Mirrors have always fascinated me a little for there is
often a discrepancy between what I think I am/look like and what I see in the
mirror. It’s a little like hearing your own voice recorded and swearing that
you don’t really sound like that... Or do you? But I digress…
Back to the mirrors…
I actually used mirrors as a horror element in my first full
novel “Insight”. I was in the bathroom one day and looked up to see the mirror
so clouded with steam that you couldn’t see anything clearly and I started
imagining a creature was in the mirror. Yes, I know I do have a peculiar
mindset… But anyway it gave me the idea of using a mirror for a ghostly
experience. I also realised that you could write with a greasy-ish finger on a
mirror and it could not be seen but as soon as it became steamed up the writing
appeared. Oh, I had fun with that book! Water and mist eventually became a
major motif for the story as the character had a kind of phobia about water
anyway. The possibilities really opened up then as the fear went right back to
her childhood and… Well you’d have to read the book to know the rest! No
spoilers on here…
But it did make me realise you could take something quite
mundane and turn it into something – well, a lot less mundane!
Have you ever thought of using ordinary household items and
turning them into fearful phobic elements in a thriller story?
Hello Pat! When I was little I used to lie in bed at my Grandma's house and stare at the ceiling. Back in the day it was a ceiling made up of polystyrene squares. If I stared long enough the lines would disappear and my imagination would spring me into an unknown world. At that age, I didn't venture any further, I just hid under the covers. But thinking about it now, what a world that could be. What could lurk behind the polystyrene squares, poorly fitted to the ceiling? Thank you for your thought provoking question. Enjoy your day.
ReplyDeleteOh definitely the most scary things are everyday objects that become sinister. Everyone can relate.
ReplyDeleteI really don't like mirrors. I used to drape a cover over the mirror in my bedroom when I was a child. These days they frighten me for other reasons, especially if they take me by surprise! Baby monitors - they're creepy! The strange sounds that come out of them... shudder! I wrote a story about it :-) x
ReplyDeleteI have an idea for a thriller story that would use every day items. I don't know if I'll ever bother to write it. It does keep nagging me, though. I love how you used the mirror, and it inspired you.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie