How to Tell Scary Stories

Co-authored by Dan Klein and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: February 23, 2022 References

Before horror movies laced with special effects kept people up at night, people got scared the old-fashioned way: through storytelling. Telling scary stories in a way that really scares people can be tough to master, so it does take some practice. You can come up with the perfect story and build suspense to keep your audience hooked on your every word.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Coming up with a Story

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Read a few classic scary stories to get inspiration. Go to the library or search online for the scariest stories you can find. Pick out 3 to 5 stories that have spooking potential and read them all the way through. Think about how you can make them your own by putting your own twist on them.^{[1]
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- Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Woman in Black are a few classic scary stories that you could read.
- The more realistic and recent the story, the scarier it'll be when you tell it. That way, the listeners can relate.
- Urban legends make excellent scary stories. The danger with using an urban legend, however, is that some of your listeners may have heard variations of it, thus ruining the effect.
2
Set the story in a recent time period or place. Change the details so that it seems as though the story took place nearby, and recently. If the story took place in a canning factory, but you know there's a pecan factory in your town, switch out that detail (if you can do so without changing the story too much). If you can tie the story to someone you know, that’s even better.^{[2]
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Tip: If you want to tell a story about an event that happened near you, set it slightly in the past so that your audience can’t refute it. For example, you could say it happened 20 years ago instead of last week.

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3
Add in details to make your story sound realistic. Try to put in as many details as you can so your story sounds real, like where exactly it was, what time of day it was, or what the weather was like. If your story is about you, add in your reactions and what you were feeling. If you’re telling it from someone else’s perspective, give details on who they are and how you found out about it. For the big climax of your story, put in an actionable detail that’s super scary.^{[3]
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- For example, you could tell an urban legend about your hometown from the point of view of your grandpa as a child.
- Or, you could tell a ghost story about how you explored an abandoned building in the countryside.
- You can also tweak your story to add in details of your current surroundings. For example, if you’re sitting outside on a foggy night, say that your story happened during a foggy night too.
4
End with a frightening climax to your story. The scariest part of a scary story is not knowing what’s coming next. Think of a large, expressive action that will make your audience jump or get super scared. Emphasize how scared the person in your story was to give your audience a way to relate.^{[4]
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- If you’re telling a story about a monster, the climax could be that it almost caught you as you were running away.
- If your story involves ghosts, you could talk about how you saw a dark figure in the hallway that rushed towards you.
- For stories involving creepy critters, describe the feeling of a snake or a spider crawling up your arm.
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Practice saying the story out loud once or twice. There’s nothing worse than realizing you forgot a crucial detail in the setup of your story. Spend a few minutes rehearsing how you’re going to tell your story, and make sure you aren’t leaving out any important information.^{[5]
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- If you need to, you can write out a few notes to help you keep track of the details. However, try to memorize your story before you actually tell it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Building Suspense

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Mention some casual details about your story throughout the day. Way before you tell the story (like the day before, or that morning), find a way to mention a few details that are relevant to the story. If you drive by the pecan factory, for example, ask your friends if they've ever been there. If you’re telling a ghost story, ask your friends if they believe in evil spirits.^{[6]
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- This will make your audience curious and set up a little suspense before you even start telling your story.
2
Pick a time when you have your audience’s full attention. If you’re going camping, wait until you’re sitting by the bonfire. If you’re at a sleepover, time your story for when your friends are all in the living room. Try to make them sit around you so you can look everyone in the face.^{[7]
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- If your audience members are distracted, your story won’t be as effective.
Tip: You may have to wait a while before you can tell your story. If you seem too eager, your story might seem fake.
3
Act nervous about telling the story to build suspense. When the time draws near to tell the story, start pretending to be anxious. Get the chills here and there, and rub your upper arms as if to warm yourself. Look suddenly behind you, or at the distance, as if you just saw something. Keep doing this kind of stuff subtly until someone notices. At first, brush it off as if it's nothing, but keep up the act.^{[8]
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- This will intrigue your audience so that they’re dying to know more. It also helps to build suspense, making your story even scarier.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Scaring Your Audience

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Start telling your story in a slow, quiet voice. Make your voice loud enough so that everyone can hear, but keep your eyes down to make it seem like you’re being forced to talk. A quiet voice can make you seem reluctant, like you don’t want to tell your story but the audience is twisting your arm.^{[9]
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- This might even force some people to lean in closer to you, giving you more of their attention.
- You could start your story with something like, “When I was 5 years old, my grandpa told me the story of the bloody lagoon.”
Tip: Try to look people in the eye as you start talking so you seem like you’re telling the truth.
2
Add in body language to make your story more realistic. If you’re talking about how scared you were, open your eyes wide to look frightened. If you’re talking about how you had to hit or punch at something, swing your arms wildly. Use your body as a storytelling device to drive home the details.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Dan Klein
Improvisation Coach
Expert Interview. 22 March 2019.}^{[11]
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- This will help keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to say.
- If you’re sitting right next to someone, use caution when you swing your arms around so you don’t hit them.
- Try to stay seated when you tell your story. Standing up or acting out your words can make you seem too eager.
3
Use pauses for dramatic effect. As you get closer and closer to the climax of your story, stop talking for 2 to 3 seconds at a time. Act like you can’t even bear to tell the rest of the story to engage your audience even more.^{[12]
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- Your audience might even feel bad for making you tell the story, which makes it even more scary.
- For example, you could say, “And then… (dramatic pause) I heard a knock at the door.”
4
End the story with the dramatic climax. Yell the last sentence of your story while you lunge forward at your listeners and scare the life out of them. This will probably make them jump since they are so frightened. Even if they chuckle afterwards, you’ll know that you got them good with your story.^{[13]
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- You can also end your story as quietly and uncomfortably as you started it for a more subtle, disconcerting effect.
- Try to keep your story under 5 minutes long so that your audience doesn’t get bored.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I tell a spooky sex story?

Enigma

Community Answer

Yes, but it depends on who your audience is. Make sure your listeners are of age and that it is an appropriate setting (i.e. not at work).
Question

Can I make a scary story have a happy ending? I don’t like scary stories where everyone dies..

PinkInk

Community Answer

Of course! A scary story can be however you'd like it. For example, you could say something like: "Even though the princess hadn't been able to save the castle, everyone inside was okay." Or something along the lines of that. You could also consider a cliffhanger, to keep listeners thinking long after the story is done being told. A plus of this option is that just because you end on something such as: "The princess ran and ran, deep into the woods, where she took shelter up high in a tree's branches. What was she going to do?" is that it doesn't have to mean something terrible happens to the characters, it means you don't know what could happen. There are many ways to do things like this!
Question

What kind of stories can I tell to 8-10 year olds?

PinkInk

Community Answer

You can try to tell an 8-10 year-old a story that may not be scary for older ages, but scary for them. Try telling them something that will pique their interest such as a pirate or [friendly] ghoul story. But overall, aim for something age-friendly, so no age-inappropriate stuff.

Warnings

Make sure your story is appropriate for the audience. Young children, for example, probably don’t want to hear about blood and guts.

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