Inneresting 74
issue 74
October 29th, 2021
All Treats: A Spooky Season Grab-Bag
Heather Schwedel searches for the origin of the phrase “Spooky Season.”
Maura Judkis interviews people filled with the holiday spirit about their bonechildren (12 foot tall lawn skeletons).
G. Neil Martin compiles the results of multiple psychological studies to try and answer why we like scary movies.
Jonathan Leggett attempts to use heart rate monitors and a host of willing volunteers to measure the scariest movies of all time determined measured in beats per minute.
Carolyn L. Todd compiles a list of films with less gore, but plenty of unsettling scares.
In two short interview clips, Alfred Hitchcock explains that mystery is intellectual, but suspense is emotional, and that suspense comes from giving the audience more information.
Why did it have to be snakes?
While not every character can be Dr. Jones, the Writer Emergency Pack card “What Would Indy Do?” suggests you take a page from the globe-trotting adjunct professor.
What does your hero irrationally fear? Are any of their allies planning to betray them? Do they have a past history with any of the allies on their current adventure?
With the Writer Emergency Pack you can stop, shuffle, and deal yourself a solution to your story problem. Maggie Griswold included it in Cosmopolitan’s list of gift ideas for writers (but it can also be a gift you give yourself).
You can find out more about the Writer Emergency Pack via its site, or follow on Twitter or Instagram for more writing prompts.
Other Cool Things
On the spoopier side, check out the game Cozy Grove. It’s Animal Crossing with less HGTV and more helping ghost bears complete their earthly business.
YouTuber FlibidyDibidy takes you behind the scenes on how they edited together hundreds of attempted speed runs on Super Mario Bros. into a single clip.
Seth Godin suggests that when people keep offering new objections it’s because they’re afraid to say they’re afraid.
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
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