Hello folks! meet Merry Freer, horror author and guest poster for today, and she’s bringing you some thoughts on how horror and humor are better buddies than we may think.

As usual (for book tour days) This post is out in the bright sparkly world of *now* and my review of Merry’s book will come out later today (namely at the crack of noon).

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Humor in Horror

Hi there! My name is Merry Freer and I am the author of  (Subtitled: “An Atheist’s Experience with Demonic Possession”).

Horror is supposed to be scary, right? But does that mean it can’t be injected with a little humor here and there?

Humor breaks the tension and it helps to build characters.

A horror novel, or even a novel in the genres of paranormal and occult are a little more balanced and enjoyable when levity is utilized.

I don’t write about vampires, werewolves, witches or other paranormal creatures, though I imagine such a creature could be drawn by the writer as more likeable by giving it a sense of humor.

My creature is a demon, “The Beast,” and there is nothing funny about him. The humor in “Special Levels of Earthly Hell” is created by the earth-bound characters.

How does any author bring humor into a horror story?

My characters are based on real people. Their personalities are varied and, as in real life, humor is one way to differentiate one character from another.

For example, Adriana (The target of The Beast) has a very dry sense of humor. When using the herbs and spices she believes she needs in order to ward off The Beast, she comments:

 “Who knew you could find so many demon repellents in the spice aisle and produce section of Albertsons?”

It’s not roll on the floor humor, but it provides a moment of amusement when dealing with a somber subject.

When the protagonist, Drew, is having a conversation with Sweetie (his mother) about the color he and his wife have just painted the bedroom they are occupying in Sweetie’s home,

Drew says: “It was pink! A man shouldn’t have to sleep in a pink bedroom!”

Sweetie counters with: “It was not pink. It was ‘Sunday Brunch,’ a lovely, neutral shade of beige.”

Again, the humor is subtle. It helps to define Sweetie’s character as one you can count on for a smile – in her phraseology, her reactions to events, and her naivety.

The takeaway here is that humor need not be avoided in a horror story. It’s a tension breaker and a character builder.

Take advantage of its usefulness to your story.

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Thanks so much for visiting Merry!

If you guys would like to connect with her you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads

And I have a question for you guys:

What is your favorite horror story or movie that blends humor into it?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and have a few thoughts of my own (Demons, Dolls and Milkshakes for one) and I’m putting together a couple posts on the subject. 10 of the funniest Horror Movies and 10 of the milk-out-your-nose-hilarious horror books.