Storytelling in Verse (sempiternal): The Horror Story

Here’s how we roll in Storytelling. It is important (of the highest priority) that everyone critique each story as it is being added to.
Now, what I mean by “added to”. In Storytelling what we want is the first draft of an unfinished piece. The other poets will then be directly involved with helping to create each horrible work.

The second highest priority is story… This IS Storytelling in Verse after all. The poem must have a storyline and we would like each poet to help create this storyline through their comments.
As to format… it is the poet’s choice. Write it as a ballade, verso libre or anything in between, but it MUST be poetry. If I or Chrys see prose with line breaks we will call you on it and send you back to the drawing board.

This is a monarchy. Remember this and we’ll do just fine.

Lastly (and I hope this can even be done… ), one of the reasons I would like to see the poems posted in draft form is this will give each participant the opportunity to “out horror” one another.
It would be exciting to read some poetry that truly makes a normal human uncomfortable if not outright scared.

Put forth one of your best efforts and give me nightmares.

Post your early drafts on The Stream (don’t forget to put something like “Horror Story Draft” in the title) and we will welcome everyone’s comments and critiques as we always do in Storytelling.

Most of all… have fun with this workshop. We’ve had some hard ones lately. This should not be.

Let’s begin here: Originally “horror” meant a “bristling” or a “shuddering”. What does it mean today?

What is Horror?

Dictionary.com says its “an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting; a shuddering fear”.

What do you think it is?

Horror?

That which keeps one awake at night after reading it for fear of the coming nightmares.....stan

My two cents worth

Horror is that feeling you get when no matter what you have done, said, or to which gods you have prayed, the demon is still biting at your soul.

my three cents

Horror is the reality of life. No seriously think about it in real life you can't make up some of that crap

but for the sake of the workshop
Horror the feeling you get after watching a good black and white movie such as the picture of Dorian Grey
or ( and I do not think this is available any more) but the fright you get while listening to a horror story on the radio ( once upon a time there was The Ray Bradbury theater)

In both cases that fright stays with you right into your dreams

I remember...

Mystery theater. I listened to the Fall of the House of Usher. I was nine years old. I thought I would die I was so scared, but I went right back the next night for more.

Lonnie's description I thought good. That moment in a car crash when you know it will occur, it will be bad, but for that instant your are healthy and alive and watching what is about to happen.
Horror.

Or...

The gentle kind of horror we will create here. Fictional horror.
That moment when the teenager says I'll go in the house and get it... be right back and you're supposed to be saying don't go in the house.
The screaming, the dismemberment, the discovery... all false horror. The only kind we can produce.

But can we write something that gives us that feeling... for only a false moment... that we had in the car crash?
I think so.

my try

horror is the feeling of fear and helplessness when one face something so dark, be it in a nightmare or in real life. When it is too much, it can stop the beating heart.

Alid

yes I suppose one can die of fright

Okay.

I think everyone has an idea of what we want to create, so let us begin.
Post your first draft of the beginning of your horror story. I'm serious. Rough draft. We want to give all of our participants to become involved with your poem early on.
Everyone on site is welcome to comment and they will, but our priority is to study the critiques of our fellow participants.
Be sure to put in your title "Horror Story Draft" or some such thing.
After a round of critique, let's go back, revise and go on. Use the edit button to add and change what you have first posted or post anew if you think it such a change as to be worth it. Everyone keep an eye out for these.

Now the hard part. Remember that your poem MUST tell a story and it MUST use in some form the central structure of a story.
So here I go again~
The first part is the exposition (the introduction). We introduce characters, locations and the beginnings of a scenario that will become...
the complication (the problem for lack of a better term). We introduce a conflict between characters according to the scenario we have created which leads to...
the climax (when the shit hits the fan). This can be as large as a small nuclear device or as simple as a character saying "no" when "yes" was expected.
Then we resolve. The resolution will return our characters to their previous state, but now dramatically (or not so...) altered.

The poetic form is entirely up to the poet. It MUST be poetry however. Do not write a novel and break it into stanza.

Go for it.

Ohh

I first felt frighten when I was a preteen and watched a series of the twilight zone when an invisible monster attacked and killed actors and actress on set. I was so scared I though the monster was under my bed and would grab my feet. So I stood at the bedroom door, after leaving the den at the front of the house where the TV was and eriely walked through the dark to my bedroom at the back of the house, for a long time before running and diving into the bed where my already four sister was fast asleep.

