Last night, as I sat flipping through horror show after horror show, I realized an important fact (as I paused to watch Michael Myers stalk a teen)…fear is such a powerful motivator.
Yeah, I know–pretty obvious, right? But, until I stared in my wild wonder at Michael, I hadn’t really taken the time to analyze just how powerful “FEAR” can be.
In my stories, I try to inject both internal and external fears for my characters. I give vampires blood phobias. I have killers stalking my heroines (or heroes). Once I wrote a story about Poseidon’s mate (not published, just in case you were wondering), and as I began to plot the story, the very first thought I had was…”His mate has to be deathly afraid of water.” Why? Because fear can create such wonderful, lovely conflict.
In real-life, I have my own share of fears. My main fear? Heights. Grrr. Can’t stand to fly–so I’ll drive for hours and hours to avoid soaring in the clouds. I’m also terrified of snakes, but, strangely, I deal with that fear by seeking out snakes at every opportunity. I stare at them in zoos, fearfully touch them at fairs, and, of course, watch every campy snake film that I can find.
Halloween is days away…the season of fear is at hand! 
I’m curious…what do you fear? Leave me a comment about your fears, and, on Saturday, I’ll return and pick one commenter–that person will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate. (I’ll post the winner’s name in the comment section.)
So, come on…don’t be shy. What do you fear?
Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of paranormal romance and dark stories of romantic suspense. She lives in the Deep South, loves horror movies, and is addicted to happy endings. Cynthia has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories. 
Mine is heights too, but not enough that I don’t fly. I do get nervous flying, but that’s just me. Another is drowning. I’m not the best swimmer, and that’s one of my fears.
I like the original Halloween movie. It’s scarier than some of those stupid slasher movies out there.
My fear is something happening to my husband, He’s the love of my life. It would be HELL going on with out him, it’s a time I hope never comes. I have a fear of spiders, but I’d rather cross a spider than lose my husband.
Snakes and spiders. The other day a big spider jumped out at me. When we went to try to get it, it kept jumping.
I’m just a big chicken…you name the bug, I’m scared of it. Oh, and commercials for scary movies. Ugh!! I close my eyes when they come on. My kids think that is so funny. If my husband is watching one in our bedroom and I walk in, I can’t sleep for the rest of the night!
Bugs and snakes. . . I can’t even take cute spiders that might show up as decorations for halloween. LOL I’m so bad, it’s horrible.
Lois
[...] over at the Brava Blog today. I’m giving away a prize and talking about fear–come on, you don’t want [...]
I fear heights, bees, snakes, deep water and any creepy crawly creature.
I do not like heights but am absolutely terrified of snakes. I don’t even like to see them in glass enclosures in the zoo.
My biggest fear is something bad happening to my children or husband. As far as an irrational fear, I’m completely afraid of crickets lol. Logically, I know they can’t hurt me, but I cannot stand the idea of one hopping on me.
I love the original Halloween too. It’s so much more scary than all the newer ones. I always wondered how Michael Myers is always so slow, but still manages to catch his victim which is running. Go figure.
My biggest fear is spiders. I have a really, really hard time at this time of the year since they are in decorations everywhere. I am always glad when the month is over. I have gotten better over the years, but I am still paranoid over them to a big degree.
I am afraid of snakes, cannot look at pictures of them or books at all. They make me really cringe.
Heights, but I think it’s an inner ear inbalance instead of a real fear. Looking down, I feel like I’m going to fall. If I’m in an airplane, I love being in the clouds.
I noticed a few people saying they feared something bad would happen to family members. That’s a fear almost everyone can identify with.
i ca n say death, heights too.
I would have to say that I fear talking in front of a group of people.
Hi Cynthia,
I dropped by your blog this morning and saw that you were blogging here.
I have too many fears to list. Heights is one of them. I’m fine with flying, it’s just looking down or being on top of things that frighten me.
We have the same fears, I also am afraid of heights and snakes I can’t stand. Although I’m not afraid to fly, I can’t stand to be on ladders or standing on high places looking down. If i see a snake i’m gone in the other direction.
Hmm…I don’t have any obvious fears…heights don’t bother me and neither do creepy crawly creatures…I am okay with the dark…hmmm…maybe death of a loved one…that is a biggie fear for me.
Ooooh, and I just thought of one, but it is not really that bad for me…being in the ocean…it is not the water or swimming I fear, but what is beneath the surface that you can’t see. Having watched my brother catch a shark close to the shore this past summer and having sting rays and jelly fish swim around my legs in the shallow water, I have to say that it took me a while to go back in the water.
I have a fear of talking to new people, I’m in a voice class now and everytime I get up to sing I feel like I’m shaking.
I have a fear of drowning. I’m not afraid of the water, tho.
I am a chicken about snakes, yeck!
I don’t like any creepy crawly bugs.
I am scared of heights.
I am paralyzingly, deathly afraid of heights.
