DISCLAIMER: CREEPYPASTA IS SOME OF THE MOST TERRIFYING AND DISTURBING LITERATURE IN EXISTENCE TODAY. BE CAUTIOUS IN YOUR SEARCH, AND I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST READING THE stories Cited in this post.
Common (and effective) Techniques of Creepypasta:
- The use of both video and text, to give the heightened level of description that can only be read, as well as the disturbing images that allow the idea to become a reality instead of just an abstract thought. First giving the reader a description of a person exploding into flames and then showing them builds suspense.
- Many creepypastas are posted on forums and message boards, with parts of them being posted every couple of days (often in a log or diary format). This makes the reader feel as though the events are happening right as they read them.
- Sometimes creepypastas are written by one person, but then added to by another later (usually a friend or family member of the original author). This is often used to imply the absence, disappearance, or untimely death of the original author. This heightens the sense of fear, as it tells the reader that telling the world these "true" stories is dangerous. Most of the time this technique is only used when the story involves a hostile supernatural entity. (Such as Slenderman)
- Many creepypastas are based on something preexisting or real. These can include old urban legends or myths, unexplained historical events, video games, etc. Video Game creepypasta is unique in that it corrupts what is often an innocent children's game, and uses slightly scary or creepy things in the game to its advantage. ("Majora", "A Chill Goes Down Your Spine", "Lavender Town Syndrome") However, a disadvantage is that most require a prerequisite knowledge.
As you can see, a major feature of creepypasta is its use of the internet and digital media to create realism in the mind of the reader, and that gives it more power than any other type of horror story. Even in our age of technology, literature continues to evolve.