What makes a great ghost story? – Part 8

A “ghost story” is quite different than a horror story, a fantasy, or an adventure, although the latter three may often involve ghosts. The classic ghost story maintains a mood of suspense and mystery with a touch of drama. More importantly, it exhibits an eerie verisimilitude by using a set of events that are almost plausible in order to tell a supernatural tale. A classic ghost story leaves us jumping at noises and feeling nervous in the dark as a part of the mind wonders if a haunting encounter could happen.

Supernatural manifestations in a work of fiction should be subtle, especially at the beginning. A story that starts with a man chatting with his dead grandmother or a poltergeist hurling furniture will make it difficult to suspend disbelief. When the otherworldly communication is more subtle we can relate to the events. As the protagonist receives messages from the dead in the form of malfunctioning electronics, inanimate objects that don’t stay put, and pets that spook at nothing, we find it easy to identify. It’s fun to imagine that perhaps the oddities in our own lives are the result of an encounter with the great beyond. Maybe a vengeful spirit stole my USB drive, perhaps a lost soul pushed the coffee can off the shelf. Could my dog be responding to a call from beyond the grave when she perks up her ears and stares at nothing for no discernible reason?

The setting in a ghost story should be spectacularly ordinary. The fact that a simple object like a bathroom mirror or car stereo can be a link with the dead combines the real and the surreal, giving the story a sense of immediacy and verisimilitude. The protagonist should be as average as possible so that we may readily identify. Other genres of fiction thrive on extraordinary characters because they entice us to “fall in love” with the protagonist that we may care about his fate. Ghost stories are different, as they attempt to evoke an entirely different set of emotions. To truly experience a ghost story, we must feel afraid in a way that raises goosebumps and induces us to jump at sudden sounds. We can’t have such feelings unless we are truly able to put ourselves in the protagonist’s place.

As the supernatural encounters continue, a good ghost story will drop clues regarding the reason for the spirit’s presence while still leaving room for questions. What tragic event could warp a human soul enough to bind it to this earth long after the body is gone? Is the ghost