Scaring people with just a few lines of text isn’t easy, Especially in the age of bite-sized content and fleeting attention spans, crafting horror that lingers in the mind is no small feat. However, Scottsdale, Arizona (US) resident Amit Juneja skilfully does it with his short horror stories on Instagram (@sunnyside_storys). With a knack for weaving fear into everyday moments or giving popular Bollywood movies – like Dil to Pagal Hai, Koi… Mil Gaya, Dil Chahta Hai, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Golmaal, among several others – a spooky spin, Amit’s stories prove that terror doesn’t need a full-length novel to take hold.
A software engineer by profession and a writer by passion, in an interview with The Free Press Journal newspaper, Amit reveals his creative process, the challenges of writing horror for social media, and what truly scares him.
Excerpts from the interview:
What drew you to writing horror stories, and why did you choose Instagram as your platform?
Storytelling always came naturally to me. I could conjure stories out of thin air, but I assumed everyone could do it, so I never thought much of it. It wasn’t until 2021, when I bought an iPad, installed Grammarly, and started writing, that I realised I could craft compelling short stories in minutes.
Wanting instant feedback, I began posting these stories on Instagram, pairing them with my doodles.
Since Instagram is a visual platform, I wanted my stories to be more than just text—I wanted to convey the imagery in my head. Around the same time, I discovered my love for doodling after installing Procreate, a fantastic sketching app for iPads (highly recommend it!).
I initially experimented with different genres—drama, romance, quirky sci-fi—and while they got decent engagement, it wasn’t until I started writing horror that the response skyrocketed. To my surprise, I had a natural ability to build intriguing plots that ended in unexpected twists while seamlessly blending horror elements.
I guess years of watching horror and my vivid imagination had merged, giving birth to an endless supply of stories that continue to spill out even today. That’s when I decided to double down on horror and write the kind of chilling tales that take us back to the golden days of the genre.
Who are your biggest influences in the horror genre — books, movies, or folklore?
My biggest influence is Satyajit Ray’s short stories. They have stayed with me since childhood. In just 2,000-4,000 words, Ray’s horror shorts have the power to transport you to unsettling situations and eerie locations, delivering thrills that linger long after you’ve read them. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend checking out Khagam, Badur Bibhishika, Septopus-er Khide, Gagan Chaudhurir Studio, and First Class Cabin.
Of course, I can’t discount my love for the classics—Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and some of the indie Indian horror comics I devoured as a kid. Diamond Comics and Raj Comics would occasionally release standalone horror features, and some of them were downright terrifying!
That said, I’m a distracted reader and could never sit through a Stephen King novel. And when it comes to movie adaptations of his books, The Shining is probably the only one I truly enjoyed.
When I read horror, I crave relatability. Since I didn’t grow up in the West, I often feel disconnected from horror stories set in Western urban environments. This is a big reason why, to this day, I actively seek out Indian horror authors—though, unfortunately, they are few and far between.
India is a goldmine of myths and legends, with every household carrying its own eerie tales. There’s an endless supply of source material, so it surprises me that more Indian-origin authors aren’t writing in the horror genre. Hopefully, that changes soon.
Also, I grew up on Ramsay horror movies, Goosebumps, Aahat, Zee Horror Show, and Ssshhhh… Koi Hai—like any other millennial—thanks to the lack of restrictions on what kids could watch back in the day. That set me on a journey to becoming a true horror buff, to the point where I rarely miss a good horror movie, regardless of the language.
On a side note, I sometimes feel bad for today’s 6-7-year-olds—they’ll never experience the thrills and chills we did growing up in the ’90s and 2000s, given how moderated content is now. But I digress.
How do you come up with new horror story ideas? Do real-life events ever influence your writing?
This is something I always assumed was nothing special—something everyone could do. In my head, I can effortlessly visualise and transform any situation or event into horror, building a plot around it and shaping it however I like.
My source of inspiration is almost anything. Random Reddit threads, newspaper headlines, everyday occurrences—any prompt is enough to set my imagination in motion, and within minutes, I have a fully formed plot.
