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What makes a great ghost story? Ghost stories should have suspense, as a rule, like many horror stories. There really is no "scare factor" without it. Anti-climaxes and plot twists will always make for an unexpected ending and surprises for the reader. It is also important to "force" the reader to feel what the narrator or the main character is feeling, like what Edgar Allan Poe was able to do in many of his works, though not necessarily ghost stories. However, he was able to instill horror through just his words, which was unknown until then.

Ghost stories should also have unique story lines- anything predictable will not be as interesting as stories with twists that people never expected. This is especially difficult in writing, because you need to absorb the reader in. Think far away from those horror movies and stories that many people have already read. If you have to, go far back in time and read some horror myths and stories to get inspiration.

My favorite ghost stories usually have a factor of inevitability. Something will happen, and no one can stop them, whether it is that you are going to die, you can't escape, etc. However, the protagonist will usually make it out. Ghost stories should also have some sort of romantic twist, or a twist in another genre. The most common is usually historical fiction. Science Fiction and Mystery are better than legends and folklore.

If you really want to be unique, don't stage the story in a clich area, like a graveyard of creaky old house. Do something more unique, like the plot of the movie, "The Ring." Try something original, but not to the point where it's just plain silly, like a mall dressing room. A ghost boy that hides in a slide in a park is better (it gives me the chills just thinking about it), or a ghost that eats you by walking out of a certain mirror every time something looks at it a year that ends with a "6" like 1906, 1916, 2006, 3006, etc. Did those ideas creep you out at all?
Having several genres creates room for a larger audience which is something that people should strive for in order to be successful.

I love an air of mystery in a story, which is different from the better known plot where a person will know that they will die at a certain time if they do a certain thing, although I do enjoy reading both kinds.

While writing, make sure that whatever you do, make the reader squirm in his seat and be uncomfortable. Being comfortable is never a sign of a chill coming up that will actually scare someone.

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