A ghost story

• English
• Secundair onderwijs

A ghost story

What makes a good
horror/ghost story?

Vocabulary to use in
your story

1. Take your time with scary moments

• Start Small: Don’t jump right into the big scares. Start with small, mysterious details—a weird sound, a shadow that moves, or something disappearing—so readers feel something is off.

 

• Hints and Clues: Drop little hints that something scary is coming. For example, mention that the main character feels like they’re being watched or hears a door creak when no one else is around.

Describe the Setting to Feel Spooky

• Use the Five Senses: Describe what the character hears, smells, or feels. For example, the cold breeze from an open window, a strange smell like something rotten, or a door that feels sticky when touched.

 

• Make Everyday Things Seem Creepy: Normal places like a school at night or a basement can feel scary when they’re empty, dark, or too quiet. Describe them so readers start to feel uneasy too.

Keep Some Things Mysterious

• Don’t Explain Everything Right Away: Don’t tell readers exactly what’s happening. Give them a glimpse of something strange, like a shadow or a weird noise, but leave them wondering what it really is.

• Surprise Them: Maybe the main character sees a face in the mirror that isn’t theirs or hears their name being whispered, but when they look, no one is there.

Use Alone Time to Make It Scarier

• Physical Isolation: Put your character alone in a place where no one else can help them, like an empty house or a forest at night. This can make them (and readers) feel more nervous.

 

• Feeling Alone Even with Others: Sometimes, the main character tries to tell others about the creepy things happening, but no one believes them. This makes readers feel like they’re the only ones who understand how scary it is.

Mess with What’s Real

• Make Readers Question: 

Sometimes, make readers wonder if something is actually real. For example, a character might think they see a ghost, but when they look again, it’s gone. This keeps everyone wondering if it was real or just in their imagination.

Add Unexpected Twists

• False Alarms: Sometimes what seems like a scare turns out to be nothing—like a cat knocking something over or a gust of wind—but it keeps everyone on edge.

 

• Surprise Endings: Add a twist to the end of the story. Maybe the ghost was someone the character knew, or the haunted house wasn’t empty after all. This makes readers think about the story even after they’re done reading.