The psychology of horror is an elusive beast, and it’s a shame because there are so many ways to incorporate its complex mechanisms into your writing. In this article, I will be examining some key psychological aspects of horror and outlining how you can use them in your work. While most of the pieces here have been focused on psychological horror stories, these strategies can also be used for more traditional tales that rely on gore or outright supernatural elements. 

Why? 

Because no matter what kind of story we’re talking about, our brains still do the same thing!

Psychological horror has become one of the most popular genres due to its ability to tap into primal fears and make us feel unnaturally vulnerable. If you want to create a truly unsettling read that leaves readers feeling uneasy long after they’ve finished, then you’ll need to understand how horror works from a psychological perspective. 

Let’s dive right in…

1. The Importance of the Narrator

In horror fiction, the reader must believe that they are being told a story by someone who knows exactly what happened. This means that their actions should not contradict any real-world knowledge they already possess. For example, if a character says, “I know it sounds crazy, but…” the reader should immediately become sceptical. Asking questions like this implies that the narrator doesn’t know what happened, so they shouldn’t be trusted.

If the reader is willing to accept that the storyteller knows something, you need to establish this early on in the narrative. After all, if you don’t give the reader time to get to grips with the situation, they won’t be able to relate to the protagonist fully. They might even put themselves in danger through inaction. So, make sure you set up the narrator early on in the piece. It could be a friend or relative, a member of the public, or even a mysterious stranger.

2. A Fear of the Unknown

Horror is all about uncertainty: the unknown lurking around every corner. This applies to both the setting and the characters. We wouldn’t feel scared if we knew exactly where a monster was hiding. So, when creating your horror world, you must leave plenty of space for ambiguity.

For example, a small town might seem safe enough, but what happens if a strange mist creeps over the land? What if there’s an abandoned building that hasn’t seen human activity for decades? Or what if a murderer moves in next door? These things can send shivers down our spines, simply because we don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors. And if you want to take this to the extreme, consider placing your characters in a place that has never experienced the horrors of a horror novel before. An isolated island, for instance. You could go further by making the town uninhabited and adding monsters to the mix.

3. The Power of Suggestion

When writing horror, we often think of jump scares and sudden bloodbaths, but the truth is that many terrifying moments come from the mind alone. Think back to when we were younger, and our parents would say, “Don’t touch that!” or “Get out of there now!” Do you remember how tense the atmosphere got just before they said it? That’s because our minds are filled with many scary images – from the image of a knife to the sound of a scream. Our body reacts to these stimuli, and that’s why they’re so effective.

So how can you apply this to your work? One way is to focus on sensory details such as smells, tastes, sounds, and textures. When we experience something new, our senses kick into action, making it easier to imagine the situation. Moreover, the more detail you include, the more vivid the scene will become in your reader’s head.

4. The Need for Order

We spend much of our lives searching for order in the world around us. As soon as something seems off-balance, we start looking for answers. And horror novels are full of these kinds of unanswered questions. From the book’s title to the final revelation, everything needs to be carefully constructed to leave the reader feeling unsettled. This means that you need to be careful about who is telling the story, as it can help to imply that there’s a bigger picture hidden beneath the surface.

5. The Desire for Control

One of the reasons that horror is so compelling is because it gives us control over how we react. Some stories ask us to keep reading, even though the events are unfolding in ways beyond our control. Perhaps the protagonist will find themselves trapped inside a haunted house, or they’ll wake up in the middle of the night to see a ghost floating above their bed. We’re left wondering whether we should try to run away or stay put in either case.

6. The Fear of Death

As humans, we have a deep-seated fear of death. It’s the thing that separates us from every other animal on the planet. But, as we grow older, we learn to live with the fact that we’ll eventually die. However, horror can still strike a chord because it reminds us that we’re not invincible. In some cases, the protagonist might find themselves face to face with a brutal killer who will stop at nothing to kill them. This is especially true in movies and games, which tend to show their victims being torn apart by wild animals.

