A Positive Person Writing about Negative Things? The Horror!

Copyright Lia Scott Price

I once received a message, a comment about how positive I am, but how I write about negative stuff such as serial killers. Well, it’s simply a what-if scenario, using my imagination, and also a way of getting negativity out of my life. So what if I write about what I write about? It’s my choice.  To me, creative writing is venting and releasing negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings, and thinking outside the box. I turn them into stories, or I use the negative emotions and people that I meet or hear about. Of course, I don't advocate or support violence, I'm just using creativity to address my fears, experiences, and explore my imagination. It's therapy, and sometimes even better than therapy.  Would this person think the same ways about horror film producers, writers and actors? Just because I write horror doesn’t mean I’m “negative”.

I also encounter this thinking whenever I talk about my love of death metal and heavy metal. Most people think that because the lyrics and music are “negative”, the band must be negative too. But it’s in fact the opposite. People in metal bands and in the metal scene that’s I’ve met are the friendliest, most open-minded, creative, coolest, most supportive people who are more family to me than the people who choose to criticize what I do.  They write about politics, social issues, and other things that are considered negative to make a point, to be vocal about what they see is wrong in society, or about what they fear or change or whatever else they want to write about. It’s a creative way to vent or make a statement. It’s better than keeping your own fears in and thinking that the world will become more violent if anyone expresses it in a creative way, like saying that listening to certain music will make you a serial killer. If that’s the way you think, then maybe you should avoid horror movies and books. If you think these things are going to come true, that’s a little unrealistic. Then you might as well live your life in fear of everything.