Question: what are the essential elements of a horror story?
Answer: 5 Elements of a Good Horror Story. 8/12/2012. ...  Fear. At the risk of pointing out the elephant in the room, fear is by far the most important factor of a great horror story. ...  Surprise. Getting someone to fear what you've created isn't the hardest part; making the fear surprising is. ...  Suspense. ...  Mystery. ...  Spoilers.