When I was a kid, I loved ghost stories. I was the proud owner of an Alfred Hitchcock’s vinyl record, “Ghost Stories for Young People” featuring him introducing his own short stories. I played that record over and over again on my red and yellow toy player. The lights would be turned off and I’d make a cave with my blankets and pillows. Armed with a flashlight, I’d place the needle on the record and listen to his stories. I always played it around Hallowe’en—one of my favourite holidays back then and not just for the candy, but because I believed in ghosts and witches and monsters.
“Now, the best way to listen to ghost stories is with the lights out. There is nothing like a dark room to attract ghosts. Then close the doors and draw the blinds. Don’t worry about the ghosts getting in as they can slither through keyholes and under doors.”
–An excerpt from Alfred Hitchcock’s Presents, Ghost Stories for Young People
Yet, I was also a kid who was afraid of loud sudden noises (like thunder, firecrackers, and my sister hitting my best friend with a hardcover copy of Mr. Wiggily’s and Friends, staining it forever with her blood). I believed that if I needed to go pee at night, I had only two minutes before the monster would come up from the basement to eat me. I never opened my closet after dark. I didn’t really need ghost stories to scare me.
As I grew older, I drifted away from ghost stories. I don’t tend to read horror books featuring creepy dolls and I distain most horror movies. Lately though, I’ve been thinking more and more about the genre of ghost stories, and particularly about the “Save the Cat” story genre of the “Monster in the House”. This is the genre that is characterized by the hero trapped inside a “house” (although the house can be any sort of structure or place that traps the hero). There’s a “monster” in the house with the unlucky hero (and the monster can be any sort of creature, ghost, or other human as long as it is something that doesn’t act normally and is scary) and some of kind of sin or error made by the hero that usually relates to the monster, either by creating it or by unleashing it.
At first, I didn’t think that I would be fond of this story type. However, I realized that some of the movies I like follow this structure such as Alien and the relatively low budget film “Pitch Black”. It also made me remember my love of a good ghost story, like the kind that told by the mighty Hitchcock.
What is the appeal of a scary ghost story?
Turns out that neuroscience has found that being scared and flooding our system with fear paired with the relief of finding safety, releases naturally occurring opioids to our brains. So basically, as a kid, I was getting a high from being scared. No wonder I played that record over and over again. A kiddie version of morphine, who knew?
Ghost stories occur in every culture. Some have speculated that ghost stories help us collectively contain and control our fears. They can reflect the things we are scared of, such as the after-effects from nuclear war (think zombie movies). They can allow us to face these fears but then at the end, to return to our safe place, making us feel secure. Some of us also like the excitement of being scared and the resulting releasing of adrenaline. Others have suggested that horror stories allow us to explore the concept of “evil” in a safe space. For references, check out these sources: https://news.usc.edu/151096/why-do-we-like-to-be-scared-usc-experts-explain-the-science-of-fright/ and https://happiful.com/why-do-we-love-horror-the-psychology-behind-scary-entertainment/
I am working on a new novel, one that follows the “Monster in the House” plot elements. Working on this story, has made me research more into this genre and appreciate its subtleties. Like all stories types whether you write and read romance, westerns, thrillers, mysteries, fantasy— all of these stories can be well-written and engaging, despite those that decry them for repeating a genre plot line. The beauty is in the attention to details that make them shine. This is no different from an excellent meal. We’ve all eaten that fantastic burger (maybe smoked and stacked with old cheddar cheese and caramelized onions). Even though we’ve also eaten lots of poor or mediocore burgers too when we’re hungry. The differences are in sourcing out the best ingredients and cooking them with care. The same is true for genre writing.
Take the time and find those perfectly flawed characters, the terrifying monster and of course, the scary house with the constant dripping faucet… If you ever listened to Alfred Hitchcock’s Ghost Stories for Young People, you know what I mean! Drip, drip, drip… now go scare a reader!
In case you need to listen to one of Hitchcock’s ghost stories: https://youtu.be/3FgYnj_AHn8
