Attention, horror Buffs: CU Boulder鈥檚 resident expert Professor is here to scare you into the Halloween spirit.
鈥淕enerally, the reason I like horror is because it can provoke a visceral reaction from the reader,鈥� said Jones,听a professor of distinction in the Department of English听and an expert in all things horror. With Halloween coming up, Jones is sharing some of his knowledge about the season.
People like being scared
Our ancestors needed fear to survive. As people evolved and became more human-like, they lost some key qualities needed to defend themselves. This meant they had to be vigilant and paranoid in lieu of danger.听
鈥淔or millions of years, we were just like chicken nuggets out there in the savannah鈥攅verything was eating us,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲e got biologically hardwired for fear.鈥澨�
Jones explained that听feeling fear reconnects us with our base programming;听it is a feeling people have felt for many years. Fear makes us feel the most human.
Colorado is home to some of the greatest haunted attractions
If you have ever wanted to visit a haunted house, Colorado has something for everyone!听
鈥淚 think I鈥檝e been to all the haunted houses around here, and they鈥檙e all fun in different ways,鈥� Jones said.听
Some of the most popular haunted attractions include听听, 听and more.
You may have had a paranormal experience
There is a possibility you have seen a ghost before, without even knowing it.听
鈥淓verytime I鈥檓 in a hotel coming back to my room and I see somebody walking away from me 20 doors down, how do I know that鈥檚 a real person? That could be a hotel ghost,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淢aybe we鈥檝e all had paranormal experiences.鈥澨�
Next time you see a shadowy figure in the distance, you may want to think twice.听
Scary tales are rooted in truth
Have you ever wondered how zombies, werewolves and vampires came to be? According to Jones, they started as cautionary tales.听
Zombie tales teach us not to touch dead bodies, werewolves came about from European villages being raided by wolves, and vampires have to do with the fear of the dead not actually being dead.听
鈥淲ith all these creatures鈥攝ombies, vampires, werewolves鈥攖hey all have an achilles heel. That's what makes them a good monster,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲e build our monsters with off switches, I think. That allows us to tell stories in which we win, and we like those kinds of stories.鈥澨�
There is a big difference between dread and terror
Have you ever wanted to write a horror story? Knowing the difference between dread and terror is essential to scaring readers.听
Jones describes dread as the anticipation leading up to a horrific event, while terror is the feeling you have when the event happens.听
鈥淲rite about things that actually scare you,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚f you write about a nightmare you had or a suspicion you had鈥 think you can pass that fear onto the reader.鈥澨�
Do you want to become an expert in all things horror? Jones has with terrifying tales.听
