Before you can plot your novel, you need a solid idea. This phase is all about exploring different concepts and finding one that resonates with you. Today, we’re going to embrace 80s horror—think VHS tapes, neon lights, and synth music echoing through dark, eerie landscapes.
Developing an Idea starts with questions. If we start too basic, we could be here all night, so let’s skirt by vague questions like “What is horror?” and go for fun stuff that might build on our 80s horror theme.
- What childhood fears have stayed with you into adulthood?
- What small-town legends or urban myths scared you the most?
- How can you incorporate a seemingly innocent object turning sinister?
- What supernatural creature would you like to bring to life in your story?
- How can technology (like a cursed video game or haunted VCR) play a role in horror?
- What if an ordinary place (a mall, a roller rink, an arcade) harbors a dark secret?
- What role could a forgotten 80s rock band or song play in your horror plot?
- How can you use weather (fog, lightning storms, heat waves) to amplify the fear?
- What would happen if a group of friends encountered something sinister on a summer night?
- How can you twist a classic 80s trope (like a slasher, haunted house, or alien invasion) into something fresh and terrifying?
But aren’t those just overdone tropes?
Tropes exist for a reason, but they don’t have to result in the same old story. Something I see frequently is the age-old yearning to be different, to throw away tradition, and to be special. It’s a paradox of the publishing world that readers want to see something old and new at the same time, but too much the wrong way risks losing your audience.
You’ll find your coaches who tell you to be an individual and make your mark on the world. I’m not one of them. I’m not here to make you feel good about your writing or craft. I’m here to help you learn how to be an individual AND give the reader what they want.
Let’s delve into a few examples! This is the fun part. Take off your shoes and get comfy.
Quick Examples
- A group of teens find an old arcade game in the basement of a shut-down mall that starts to possess them one by one.
- A VHS tape found at a garage sale shows footage that predicts the viewer’s death.
- A forgotten 80s rock band’s song, when played, awakens a demonic entity trapped in the lyrics.
- A roller rink reopens after decades, but everyone who skates there begins to experience haunting visions from the past.
Yeah, yeah. I know those are all oversimplified, but the fun of this exercise is now to mess them up! I hope by choosing examples that are fairly predictable and mundane for 80s horror, you’ll find it that much easier to brainstorm your own unique spins on well-established tropes.
Example 1: The Possessed Arcade Game
Expanded Concept: A group of teens discover an old, dusty arcade game called “Soul Harvester” in the basement of a shut-down mall. Initially drawn in by its retro charm, they soon realize that the game is far more sinister than it appears. Unlike typical haunted game stories, this one involves:
- Unique Twist: The game was created by a sorcerer who trapped his enemies’ souls inside it. Each level of the game represents a different soul’s torment, and by playing, the teens unknowingly start releasing these tortured spirits into the real world.
- Layered Mystery: The game’s code changes with each playthrough, revealing hidden messages and dark history about the sorcerer and his victims.
- Character Development: Each teen faces personal demons reflected in the game’s challenges, forcing them to confront their fears and traumas in real life.
The fun thing about this concept is that 10 of you could decide to write this same concept right now, and not a single one would result in the same experience.
Example 2: The Predictive VHS Tape
Expanded Concept: At a garage sale, a teenager buys an unmarked VHS tape out of curiosity. When played, it shows a series of seemingly random, mundane events. However, the protagonist soon realizes that the tape predicts the near future, ending with their own death.
- Unique Twist: The tape is part of a cursed film project from the 80s, where the director’s obsession with capturing “true fear” led him to document real deaths. The footage causes the viewer to become part of the film’s narrative.
- Interactive Horror: Viewers can alter the sequence by their actions, leading to a deadly cat-and-mouse game where they must outsmart the tape’s predictions to survive.
- Psychological Depth: The protagonist’s struggle with the tape forces them to face their own mortality and moral dilemmas as they try to change the future.
This one really has been done a lot, so I would encourage focusing on things that your predecessors may have missed or left unexplored. For instance (and I’m about to go wild with this), what if the MC was an astronaut waiting for clearance to land? He sits in orbit, with some foreboding communication with the control center before he explores as much of the internet as he’s allowed (hopefully limited by location/signal accessibility, playing up the psychological horror). He sees the video and flounders at how to deal with it and the implication that there may soon be no one left but him.
Example 3: The Haunted Rock Song
Expanded Concept: A forgotten 80s rock band called “Eternal Echo” recorded a song that, when played, awakens a demonic entity trapped within the music. The protagonist, a music journalist, discovers the song while researching for a revival article about the band.
- Unique Twist: The song’s lyrics were written using an ancient incantation disguised as poetic verses. Each time the song is played, the demon gains more strength and influence over listeners.
- Historical Layers: The band members disappeared mysteriously in the 80s, leaving clues within their other songs and album covers that hint at the true nature of their fate.
- Creepy Atmosphere: The protagonist experiences strange auditory hallucinations and visions that blur the line between reality and the song’s cursed world, leading to a climactic battle within a soundscape.
Again, this one is too ordinary. So, let’s spin it further. What if it’s not a demon at all? What if it’s a fae instead and he’ll do anything to set his people free? Each song unlocks another seal on the lock keeping the supernatural at bay. The MC is befriended by a historian/scholar-something who shows him a special ritual that would rid the world of the fae for good. Only perhaps there is something to be said for ‘the devil you know’.
Example 4: The Haunted Roller Rink
Expanded Concept: A roller rink, closed since a tragic fire in the 80s, reopens to the public. The protagonist, a young skater, begins to notice eerie occurrences and ghostly figures that seem connected to the rink’s dark past.
- Unique Twist: The fire was caused by a jealous ex-employee who dabbled in dark magic, trapping the souls of the victims within the rink. Each ghost represents a different emotion (rage, sorrow, envy) that affects skaters.
- Mystery to Unravel: The protagonist discovers that the ghosts can communicate through the rink’s old speakers, revealing pieces of the tragic story and guiding them to uncover the truth.
- Emotional Core: The protagonist’s journey to free the trapped souls mirrors their own struggle with guilt and loss, creating a powerful emotional narrative intertwined with the supernatural.
This one will take some work because being confined inside a roller rink is a big stretch for the average reader. If you imagine that a 70k audiobook would be about 7.5 hours to listen to, you start to understand that there are only so many ways to make such an open space exciting. So, for this twist, we’re introducing a parallel dimension. The roller rink is a gateway to a parallel, haunted dimension that mirrors the real world but is twisted by the emotions of the trapped souls. This opens up the entire town as a playground for thrills but leaves the rink as a focal point and mystery that needs to be solved.
What We’ve Learned
We just finished talking about creative ways to explore and elevate mundane horror tropes and settings, but think of this process like learning math. Now that you’ve seen how to spice up something mundane, now you can do the opposite. You can now apply your reader’s favorite mundanes and tropes…to your spicy idea.
See? I never wanted to cull your creative juices, but I do think that balance is important. So that ultra risque idea you had that would ‘blow readers out of the water’ and ‘leave them shaking’ can be crafted carefully alongside the familiar in order to maximize your audience versus alienate them.
