Who better to teach the uninitiated how to write genre fiction than the man who wrote the novel Logan's Run?
This book is a few decades old, and a little dated here and there. Nolan covers basic mistakes made by horror writers- from indestructible villains to too many monsters to finding a happy medium between splatterpunk and mystery. Nolan takes the reader by the hand and guides them through a breakdown of his own short story, "The Pool." He provides small biographies of Stephen King, Anne Rice, and other successful horror writers, proving the point that these icons also had to get their starts somewhere. Nolan's best advice to the aspiring horror writer? READ, and read often. Do not read just horror, broaden your horizons to other genres and poetry, so all of your output does not end up sounding like the Dean R. Koontz novel you just finished. Nolan also puts incredible appendices in here, listing suggested anthologies to seek out, and perhaps he should add his own book to the list.
This is very inspiring, without treating the reader like a five year old who must be led from idea to manuscript layout. Nolan stresses individuality, and the reader will appreciate that. I highly recommend this guide, which is short and can be finished in one sitting.
