Exploring and Writing Horror Subgenres

Course summary: Explore psychological, supernatural, slasher, body, folk, science-fiction, and comedy horror. Learn each subgenre’s reader promise, develop original scenes, and finish a revised horror story with a craft portfolio.

Course overview: This is a 40-lesson course for emerging and intermediate fiction writers who want to understand horror forms and apply their craft, not simply list famous films. No prior experience is required. Allow two to three hours per lesson plus dedicated capstone drafting and revision time. Each lesson can be completed independently; related labs can build toward one story.

Learning outcomes: Distinguish seven major horror modes and their overlaps; design credible fear and reader knowledge; develop meaningful character decisions; make atmosphere and pace serve a scene; critique genre clichés; write and revise an original horror narrative; describe its intended audience honestly.

AI collaboration policy: AI assistance is optional. You may ask an AI partner to flag unclear stakes, compare two scene openings, or role-play a first reader. You create and control all original characters and prose, verify factual claims, and decide which suggestions to use. Keep private and confidential drafts out of services you do not trust. A human peer or the self-check can replace AI.

Completion standard: Complete the lesson writing labs and submit the Lesson 10.4 portfolio: a 2,500–3,500-word revised story, subgenre promise and fear map, selected before-and-after passages, a revision memo, and a reader-facing pitch. The final rubric has 100 possible points; 70 points is the suggested proficiency mark, with revision permitted.