Unexpected twists can make a story very scary. For instance, when you think the main character has found safety, but then suddenly something even more terrifying happens. Also, the presence of malevolent entities like ghosts, demons, or monsters, especially when they have the ability to harm the characters, can make a story extremely scary.
Once upon a time, in an old, abandoned mansion on the outskirts of a small town, there was a creaking sound that could be heard every midnight. A young girl, curious about the place, decided to explore it one night. As she entered, the door slammed shut behind her. She heard whispers in the dark. Suddenly, a cold hand touched her shoulder. She turned around but saw nothing. The air grew colder and colder as she made her way through the dark corridors. Every step she took, the floorboards groaned as if they were alive. Then she saw a figure in the distance, a pale figure with glowing eyes. Terrified, she ran towards the front door, but it was locked. She was trapped with the unknown horror in that mansion.
Dark and eerie settings play a big part. Think of an old, abandoned house in the middle of a forest at night. The creaking floors, the howling wind outside, and the dim light create a perfect backdrop for a very very very scary story.
Well, in the Amnesia custom story, the jumpscares can be really intense. Sometimes it's the sudden appearance of a grotesque creature that blends in with the environment until it's too late. For example, you might be examining an old painting on the wall, and then a horrifying face emerges from it. Also, when you hear strange noises getting louder and louder and then a monster jumps at you, that's a classic and terrifying jumpscare.
Well, in a fan fiction of 'Spooky's House of Jumpscares', the plot could center around a new character who enters the spooky house. This character might have a unique backstory, like they're on a quest to find a lost friend who disappeared in the house. As they journey through the house, they encounter all the classic jumpscares but also discover hidden secrets about the house that were never revealed in the original. Maybe they find out that the house is actually a portal to another dimension and they have to figure out how to close it before more horrors are unleashed.
Often in such stories, there might be unexpected plot twists. For example, a character who seems friendly turns out to be the source of all the fear. In the case of Even Stevens, it could be that something ordinary in the Stevens' family life takes a terrifying turn. Maybe a new neighbor who is not what they seem, or a strange event that starts to unfold in their seemingly normal neighborhood. This contrast between the normal and the suddenly very scary can be really effective in making it a very scary story.
One very scary ghost story is about an old, abandoned asylum. People say that at night, you can hear the screams of the patients who once suffered there. A group of teenagers once decided to explore it. As they walked through the dark corridors, cold hands seemed to touch their necks, and they saw shadowy figures moving around. They ran out in terror and never went back.
Use vivid descriptions. For instance, describe the monster in detail - its rotting flesh, its blood - red eyes, and its sharp claws. This will make the reader's imagination run wild.