14th Nov 2011

Spooky Story

I am learning to create a spooky atmosphere through

my setting
 TTYP- What are the elements of a good
spooky story?

1. Descriptive setting
2. Tension and suspense
 Setting

 When you write about a

setting, you need to
make sure you use lots
of description so a
reader can picture
themselves there.

 Effective descriptions
appeal to the senses.
Read the following examples of
descriptions about settings and see if you
can identify the following techniques

Simile- The sky was as dark as coal.

Metaphor- She was a pig when she ate.
Personification- The stars danced in the sky.

SIGHT HEARING

TOUCH
TASTE

SMELL
 Stars twinkled overhead in the midnight sky. The only
sounds that punctuated the night were the crackling and
spitting of the flames in the campfire. A gentle, cool
breeze drifted across the forest landscape, kissing the
faces of the mesmerized children. The smell of
marshmallows toasting over the flickering fire wound
their way up the children’s noses. Flames stood tall and
proud, their sparks illuminating the dark, creating
dancing shadows on the children’s eager faces. All
present were completely silent, as still as marble statues.
They sat, watching, waiting, for the tales of old to begin.
 The house was dark. Not a sound could be
heard, it was as still as a graveyard. The
windows were shut. The door was unpainted.
It looked as though the house had been
empty for some time. The lawn was unkempt
and the driveway full of weeds. Children
didn’t venture near the haunted house. Its
reputation was bloody.
 The vast volcano towered over the rocky
landscape. Its angry rumblings could be
heard from miles away. The town’s residents
looked warily at the foreboding mountain. It
was like an angry child – ready to explode at
any moment. Animals fled the area, even
birds did not fly by the mountain any more.
 The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the
Riddle House," even though it had been many
years since the Riddle family had lived there. It
stood on a hill overlooking the village, some of its
windows boarded, tiles missing from its roof, and
ivy spreading unchecked over its face. Once a
fine-looking manor, and easily the largest and
grandest building for miles around, the Riddle
House was now damp, derelict, and unoccupied.
 Something little and black scuttled across the floor. The
door creaked and cracked for a moment before it was still.
Dust poured through the torch beam. Something scratched
and scratched in the corner. I tiptoed further in and felt
spider webs breaking on my brow. Everything was packed in
tight – ancient furniture, kitchen units, rolled-up carpets,
pipes and crates and planks. I kept ducking down under the
hose pipes and ropes and kitbags that hung from the roof.
More cobwebs snapped on my clothes and skin. The floor
was broken and crumbly. I opened the cupboard an inch,
shone the torch in, and saw a million woodlice scattering
away.
 Vocabulary

 TTYP- You have 4 minutes to write down as

many words as you can which may be used
when describing a spooky setting.
 Setting Writing

 Choose one of the following settings.

You have 15 minutes to write a description of

the setting and then we will peer assess.
If your peer thinks your setting ticks all the
boxes then we will share it with the class.

Be creative!
 LISTEN TO the extract –
what makes this spooky?

 Now examine the

text in more detail
at your table.

 Highlight examples
of ‘good’ horror
vocabulary /
effective
vocabulary.
A GOOD
HORROR
ROUND-
STORY REMEMBER!!
ROBIN

Some horror stories are scary

because of what they do tell
you.
What makes
Other horror astories
good horror
are scary
because of whatstory?
they do not
tell you.