So I wasn’t entirely sure what to write about for this post. I knew I wanted to write about something to do with serial killers. I don’t even know what got me to the page, but I learned the word Hybristophilia. Hybristophilia is simply an attraction to wrongdoing. The word is often applied to the ‘fans’ of serial killers. I knew people were a bit obsessed with serial killers (clearly I’m one of those people) but I was never one of those people who wrote letters to serial killers, robbers, and rapists. There was always a line of safety for me by not making myself known to those people. I only want to use their behavior as an inspiration for my writing. I don’t want to get to know them on a different level and I am certainly not attracted to any of those people. My obsession is more of a fascination with learning about their behavior and twisting it for my own creative outlets.
A few weeks ago I watched a movie about a student who wanted to study a serial killer facing trial while he was attending college. Dear Mr. Gacy was a film portrayal of Jason Moss’s interactions with John Wayne Gacy. Moss was not someone who would have been a hybristophilliac but he used it for his research. I find his point of view and use fascinating. If I were going to study a serial killer in real life I would probably use the same method.
I’ve seen several movies documenting the women who marry famous serial killers. I find those films and documentaries fascinating in how those women are portrayed. It is true that movies dramatize those situations but the concept itself is enough to draw people in. I know when I found out about the fetishization of serial killers I was amazed about the things I was reading online. Artwork, letters, and paraphernalia from those serial killers can be bought and sold online at ridiculous prices. I remember a documentary of Gacy’s artwork detailing pieces being sold for millions of dollars.
I think all of this is going to give me an idea for a writing prompt. Check out the forum for that prompt and post a response! I’ll have my own response to the prompt up soon! Thanks for your support and your continued involvement with my page. Remember to just keep writing!