Your best horror story is breathing down your neck. Scary stories are scary because they trigger something familiar-something close to home-something as close as your own fears.
First of all, you have to wade through the swamp of worn-out ideas that pour from our screens and book stores. Most writers will simply tap into the latest creepy trend and try to drain out just a little bit more. If you want to get a good horror story idea, it will require you to ignore the first idea that pops into your head. The surface of your mind is covered with standard-issue ideas. This is where the clichés live. There is no innovation here-just reanimated corps of old concepts.
This does not mean you scrap everything. You need to know what is out there. You need to know what has been done so you can find what has not been done. Ponder that shambling, obsolete stereotype and file it away as a building block.
You may bring life to the current vampire fad (so to speak) by studying whatever facet of the living dead that personally intrigues you. Is it the teeth? Is it the hypnotic eyes? Is it the damaged immortality? Focus on one key element and interrogate yourself as to why it captures your interest and why it frigtens you.
The best source of a good horror story idea is currently haunting your own head. Make a list of your phobias. Then elaborate on paper why these things scared you. They are often linked to specific memories. Spend time trying to recall what happened and even better-what could have happened. Images and situations can grow your phobias into a good story.
After you have developed your list of fears, fuse two or three together. Combine them for fun and see what surfaces. If you are afraid of spiders and tornadoes, then combine them into a story about someone who is forced to go down into a storm shelter full of spiders.
A good horror story comes from the personal fears of the writer. This means you will have to put yourself on the couch and do a little psycho-analyzing. But the story you have buried in your mind is eager to claw its way into the light. It will be well worth the dig.