7. The Fear of Horror

Finally, one of the reasons we enjoy horror is that it helps us deal with our fears. For instance, we might be afraid of the dark or spiders or heights. And as we read, we start to identify with the protagonist’s feelings, which means we can positively process our own emotions. This is why so many people turn to horror novels and films: they allow us to confront our darkest thoughts and come out the other side without losing our sanity.

8. The Fear of Losing Control

This is another reason that we love horror. After all, who likes to lose control? When you enter a horror film or novel, you’re already aware that something terrible will happen. But, despite knowing this, you remain glued to the page and read on, hoping that the events won’t spiral out of control. You want to know what happens next, even though you know that you shouldn’t.

How Are Modern Authors Using These Ideas?

Modern horror is still evolving, and it’s clear that authors are constantly trying to push the boundaries further. Today, we’ve seen a trend towards psychological horror, where authors use everyday situations to create disturbing scenarios. We’re also seeing the return of classic monsters such as vampires, zombies, and ghosts, indicating that readers are always on the hunt for something new. 

Cory DeAn Cowley, the author of ‘Bending Reality and ‘Dissention,’ believes that horror has become increasingly complex today, as it’s no longer about simply scaring us. Instead, it’s about allowing us to reflect on our own emotions and behaviors. A horror art and photography enthusiast, she says that a horror is a powerful tool that will enable us to explore ourselves in a safe environment. Growing up in Hendersonville, Tennessee, she had always been interested in spirituality and the occult. “Horror can make us question things,” she explains. “It’s not just about scaring us with gore or violence; it’s about making us feel uncomfortable.”

Final Words

The best part of horror is that it’s open to interpretation. If we want to experience it, we don’t have to visit a haunted house or watch a horror movie. We have to sit down with a good book and let our imaginations take over. While we can never truly escape our reality, we can at least put it aside for a little while, if only to discover what it would be like to fall prey to a murderer.

The post Why Your Psychological Horror Novel Is Missing The Mark (And How You Can Fix It) appeared first on BBN Community.

“It’s not where you start but where you finish that counts.” Zig Ziglar 

Americans love tales about leaders who started at the bottom. The pull yourself up by the bootstraps stories are inspirational. Too many, it’s proof that if they work hard enough, they too might one day rise from their metaphorical mailroom to a c-suite corner office.    

Here are industry leaders who got their start in entry level positions then clawed their way to the top. Hopefully, their journeys to the top inspire you.  

Alex Gorsky, a U.S. Military Academy (West Point) alumni, spent 6 years in the U.S. Army before taking a sales position with a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary in 1988. He put that Army leadership and discipline to work and moved up the ranks at J&J.  Now, he’s the chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson.

Mary Barra began her automotive industry career on a General Motors assembly line at age 18. 34 years later, she became the company’s Chairperson and CEO.    Her love for her employees and company show. She is considered to be one of the most inspirational CEOs in the world. 

Doug McMillon is the President and CEO of Walmart.  The a/c in the mailroom would’ve been a nice work reprieve for McMillon. His first job with the company was a little more physical. As a teenager, McMillon loaded/ unloaded tractor trailers at a Walmart distribution center.  Currently, he is in charge of all of them.  

Abigail Johnson started as a telephone operator for Fidelity even though her father was the CEO of the world leading mutual fund company for 37 years.  She took over Fidelity in 2014. Now, she’s a billionaire like her father.  

Howard Putnam is now a motivational speaker, but his first job was as a baggage handler with Capital Airlines. He started at 17. After two years in the airline industry, he told himself he was going to work towards being the president of an airline.  He sacrificed and worked hard to achieve his goals.  It paid off. Putnum ended up being the CEO of two airlines: Southwest Airlines (1978-1981) and Braniff International Airways (1981-1983)

Kelly Sills took a summer job as a flagger with Coastal Bridge to help pay his way through college.  He soon fell in love with the construction industry and worked his way up to CEO. Then, after saving, he bought the company outright.  

