Short Hair
#2: Jun 9th 2011 at 8:15:31 AM
One indicator of an urban legend is that it never happens to someone you know. You always hear about it from a Friend of a Friend (FOAF). If it really did happen, it's not a legend.
For your story, you may want the narrator to hear about this mysterious figure from FOA Fs. "My roommate's auto mechanic has a sister, and she saw this guy...." Part of the suspense is that the reader isn't sure if the figure is real or just a rumor. You might include a character who knows something about urban legends and argues against his being real.
Under World. It rocks!
dRoy
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
from Most likely from my study
Since: May, 2010
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Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#3: Jun 9th 2011 at 3:25:52 PM
I see. Oh, and how should a character, who is in fact the real identity of the legend, react when someone talks about him?
I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.
Total posts: 3
Okay, one of the core plot elements in my story's first arc involves a serial killer and an Urban Legend. The said legend is a person wearing a longcoat and a hat, with a Plague Doctor mask
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The legend says that s/he arbitrarily appears during/after a scene of crime. It becomes more complicated when there's a serial killing spree and whenever the murder occurs, he is seen within very close proximity.
Would that automatically make him a prime suspect for the murder? Also, how can I make him a convincing and terrifying Urban Legend?
I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.