The Ironic Fear of a Horror Writer

by Lee A. Forman

As a writer of horror, I often create disturbing material and describe it in great detail. I come up with some pretty abnormal things sometimes, and my Google search history is not so savory… This is something all of us who’ve taken the journey into this genre have in common. But there are ironies in being a horror writer. Things that just don’t add up.

For me, it’s clowns.

Yes, clowns.

Movies and books are fine. Killer Clowns from Outer Space is a movie I enjoy. I love Pennywise the Clown. And my favorite zombie in Zombieland is the clown at the end.

But real clowns? Get them the hell away from me. No offense to those who’ve worked hard to graduate from clown college (yes, that’s a real thing, you have to go to college to be a clown), but the mere sight of one chills me to the bone. Every time I took my kid to the circus, I made sure to stay far away from them. County fairs? Nope, I look the other way and walk quickly by before they try to make some kind of balloon animal for me that will haunt my dreams forever. I’m terrified of them. And I have no idea why.

What ironic thing frightens you as a writer? Feel free to leave a comment below! I’d love to see what fears other writers of the genre contend with!