User blog comment:Jdeschene/Common Themes/@comment-35353892-20180505005617

I would say my most recurring aspect of my pastas is the way in which I design my monsters. They're all based on what scared me as a child, which was tall and lanky alien-esque things with teeth and claws. But no matter what the monster looks like, I like to make them featureless (think Slender Man). I'm not sure why, but if I had to guess I'd say it's due to the fear of the unknown. By giving the monster defined features, the reader can picture it in their mind. Take those features away, and it could become anything; specifically, it could become whatever scares the reader most. This is the type of dread that I tap into most often when writing, and that shows across my numerous monster stories.