The concept of ghosts evokes fear, curiosity and a desire to understand what happens after death. That’s why stories about ghosts have been around for so long. They satisfy our curiosity about the unknown and offer a dark, often morbid commentary about what it means to be alive.
A good ghost story must have a strong, believable protagonist. Make sure that your lead character is a real person with their own history, motivations and qualities. They need to be the conduit into the world of your haunted place, and their personality is essential in establishing how scary or frightening your ghost will be.
Setting is another key factor in a successful haunted story. You want to choose a location that feels creepy or out of the ordinary and that is appropriate to your ghost’s backstory. Historical homes, locations with real or imagined grisly pasts, abandoned prisons and even subway stations can all be great settings for a ghost story. You can also get creative and think outside the box by looking at other types of locations that may inspire fear – an airplane hangar, a shopping mall or even a construction site.
A scary ghost must be dangerous, but they don’t have a body so they have to rely on other means of threatening their victims. This might be through a curse, possession or mind control. Adding some danger to your ghost can really add to the tension of your story. If you can find a way to make your ghost feel like a real threat to your protagonist then their fear will be more realistic and believable.