The Three Types of Horror Readers, and Why Horror for Kids is Important

Plus its NIGHTMARE HOUSE MONTH!!

From the Writing Desk: First, the writing news…I have a book out this month!!

I hope fans of Coraline and Small Spaces will especially connect with Penny’s story, and thank you all so much for your support! NYT Bestselling author Delilah Dawson called Nightmare House “timeless, exciting, beautiful, creepy, and above all, full of the hope that lights even the darkest nights.” Clackity author Lora Senf described it as “A gorgeous book with scares enough for the brave at heart and heart enough for everyone.” I seriously got emotional with these blurbs, and I only had to pay them ten grand to say nice things! *

So, with that out of the way, let’s talk about horror.

(by the way, Nightmare House will also be great for Stranger Things fans)

The Three Kinds of Horror Fans

According to Psychology Today, there are three types of horror fans.

• Adrenaline Junky: “a desire for novel, complex, and intense experiences. This is the demographic to whom horror films and haunted houses often advertise when they emphasize the fear and intense experience that the audience can expect.”

• White Knuckler: “genuinely afraid of horror movies and not necessarily enjoying the suspenseful aspects. Many white knucklers even report having nightmares from watching the films. However, white knucklers still go to horror movies and haunted houses. Unlike the adrenaline junkies who try to maximize their arousal in the haunted house, white knucklers tend to downregulate their arousal.”

• Dark Coper: “tend to use horror as a way to cope with various aspects of their lives. For example, many dark copers report that they watch horror movies to deal with feelings of anxiety that they experience…Horror might be a good way for some people to practice emotion regulation skills and cope with feelings of anxiety.”

There are certain psychological benefits, to varying degrees, for each type of horror experiencer. In fact, there can be big benefits to using horror stories as an external coping mechanism. The article says, “Interestingly, those who scored higher on the dark coper dimension reported all three benefits: they felt great, learned something about themselves, and felt as if they developed on a personal level.”

This can be especially huge for kids. That is maybe one of the misunderstandings about children’s horror. We don’t write it to freak kids out or give them nightmares. We write it to show kids that when they encounter real life nightmares, they can win.

Some reported feeling as if they learned how to make decisions under pressure while others learned that they could handle more than they thought they could.

Handling more then they thought they could. That’s pretty much exactly what I hope kids take away from my books.

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What I’m Reading: There are so many amazing middle grade horror novels. Let’s go with one of my underrated favorites—The Nest by Kenneth Opel, and illustrated by Jon Klassen. This book is lyrical and haunting, everything a perfect spooky book should be. I read it years ago and still think about it regularly.

What I’m Watching: I love a good lighthearted procedural—longtime Psych and Monk fan. I’ve discovered the low-budget British answer to the genre, set in the one and only Stratford-upon-Avon. It’s delightful, and the main odd couple are regular fun. Check out Shakespeare and Hathaway. A Britbox free trial is worth it.

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I saw Toy Story at Disney Springs! As part of Disney’s 100th anniversary (can you believe it??) they are doing a rerelease of some of their best movies this summer. One of them is Toy Story, and it was an absolute blast to go see it in the middle of Disney World. It’s just a brilliant move all around, and I have some thoughts about the writing in particular—

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What I’m Drawing: Just some thoughts about emotions and feelings. As a friend put it, star gazing>naval gazing.

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Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.

Neil Gaiman

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Writing Opportunity: Since we’re talking horror this month, check out the horror anthology edited by Nadia Bulkin and Julia Rios. It’s called Why Didn’t You Just Leave which is like the best horror anthology title ever? Deadline Aug. 31!

Teacher or Librarian? I would love to do a free virtual Q&A with your class or book group! If you’re interested in scheduling a visit you can reach out to me via my website. Let me know how I can support you! I’ve also got free classroom resources to accompany each book. You guys are rock stars!

*JK. Although they deserve ten grand.

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Thanks for coming along everyone! I’d be honored if you forwarded this to anyone you thought might find it useful. Onward!

-Sarah