How To Create A Creepypasta

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KomradApex's avatar

Published: Jul 27, 2014

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Some Do's and Don'ts when Writing a Creepypasta

Good evening or whatever time it is when you read this, my fellow Pastanians. I've written quite a few guides on how to create a creepypasta OC that I hope you've found helpful. However, I haven't written as much on how to write an actual creepypasta story. I know there are plenty of people who want to write stories with their own OC's, those belonging to other people, or just about creepy stuff in general. So I'll be breaking down three things you shouldn't do and three things you should do for all ya'll.
I'm gonna quote my good friend and fellow creepypasta designer on the first point:

"First off, do not overdo gore and violence. There might be readers who get squeamish around gore, but don't be pouring out blood and entrails every minute of the story and don't use it too much. That makes the story boring to read and that scare factor will wear thin quickly. A good example of where I've seen this done wrong is Cupcakes-- I couldn't even get through a quarter of it, not because I was scared of it but because it had so much pointless violence and death that it became a chore to sit through and I lost interest. If you use violence and gore in a pasta, keep it limited and spread out, so to speak, and try to keep it in small doses. Build up to it and you can maybe do it well, along with good description and some creativity."

This is very important to follow. Used sparingly gore and brute force can have a shocking effect, but too much of it and it becomes boring or even unintentionally funny. Watch a horror movie like The Ring or Dark Water to see what I mean. They get a lot of scare accomplished with very little blood and guts.

For the second thing to avoid, be conscious that your characters don't all sound like the same person. By this I mean make sure that everyone has their own personality and way of speaking that comes through in every line and thought they have. If everyone sounds too similar not only does the story feel limp and boring, but it can even get confusing as to which character is speaking at a given time. This isn't just a problem with creepypasta and is a common error made by novice writers in general.

Finally, don't be too heavily influenced by anime. Don't get me wrong, I love anime as much as any other white boy from the suburbs. If my childhood had to be summed up in one word that word would probably be Pokémon. So I'm not saying that anime is bad. What is bad is stealing ideas from horror anime and making your story end up feeling like a bad Higurashi fanfic. The exception is in visual artwork. If the way you feel most comfortable in drawing is anime, there is nothing wrong with doing anime-type illustrations for your creepypasta stuff. Just be conscious of being original. Elfen Lied is all well and good, but no famous creepypasta in existence got to where they were from stealing from an existing series, anime or not.

Now, onto what you should intend to do when writing a creepypasta story. Look for inspiration from everyday life. Don't be afraid to make your stories have long segments where nothing out-of-the-ordinary happens, instead serving to set the ground for the horror to ensue. Many, many of the more famous creepypastas, from Eyeless Jack to the entire Slenderman mythos, all feel very real to us on a personal level. Why is that? Because the horrific characters and events are transplanted into an everyday person's life. This person's life often feels so normal it seems like it could almost be our own. Remember to include a little bit of the mundane and normal to make what is supernatural or scary seem even more disturbing by comparison.

Another critical piece of a quality creepypasta that people often forget to include is a supporting cast. Even if they're only there so they can get killed off later or not be there to help the hero/heroine when they're in trouble, no horror movie has just a protagonist and a cast of villains. Possible choice include best friends, colleagues from work, family, neighbours, police or medical personnel, or exorcists. How they fit into your story is up to you, but don't be afraid to have an extended cast. Just remember to refer to my earlier tip about giving everyone a distinct personality and speech inflection.

Finally, the best piece of advice is more about writing a creepypasta also applies to writing any fiction in general: keep tons and tons of lists, notes, and ideas. Not every idea you have will make it into a story, but by having a whole assortment of concepts to fall back on you will rarely run dry on creativity for very long. Remember to write an idea down as soon as you get it! I've lost countless ideas because I thought I could remember them later.

Thanks for reading this guide, and I hope it helps. If you have any further questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below. Good luck and stay creepy!