Writer-Centric POV Playlist: You’re scribbling down a freaky chapter that gives your character the heebie-jeebies
- Katherine Arkady
- Feb 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 25
Introduction
Something’s not right—
The air is thick with dread, the kind of unsettling chill that crawls up your spine and refuses to let go. Every shadow seems to move, every creak of the floorboards sounds too loud, and that strange feeling of being watched lingers just out of sight. Your character’s skin prickles with the unmistakable sensation of impending danger, their every step heavier as the eerie silence deepens.
This chapter isn’t just about fear; it’s about building tension, slowly winding the psychological tightrope until the final, terrifying moment. To make your reader feel the same unease, you need a playlist that matches the sinister vibe—full of creeping notes, unexpected jolts, and the ominous atmosphere of something just beyond comprehension.
So crank up the eerie sounds, and let the music guide you as you write the kind of freaky scene that will make your character—and your readers—wish they had left the lights on.
And scroll down for writing tips!
The Set List
bury a friend
Billie Eilish WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
Black Mambo
Glass Animals Glass Animals
Dust To Dust
Chromatics Kill For Love
Tear You Apart
She Wants Revenge She Wants Revenge
Haunted
Type O Negative October Rust
Ghost Hardware
Burial Untrue
Will He
Joji Will He
In the House - In a Heartbeat
John Murphy In the House - In a Heartbeat
Crimson
Seven Devils
Florence + The Machine Ceremonials
Tips for Writing an Effectively Creepy Scene:
1. Use the “Less is More” Approach
Fear thrives in the unknown, so don’t over-explain! Your reader's imagination can fill in the holes--with their own personal brand of fearsome energy.
2. Build Up Slow, Then Strike
Dread is most effective when it simmers. Let small, unsettling details snowball into full-blown terror.
3. Engage All the Senses
Fear isn’t just seen—it’s heard, smelled, felt. Describe the stale air, the creaking floor, or the feeling of being watched.
4. Make the Fear Personal
What specific object, thought, person, action, etc. would terrify your character? A childhood fear? A past trauma? The best horror taps into something deeply personal.
5. Play With Perception
Is the horror real or in their head? Unreliable narrators, hallucinations, and paranoia make a scene even more unsettling. Make the readers question themselves!
6. Break Up the Rhythm
Short, fragmented sentences. Yes. The panic! It can make the pacing erratic. Uncertain. The exact goal.
7. Leave Readers With an Unresolved Chill
The ending doesn't necessarily have to be wrapped up with a bow. A lingering sense of unease is what makes creepy scenes stick.
Links to My Playlist Profiles
Stay weird,
Katherine Arkady
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