10 Best Horror YouTubers Every Writer Should Watch

If you’re a horror writer, YouTube can become a goldmine of research, inspiration, and creative insight. Horror on screen, in short videos, and even in satirical sketches can teach us a lot about tension, pacing, worldbuilding, and character fear in ways books sometimes can’t.

Plus, if you’re a visual or audio learner, it’s a great way to study your craft!

Here’s my roundup of the 10 best horror YouTubers every writer should study—from serious analysis to comedy-tinged creature design—and why they’re worth your time.

1. Night Mind

Night Mind is perfect for writers interested in analog horror, internet horror series, and narrative storytelling online. The channel dives deep into creepypasta-inspired projects, analyzing how creators manipulate tension, pacing, and the unknown. Writers can learn a lot about how to layer mystery over a slow reveal and how subtle details can build atmosphere. And if you’re a writer, you should absolutely go spend several hours of your life watching (insert). It had me in tears.

2. Dead Meat

If you want to study horror movies for structure, pacing, and scare timing, Dead Meat is a must-watch. Best known for their Kill Count series, the channel examines horror films scene by scene, dissecting kills, character decisions, and narrative mechanics. Observing these breakdowns can help you understand how fear escalates, how stakes are raised, and why some deaths linger in memory more than others.

3. Life of Luxury

Life of Luxury is a gem for writers interested in creature design and practical effects. Just keep in mind that, while the channel teaches about monsters, costumes, and creature creation, it does so through comedy and satire. The humor makes the lessons entertaining, highlighting some of the tropes that viewers often mock. For writers, watching Life of Luxury is a way to explore monsters in both the literal and narrative sense, exploring what makes a creature horrifying, memorable, or—even better—unexpectedly funny.

4. FoundFlix

For writers who want to understand mystery and suspense in horror films, FoundFlix is a great channel to subscribe to. The channel explains plot twists, hidden clues, and unresolved questions in movies, showing how suspense is built and maintained. This is especially useful if you’re crafting stories with buried secrets, unreliable narrators, or slowly unfolding dread.

5. Nexpo

Nexpo is a YouTube creator who dives deep into the darker corners of the internet, exploring disturbing stories, mysteries, and real-life horrors. For writers, Nexpo is a goldmine of inspiration for crafting tension, building atmosphere, and understanding how real-world fear translates into compelling storytelling. His approach shows how to take seemingly ordinary events or obscure details and turn them into narratives that keep audiences on edge, making him especially useful for horror writers seeking to blend realism with unsettling fiction.

6. Lazy Masquerade

Lazy Masquerade delves into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and creepy stories. The channel's calm narration and detailed storytelling make it a great resource for writers interested in crafting atmospheric, suspenseful narratives. Observing Lazy Masquerade's approach can help you learn how to build tension and maintain a gripping pace in your own writing.

7. ReignBot

ReignBot combines horror history, folklore, and internet legends, offering a unique perspective on cultural horror tropes. Writers can learn how historical context, myths, and urban legends feed modern fears. Even if you’re crafting fictional monsters, studying the origins of horror archetypes can make your stories feel richer and more believable.

8. MrBallen

MrBallen’s specialty is true stories that are strange, mysterious, and often chilling. His storytelling style is a masterclass in narrative pacing. Writers can learn how to structure suspense, reveal details at the perfect moment, and build unease with nothing more than voice and story rhythm. If you want to turn real-life horror into compelling narratives, MrBallen is essential viewing.

9. The Horror Show

Focused on both movie reviews and analyses, The Horror Show is ideal for writers looking to understand audience expectations in horror. The channel explores what makes audiences scream, jump, or feel unsettled, helping writers dissect why some scares work and some fall flat.

10. Lighthouse Horror

Lighthouse Horror specializes in narrating creepy stories, often focusing on personal experiences and encounters with the supernatural. The channel's storytelling style is immersive and engaging, making it a valuable resource for writers looking to understand how to build suspense and atmosphere in their narratives.

How Writers Can Use These Channels

Watching horror YouTubers is a lot more than passive entertainment. Here are ways to make it productive:

Note how videos analyze or present horror beats. How long before the reveal? How is suspense built? Apply those rhythms to your writing. Channels like Life of Luxury or Deadly Monsters demonstrate how small details—texture, movement, or biology—can make creatures feel real and terrifying. MrBallen and similar narrators teach you how tone affects fear. You can adapt this to narration in short stories or novels. One short video can spark multiple story ideas: a monster concept, a setting, or a twist ending.

The horror side of YouTube is about a lot more than just jump scares. It’s an easy to access, totally free library of storytelling lessons. Whether you’re plotting a novel, crafting micro-horror, or just looking for inspiration, these ten channels will keep you learning, laughing, and creeping yourself out, all at the same time.

And if you’ve got a favorite horror YouTuber I didn’t include, leave it in the comments! I’m always on the hunt for fresh inspiration to feed my own ideas.

(And to listen to while I work!)