Rating: 
Summary: Worth Reading
Review: I was a bit disappointed by this collection. For some reason I expected more. Certainly, I found some some good advice. Particularly good were the articles by David Morrell and J N Williamson but I found the interview with Harlan Ellison contained nothing I hadn't read before.
Rating:
Summary: The best advice on becoming a horror writer
Review: I'm from Holland and I want to be a writer of horror fiction.
Seems like an odd choice, especially for someone living in a country which hasn't spawned a (good) horror writer in ages (if ever), but this book made me decide to go through with it.It is great how WRITING HORROR is divided into all these chapters/ articles in which known (and some lesser known)horrorwriters give advice and pointers on how to master the craft. I learned so much from this book. There are things I hadn't even thought of yet (and never would) which are explained here. A few examples: setting the mood, how to write believable characters, draw your influences from real life, avoid cliches, don't EVER try to copy Stephen King...etc etc. The best article for me was David Morrel's on writing dialogue. I knew him as the creator of John Rambo (of all characters). But from this book (and the real hard to find FACES OF FEAR, by Douglas Winter) I learned he's also a well accomplished writer of horror and suspense.
This man has such a clear voice and his words were so helpful to me. I'll be sure to read some more of his work in the future. In short WRITING HORROR makes me want to create my own stories, and I think that's the best compliment you can give the people who put this book together.
I have some minor critisicm in that most of the articles are very short (only a few pages), but on the other hand I guess the writers make every word count.
It's hard being an aspiring novelist and sometimes you have to drag yourself behind your wordprocessor. WRITING HORROR makes it a little less hard!
Rating:
Summary: Writing Horror Full of Motivating Inspiration
Review: Morte Castle pulls the top horror writers together in this volume of inspirational essays on the art of writing dark fiction. This work does not go into too much of the blood and guts of practical writing tips on horror, which would end up as another mass of opinions that conflict with one another. No, instead Writing Horror trancends that writers' Purgatory and offers enlightening viewpoints of the various approaches and understandings of how good horror fiction is crafted by these outstanding authors. One of the most valuable resource this book provides is the light the multiple authors shed on what mistakes they and other beginning writers have made that kept their works from being published before finally making it into print. But more importantly, Writing Horror provides a truck load of motivation for writers stuck in that literary lull that overtakes us all at one point or another. There has got to be a scientific formula that determines how long it takes for the reader of this book to put it down and start typing because it happens every time. Perhaps Frankenstein will let us all know what the formula is after he's done playing with those usless corpses of his, surly those experiments will lead to a DEAD end. Right?
Rating:
Summary: Horror for everyone
Review: This book is pretty good. I have been excited about writing horror and upon purchasing this book I read it extremely quick. The book kept me reading even though I didn't agree with every writers opinion (especially that horror should have a deeper meaning or it is just teenage slasher entertainment). Most of the book is informative and gives you look inside many wirters perspective. The problem I had with the book is that I felt the length on certain chapters I didn't find the most important was longer than the length of chapters I wanted more help on. Overall it is decent.
Rating: 
Summary: Dissappointing.
Review: This work doesn't provide any real insight to 'Writing Horror' and the examples are the usual warmed over nonsense that couldn't give a six year old the willies. "How to pass things off as horror' would be a more apt title.
Rating:
Summary: As Good As It Is Only Because Of Its Rarity
Review: Unfortunately, it is rare to find books on writing specializing in the horror genre; this fact alone is the sole reason this book is rated as highly as it is. Some of the articles within hold excellent advice, others are poor, and some are just there to take up space and have nothing to do with writing horror at all. It is, however, of no weaker quality than any of the other books I've read put out by the Horror Writers Association. If you are interested in writing within the horror genre, it is worth reading for some of the value it does contain. The worst part of the book, though, is the characteristically outspoken and igorant piece written by Harlan Ellison. But it does have something to offer.
Rating:
Summary: The Great Ones Speak
Review: Writing Horror, edited by Mort Castle, is a collection of dozens upon dozens of essays written by the leading voices in horror. Editors, comic book writers, short story writers, novelists... Everyone is given a say in this book. And for any writer who wants to get a start in the genre, this book does offer a lot of very good and constructive advice. The real great piece in this book is Jack Ketchum's essay on Splatter Lit and its hero, telling us how to create a realistic hero and how to make him sound/seem real. As a matter of fact, many of the essays in this book talk about realism; how to make your story sound real, how to make the tone and mood real, how to create realistic settings... Plot, techniques, the horror market, the independent press and agents are also discussed in great lengths. Unfortunately, this book is downplayed a little as it includes too many retrospection on works by artists that didn't really work in the writing relm of horror. I'm thinking here of Owl Goingback's piece on classical horror films, which, although good, doesn't really offer any advice to the writer wannabe. But those few essays aside, this book is a must for anyone who is interested or who wants to break into the horror relm. It's a great collection by the masters, including Ketchum, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Elizabeth Massie and many many more.
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