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Isolation is one of the most powerful tools a thriller writer can use. A remote location, whether it’s a desolate mountain range, a tundra, or an abandoned estate, heightens tension, creates vulnerability, and forces characters into situations where survival is not guaranteed. When done right, a setting itself can become a source of dread, an invisible antagonist that traps characters in its grasp and refuses to let go.
But how do you make a remote setting feel truly terrifying? How do you transform an isolated place into a pressure cooker of suspense? In this post, I’ll break down the key techniques for making remote locations unsettling in thriller writing, using examples from literature to show how the best authors create settings that get under the reader’s skin.
1. Use Isolation to Heighten Vulnerability
One of the scariest aspects of a remote location is the lack of escape. When characters are cut off from the outside world, they must rely on their own wits, resources, and instincts to survive. The sense of isolation creates a perfect storm for fear, as there is no cavalry coming to the rescue.
Examples of Isolation in Thrillers:
- In The Terror by Dan Simmons, a crew of explorers is trapped in the Arctic ice with no hope of rescue. As supplies dwindle and paranoia grows, the setting itself becomes a relentless enemy, crushing their morale.
- The Shining by Stephen King traps Jack and his family in the Overlook Hotel during a brutal snowstorm, cutting them off from civilization as supernatural horrors take hold.
- The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley immerses readers in the bleak, windswept coast of Lancashire, where a strange religious pilgrimage turns increasingly unsettling.
To make isolation terrifying, emphasize the ways in which it limits the characters’ options. Are they running out of food or fuel? Is the weather turning against them? Does their only means of communication fail at a crucial moment? The more trapped they feel, the more the tension will rise.
2. Make the Landscape a Character in Itself
A truly terrifying setting should feel alive. Like it’s watching, waiting, and reacting to the characters’ presence. Instead of simply describing a place, give it personality, history, and a sense of menace.
How to Make a Setting Feel Alive:
- Personification: Describe the setting as if it has intent. Instead of saying, The trees were tall and dense, say; The trees crowded together, their branches whispering secrets to each other.
- Shifting Moods: The same location can feel safe one moment and sinister the next. A sunlit valley might turn treacherous when a storm rolls in, swallowing familiar landmarks in fog.
- Unnatural Silence or Sounds: A forest that is too quiet feels just as unsettling as one filled with unknown noises. In The Ritual by Adam Nevill, the Scandinavian wilderness feels oppressive, as if something ancient is lurking just beyond sight.
If you want your setting to feel ominous, make readers feel it is more than just a backdrop, and that it is an active force in the story.
3. Use Unpredictable Weather and Natural Hazards
Nature itself can be a relentless antagonist in thrillers, making an already dangerous location even more terrifying. A sudden blizzard, a flood, or a landslide can heighten suspense and force characters to make life-or-death decisions.
Examples of Weather Used as a Horror Element:
- Dark Matter by Michelle Paver follows an Arctic expedition, where the endless polar night and freezing temperatures become just as terrifying as the possible supernatural presence lurking nearby.
- In The Willows by Algernon Blackwood, the river the protagonists are traveling on becomes more than just a setting. It is an uncontrollable force, pushing them deeper into supernatural horror.
- The Snowman by Jo Nesbø uses Norway’s brutal winter not just as a setting, but as a force that isolates victims and hides a killer’s tracks.
By using weather and natural disasters, you remove a character’s ability to simply walk away from danger. The environment itself becomes a claustrophobic cage, pressing in on them with every passing moment.
4. Play with the Fear of the Unknown
The best thrillers create fear not through what is seen, but through what isn’t seen. Remote locations naturally lend themselves to this type of fear because they are vast, uncharted, and full of secrets.
Ways to Use the Unknown:
- Obscured Vision: Fog, darkness, or heavy snowfall can make it impossible for characters to see what’s coming. In Bird Box by Josh Malerman, the very act of looking at the unknown is fatal, forcing characters to navigate a world they can never see.
- Vanishing Landmarks: A path that disappears, a boat that drifts away, or a sudden realization that something looks different from it did before can create an unsettling sense of being lost.
- Strange Tracks or Markings: A footprint too large to be human, an old warning sign in a forgotten language, or symbols carved into trees can all hint at an unseen presence.
What makes the unknown terrifying is that it allows the reader’s imagination to run wild. Let them fill in the gaps with their own worst fears.
5. Isolate Characters with Psychological Fear
Physical isolation is terrifying, but psychological isolation can be even worse. A remote setting forces characters to confront their own minds, creating paranoia, distrust, and hallucinations.
Examples of Psychological Fear in Remote Locations:
- In The Loney, the protagonist struggles with the religious traditions of his past while facing the eerie emptiness of the English coastline.
- The Shining brilliantly combines physical isolation with psychological horror, making the Overlook Hotel not just a trap, but a catalyst for Jack’s unraveling sanity.
- Thin Air by Michelle Paver takes place on a Himalayan expedition where the altitude, exhaustion, and isolation begin to warp the climbers’ perceptions of reality.
When crafting psychological horror in a remote setting, focus on small shifts in perception. Maybe a character misremembers things, hear voices when no one is around, or they see movement in their peripheral vision that vanishes when they turn to look.
6. Introduce the Threat of Other People
Sometimes, the scariest thing in an isolated location isn’t the environment; it’s the other people who share it. When outside help is impossible, human threats become even more intense.
Ways to Make People the Real Danger:
- Untrustworthy Companions: If a character is stuck with someone they don’t fully trust, every decision becomes more dangerous.
- A Community with Secrets: In Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon, a seemingly idyllic rural town hides disturbing traditions that outsiders are never meant to uncover.
- A Relentless Stalker: A lone character being pursued in an environment where no one can help them is one of the most terrifying scenarios in thriller fiction.
Human threats in remote settings are especially terrifying because there is no way to call for help. When characters realize they are not alone, and that those around them may be a greater danger than the landscape; it creates an entirely additional layer of tension.
7. Make Escape Seem Impossible
Nothing heightens fear like the realization that there is no way out. Whether it’s an impassable mountain range, a flooded road, or an unseen force preventing escape, a thriller setting should make characters feel trapped.
Methods of Trapping Characters:
- Physical Barriers: A storm washes out the only bridge, a boat is sabotaged, or a character falls into a hidden ravine.
- Technological Failures: Phones don’t work, the radio goes silent, GPS becomes unreliable. In The Ritual, a group of hikers realizes their map is useless in the ancient Scandinavian forest.
- Psychological Entrapment: A character might be physically able to leave but feels compelled to stay. Perhaps they need to uncover the truth before they can walk away.
When escape feels impossible, every decision matters. The longer characters remain trapped, the greater their desperation, and the higher the stakes.
Wrap Up
Remote locations in thriller writing are more than just settings. They are forces of tension, fear, and survival. Whether your story takes place in a dense forest, a frozen wasteland, or a crumbling mansion, the key is to make the environment an active participant in the horror.
By using isolation, weather, psychological fear, and the unknown, you can turn any remote place into a terrifying landscape where escape feels impossible.
What’s your favorite remote location in a thriller novel? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s discuss the places that haunt our imagination. As always, Happy Writing!
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