Writing The Supernatural - The Big Reveal

Now that you have your supernatural bad guy and the setting, when do you spring them on the main character? Many times writers will bring them out too early and that isn't great for supernatural stories. We want to build suspense first. Make the main character think they are losing their minds, or that someone is messing with them. We want the main character to feel uneasy and scared, along with the reader.
​The best way to do this is to start your story in the 'real' world. Somewhere safe, familiar and ordinary. This will be a good juxtaposition for the horror that is to come. 
Once the main character enters this place where the monster starts to mess with them, you need to build up slowly. This could be a creepy house, a town, the woods etc. The setting is up to you and we examined that last week.
Usually your main character will start with a feeling of unease. They won't be able to pinpoint why, but this will slowly build over time. We can move onto seeing things from the corner of their eye, hearing noises or even strange smells. Use those senses to really tell the story!
By the time the supernatural being appears, we want to be suitably spooked and it has to be memorable. The MC will be concerned that they are imaging stuff at this point, so we want them to finally see what has been causing all the issues. Of course while they have been freaking out, you are adding detail and backstory to hint at us as to what is coming. 
They may investigate, find information or learn the chilling history of the place. This is why it is important to choose the right setting for your story. One that fits in with the monster. 

Next week, we will look at the pay off.