What makes a great ghost story? – Part 7

I love a good ghost story. My preference is the sort told in hushed voices in a dimly lit space. To me a great ghost story is more than just a tale of a spirit come to haunt the living.

If you’ve ever tried to share one around the campfire you probably know just how hard it can be to spin a great one. Maybe you got halfway there but your ending fell flat. Maybe you were trying to relate something true but no one got the creeps. Fortunately making your story great isn’t as hard as it seems.

If you want to make a -great- ghost story you’ll need these elements:

REALISM: You want your audience to think “This could happen to me.” You want them to wonder if it will happen to them for the rest of the week. To do this you’ve got to set it in terms they can relate to.

Make the setting nearby, make the characters people they might know, or make the ghost seem familiar. Your goal is to give them something to ponder later as they dare themselves to turn off the light for bed.

DANGER: Casper is a great comic book character but when you’re in the mood for a ghost story you want to be scared. You can add friendly ghosts but you’ve got to either imply danger or spell it right out. Otherwise, if your aim isn’t to scare, why tell a ghost story at all? You could save yourself the trouble and tell about baking your favorite cookies.

LAMENT: Your ghost has got to have a reason for coming back. Regardless of how they deal with their sorrow (anger/tantrums/threats/crying ) this element is crucial to remind your audience that they don’t want to end up like the ghost. The fact that they could will be chilling. The urge to make things right will keep their attention.

MYSTERY: This walks hand in hand with the lament. What went wrong and how can anyone make it right? Can you you still find the bones? Unsolved mysteries are a great way to pull in an audience. Revealing secrets bit by bit will hold the attention of even the biggest skeptic.

UNCERTAIN RESOLUTION: Even the best stories must come to an end, but with a campfire ghost story the best ending is hardly an ending at all. After all, the story isn’t quite finished yet is it?