What interests you in a supernatural story?

by Charley Bucknall-Smith
24th March 2013

I'm writing a story but I don't really know what interests people who read supernatual stories, I love reading them but I have a very limited range of what supernatural stories I read. I only read ones about werewolves. What's your favourite and what keeps you interested?

Replies

When reading a supernatural story, I look for a new, surprising approach rather than horror or gore. A new way to view magic in an unexpected situation rather than the traditional characters that usually populate the genre. Or if traditional characters are part of the story that they act in unexpected ways.

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Carole
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Carole Kotylak
26/03/2013

I'm probably a little out-of-step with the field, but when I do read supernatural stories, I find that a well-crafted, slowly revealed ghost story can be one of the best sorts. My favourite author (although fiendishly hard to find books in print by) is Mike Jefferies. His books, "Children of the Flame" and "The Ghost of Candleford" have inspired me in my writings several times. I also like novel ghost train stories.

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Robert
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Robert Gill
26/03/2013

Interesting that you use the term Supernatural rather than Horror, for these genres are not the same as many people believe.

I write Supernatural stories myself, and they need neither be frightening or gory. I think just as long as you tell a good story about your central characters whether they be witches, Vampires or ghosts, then you should be okay. Look at the movie Ghost as an example. It's really a Romance story in which one of the central characters just happens to be a ghost.

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Astor Edwyn
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