One thing I love about writing in the suspense/thriller and horror genres is having characters with flaws that readers can identify with. Whether it’s being afraid of the dark or feeling the terror of being watched, our phobias are truly things that scare us.

Below is a list of TEN phobias that would fit well into *scary* stories and potential ways to use them:

Fear of the Dark: Nyctophobia
Power Failures
Basements where the only light is burnt out
Lost alone in the forest at night

Fear of Confined Small Spaces: Claustrophobia
Being buried alive
Being locked in the trunk of a car
Hiding under a bed or inside of a trunk

Fear of Death: Thanatophobia
Being shot or stabbed and left to die
Having a fatal illness that’s rapidly progressing
Knowing there’s a bomb on a timer and you have no way to escape

Fear of Dolls, Mannequins and Human-Like Figures: Automatonophobia
Possessed dolls
Ventriloquist dummy who talks and moves without needing its puppeteer
Alien life forms

Fear of the Outside/Open spaces/Crowded spaces: Agoraphobia
Getting separated from a friend or significant other in a crowd/mob
Unable to leave your apartment or house
Becoming lost in a huge cornfield where the corn is taller than you are

Fear of Spiders: Arachnophobia
A jungle setting where there are many different species of spiders
An escaped pet tarantula somewhere in the house
Alien creatures that look like gigantic spiders

Fear of Blood: Hemophobia
Vampires
Murder Scenes
Accident Scenes

Fear of Being Watched or Stared at: Scopophobia
Not wanting to go near the window
Sensing someone is following you/watching you
A neighbor in your building who always seems to turn up wherever you are

Fear of Strangers/People: Xenophobia
Unknown caller on the phone
A stranger at the door who won’t go away
Someone following you

Fear of Ghosts: Phasmophobia
Shadows
Doors open and close by themselves
Strange Noises

These are just a few examples of ways to incorporate phobias into your next suspense/thriller or horror novel.