Introduction to Writing Horror Stories
A course by María Fernanda Ampuero , Author
Learn to transform your deepest fears into compelling, terrifying and unforgettable stories that impact readers
For journalist and writer María Fernanda Ampuero, one of the keys to writing good horror stories is starting out with something frightening, then cranking up the volume to make it utterly terrifying. Her stories contain the level of brutality needed to impact the reader, while managing to balance it out with authenticity, tension, and lots of affection towards her characters.
In this course, learn to draw inspiration from real-life fears to write horror stories. Lull your reader into a sense of calm at the beginning, then gradually increase the tension until that final shriek! Your teacher also gives you tips to get your work seen and published.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 18 downloads
- 98% positive reviews (317)
- 9,838 students
- 15 lessons (1h 47m)
- 18 additional resources (2 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: Spanish, English
- Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Write a horror story based on an anecdote, a piece of news, a memory, a nightmare, a social issue, an urban legend, or something that's genuinely one of your deepest fears.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Any horror fanatic who wants to learn basic techniques for writing a story from the genre.
Requirements and materials
You need to know and love the horror genre, both in cinema and literature.
In terms of materials, you need a pencil, pen, notebook, computer, and the overwhelming desire to frighten your readers.
Reviews
María Fernanda Ampuero
A course by María Fernanda Ampuero
Although born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, journalist and writer María Fernanda Ampuero has lived in Quito, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Madrid. Her texts have been included in countless anthologies and her latest book of short stories, Cockfight (Páginas de Espuma, 2018), was named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times in Spanish, in addition to receiving the Joaquín Gallegos Lara award for the best book of short stories of the year.
She has also published two books of journalistic chronicles: Lo que aprendí en la peluquería (Dinediciones, 2011) and Permiso de Residencia (Caracola, 2013). She has collaborated with important literary chronicle magazines such as Gatopardo, Piaüi, and Internazionale. Her work has been translated into English, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, and Chinese.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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Presentation
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Influences
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U2
What are fears made of?
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Tell me your worst nightmares
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And now, where do I get a monster?
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The voice from beyond the grave
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It was a monster, it is a monster, it will be a monster
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U3
My mother wants to kill me
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Everything was going so well
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The sinister knocks at the door
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Do not look under the bed
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Look under the bed
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The call comes from your own home
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I'll go with you to hell itself
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The exorcist's last words
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U4
The final scream
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Ranger to the rescue
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A book of black magic
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FP
Final project
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Writing a story: from the chronicle to the fictional narrative
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
acorinti_victoria
Excelente, María Fernanda es una genia.
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raquel_olliveira25
Gostei muito da abordagem do curso de forma leve e desafiadora ao propor exercicios que treinam nosso olhar
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christinaellie2024
I enjoyed the first two units only; found the course fairly basic - I expected much more craft content in writing horror - there was not very much included. I think authors should refrain from running units on how to get published when there are expert publishers and editors out there providing that information. Use the 4 units to give us full craft learning materials. Handouts confusing re: language. If you are a true beginner, I will recommend. Otherwise no. It's basic.
juancdg83
Me gustó mucho la forma en que Maria Fernanda nos introduce en las perspectivas de la historia desde los diferentes ángulos tanto del narrador como del "ente", este curso me ha servido para estructurar el plot para un videojuego de terror, pero me ha abierto a repensarlo desde la incomodidad de que el antagonista sea quien cuente la historia.
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emmanuel_serrat_art
Este curso fue una experiencia intensa, íntima y profundamente reveladora sobre el arte de escribir terror desde lo cotidiano. María Fernanda Ampuero no solo comparte herramientas narrativas, sino que guía al estudiante a mirar hacia adentro: a reconocer sus propios miedos, dolores y obsesiones como materia prima literaria. Ese enfoque personal e introspectivo le da al curso un valor que va más allá de la técnica.
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