The Language of Horror: Word, Rhythm, and Sound
Apr 11, 2026
Online event
No matter the genre or age range in which they work their craft, writers wield language as a composer organizes tones or a painter mixes pigments. Our word choices shape the way those who behold our art think and feel about the worlds we create, the characters who inhabit them, and the hardships they endure. Sound and rhythm play a huge part in the unconscious perception of our stories and can make a huge impact on how we, as artists, captivate our readers. While this lecture frames the use of word choice, rhythm, and sound around its use in horror fiction, its techniques can be applied to any genre across any age range. From picture books and early readers, through middle grade, to YA and New Adult. No matter what age reader you write for or what genre you prefer, this lecture will give you a new way of thinking about the tools of your craft and have you revising your manuscripts in exciting ways you may not have ever considered.
As the Co-Executive Editor of the annual literary horror zine, The Quiet Ones, DM (David) Hoffman shares their fascination with eerie and odd stories with readers all over the world.
From their childhood days with Edward Gorey and Anne Rice, exploring the classic works of Shelley, Poe, and Lovecraft, to now dissecting the techniques of modern masters like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Grady Hendrix, David’s lifetime of love for the strange and unusual now permeates their own work as both a freelance editor and writer across all age ranges.
His own works have been published in multiple micro-fiction and poetry anthologies, soundtrack compilations (as a singer/songwriter), and chapbooks.
David holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children and Young Adults program.