Category: Halloween Articles

Formidophobia – the Fear of Scarecrows

How long have scarecrows been around, and what country first used them? Nowadays scarecrows can be found in books, movies, and fall decorations. Which books portray them as something to be feared? Which books do not? And what causes people to suffer from formidophobia, the fear of scarecrows?

Danvers State Hospital & Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Have you ever thought about using a mental hospital in your story? The reasons people were admitted to these institutions suggest many different story ideas. The cruel and inhuman way many of them were treated can also fill one’s head full of ideas about the patients, those who “cared” for them, and those who had…

Surrounded by Creepy Crawlies

Did you realize we are surrounded by creepy crawlies?  These creatures are enough to bring on scary dreams if you think long enough about them.  One or more of these creepy crawlies could be used as fodder for a nightmare-inducing tale. If your character has acarophobia (an irrational fear of small bugs), murophobia (irrational fear…

Owls: Harbingers of Doom

According to dictionary.com, a superstition is a belief or notion, not based reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.  It is an irrational fear of the unknown or mysterious. Many myths and legends, good and bad, exist about the owl. Some see them…