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I am writing a story and I don't know if I should label it fantasy or horror. It is partly fantasy because one of the characters is a mystical being who comes to our time to fight a demon. The reason I think it might be horror is because A:it is in prensent day time like most horror stories i read. B: It has a demon so it get kind of gruesome. C: it seems like a regular mystery until the cop(who is thinks the demon is a regular killer) finds out what was happening so it is kind of a suspense. So which would works the best, horror or fantasy? Posts: 14 | Registered: Jun 2004
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It sounds more horror than Fantasy. Most horror has a mystical type monster, so why should a mystical hero change anything?
Posts: 1895 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Not true, Pyre. Some horror has only a serial killer as the primary source of terror -- The Silence of the Lambs, for example, which won the Bram Stoker Award -- and some fantasy has mystical monsters.
The fundamental distinction between horror and fantasy is the emotions you want the reader to experience. If you want them to be scared, terrified, and/or horrified by your story--if your goal is to creep your readers out--you're writing a "horror" story, regardless of whether or not your story has a fantastic element.
[This message has been edited by Balthasar (edited June 29, 2004).]
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I want the readers to feel both horror and fantasy in the story. With fear and horror, the readers will beg for a hero. A hero with powers. A fantasy hero. A hero that will kick the crap out of the demon. In one half, suspense and fear,in the other where the hero fights the beast, I want them to forget their fear and have them on the edge of their seats hoping that the hero will catch and kill the demon.
Posts: 14 | Registered: Jun 2004
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From your description it sounds to me that you have a fantasy-adventure with some elements of horror rather than a pure horror story.
Posts: 130 | Registered: Apr 2007
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would this work for the writers of the future contest? I have not read the novels so I don't know what they exspect I'm pretty sure that Im not the only one who enters that contest.
Posts: 14 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I've read a couple of the WOTF anthologies, and have never seen anything with horror elements in them, so this might not be the best story for it. Although it does say in the FAQ that they accept "fantasy with horror elements", so maybe its just that they don't get many.
Posts: 626 | Registered: Jun 2003
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I should read one or two of the anthologies, especially since I keep submitting (twice now, actually, that's not a trend yet until I sent three )
Their rules say anything with a speculative element -- scifi, fantasy, or horror. Be wary that your speculative element must be present within the first couple of paragraphs or your story will not be read. Actually, remind me and when I'm not about to leave town in an hour I'll post a few insider guidelines that I got from another thread. (That go beyond the actual rules on the WoTF webpage)
As for your story....in my mind the purpose of horror is to actually frighten someone. If this is not your primary purpose, to horrify someone, then it is not horror. Many stories can get a little gruesome. Don't forget that dark fantasy exists as a happy medium sort of genre.
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