Simon Cowell started in the mailroom of EMI Records and worked his way up to be a music industry executive.  He is directly responsible for numerous #1 singles and for signing many big-name bands in the U.K.  Of course, he is best known for being an outspoken judge on American Idol, The X Factor, and America’s Got Talent.  

Wally Amos is another mailroom alum.  He started off in the mailroom of the William Morris agency. A few years later, he became the firm’s first African American agent in the United States.  But that is just the beginning of his story. 

Wally used an interesting method to attract clients: he’d bake cookies and mail them out.  The cookies were such a hit that in 1975, with financial support from Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, Wally launched the Famous Amos cookie brand.  Keebler bought Famous Amos in 1998, but he stayed on as the brand’s spokesperson.  

Jim Skinner had just finished a 10-year hitch as a sailor in the U.S. Navy when he landed a sweet gig as a manager trainee at a McDonald’s.  He must’ve done well in training because 41 years later he retired as the company’s CEO.  It was a position he held for 8 years. Not a bad way to end a second career.  

The post 9 Successful Leaders Who Started at the Bottom appeared first on BBN Community.

There is one man who did not only spend life in poverty and close to crimes but also went against the wishes of his loved ones for the sake of his dream. He is Deepak Raj Agrawal, who his fans know as Baegera, a ‘protector’ and ‘mentor.’

He is an emerging RnB star in the UK’s music industry and has a huge fan following. However, there a few people who actually know what the passionate individual went through to make his music dreams a reality. Among millions of dreamers, there are only a few doers, who work hard, take risks, make sacrifices, to fulfill a dream that was their only motivation since the beginning.

Adversities, Compromises, Sacrifices.

Even though the world is advancing and the mindsets of people are changing, some families still live with a backward mentality. Deepak’s family was one of them as his parents were from Allahabad, India. As they were struggling in life, his parents wanted the best for his son and did not want him to go through the same. Deepak’s father was not in favor of him pursuing a music career, and it was a difficult time for a young boy who was in love with it.

Born in Feltham, a suburb of London, on August 11, 1988, Deepak grew up in a loving family. However, his life was not perfect. While they struggled with finances, the crime in the neighborhood made things much worse. Deepak and his family resided close to HM Prison Feltham.
Deepak’s parents were worried about their son’s future, and thinking about it, they decided to move back to Allahabad, India. When he was six years old, his family relocated to India in a safe environment. The relocation from the United Kingdom to India was a challenge in itself. The young boy who had always lived in a Western Culture found it hard to adjust to the typical Indian culture.

While his parents were successful in preventing the young mind of their son from getting influenced by crime, they could not put away other problems at hand. Despite the water and electricity shortage, the young boy managed to cope and never disappointed his parents with his tantrums. There were financial problems in their family, however, Deepak’s time with his grandparents managed to balance it all.

Deepak spent four years of his life in India and during which he grew fond of Indian classical music. While he always admired music, Indian classical music ignited his passions. When he turned 10, his parents decided it was time to move back to London.

After returning to Deepak’s hometown, they found residence close to Heathrow Airport, and it was not the safest neighborhood in the city. Even his school was dominated by drug addicts, and fights were common. Things got so bad that one day, a classmate put a gun on Deepak’s head. At that time, his father thought of nothing else and sent his son to a Private School in Abingdon. He resided at the school for two years, during which he tried to persuade his family to let him choose music as his subject.

Deepak’s father wanted him to be a doctor and to be successful in life, which is why he did not let him pursue an education in music as he considered it to be a ‘waste of time.’

Deepak began taking private music lessons and even learned to play the guitar he received as a gift from his father. He then got a chance to play the lead role in a theatre production, “In the Name of Sex.” When he spent time with other music artists and actors, it further encouraged him to pursue a career in music. After the production ended, he decided to take a gap year and traveled to India to groom his Indian Classical Music skills. He began working on his craft.

When he returned to the UK, his father forced him to complete a Degree in Biochemistry at Imperial College London. As he was now more determined than ever to pursue music, he dropped out of college within the first year. He fought and stood up for his passion, setting an example for all those who believe giving up on passion is okay.

