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What Is Horror?

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Annie Neugebauer

Thanks to horror being one of my genres of choice – both as a fan and as an artist – I’m often in the position of having people ask me my thoughts about it, which, of course makes me ridiculously happy because there are few things I enjoy talking about more than horror. Classic books, movie releases, books that get some buzz, the genre as a whole… I love it all. But no matter what prompts the discussion, there’s one idea that invariably comes up: the difference between horror and good horror.

In fact, it happens so frequently that I’ve decided to blog about it. Fancy that.

Which horror works (movies, books, etc.) are “good”? What do I like? What are my favorites, and why? This, of course, leads to a discussion of bad horror. One that comes up incessantly is the 2005 film Hostel. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say, “I don’t like that torture porn stuff. It’s just gross. That’s not horror.”

That’s not horror? I beg to differ.

I think what they mean to say, “That’s not good horror.” And since ‘good,’ as we all know, is highly subjective, what they really mean to say is, “I don’t like that type of horror.”

The most basic definition of horror as a genre is: fiction that aims to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its readers (or viewers).

The key word here is ‘aim.’ Why? Because fear, too, is subjective. What absolutely terrifies me might make you snicker. What keeps you awake at night might not give me a moment’s hesitation. Just think about discussing horror movies with your friends. Chances are you don’t find the same ones scary. (And if you do, you should become viewing buddies because that’s awesome.)

If the most basic intent of horror is to scare readers, and different readers are scared by different things, all horror, necessarily, won’t work for some people while it does for others. Are some fears more universal than others? Sure. But that doesn’t mean non-universal fears “aren’t scary.” They are to someone.

Perhaps violent, graphic depictions of physical torture don’t scare you. Personally, they just gross me out – which I’m utterly unimpressed with. But that doesn’t mean that Hostel isn’t a horror movie. Because you know what? Being captured in a foreign country and tortured is some people’s worst fear. Those people can’t get Hostel out of their damn minds; it haunts them. Which, by definition, makes it good horror – for them.

I found Paranormal Activity to be the scariest horror movie I’ve ever seen. I have friends who laughed their asses off because they thought it was so lame, boring, and cheesy. Now part of that has to do with your mindset going in to a movie and who you see it with, etc. (hard to remain frightened when your friends are cracking one-liners throughout, or if you have all the lights on while your spouse bakes cookies in the background), but part of it just has to do with our individual fears. I’ve always been afraid of the dark and the empty space beyond my covers when I go to bed – so Paranormal Activity pushed my buttons. Slither, on the other hand, did nothing for me. What can I say? I’m not afraid of slugs.

So when I get into these wonderful conversations about horror and the books and movies that fuel it, and I hear someone say, “That’s not horror,” I want to stop them right there.

Think about it this way: would you do this in other genres? I’m not a fan of cryptic, highfalutin poetry that feels more intellectual than emotional… but you would never hear me say, “That’s not poetry.” You’d hear me say, “That’s not for me.” Likewise, do you hear fantasy fans claiming that mermaid fiction isn’t fantasy? No. You might, however, hear them say, “Mermaids just aren’t my thing.”

Let’s give the same respect to the genre of horror fiction. Horror is discriminated against enough without those of us who love it trying to exclude others who love it. Subjectivity is a wonderful thing, and everyone has a right to their own tastes. If you hate slow, psychological ghost stories, by all means; hate slow, psychological ghost stories. But don’t claim they aren’t horror. Say it how it really is: “That type of horror isn’t for me.”

Deal?

Okay, that’s enough for this time. Some time I would love to cover the many different types of horror (a list of subgenres with my some definitions and explanations). And perhaps another time I’ll talk a bit about what good horror means to me personally.

Like this post? Check out all posts in the What is Genre? series!

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Posted in Genres, Horror | Tagged What Is Genre | 21 Comments

Something You Don’t Want to Find

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Annie Neugebauer

Hi guys!

Just a quick note to let you know I have a short story out today at Buzzy Mag, a big online hub of speculative fiction! This story is commercial horror, so the especially light-hearted of you might want to skip it, but I hope the rest of you will stop by and give it a look.

For the record, that’s not a picture of me. (lol!) I suppose it does kind of look like me, but it’s just the stock photo they chose to go with my story.

“Something You Don’t Want to Find” involves scorpions, an unusual carnival, and a fantastic case of the creeps. You can read it for free here.

At first I wasn’t crazy about the ads being within the length of the story because it makes it a little harder to read – but then I realized that’s how they’re able to pay writers like me! (And professional pay at that, which is super important for my HWA status, so color me grateful.)

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend,

Annie

PS- Comments are closed here in hopes that if you feel like leaving one, you’ll leave it at the end of my story instead. That way Buzzy Mag knows I’m getting readers, etc.

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When Does a Writer Become an Author?

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Annie Neugebauer

I was up against a strange decision last week as I was creating my new public Facebook page: should I choose the term “writer” or “author” as the type of page I was setting up? (Spoiler: I chose author, switched to writer, went back to author, then decided on writer… for now.)

I’ve touched on this topic before when I guested for Patrick Ross, in my post “What the Heck Should I Call Myself, Anyway?” The crux of the matter is this: A writer is anyone who writes. An author is a writer who’s been published. Seems pretty simple, right?

Ha. Ha. Ha.

The problem: What the hell does “published” mean? As I established in my blog for Patrick, there’s no one out here setting up criteria for different terms and handing out certificates of authenticity. At the end of the day, it is up to each of us as individuals to decide what terms to use for ourselves and our work. Which can be pretty scary.

Technically, posting something on your blog counts as publication. I know this because 1) the button you push says “publish,” and 2) contests and venues that don’t want “previously published works” usually won’t accept anything that’s been on your blog. So if someone slaps a short story up on their website, does that make them a published author?

