Writing Horror Fiction Course

TUTOR: Kerry Hadley-Pryce is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton and the editor of The Blackcountryman magazine. Her first novel, The Black Country, published by Salt Publishing in 2015, was part of her MA Creative Writing at the Manchester Writing School, for which she gained a distinction and was awarded the Michael Schmidt Prize for Outstanding Achievement 2013–14. She is currently a PhD candidate at Manchester Metropolitan University researching Psychogeographic Flow and Black Country Writing. She has had several short stories published in various anthologies and online at Fictive Dream and The Incubator. Her second novel, Gamble, also published by Salt Publishing in June 2018, was shortlisted for the Encore Second Novel Award 2019.

Next course starts: 8th March 2023 – 2 places remaining

Note: We are currently experiencing a high demand for our online creative writing courses. We therefore recommend that you book early to avoid disappointment. 

Price: €170

Duration: six weeks

Course is strictly limited to 10 participants.

You don’t have to be based in Ireland to take the course. We accept students from around the world.

You don’t have to be online at any particular time or day. The course is carried out through email correspondence, so you can read the notes whenever you wish. There will be weekly notes and assignments over the course of six weeks. Your tutor will read each assignment and provide written feedback.

Note: The tutor will email you on the course start date with you first module; please check your Spam/Junk folder for this email.

The Writing Horror Fiction Course will guide the participant through creating their own work of terror. This course incorporates advice from several successful horror fiction authors. Over six weeks, it will cover the essentials of the horror genre with various exercises and the chance to complete a creative piece of horror fiction of your own!

Week One – Basics of Horror Fiction

Week one introduces the participant to the building blocks of the genre. From the various kinds of fear to conveying emotion in your work, the first lesson discusses the basics of horror fiction. There is also the chance to begin planning a work of horror fiction of your own.

Week Two – Villains and Monsters

In the second week, we ask, what makes a good villain in horror fiction? The participant will learn how to create their own monster through expert advice.

Week Three – Heroes and Victims

The third week asks a similar question to the second, how do we create good heroes and victims for crime fiction? The participant will learn how to create other characters for their horror fiction and have a go at designing their own.

Week Four – Settings

In the fourth week, we ask, what makes a good setting in horror fiction. The participant will learn how to create an active setting for their fiction and have a go at designing their own.

Week Five – Creating Horror

The fifth lesson guides the participant, in detail, through creating horror in fiction. We look at the devices authors use to create moments of terror. There is then the chance to begin a piece of horror fiction of your own!

Week Six – Pitfalls of Horror Fiction

The final lesson highlights the potential mistakes beginner horror fiction writers could make, helping you avoid them in your writing. There is then the chance to finish and edit your own piece of horror fiction!