How to Tell a Scary Story
Written By Pete Nelsen
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- Start in the middle, with somebody in trouble.
- Speak slowly, with furtive glances and long pauses.
- If stuck, ask questions like, "And do you know what happened next?" Your child may give you something you can use.
- For physical details, use things your child already knows, like the "Snoktopus," half snake, half octopus.
- Give the creature a fatal flaw (and yourself a narrative exit strategy), like the Snoktopus that loved music and could be hypnotized by it.
- Work in a kid-protagonist your child can identify with, like The Little Shepherd Boy Who Played the Flute and Tamed a Wild Snoktopus.
- Don't bring in adults to save the protagonist. It's better to give kids power to save
themselves. - Endings are key. Monsters can be imprisoned, petrified, or converted to good by the kindness of a child who isn't afraid.
Plus:
Why Kids Like Scary Stories
One Son's Love of Scary Stories
