Adventures In Writing

I Didn't Scare the Saucy Pirate Away!

Last Halloween in one of my college classes, I brought candy and we read horror/ghost stories. We also analyzed the plots and characters, so it wasn't all play.

However, during the selection I picked (which was read aloud in turns by the students), three of the students got nauseated and had to take a break. However, I didn't scare away Janica, the saucy pirate who dressed up for Halloween!

It's funny how our society has gotten about horror. A story generally splits an audience between being grossed out/scared or tickling their funny bones. I had students howling with laughter at the same scenes that made other students cringe.

Also, as Hilary noted, she's able to watch horror movies steeped in blood, but there was something about the story being read aloud that just totally freaked her. The power of words is immense, especially when the reader is highly imaginative. You just don't get that kind of interplay with an audience anywhere else.

I now hold the record for the most grossed-out students in class.