The key horror tip I’ve learned is that once the monster is revealed, the tension is cut. Basically, fear of the unknown (what could possibly be behind the basement door?) is stronger than most others (oh it’s an axe murderer) becuase once you know what you’re dealing with, you can plan for it. So creating psychological horror is building a lot of tension and “unknowns” when the monster is mental. Is the monster really there? Is that guy really out to get you? That kind of thing Answer from MadameHyde13 on reddit.com
🌐
Fictionary
fictionary.co › home › 50 horror story ideas and scary writing prompts
50 Horror Story Ideas and Scary Writing Prompts | Fictionary
June 6, 2025 - Here’s the down-and-dirty guide to turning prompts into pulse-pounding horror stories: Embrace the “What if?” game. Take that starter and run with it. What if the creepy doll could talk? What if the ghost was actually trying to warn you? Let your imagination off the leash and see where it leads you. Know your scare style. Are you going for subtle creeps or full-on gore? Psychological mind-bends or supernatural spooks?
🌐
Dabblewriter
dabblewriter.com › articles › horror-ideas
30 Downright Terrifying Horror Story Ideas
One of the most psychologically damaging things to read about is an act of violence or depravity that has no apparent motive. Why is the family being terrorized at their summer home by hooded killers? Simply because the killers can. I know that the supernatural and paranormal have bled into other ideas on this list, but that was more like flavor to the bigger subgenre theme.
🌐
Domestika
domestika.org › en › blog › 10925-13-creative-writing-prompts-for-psychological-thrillers-and-horror
13 Creative Writing Prompts for Psychological Thrillers and Horror | Blog | Domestika
October 25, 2022 - 1. Master the tension and big reveals of horror writing for teens with this introductory course by Raquel Castro. 2. Character is key: learn about motivations, arcs, and more in this character development course by Mark Boutros. 3. To learn how to weave travel-inspired thriller narratives, discover Emily Barr’s course on psychological thrillers.
🌐
EveryWriter
everywritersresource.com › home › writing prompts › creative writing prompts › 50 psychological thriller writing prompts
50 psychological thriller writing prompts - EveryWriter
April 21, 2025 - The best psychological horror plays with your perception, making you doubt what’s real and what’s imagined. It thrives on isolation, paranoia, and that gnawing fear that maybe—just maybe—we’re not entirely in control of our own thoughts.
🌐
Jericho Writers
jerichowriters.com › home › 150 horror prompts, settings and characters
150 Horror Prompts, Settings And Characters – Jericho Writers
May 9, 2025 - Whether writing a scary short story, or a horror novel, here are 150 of the best horror story prompts, setting and characters to inspire you.
🌐
LitReactor
litreactor.com › columns › storyville-writing-psychological-horror
Storyville: Writing Psychological Horror | LitReactor
Part of what makes a psychological horror story more complex and satisfying is the depth of the characters, and the struggles they are going through. It’s everything from the memory issues in Memento to the role of the mother (and her bloodline) in Hereditary to the idea of puritanical vs.
🌐
Draftsparks
draftsparks.com › themes › psychological-horror
39+ 'Psychological horror' Writing Prompts
Writing prompts and journaling prompts exploring Psychological horror and related concepts - Explore over 50k writing prompts on DraftSparks.
Find elsewhere
🌐
You Can Journal
youcanjournal.com › home › psychological horror writing prompts and story ideas
Psychological Horror Writing Prompts and Story Ideas
May 13, 2025 - Small towns are perfect for psychological horror. They often appear quaint and peaceful at first glance. Yet, under the surface, they can be full of dark secrets and hidden horrors. In a small town, everyone knows each other. This can make the fear feel more personal. The idea that your friendly neighbor might be hiding something sinister can be deeply unsettling.
🌐
Wikihow
wikihow.com › education and communications › writing › writing genres › how to write a psychological horror story: 12 steps
How to Write a Psychological Horror Story: 12 Steps
May 17, 2024 - Psychological horror focuses on the inner conflict of your main character, rather than on an external monster or creature. You can create your own psychological horror story by coming up with a compelling story idea, and by focusing on creating a mood of terror and foreboding in the story.
🌐
No Film School
nofilmschool.com › psychological-horror
A Genre Examination of Psychological Horror Movies and TV Shows
Once you have your idea for the film, build the characters. ... For this particular genre, I would advise also figuring out what's haunting this person. What's the real problem they have underneath the surface that they want to face? Then begin worldbuilding. What kind of place do these characters reside in? Is this a mental hospital or a secluded cabin or one of the many other locales where psychological horror happens?
Published   September 17, 2024
🌐
Quora
quora.com › What-are-some-tips-for-writing-a-psychological-horror
What are some tips for writing a psychological horror? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Psychological ... keep supernatural occurrences and mythical beings to a minimum. Instead a series of frightening disasters and ghouls the emphasis is on ......
🌐
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Psychological_horror
Psychological horror - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - Psychological horror usually aims to create discomfort or dread by exposing common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities/fears and revealing the darker parts of the human psyche that most people may repress or deny.
🌐
The Horror Tree
horrortree.com › home › 5 steps to write the best psychological horror story
5 Steps to Write the Best Psychological Horror Story - The Horror Tree
February 11, 2022 - Edu jungles is an excellent place ... horror stories and essays. However, if you are trying to on your own, brainstorming is the first essential step. Brainstorming is when you note down all the ideas that pop into your mind and use them to develop a tremendous psychological horror ...
🌐
Pinterest
pinterest.com › explore
Psychological Horror
A must-avoid list of horror tropes readers hate! ... By Reason of Insanity (David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series Book 3) - Kindle edition by Penner, Stephen. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading By Reason of Insanity (David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series Book 3). ... The Psychology of Fear: How to Use it in Your Horror Writing https://horrortree.com/the-psychology-of-fear-how-to-use-it-in-your-horror-writing/ #AmReading #AmWriting #WritersLife #bookworm #IndieWriter #IndieAuthors #horror #Book #Books
🌐
Relay Publishing
recruitment.relaypub.com › home › projects › 50 writing prompts for terrifying horror stories!!!!
50 Writing Prompts for Terrifying Horror Stories!!!!
May 16, 2025 - Horror stories are so enticing – perhaps a serial killer is stalking a teenage girl, or a haunted house is the location for a creepy Halloween night party that’s sure to go wrong. Scary story ideas emerge from the depths of the human psych, playing on our innate fear of grisly murders, demonic killers, grisly spectres with a chip on their shoulder, and spooky symbols surrounding a dead body trapped in the cellar.
🌐
IMDb
imdb.com › interest › in0000114
Psychological Horror - IMDb
The psychological horror subgenre features psychological tension, fear, and suspense to evoke feelings of dread and unease in the audience. Rather than relying solely on graphic violence or jump scares, psychological horror focuses on the psychological and emotional experiences of characters, often exploring their inner fears, anxieties, and perceptions.
🌐
Writing Forums
writingforums.com › writing essentials › story craft
I want to write a psychological horror story, what is the best advice you have for me? | Writing Forums
July 12, 2021 - My story idea is a loud house horror fanfic about Lincoln Loud’s psychological trauma which was caused by Luan’s dangerous pranks. Lincoln starts having nightmares of himself dying from Luan’s pranks and things eventually get so bad that Lincoln starts having heart attacks from fear caused by simply being around Luan.
🌐
Vondy
vondy.com › psychological-story-generator--PvguOTFB
Best Psychological Story Generator | Vondy
Our horror story plot generator helps you create spine-chilling stories. Whether you need a horror story generator, horror plot generator, or spooky story generator, we have you covered with a variety of horror story ideas and prompts.