Horror Writers Association

Tag archive: Young Adult Horror Archives - Horror Writers Association [ 3 ]

Darren Shan Interviewed by Dave Jeffery

Darren Shan Interviewed by Dave Jeffery

Author photo of alarmed looking Darren Shan in a darkened room, duck tape over his mouth and bound hands holding a candle, with a sinister young girl lurking in the backgroundOne of the big questions often asked by writers wanting to dip their toes in the waters of YA horror fiction is, “How far can I go?” We know this because members frequently ask this question on various HWA forums. It was certainly one of the queries that rattled around my head when thinking about my own projects back in the 80’s. I wished back then I could access the insights and experiences of established, successful YA writers and explore their views on the market, and what should or shouldn’t feature in a YA horror book. These days, the internet …

Peekaboo with the Devil: Strategies for Hiding and Revealing Your Antagonist

Peekaboo with the Devil: Strategies for Hiding and Revealing Your Antagonist

Just like any relationship, the special bond between a horror protagonist and her antagonist benefits from a little bit of mystery. In this case, the hero is a proxy for your readers, and the mystery comes from your story’s scariest villain, be it a human serial killer or a demonic creature or the mad scientist who, when left unattended for a few minutes, will inevitably create a horrific zombie plague.

There are a host of reasons why keeping your baddie cards close to your chest can help your story’s tension and overall terror levels. Obviously, if your plot line is

Scary Out There: A Blog on Horror in Young Adult Fiction – A Chat with Melissa de la Cruz

Welcome back to SCARY OUT THERE, the Horror Writers Association’s new blog on scary fiction for teens.Melissa De La Cruz

My guest this week is Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of a slew of critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including the BLUE BLOODS series, The AU PAIR series, The ASHLEYS series, Angels on Sunset Boulevard, Girl Stays in the Picture, and the Witches of East End series. She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for dozens of publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar,

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