When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with the Point Horror books. Anyone else remember them? They were a horror series of books by different authors and in my early teens seemed very frightening. They were the first really scary stories I had read – before that, Roald Dahl was probably my first dip into anything out of the ordinary. I certainly wasn’t into scary stories like some kids are, maybe I was a wimp – I was freaked out by Michael Jackson’s Thriller video after all 
In my later teens, the film franchise Scream started. I mostly avoided horror films. It wasn’t always because I was scared, often I felt like laughing at the clichés included – why would you go into that dark basement alone, after all? Scream was funny as well as scary and I really enjoyed it. I watched I Know What You Did Last Summer but I didn’t get into the genre in a big way.
At college, I did media studies and yes we had to watch films as part of the course. We did a section on horror and I finally watched some of the horror classics like Halloween and Carrie and Psycho. But they still didn’t draw me into horror in any real way – I can appreciate a scary film done well but I don’t feel the need to watch many. I don’t own any horror films and after my childhood obsession with the Point Horror books, I haven’t picked up any more books in the genre.
I love the supernatural though, which is why I’m okay with Halloween. And the genre can often be more scary than hook-handed serial killers. I love vampires, werewolves and witches and my book shelf is crammed with stories of them. My obsession really kicked off after reading Twilight (haters to the left :0) The first novels I wrote were supernatural and I’ll always have a soft spot for them.
Some of my favourite supernatural things are: the Sookie Stackhouse books, Vampire Academy, Twilight, The House of Night, The Body Finder, Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls), Harry Potter , The Mortal Instruments, Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Fringe and Underworld. And the fact that most are aimed at teens means I don’t get too scared by them!
I think I’ll always enjoy being drawn into a fantasy world where the rules are different and there are dark creatures who may or may not be dangerous. The fun is in finding out, especially if they look like Damon from TVD
Do you like scary stories?
Victoria
xoxo
Tori Nelson
/ October 31, 2012I went to a sleepover when I was about 8. The girls all read those Are You Afraid of The Dark? stories all night. I peed my pants and called my mom to come get me. Pretty much I’ve stayed exactly that scared! I haven’t seen a scary movie since The Ring (and only saw that one because a friend told me it was a chick flick about marriage)!
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Aw bless you!! I should have added The Ring as I have seen that and it was pretty freaky – your friend is mean!
limebirdwriters
/ October 31, 2012Mmmm Ian Somerhalder…
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012EXACTLY.
limebirdwriters
/ November 1, 2012Random fact – A guy a work with (and is currently sitting right near me), is his cousin. True facts.
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Do they share the same good genes?
limebirdwriters
/ November 1, 2012Um.. I can confirm they don’t look similar.
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Ha!
Angelia Sims
/ October 31, 2012When I was teen, I was an avid Stephen King fan. I still love his horror the best. And the movie that freaked me out was Nightmare on Elm Street. I do love vampire movies though – Blade and Underworld. I don’t watch or read horror anymore. I got too scared of the dark. Haha! Happy Halloween!
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Ah yes the claw in the bath *shudders*. I loved the first Underworld film, went a bit downhill after that though. Hope you had a great Halloween!
Lisa Wields Words
/ October 31, 2012I love reading more psychological thrillers and supernatural stuff than actual horror. Blood and gore simply doesn’t appeal to me.
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Well, of course, twin!
susielindau
/ October 31, 2012I do love them and over the years I have read an October spooky tale for book club. This was the first year the hostess didn’t choose one because the months got switched so I will be frightened in the month of November instead!
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012I think it’s cool your club does themes!
faultlessfinish
/ October 31, 2012I close my eyes during previews for scary movies! All my friends read the Fear Street series (R.L. Stine) when I was young, but I was too chicken even for those. I do find the supernatural fascinating though!
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Haha that’s cute!
racheldeangelis
/ October 31, 2012When I was younger, a bunch of kids were into reading the Goosebumps series, but just looking at the cover of the books was too scary for me! I got a little more into scary books as I got older. I enjoyed Lois Duncan when I got into middle school. Her books were usually more supernatural/thriller than straight up horror. She was the author of I Know What You Did Last Summer. I got the chance to meet her one time and hear her speak, and I got her to sign a copy of my book! But the more I heard her speak, the more I realized that she is kind of a strange old lady who truly believes in many of the supernatural things that she writes about…
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012I’ve heard that Stephenie Meyer has brought the rights to one of Lois Duncan’s other books and it making it into a film so that will be interesting!
E.Arroyo
/ October 31, 2012I love scary. It and The Stand by Stephen King are my favorite.
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012I suspected you might
Confession – I’ve never read a Stephen King book!
Redneckprincess
/ October 31, 2012I like the kind of scary with things that could really happen…like hauntings, ghosts…stuff like that, I have never really been into the halloweeny kind of shows
Happy Halloween!!
Victoria-writes
/ November 1, 2012Happy Halloween, hope you had a spooky one!
Pany
/ November 1, 2012I think people, although they may be terrified, love a bit of spookiness (which is probably why books such as the Twilight series do so well). Great post!
Victoria-writes
/ November 2, 2012I think you’re right, takes us out of our own world maybe!
countingducks
/ November 1, 2012I have to admit I’ve always been pretty whimpy about either scary horror films, or gruesome violence for that matter. Apparently watching them is a great way to lose weight, but I can’t put myself through it
Victoria-writes
/ November 2, 2012Haha I don’t think I’d be able to watch a scary film on my own!
Kourtney Heintz
/ November 1, 2012I loved the Christopher Pike books when I was younger. I graduated on to Poppy Z Brite in college.
Love horror movies and anything supernatural.
Victoria-writes
/ November 2, 2012Yay for being a supernatural fan *high fives*
4amWriter
/ November 2, 2012I’m getting better with scary stories, but usually I’m a wimp. My NaNo novel this year will have some supernatural elements to it, first time I have ever written anything different than strictly mainstream fiction. I’m planning on having a lot of fun writing it.
Victoria-writes
/ November 2, 2012Ooh sounds fun, good luck with it!
redjim99
/ November 2, 2012I have to say that generally I don’t read or watch horror, except for some old classics. Maybe even some pulp books sometimes. Like you I prefer books that are underhand in the scaring stakes (like what I did there) a good ghost story or something like that. Steven King did them well, and many of his did make it as films as well. Especially his short stories.
Jim
Victoria-writes
/ November 3, 2012I saw a Stephen King film once and was very confused, suddenly there were aliens everywhere, kind of put me off!
termitespeaker
/ November 3, 2012I found you through Lisa’s nomination of you for the Next Best Thing Award. I’m like Lisa – I never read horror stories. I’ve always felt I ought to read one or two Stephen Kings because his stuff has joined the ranks of classics, but I never have. I did read one short story of his that was included in a collection of science fiction relating to cats. This was called, I think, The Cat from Hell, and in it a cat kills a man by climbing down the man’s throat and clawing its way out from the inside. After that, I never wanted to read any more Stephen King!
Victoria-writes
/ November 5, 2012I think writers can feel press to read every genre but I say don’t worry, I’ve never read him either and I doubt I ever will