· The Precariousness of Existence

· Death (and Not an Easy One)

· Their Own Violent Nature

· What Are Their Limits and How Far Would They Go to Survive?

· What Meaning Can Life Hold in Such a Savage World?

· How Do We Keep Going When Our Bodies Begin to Fail Us?

Negatives of Extreme Horror

But when done poorly, Extreme Horror:

· Delivers Shock for Shock’s Sake

· Reinforces Stereotypes

· Glorifies Violence, Especially Against Women

· Portrays People as Objects Useful Only to Fulfill Others’ Desires

· Reinforces Ableism

· Numbs the Audience to Terrible Things

· Decreases Empathy

· Rewards Our Worst Selves

Tips for Writing Effective Extreme Horror

· Use the same techniques any good fiction employs.

· Write with a close, immersive point of view.

· Prioritize the Protagonist’s experience over the Antagonist’s.

· Use vivid description.

· Build suspense instead of getting to the horrible stuff ASAP.

· Less can be more, even with extreme horror.

· Make your story about more than violence and death.

· Think before you slash – Are you perpetuating harmful stereotypes in your story?

· Are you using some elements solely for shock value? Try to make sure every element in your story serves a purpose.

· Deal with the effects and consequences of violence in your story.

Publishing Extreme Horror

· Extreme Horror is a niche market, so there are only so many readers you can reach.

· Major publishers are likely not interested in it (especially if it’s TOO extreme).

· Small-press publishers are likely to be more interested (but read their guidelines!)

· Self-publishing might be the best way to go when publishing Extreme Horror. It can allow you to directly connect with readers who like their Horror extra dark and bloody.

· Extreme Horror works best at shorter lengths, so try novellas.

· Extreme Elements can be used sparingly in Horror, Crime, Suspense, and Thriller novels.

Extreme Horror Writers to Check Out

· Jack Ketchum, The Girl Next Door, Off Season

· Richard Laymon, The Woods Are Dark

· Charlee Jacob, This Symbiotic Fascination

· Edward Lee, The Bighead, Header

· Clive Barker, The Books of Blood

· Lucy Taylor, The Safety of Unknown Cities

· Wrath James White, Succulent Prey

· J.F. Gonzalez, Survivor

· Poppy Z. Brite, Exquisite Corpse

· David J. Schow, Seeing Red

· Bryan Smith, Depraved

· Brett Easton Ellis, America Psycho

· Sam West, School Reunion

If you have Extreme Horror authors, novels, or movies you’d like to recommend – including your own – feel free to post titles and links in the comments!

Department of Shameless Self-Promotion

Bram Stoker Award Win for Writing in the Dark: The Workbook

During the recent StokerCon in Pittsburgh, I was deeply honored to receive a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction for Writing in the Dark: The Workbook. This is a follow-up to Writing in the Dark, and it focuses on horror-writing exercises. Here’s the speech I gave:

Thanks to: Everyone who voted for the workbook. To Jennifer Barnes and John Edward Lawson for taking a chance on a second Writing in the Dark volume and supporting it so strongly. To D. Harlan Wilson for formatting the workbook – that was a real challenge with all the exercises! To my agent Cherry Weiner, my tireless navigator through the rough waters of publishing. To all the writers who contributed writing exercises and advice. To my wife Christine Avery. It’s not always easy being the spouse of a writer, and I couldn’t do what I do without her love and support. Thanks to me for forsaking my vow to never write another book about writing horror. And most especially, thanks to everyone who read the first Writing in the Dark book and said how useful they found the exercises and that they wished they had even more of them. You’re the reason the workbook exists.

This makes my fourth Bram Stoker Award win! Here there are, pictured with the HWA’s Mentor of the Year Award, which I won in 2015.

You can buy Writing in the Dark: The Workbook and Writing in the Dark at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You can also buy directly from the publishing, Raw Dog Screaming Press, here:

https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/writing-in-the-dark/

https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/writing-in-the-dark-workbook/

A Hunter Called Night

A Hunter Called Night was released earlier this month in trade paperback and ebook formats. Reviews have been good so far. Here’s a cool line from a recent one:

“This tale was engaging, well told and a juggernaut of creativity!” – Running Reader

Maybe I should make Juggernaut of Creativity my new branding statement!

If you’d like a preview of the book, you can listen to me read the first chapter here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlxK0PANa2g&t=1s

Synopsis:

A sinister being called Night and her panther-like Harriers stalk their quarry, a man known only as Arron. Arron seeks refuge within an office building, a place Night cannot go, for it’s part of the civilized world, and she’s a creature of the Wild. To flush Arron out, she creates Blight, a reality-warping field that slowly transforms the building and its occupants in horrible and deadly ways. But unknown to Night, while she waits for the Blight to do its work, a group of survivors from a previous attempt to capture Arron are coming for her. The hunter is now the hunted.

Order Links

Flame Tree: https://www.flametreepublishing.com/a-hunter-called-night-isbn-9781787586345.html

Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Called-Night-Tim-Waggoner/dp/1787586316/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1668832377&sr=1-1

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Called-Night-Tim-Waggoner-ebook/dp/B0BN6T1GTN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1670004562&sr=1-3

Barnes and Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hunter-called-night-tim-waggoner/1142487192?ean=9781787586314

NOOK: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-hunter-called-night-tim-waggoner/1142487192?ean=9781787586352

Lord of the Feast

My next novel for Flame Tree, Lord of the Feast, won’t be about until April 2024, but the paperback is available for preorder. (The ebook edition should be available to preorder soon.) No cover art to share yet. This is the last book I was contracted to write for Flame Tree, so if you’ve enjoyed my novels for them, the best way to make sure I get to write more is to buy, review, and spread the word about A Hunter Called Night and preorder Lord of the Feast.

Synopsis:

Twenty years ago, a cult attempted to create their own god: The Lord of the Feast. The god was a horrible, misbegotten thing, however, and the cultists killed the creature before it could come into its full power. The cultists trapped the pieces of their god inside mystic nightstones then went their separate ways. Now Kate, one of the cultists’ children, seeks out her long-lost relatives, hoping to learn the truth of what really happened on that fateful night. Unknown to Kate, her cousin Ethan is following her, hoping she’ll lead him to the nightstones so that he might resurrect the Lord of the Feast – and this time, Ethan plans to do the job right.

Order Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Feast-Tim-Waggoner/dp/1787586367/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SKJPJ80J420A&keywords=tim+waggoner&qid=1687610372&s=books&sprefix=tim+waggoner%2Cstripbooks%2C139&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lord-of-the-feast-tim-waggoner/1143636012?ean=9781787586369

Where to Find Me Online

· Newsletter Sign-Up: https://timwaggoner.com/contact.htm

· Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tim-Waggoner/author/B001JP0XFM?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

· Website: www.timwaggoner.com

· Blog: http://writinginthedarktw.blogspot.com/

· YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/timwaggonerswritinginthedark

· Twitter: @timwaggoner

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.waggoner.9

· Instagram: tim.waggoner.scribe