Writing a Paranormal Story: Tips on Writing Ghost Stories

by Blog Contributor | June 19, 2024 | paranormal, Writing Tips | 0 Comments

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Writing a paranormal story is a literary journey full of mystery, spooks, compelling characters, and a gripping tale that holds audiences as if they were hostages.

Immersion worldbuilding flourishes as supernatural beings like faeries, demons, witches, and vampires come to life in the paranormal genre. It goes beyond ghost stories, too. Authors can even posit questions like “Is clairvoyance a gift or a curse?” To deliver an amazing question where the plot could circle around in. This is where Until We Meet Again by Flateland (author’s full name is Jill Flateland) falls into.

If you want to craft a wonderful paranormal tale, read our tips here for you.

Use Your Own Fears as Inspiration for Your Paranormal Story Ideas

When crafting a ghost story, it can be useful to start by considering what terrifies you about ghosts. Consider what you believe would frighten you the most in the event that you encounter a ghost head-on. When creating your ghost story, it can be helpful to know what terrifies you about ghosts.

• To get inspired, consider viewing your favorite scary movies or perusing other ghost stories.

• Conjure the specifics of the ghost’s appearance and how it plagues you, noting your biggest fears. • Consider the scenarios in which you would be most afraid to encounter a ghost.

When Creating Believable Ghosts, Keep the Atmosphere in Mind

Wherever the place is going to be is crucial to your your plot. Even if you can conjure up a terrifying ghost, the incorrect environment may detract from its horrifying effect. Consider some of the spookiest places that come to mind for your ghost story’s setting.

• The main characters should feel alone in their surroundings and unable to get assistance.

• What areas do you find uncomfortable or unsettling?

Dump Your Paranormal Story Ideas and Plan the Story’s Arc

Every story contains a few fundamental elements that make up its plot arc. Not every story follows the same arc, and some models differ. Nonetheless, the eight-point narrative arc is frequently employed in fiction writing and may produce dependable, well-structured narratives. Examine the eight-point storyline arc’s basic outline, which is as follows:

• Statis

This serves as the story’s introduction and gives an overview of your characters’ everyday lives. When writing a paranormal story, authors shouldn’t neglect the importance of statis.

• Trigger

This is an incident that forces your character to step outside of their everyday existence. Until We Meet Again by Flateland is a great example of a trigger, especially when the main protagonist is attacked randomly.

• Quest

This is when the protagonist and their party (or they could be on a solo adventure) are assigned a task or objective. If you truly want to write a ghost story, then be sure to follow some of the tips we have here.

• Surprise

This comprises the events leading up to your hero’s goal and will occupy the middle portion of your story.

• Critical Choice

Your main character will have to make a difficult decision that shows who they are.

• Climax

This is the most dramatic point in the story and the one that your plot has been building towards.

• Reversal

This needs to be the outcome of your character’s pivotal decision or the primary obstacle.

• Resolution

At this time, your characters have recovered from their ordeal and are ready to resume their normal lives.

Reliable Paranormal Tip: Always Create an Outline

You should start creating an outline once you have a rough idea of what will happen in your novel. An outline will enable you to see your tale through to the end and identify any issues or changes you want to make.

• Ensure that there are no holes in the story for your outline.
• Arrange the events in your outline chronologically.
• Make an effort to consider each scene and consider how well it fits together.

Here’s a great video that from Writer Brandon McNulty that covers the subject of how to write effective paranormal stories:

Don’t Forget to Put Your Heart When Writing a Paranormal Story

There are a lot of paranormal stories out there; some even made it to our list of five horror and dark thriller authors to read this November. But if you want to write in this genre, then you should certainly go for it. The world could just be waiting for your paranormal tale, so be sure to share it with us.

We hope that this article was of help. If you want to read a great paranormal book, buy Until We Meet Again by Flateland (the author’s full name is Jill Flateland) today. Learn more about Jill Flateland’s paranormal tale, Until We Meet Again, and purchase it by visiting the client’s website at https://www.jillflateland.com/order/.