My gut instinct is, “Yes, technically, but no, not really.” But who am I to say?

For me, a better defining line is having someone else publish my work. The more credible, established, and exclusive that someone else is, the more confident I feel in considering that “publication.” (Just keepin’ it real.) So having my little micro-fiction piece published at Six Sentences was awesome, but I didn’t start calling myself an author after that. But after having four short stories accepted for publication – two of them at professional rates – I do feel comfortable calling myself a short story author. [Random side note: interesting how a poet is a poet regardless of publication.]

Of course that definition only works for me because I’m seeking traditional publication. Self-published authors must have some other defining line, but what?

Either way, the Facebook page doesn’t allow me to specify which types of publication I’ve achieved as I have elsewhere (like in the note under my headshot up in the sidebar, for example). They want one word, and only one word. I am a novelist because I write novels, a poet because I write poems, and a short story author because I have short stories published. But what am I when I can only chose one term?

Writer, or author?

I guess in my mind, if I’m only choosing one of those terms as a defining label, an author is someone who has had not just short works published, but a whole book. A novel. A collection of short stories. A full-length book of poems. Or, to use the term “author” with “debut” implied, someone who has sold such a book that’s schedule to come out.

I also think it’s worth noting that I’m more concerned about this and a lot harder on myself than I am for other people. When someone’s profile says “author” or “writer,” I generally don’t give it a second thought. I have no problem with other people creating their own definitions; I just struggle to find mine. And yes, I know I’m running the risk of coming across as totally neurotic, but for the record, this is less of an obsession and more of a topic I thought would make for good discussion.

I have an agent (yep, love saying that), I have many long works completed, and I have quite a few short works published… but I still can’t quite bring myself to say “I’m an author” instead of “I’m a writer.” Maybe when I’ve sold a book I’ll update the Facebook page. But for now, I think I’m going to stick with writer.

Readers: What do you think about all of this? As a reader, do you care, or even really notice?

Writers: What term do you use for yourself? And what was your defining line? Are you comfortable with your own terminology?

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Reading Challenges: Friend or Foe?

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Annie Neugebauer

I wouldn’t say I’m a slow reader, but I’m not fast either. One thing I definitely am, though, is avid. I read as often as I can – as many different things as I can. So it might be nice to read more quickly. It’s a tempting idea, to be able to breeze through my to-read list in books per day instead of books per week. Yet I have long resisted the urge to learn to speed read.

The problem with speed-reading, as I understand it, is that it’s actually more like speed-skimming. People who read very quickly seem to miss things. They can tell you what the book is about, but they might not be able to tell you how the color of the secondary character’s dress affected them emotionally. They might not even be able to tell you the color of the dress. Because with speed reading, you don’t stop. You don’t pause to think. (Or am I wrong? Any speed readers out there who know differently?)

I’ve talked a little before about writing as a physical thing rather than a passive one. I feel the same way about reading. I like this post by Natalia about marking in books as you read – like a love letter to the work. I like the idea of pausing to respond, of underlining things that seem significant, of stopping to let the impact of a powerful scene sink in before your turn the page. I want to be an active participant.

So maybe this is why I’ve resisted jumping on the “reading challenge” bandwagon. For those of you who don’t know, a reading challenge is exactly what it sounds like. People will set a goal, often 50 books a year, and try to meet it, like a New Year’s resolution. There’s a spot for this in Goodreads, too, where you can keep track of which books you read.

Reading challenges can be wonderful. The main benefit, of course, is a renewed vigor. A refreshed desire to read much and often. It’s a way to rekindle the passion, which I certainly appreciate. It’s all too easy to let a couple weeks go by in between books.

Yet… I’m very anal retentive. If I’m going to do a reading challenge, I’m going to do it right. I’ll count my books, make sure I’m on schedule, and really strive to meet whatever goal I set for myself. And that’s where the problem comes in.

Do reading challenges promote quantity over quality? If I know I have to read fifty books a year, won’t I choose shorter books? I mean, if I pick up Elizabeth Kostova’s 700-page beast The Historian instead of a nice easy paperback, I’m setting myself back at least a week. So then – assuming I don’t have unlimited time to dedicate to reading, which would be awesome – my options become: should I read faster, or should I choose shorter and/or easier books?

Isn’t challenging myself as a reader more important than challenging my reading?

To me, it is. Not to mention that going through Goodreads limits what I can count as “a book.” What about the 7-8 unpublished manuscripts I read last year? They don’t count. What about the literary magazines I try to familiarize myself with? They don’t count. What about all of the stray poems I read online? They don’t count either. But shouldn’t they?

In short, I like the idea behind reading challenges – reinvigorating the love, so to speak – but I don’t like what it does to my choice of materials.

My solution so far has been to maintain reading goals that involve ideas rather than numbers. I aim to always have one novel and one book of poetry going . I’ve noticed that, for me, it’s the time between books that ends up slipping away, so I also have the goal of starting a new book the same day I finish an old one. That way I have to get it out and put a bookmark in it so I don’t get sidetracked. I also aim to read thoughtfully. I try to read widely – a nice blend of heavy, struggle-to-understand literary fiction and fun, edge-of-my-seat commercial fiction. And everything in between.

Those are my goals, and I suppose the drawback to them is that I’m the only one accountable for them, since it’s not a number I can post on Goodreads or my blog. Or maybe that, too, is a good thing. What do you think?

Have you ever participated in reading challenges? Did it work for you? And if you’ve never tried them, what’s holding you back?

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Posted in Reading | 24 Comments

What Is Horror?

Something You Don’t Want to Find

When Does a Writer Become an Author?

Oooo, Puddles!

Reading Challenges: Friend or Foe?