writing the supernatural

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I absolutely love reading ghost stories and I’m sure all of us are the same. 

We all know that a good ghost story contains certain classic elements: there’s atmosphere of course, suspense, the clever manipulation of feelings of anticipation and fear in the reader, building up to that icy trickle down the spine …. which is the essential ingredient in every great ghost story. Punctuated of course with heart-stopping moments of shock and horror!

But I’d never actually attempted to write any ghost stories before. As a writer I knew that there is a definite knack in creating a classic ghost story.

It’s about atmosphere of course, it’s about building suspense …. BUT  most importantly of all … it’s about precise timing. When to reveal, when to conceal …. When to spring a fright on your readers. Timing is essential.

So, bearing all this in mind, I set out to write a few ghostly tales, as nothing more than a simple writing exercise, really.

I dusted off a lot of classic ghost stories, and I began to read them very carefully, and to take them apart. I wanted to examine the real nuts and bolts of the ghost writer’s craft, to see if I could write a few … for my own amusement.

 I set myself the task of working out a few story lines. Then I began to add in some characters. 

This is of course when a story springs to life... when the characters take on a life of their own, too. As any writer will tell you …. You don’t choose your characters … they choose you. It may sound pretentious, but it is absolutely true.

They start whispering in your ear, and tugging at your sleeve, Quite often when you are trying to write something else entirely. In short, they just will not shut up and go away. So, eventually, you give in, and let yourself be pulled along …. to wherever these extraordinary imagined entities decide to take you.

So, if you were to ask me, where I get my characters from, I’m afraid I couldn’t tell you. As I say, they find me …. and they come knocking loudly on my door, till I let them in!

What started as a simple writing exercise, grew finally into the collection of supernatural stories which is now Isle of Ghosts. 

I set the stories in and around Ely because I absolutely love the place:  the people, the buildings and the history.

I’ve worked in this beautiful cathedral city for many years now, and Isle of Ghosts is a sincere  token of my affection …  to this wonderful place.

 

There are quite a few creepy locations that feature in Isle of Ghosts, but my wandering souls can also be found in more everyday settings; taxis, offices, in cars, and out there along the High Street.

I hope you’ll have fun meeting some of them!