I had a nightmare last night

May right about it but though I can't remover most of it.

horror - my thoughts

little horror - puts one on the edge while watching or reading ... one will have a tendency to jump if touched unexpectedly .... usually resolved in the mind after about 24 hours

big horror - leaves one feeling frightened for days or even weeks after, and will make one frightened all over again every time remembered

Imo, little horror depicts things that disgust, such as mutilation, monsters, etc., whereas big horror is something that touches a part of the human psyche pertaining to our greatest fears, such as, for example, those concerning mortality or sanity

Just my thought

I just noticed that this WS is only two weeks.... I'm not sure that I will have anything written before next week. I'm really busy at work atm, and have little time to write.... also, I'm not into horror so much, as I have already said, and it's taking a while for me to work out a plot....

However, will do my best to get to some critiquing....

xxx

horror?

It depends on how brave we are or where we live. I think for someone who lives in the middle East, a scratch on the window might cause a terrifying feeling because it might lead afterwards to an exploding bomb.
The world as I see it nowadays is becoming a horrific place.

Words might not easily depict the feeling but a tear on an orphaned child cheek might explain it better.

Can I join this workshop please?

Of course you can.

This is "Storytelling in Verse". We're open seven days a week and twenty four hours each day.
We will never close.

Thank you sir

I've just added my share.

No workshop ever stops...

in Storytelling in Verse (sempiternal). The two week was because I had to write something. Take your time. I want to read your story.
Everyone...
This is a laid back workshop. Don't feel pressured (although pressure is good as Pugilist taught us).

Horror is...

being afraid to look but unable to take your eyes away! Watching because you want/don't want to know what is coming next. Something so horrible that you are afraid of thinking about it, because you may bring it to home just by thinking about it. ~ Gee

Geezer

Good description that is just it our curiosity forbids us to look away no matter how horrible something may be

All

As Wes has said we are taking it easy with this work shop and that being said
Ya'll have a great fourth of July weekend. Relax , have fun but above all stay safe

OBSERVATION

People please read everyone's first draft and leave constructive comments
Remember this is an on going story and I for one can use some direction with mine
That is what this WS is for(for ppl like me)

Know where you want to continue your story line while we take a weekend breather and await our next instructions
I also need this weekend I've had a virus running in me for a few days and although feeling somewhat better I'm glad we have this little break

No worries.

No hurries. First drafts only, so we can talk. If you want to play through the weekend, please do, but as Chrys said nothing is expected til the fourth is done... even though some of us don't celebrate the fourth. Rula isn't concerned with it. She's having family time in Ramadan which is why I miss her in this WS.
I'm posting mine now and do I ever need help.

Hello

Is it too late for me to join??? This horrorphile has been out of the game for too long.

if I may

Horror comes from life experiences, our own twisted perceptions, a way to release trauma, anxiety, negative feelings... You get the picture. It releases the darkest emotions from places in our soul we didn't even know existed. It gives the writer relief and the reader chills... Leaves them wanting more when they really want to run away. It lingers in our thoughts, dances in our dreams and gives way to nightmares and other tormented visuals.

Carrie

Yes indeed good description

all

If we have left comments on everyones work go ahead and recreate or use suggestions made( I know I haven't done so as yet)
come on up with your endings so we may see and discuss and revise etc

i added

My contribution

dear Sparrow

You must be able to find the workshop listed now. You were listed among the participants as Ian T. instead of Sparrow :)
You won't need then miss any of the great comments you had on your piece.

Rula

If you look at the participants list Ian is listed as sparrow and has always been

Ian had this problem once before that is why he changed to sparrow in the first place
might be a tech glitch again He is the first name on the list as is one of the people Wesley put in first

Hello Chrys

It was Ian T. before I edited this afternoon. Hope you and sir Wesley don't mind it.

Rula

I don't seem to have the WS link when I try to add my Horror poem to the WS all I get is a list of Workshops that are closed and that's it.
I shall keep trying the link but the comments are coming in on "Disturbed Mechanics" now.
Thanks young Lady for your support in this Workshop, Yours as always, Ian.
Do have a good time with your Ramadan, and think to your God, and thank the God for all he gives us..

Leader: Wesley snow
Moderator(s): Chrys

Objectives: To write a horror "story" in verse (hopefully out horroring each other.

Level of expertise: Open to all

Subject matter: Some things we will discuss is the difference between subtle (Hitchcock style) and hack and slash.

Add me please

Me too!...

me too

Oh, what the Hell

Welcome Horrorphiles.

Horror?

My two cents worth

my three cents

I remember...

Or...

my try

Alid

Okay.

Ohh

I had a nightmare last night

horror - my thoughts

horror?

Of course you can.

Thank you sir

No workshop ever stops...

Horror is...

Geezer

All

OBSERVATION

No worries.

Hello

if I may

Carrie

all

i added

dear Sparrow

Rula

Hello Chrys

Rula

Thank you Rula.

Hello Wesley

posted