At Writers Anon this week, we were talking about mixing the strange with the familiar, as a way of creating a sense of unease. This is a familiar trick for horror; the TV that’s a gateway for the supernatural, the haunted house or the police chief, who is really part of the alien invasion. It’s a useful tool for writers, even if they just want to add a sense of mystery to a scene, in an otherwise straightforward drama.
Your writing prompt: Your character wakes up for a regular day. They get ready for work, grab their keys and head out of the house. It takes a while, but they begin to notice that everything is slightly different. All the neighbours are different people, driving different cars, yet they still know the protagonist’s name and act as if everything is normal. What else is different and how does your character react?
Creepy suburbia
src. Suburban Life by Leonard Koscianski
Writers Anon - Taunton's Writing Group 