1. Horror & Mystery / Thriller

2. Mystery / Thriller
Photo titled: “The Mystery Man at the Park” by Indy Kethdy

3. Mystery / Thriller These types of stories pose lots of questions…
“Whodunit”?
Where are they?
What Happened?
Where is it?
What is it?

4. Mystery / Thriller: Common Elements
Suspense
Tension, raising of the stakes for the protagonist
Protagonist must be proactive rather than reactive
Character growth – hero needs to have grown in maturity & learned a lesson in order to get through his “darkest hours”
Can be realistic or involve elements of supernatural
Typical structure
Inciting incident
Conflict
Complications
“Darkest hour”
Climactic “battle”
Resolution – “good” should prevail over “bad” / truth over lies

5. Differences between Mystery & Thriller

6. Mystery vs. thriller Scene B Scene A
The audience/reader sees the saboteur place the bomb, is told that it will go off at one o’clock, and can see a clock ticking in the scene.
What does the reader experience here?
= SUSPENSE
Scene A
Two characters are conversing in a cafe, and a bomb suddenly goes off under the table.
What does the reader experience here?
= SURPRISE

7. Sub genre: Psychological thriller
Mystery / thriller
Sub genre:
Psychological thriller

8. Psychological Thriller
Often internal conflicts of man vs. self
Mental state of main character(s) in conflict with normalcy
Main character struggles with perception of reality
Characters must rely on mental strength to overcome fears/challenges/conflict
Protagonist must beat the antagonist using their wits, not physical strength.
THE AUTHOR PURPOSELY MESSES WITH YOUR HEAD!

9. Psychological Thriller
Themes
Reality
Perception
Mind
Existence/Purpose
Identity
Death

10. …a genre of strong emotions!
Horror
…a genre of strong emotions!

11. Horror
Think of a time when you were really scared or spooked…
What feelings did you experience?
What was happening to you physically?
Why do we enjoy being scared and frightened?
-Safe thrill
-Gives fear a face
Why do such stories that seem outlandish bring about such real emotions?
-Identification!
Safe thrill,
Gives fear a face
Identification

12. Hunyad Castle (Dracula’s Castle) Transylvania
Origins of Horror
Word horror comes from the Latin word horrere - “to bristle with fear”
Folklore, legends, fables, ghost stories told around campfires!
Gothic literature (first “horror-like” genre)
“the hair on the back of his neck bristled”
Hunyad Castle (Dracula’s Castle) Transylvania

13. “The Story of the Ghost Story” – BBC video clip

14. Gothic literature Very first Gothic novel published in 1764:
The Castle of Otranto
by Horace Walpole

15. classic horror novels Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897)
Considered Gothic horror

16. Classic horror novels
Many stories based on ancient myths & designed as morality tales
German – "double goer" was meant to describe a person who had the apparent ability to be in two places at once
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Doppelganger myth –beware of the evil twin!
Humans creating life against God’s will

17. Themes that make horror horrific!!!!
Setting
Iconic horror figures
TThe Horror Genre
Themes that make horror horrific!!!!

18. Characteristics of horror
Designed to make you afraid and feel FEAR!
Exploits human fears
Entombment
Insanity
Transformation
Death
Often travel beyond the limits normalcy, but does not have to be supernatural in nature – think Serial Killer!
Often deal with the occult

19. Characteristics of horror
Often blurs / crosses the lines of human psychological & physical normalcy
Animal / human
Sane / insane
Real / imagined
Male / female
Dead / living
Most horror stories end with social & moral order restored

20. Horror Book trailer: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco