You can tell a lot in shorthand.

Teenagers come to things fresh and can really teach us an awful lot.

You want, in a sense, to relate to the main character, so often, the main character POV is a bit more of a blank slate.

You need to be invested in what happens. The characters are your conduit to the story. Many modern horror films are fun but not frightening because one has not connected with the characters.

You witness a lot as a journalist, and what you witness becomes a part of you.

I loved ghost stories. I love horror stories. I love all of that stuff, but I really yearn for something to actually frighten me. It's more of a yearning for that than something that has to necessarily be cerebral or sophisticated. Good storytelling and something that actually frightens you.