BOOK REVIEW :THE HORROR WRITERS PHRASEBOOK BY JACKSON DEAN CHASE

ONE OF THE WORST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN?

I am passionate about the horror genre, it is a genre when at its best allows us to look deep inside ourselves at the minute things that make us tick.  To those unaware of what the genre is capable of it looks like the lowest of the low.  Full of stupid plots, cringe worthy dialogue, and writing so bad, even a sixth form pupil would cringe at it.  

So many writers think that it is an easy genre to write in. One where all you have to do is put a load of terrible stock phrases, piss poor characters and bucket loads of gore on a bit of paper and upload it up to the the internet for all to bask in its glory.  

Well it isn't, and if you think that then you should be ashamed.  

This so called writing guide does nothing to eliminate these terrible misconceptions.  After a brief how to section, this book becomes just a catalogue of descriptive phrases which are so bad that even Garth Merenghi would be ashamed to use them.  

If you are a horror writer and you really think you need this book, or worse actually use this book to help write your magnum opus, then you really need to put down your pen and stop writing.  If you don't even have the imagination to come up with evocative phrases on your own then you have no right to be a horror writer.  

This book makes me so angry.  Why does an author who nobody has heard off think they have the ability to tell others how to write, especially when this so called author thinks that phrases such as 

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"a pillar of gushing life shot up from the wound, painting the ceiling"


"the relentless axe chopped again and again"


"the knife was a crimson stinger and hate was its venom"

are what constitutes good writing.  This is both an affront to both writers and the genre. 

So writers, do yourselves a favour  and actually hone your craft by reading some of the greats of the genre, don't fall back on lazy, ignorant methods like this.