Start with a disturbing premise
Choose a clear source of fear
Create a strong atmosphere
Introduce an unsettling setting
Build tension slowly
Reveal information gradually
Use sensory details
Make the ordinary feel wrong
Develop believable characters
Give the characters real vulnerabilities
Limit safety and control
Use silence and emptiness effectively
Add small, strange details
Escalate the danger step by step
Keep the threat partly unknown
Show consequences of fear
Use pacing to control suspense
Include moments of false relief
Create a memorable monster or menace
Make the threat personal
Use conflict and isolation
Let dread grow before the scare
Avoid overexplaining the horror
End with a strong final image or twist