Ambiance

Ugh. I meant to post this about a week ago, but I just recently moved, and started working at a new place, so life has been hectic to say the least.

Ambiance

Ambiance is all about setting the mood. Paranormal often involves things that go bump in the night. Even though my books deal with romance, they still have elements that add to the ambiance. I like things that send a chill down my spine, things that make it difficult to turn out the lights. As a writer, I’ve given myself goose bumps – that’s the best way to tell when a piece is truly scary. I try not to make my creatures too scary. After all, I want people to like them! But there were a couple of spots in Demon’s Torment that gave me chills while I was writing them. If I can’t move myself, how do I ever expect to move others?

So how does one write an ambient scene? Having a character stumble through a dark room is good. Added details make it better. Perhaps the flashlight glances off something strange – a picture that looked different a second ago, shadows that move. Face it, darkness is terrifying. These days I’m scared of zombies hiding under my bed, even though I’m really too old to think there might be monsters living under there. What about strange creaks and groans? Lots of old houses have them. In the dark, a commonplace noise takes on horrifying implications.

What do you think?

So what scares you? Ever read a truly terrifying book that had you leaving the lights on?