# Help with a project/novel



## JWriter (Jul 19, 2019)

Hello everyone. I'm trying to write a psychological horror with realistic themes attached to it. As much as I'd love to, I don't really have too much time in the close future to research anything extensively. Could you guys help me find some interesting folklore creatures? It can be western or nonwestern, but something unique is preferred. Something like a dragon wouldn't really work because it is used to often in fiction, and it isn't really something that is psychologically horrifying; it's more of a physical threat. Other than that, I have no qualms about what you may have to post.

Thanks in advance!


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## seigfried007 (Jul 19, 2019)

Classics are paranormal critters--things that operate on a different level of reality. Ghosts, Christian demons, extradimensional beings, poltergeists, so-called psychic vampires, Lovecraftian abominations, anything which is termed as coming from "the deepest reaches of space", "the outer realms", "another dimension", "the underworld", or "Hell".  

You don't have to research anything though--unless you're going to cite sources in fiction, so to speak (make call backs to other people's fiction). Why use someone else's monster? Lovecraft wasn't using other people's monsters, and he pioneered cosmic horror. Stephen King doesn't use other people's monsters (at least, he doesn't often). Go out on a limb; make something terrifying. Be inspired by those who have come before--but not restricted by them.  

If you're looking for more inspiration which doesn't take as much time as reading, look up Hieronymus Bosch, H. R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. Beware, there's some weird art these guys made.


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Jul 19, 2019)

Ooh yeah, looking at art is a great way to do research that's not time consuming. Some spooky stuff:

Lawless Darkness album artwork

Dan Seagrave's art (look up "Concordat", his website isn't working right now for some reason)


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## BornForBurning (Jul 20, 2019)

Jesse Jacobi is a personal favorite of mine. I love this piece he just did for the band Tomb Mold:


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## Olly Buckle (Jul 20, 2019)

You seem to have a definition of what a dragon is, but it is all sorts of things to all sorts of people. It can just be a giant lizard like creature that breaths fire, but I know a Greek story where it is personal "How do you know my name?" "Because I am your dragon and I know everything about you." . In oriental stories Dragons are the forces of powerful natural events, and they are shape changers, they can appear as humans, but there is always something to give them away, the dragon crown that floats above their head in one story, the fact that the horse he is riding has tiny feathers instead of hair in another. Ursula LeGuin uses dragons that are the only creatures able to tell lies in the 'pure' language of magic, dragons that are tricksey and evil rather than physically powerful and evil. As JustRob would put it 'Dragon' is just a made up word; meaning there is no agreed definition of what a dragon is, what it can do, the auras it casts, anything. We don't even know if it is red and gold or a true black, such as you have never seen and into which you endlessly fall, apart from the fiery red eye which fixes you in its gaze.

I think the problem is not so much finding the word to describe your nemesis, rather it lies in deciding what it does that makes it so awful, and that is not really in its physical presence. Things that appear at first disgustingly horrible may turn out to be quite friendly; things can appear magnificent and be weak as water when challenged, and read that the other way round as well. The contrast can accentuate the actuality.

Sorry to go on, but I love dragons, I have a number of oral stories I can tell about them, and They are all different with individual weaknesses and strengths. Don't write off dragons, they can do and be anything you want them to.


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## Umree (Sep 3, 2019)

I recommend looking into Dungeons and Dragons lore. I've been playing D&D for several month now and I will say it's got an almost endless repository of horrifying monsters. Mind Flayers, Beholders, there are different realms and multi-leveled hellscapes to explore, etc. Each monstrosity features a full list of powers, abilities, and habits too. Checking out some Youtube videos on D&D may be helpful, I particularly enjoy this channel called Runesmith (it features short clips explaining Lyconthropes, Vampires, Giants, and more). You can also explore pretty much everything D&D on dndbeyond.com

Hope that helps.


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