I am ok in planes or any ENCLOSED high space.
And I love to fly. I just cannot do exposed high places. At All.
And while spiders and snakes don’t bother me, I have a horrible fear of roaches. Here in the south, they are HUGE!! And they fly. *shudder*
I have a fear of deep water and drowning. I took swimming lessons as a kid but they never stuck.
I am okay with snakes, though any spider bigger than a quarter totally freaks me out. I used to be okay with heights, but now I get terrible vertigo, not sure what’s up with that.
Fear of something new, heights and snakes.
Okay…now I think I’m starting to fear more things!
I have a one year old and a 4 year old and they seem so fragile so I fear something happening to them. Bugs also freak me out.
I can’t watch horror movies. Don’t fear them – just don’t like them! Have never watched any of the Halloween movies.
Snakes and spiders pretty much scare the crap out of me too.
This is easy, snakes, lizards, frogs and clowns. Thank you Steven King for the last. Unlike, Cynthia I run from anything that slithers, or hops. The worse part of my fears are that my kids have never been to the circus, I just can’t get past the clowns.
I don’t do horror (movies or books). It’s not a fear, but just personal taste.
As for fears… heights, but I deal. I’ll get weak in the knees and a little shaky, but live. Like many others here, don’t handle slimy creatures very well… snakes, lizards, worms. Yuck. And then I have a mild fear (although perhaps fear isn’t the best word) that I’ll never fall in love.
I fear heights, a bit elevators that give you nausea, spides and snakes.
I also hate spiders, and all insects… hateful creatures!!
I also fear big dogs… I know it sounds pathetic, but imagine getting attacked by one!
I fear spiders…little ones or big ones. It doesn’t matter. They make my heart pound.
Ugh! Snakes and lots of bugs. But my biggest fear is something happening to my family. I adore my kids and my husband. Hmmm, what else? Not having books to read. *G*
I am afraid of heights but try to get over this by doing things that petrify me.
Spiders i don’t like at all not afraid of them but don’t wan’t them to touch any part of me lol.
Snakes are not a problem. we have one of those in the house as a pet lol.
I have different levels of fear lol. Spiders are an every day fear – they just give me the absolute willies; I have a fear of driving where I don’t know (no sense of direction) and I hate changing lanes or melding onto freeways; something like my house burning down (those poor people in CA; something horrible happening to any of my loved ones.
Thanks to everyone for the comments! So many fears…
I’ve got to admit, I’m not a spider fan, either. Those things have way too many legs.
And as for water–I’m generally good (comes from growing up near a beach), but, like Jennifer, I do get…ah, nervous…if I can’t see what’s below me (and that is why I like to snorkel–so I can see everything!).
I too am deathly afraid of snakes and dont care for heights either. Anything involving balance – like skating or even something to me dangerous – like skiing or even riding that motorized thing on snow or water – you can see I have blocked out what they are even called. LOL.
And our course #1 is something happening to my loved ones.
I have a fear of heights. I don’t like to look over the second floor railing at the mall, I get dizzy. I don’t like flying but I do it if necessary and not often. I am also afraid of drowning because I can’t swim. I also don’t like creepy crawly things. Talk about phobias… I certainly have my share of them.
I fear snakes. Living in the desert, we have some pretty poisonous ones.
I don’t like clowns, they scare me! Must have been a bad childhood experience!
I definately fear something happening to my kids. They are my life!
The list could go on, but don’t think I want to bore you with everything! Ha!
A male co-worker would put a rubber spider in a females hair and then comment on something in her hair. I had to warn him that I would scream the building down if it was ever done to me.
I fear of snakes, heights, and flying cockroaches.
I have the normal fears of mice, heights, drowning, etc. I don’t think I have any odd fears. Just the norm. Oh wait, I’m scared of feet. LOL Just kidding.
I have a huge fear of driving over those older covered bridges with all the metal beams surrounding you. I’ve been this way since childhood. I’ve been know to hold my breath and close my eyes when I’m in the passenger seat until the driver tells me we are across it. I can picture myself crashing off one of them into the waters. Hey, maybe one day they will make cars with instant floatation devices and I will feel much better. Perhaps the underneath will inflate a yellow boat-like thing to keep me afloat. I just hope a big shark doesn’t come along and decide to bite into it! LOL
Keep those snakes away from me!! LOL
I can live in peace with them as long as they stay away from me
bridges
snakes
elevators
tight spaces
(freaked out yesterday trying to do a MRI,nope didnt do)
actaully i think i upset the guy lol
Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for the comments! I enjoyed reading all the fears.
It seems that many of us fear the same thing (maybe we can round up all the snakes and spiders and send them far, far away).
And the winner of the Amazon.com gift certificate is…Lily! Lily, I’m going to email you, but, if for some reason you don’t get my message, you can contact me at cynthia@cynthiaeden.com. Congrats!
wtg lily
Congratulations Lily!