I usually avoid horror stuff. Just not my thing. But when I first formulated the basics of this new short story, I knew where I needed to go. This being my first time in horror, I’m sure there was plenty of small things I missed when it came to writing within the genre. If you haven’t read Signal Trap yet, head on over to Shorts of the Rula and return here once you have to get a small idea of how I constructed this tale.
The basic idea was simple enough. Someone is lured to a house where mind control makes them do murders. Such an idea started circulating when I thought back to a photo I’d seen of some friends enjoying themselves, outside a house on a hill that overlooked a nearby city. There was plenty of characterful opportunities in such a setting, but I wanted something that would disrupt the joyful nature of that scene. Hence, diving into horror.
You can’t just have someone heading to a house for no reason, however. So, I invented the signal on a mapping app drawing the main character in. Originally, I had planned for that signal to have been there for a few days until they were curious enough to investigate. But that didn’t exactly work when new things were added to this story. The first being the reason the main character gets mind controlled. The other being general development of the characters.
These two things developed together. As I was looking at ways to bring character to the cast of the story, I was also thinking of how that mind control would activate. That’s when I settled on giving the signal a double use. It would lure someone to the house, but when it was close to the source of that signal, the loop would be complete. The mind control then activates. And the EMP that disabled all electronics. Wouldn’t be a horror if the big bad could be seen, now.
As for the characters, there needed to be some distrust of this person who stumbles onto private property uninvited. The property owner would show that distrust easily, but there needed to be more. A greater accusation. And a greater connection. Make the main character feel terrible for the things they are unable to control later on. Which is where the developing ties between main character Carl and party friend Lauren started. These two were the first two to get names for that reason.
From there, things fell easily into place when it came to blocking out the details of the story. I tried not to fall into the trap of a big bad who would exposit everything at once. I feel that what I’ve included is just enough for the relationship between the house owner and big bad to be understood without giving a lot of detail. I put a bit more transparency with Carl and Lauren’s relationship that is something that directly affected the main character. The situation between Eileen the house owner and Harriet the big bad is, after all, stuff he is only learning of from being dragged into the situation. He doesn’t know it all, so the audience shouldn’t know it all.
I feel that I could have dug a bit deeper in some areas, especially where emotions are concerned, to really sell the horror of the situation. The details matter, after all. Things should be slowed down to convey the true feelings of the moment. But… naturally, I forgot to pace things accordingly to such guidelines. Though maybe what I’ve written works as a horror piece. I’m no expert in the genre, after all. But I do know that, should I give horror another crack, I can make that second better than this first.