His hard work and sacrifices paid off, when his debut single, “Seen You Before,” was released on December 6, 2019. He even launched his own music record, Hakadosh Records, through which he released his debut single. It received global appreciation and acknowledgment. It peaked on the 9th rank on the UK Pop Chart. His story has the potential to inspire masses and motivate those who are the verge of giving up.

The post From Growing Up in Poverty and Crime to an Emerging Urban-Pop Artist in the UK – The Inspiring Story of Baegera appeared first on BBN Community.

The Mulliez family is the richest in France. In the world, they are best known for owning the Auchan hypermarket chain.

At the same time, the paradox of the Mulliez family is that none of its members is included in the list of billionaires. The annual income of Auchan is 36 billion euros. The thing is that shares in all companies owned by the family are equally distributed among all its members. It turns out that there is no individual who could boast of innumerable wealth, but the whole family is one of the richest in Europe.

The Mulliez family has led its history from very ancient times. At the beginning of the 20th century, they were famous for being quite successful industrialists in France. They produced yarn. And they did it very successfully. Since our story is still more connected to the Auchan retail chain, it would be appropriate to connect it with Gerard Mulliez Jr.

The family business developed rapidly, while Gerard was receiving an education. Then the Second World War began. However, Mulliez had survived this period without any visible problems.

So, on July 6, 1961, the first Auchan store in France opened its doors. Naturally, according to the family tradition, each family member received the same share in the store.

The Etsy sisters and their successful business

This story is about two sisters from the Nauli store who set up a business based on shared family values, love, and mutual respect. Eva and Joan make different goods from paper (notebooks, calendars, albums) with their own hands. They named this brand after their grandmother from Indonesia who taught them to sew in childhood.

Even before the joint business, Eva and Joan liked to do creative work together. At a time when they were still children, the sisters set up a stand at the local Christmas market where, along with experienced craftsmen, they sold goods to adult buyers.

After opening a store in 2009, Nauli became a full-fledged work for the sisters. Despite the fact that Eva and Joanna did not initially plan to conduct business on the Internet, their store, filled with the remnants of goods from fairs, quickly began to receive orders. During the first year of the business, the sisters lived on personal savings until their business finally brought them profit. Their lineup has expanded, and now it includes photo albums, notepads, diaries, guest books, calendars, and planners. They recently released a series of stencils-figures.

In addition to business management, both sisters are captains of the Etsy German Street team. To charge the team, they rely on their knowledge of social networks and their experience as sellers. Depending on what happens in a team, they allocate for this job from one to several hours per week. Looking to the future, Eve and Joanna tend to grow in several directions. In addition to increasing sales, they are aimed at increasing interaction with their clients in social networks and communicating more with the press. However, as they gain experience, buyers become more confident making purchases in their store.

Beija-Flor Jeans

In search of the perfect jeans, a team of mother and daughter, Katie Moka and Emily Whitaker, created Beija Flor, a series of Brazilian jeans.

Emily Whitaker is a partner who truly deserves a great deal of respect. When the guys just started to run business, they didn’t have to get used to each other. This contributed to the fact that they gave a quick result. The founders of the business relate to a common deal with real passion. As soon as one begins to cool down, the second immediately charges with a new portion of enthusiasm. In this family business, it is difficult to adhere to a certain framework. There were times when each participant, leaving the office and going back, confused working and personal relationships.

Ukrainian dating online is a very suitable option for those who are striving for new acquaintances and is interested in starting a family business.

The post Success Stories of Family Business appeared first on BBN Community.

1) Enjoying the evening breeze

2) Hugging each other knowing they are going to love each other forever

3) Holding each other and never letting go.

4) Holding each other and never letting go

5) Finally having some fun playing with the birds

Looking at these pictures really does bring a smile to our heart and it does give us hope that true love does in deed exist. You might always think that you haven’t still met the right one. But, with time you might find that person and you might thank god for bring him/her to you.

The post This is true love. Once you look at this couple you’d want something like this appeared first on BBN Community.