Just in time for Halloween, the accomplished horror writer Peter Straub gave a nutshell summary of what he knows about scaring readers in an interview by Salon.com's fine books writer, Laura Miller. He told her:

I'm not sure I can explain exactly how it works. It has to do with creating believable people for whom the reader can feel affection, then putting them in danger of the unnameable and unseen. And it has to be suspended. You can't just pull a gun out and have them get shot. You have to allow the sense of underlying unease to intensify over time.                As crucial as fear is dread. Dread is essential.

You can get more advice and observations from Peter Straub by reading the full interview.

--Ron Kovach, senior editor

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