{EP. 18} The Origins of Satan + Tips on Writing About the Devil in Your Dark Fantasy or Horror Novel

The Devil, the Beast, 666, the Dark One, Lucifer, Beelzebub,  Satan—whatever you want to call him, this character has been a point of fear and fascination for 3,000 years, and it’s a figure that pops up quite frequently in dark fantasy and horror novels. 

So naturally, why wouldn’t we spend an afternoon discussing the Prince of Darkness? Rock on, Beelzebaby!

Katrina and Genny explore the origins and evolution of Satan—from the pious angel to the leather-jacket wearing man-about-town and every iteration in between.

As you’ll find out, it didn’t take us long to discover that Satan is a hodge-podge of multiple characters—a cultural byproduct of centuries of invasion and religious assimilation.

While we loved talking about Satan the character, we also wanted to share some helpful writing tips for any dark fantasy writers out there who wanted to take a stab at creating their own version of this dark and evil figure.

So, without further ado, here are our Top 9 tips (we couldn’t think of 10) for writing about Lucifer:

Tip #1: Read the Holy Bible. 

Tip #2: Read the Romantics if you’re going to make him a tragic hero. 

Tip #3: Go local. 

Tip #4: Decide what Satan has to do with evil. 

Tip #5: Write until you scare yourself. 

Tip #6: Read until you scare yourself. 

Tip #7: Be brave enough to write about God. 

Tip #8: Stay away from the campy version. 

Tip #9: Read books about Satan. 

Recommended Readings

• Goethe’s Faust
• Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
• The Monk by Matthew Lewis
• The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

Source:

• History of the Devil

★  ★  ★

Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email writingthebroomstick@gmail.com.

Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”.

And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.