Anyway, what enters in your mind when you see the phrase "horror for kids"?

Typically, this pictures dolls attempting to kill a kid, a crazed mother abusing her child . . . and the child eventually haunts her in another realm. These are the archetypals, but how about some more 'mature' topic? Like the child has a very deep problem (let's say holding a secret that could really alter our modern history books) and has been obliged to hold that burden . . . and share it to the world. But on the child's way, he/ she encounters some terrifying and cryptic experiences that will really creep the child out. . . and the child dies on the process, leaving the antagonist, carrying the 'secret'. . . uh, I haven't made a story like that before. . . maybe sooner. So, what do you think?

x/ Dark Snow Angel /x

I'd suggest that if you're dead set on writing this, write to an age eight-to-ten or ten-to-twelve bracket.

Horror can work in children's stories, but you should be willing to show at least a somewhat happy ending (e.g. even if a monster is still around, its not going to harm the characters anytime soon).

There are exceptions to every rule.

The problem with horror for kids is that many kids can't handle truly horrific things. There are, of course, exceptions in the audience, but you risk making parents of terrified readers very angry.

Now, there's nothing wrong with writing a story with a child character in a very horrific or mature situation. After all, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was definitely not intended for children, and Pan's Labryinth is often quite disturbing. Take my advice at your discretion.

I guess I just have to stick to the basics. What do you think of a kid being haunted by spirits into persuading the kid to join in some sort of a cryptic rite. Like hieros gamos for instance. It may not be horror. but . . .

The cryptic rite... again, look at your audiences. Just to be safe. And depending on your perspective, the example you gave would definitely be horror.

Again, you're looking at an eight-to-ten or ten-to-twelve age bracket.

I doubt many parents would like their child reading about that example. Another rite, maybe.

I don't like censorship in most contexts. I'm just saying he'll alienate a lot of readers (and especially parent of readers) if he writes about that.

Don't worry. The above plot was intended to be abysmal. :p

In my view, as long as you don't make your stories too graphic, they should be fine for children to read. Everyone has his or her own standards of what's appropriate but I'm sure you'll be able to distinguish the imaginary line that should not be crossed.

Good luck if you decide to act on your idea. Personally, I find it fascinating. Of course, this comes from a girl who has loved horror stories since about ten or eleven years old and read the “Tall-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe in fifth grade.

Your going to find an even smaller audience if you use hieros gamos as the rite your character is tangled in.

I'd have to say your story outline does remind me very much like Pans Labirynth, minus the fantastical journey... and I would have been thoroughly freaked out by that as a child I think. I liked being scared when I was a kid, but not by realistic things. I loved movies like "Aliens" when I was 10, and sure, it gave me nightmares. But I think had I read a book about a disturbed child who had to hold in a secret for so long it eventually killed them, I don't think I would have ever read a book again. A story about a child that introverted would be hard to write to keep a kids attention (unless it's wildly fantastical like pans labirynth,) and could introduce children to a side of depression that - hopefully - they haven't experienced yet.

I agree something that dark would be best as a book for adults. Kids love the "monster" concept. But monster doesn't have to mean fantastical, it jast has to be the Jabberwock, the personification of a fear. Like a kidnapping, or finding something that a group of people want and will stop at nothing to get, or getting lost in the woods and hunted by a wolves, or trapped in a cave with a bear on a boyscout trip. A badguy focal point -human or other- is key in childrens horror I think.

Anyways, I;m just about to start work on a children's horror much in the vein (pun intended) of the Darren Shan books (although more like the newer Demonata series than his debut Cirque Du Freak series), about a boy who wakes up in hospital from a heavy, life-threatening concussion to discover that he can now see past the Mist, and perceive the creatures that have always existed in our world, just out of our limited perception of reality. Only, the creatures can sense his new presence, too, and they're none too pleased...as he soon finds out when they trap him - and everyone else - within the hospital, picking off people as they try to eliminate their new threat. Trouble is, only the boy can see these monsters and adults, being adults, don't believe him when he says he can see all manner of nightmarish monsters...this slowly changes as, one-by-one, they themselves are eliminated, and the rest are forced to trust in the boy as he attemptsm to lead them safely out of the hospital.

It will be gruesome, as anyone who has read any Darren Shan books will have guessed, but I believe I'm a good enough judge of my own work to know when I'm going to far, so it should be alright. I also have plans for this to become a series of books, revolving around the boy, and an organization he meets soon after escaping the hospital.

What do you all think?

SympleSymon (Dave)

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