Think of fears. 'Darkness fell, something grabbed my leg.' Darkness is a common fear, and the sudden action of something grabbing your leg is very scary in just 10 words.
Use simple, spooky elements. For example, 'Dark room. Strange noise. Gone.' Just pick a common, yet eerie setting like a dark room, add an unexplained and menacing sound, and then a final word that implies something bad has happened.
By using simple yet powerful words. For example, 'Lonely Grave' immediately makes you think of something sad and spooky. The combination of words triggers our fears and imagination.
Think of a simple, creepy situation like 'Lights out. Something moves. Shadows.'
Use simple but spooky words. For example, 'Footsteps, but no one'. The words 'footsteps' immediately create a sense of someone or something being there. But when you add 'but no one', it becomes a horror story in just five words. It makes the reader wonder what is making those footsteps if there's no one there.
They use atmosphere. Dark settings, like a fog - covered graveyard or a dimly lit cellar, are often described. This immediately makes the reader feel uneasy.
Just think of a sudden, dark twist. For example, 'He walked. The shadow had no feet.'
Just focus on fear. For example, think about things that scare you like a haunted house, and then sum it up in five words like 'Haunted house, no escape.'
Evoke strong images. Consider 'Bloody handprint.' This three - word phrase immediately brings to mind a violent or spooky scene. It's a visual that is both simple and very effective in creating horror.
Use strong imagery. For example, 'Blood on white sheet'. Pick words that evoke fear like 'dark', 'death', 'lost'.