Of course, I didn’t realise I had this ability until I actually started writing.
There’s also an irony in all of this – I don’t believe in ghosts or dark entities like the ones that populate my stories. For me, horror is purely fictional, crafted with the sole purpose of sending a shiver down your spine.
Personally, I believe that everything has an explanation. Nature doesn’t understand extinction—only transformation. So, if anything remains after death, it’s likely just energy, a concept rooted in science rather than the supernatural.
While I was initially inspired by so-called “true stories,” I quickly recognised the dangers of presenting them as fact. The propagation of such tales can have real-world consequences—just look at the infamous witch hunts of medieval Europe. I’d bet they started with these so-called “true stories”.
That’s why I now make a conscious effort to avoid labelling anything as “based on true events” or pushing the idea that the paranormal is real. Horror, for me, is about storytelling—not perpetuating fear as truth.
You also convert Bollywood movie plots into horror stories – Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil Chahta Hai, Dil Toh Pagal Hai, etc. What prompted this?
It actually all started with Baghban. One day, I wrote down a plot about a woman who suffered from seizures, each time experiencing the same nightmare—where an unnaturally tall, terrifying figure would appear and ask if she would allow him to possess her.
Then, I had a random thought – What if Amitabh Bachchan from Baghban had to deal with this? What if Hema Malini was the one suffering from these nightmares, and they were separated by their children?
That idea quickly spiralled into a 300-word short story, which I posted on Instagram—and it instantly took off. It went viral, crossing over 5 million views. Seeing the response, I turned it into a recurring series that has now become a favourite among my readers.
More recently, I took things up a notch and wrote a horror trilogy that reimagines Mujhse Dosti Karoge, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Mohabbatein—combining them into a horror universe of their own. I personally believe I pushed my own creative limits with this one.
Horror often plays on deep psychological fears—do you tap into your own fears while writing?
Absolutely. When writing pure horror, I refuse to post anything unless it genuinely scares me—even if just for a second. I’ve written my best horror stories when I was scared myself. But over time, I’ve become almost immune to that feeling, probably because I’ve immersed myself so deeply in the genre. So now, I have to artificially trigger that fear. These days, when I sit down to write horror, I put on eerie, hour-long ambient tracks on YouTube. Sometimes, I even write in complete darkness, just to heighten my fear instincts. And, honestly, the results are so good that I enjoy this process more than I’d like to admit.
Instagram is a visual-heavy platform. How do you make horror work in a space designed for quick, aesthetic content?
I use this to my advantage, pouring a lot of time and energy into crafting visually striking reels designed to instantly unsettle, scare, and intrigue you.
Once that feeling kicks in and you start reading the two-three-sentence synopsis of my story, you’re already invested—I barely have to do anything to convince you to keep reading.
Over time, I’ve developed my own creative way of telling stories on Instagram. When I first started making reels, I wrote my stories in the captions, but that limited me to just 300 words. Now, I post them in the comments, which allows me to go up to 4,000 words at times.
What surprises me the most is the sheer number of people, especially non-readers, who actually read them. When I started this journey, I never imagined people would go beyond 300 words on Instagram.
Do you plan to experiment with interactive horror stories where readers help shape the plot?
It’s funny you ask that. I recently coded a webapp to showcase horror stories in the form of texting, which lets users pick a different plot line each time they have to choose from a prompt. I laced it with scary images, bgm and videos to separate it from apps like Hooked which became popular after using a similar form of storytelling. The link to this webapp is available on my Instagram page.
What are some challenges of writing horror stories for social media? Do you ever feel limited by the format?
The biggest challenge is the ever-evolving social media algorithms. There was a time when getting someone to follow you was a clear indicator of success—it meant they wanted to engage with your work. But then TikTok introduced the concept of the For You Page (FYP), shifting the entire landscape.
Suddenly, social media platforms weren’t just showing users content from people they followed; instead, algorithms started curating feeds based on engagement patterns.
Instagram and other platforms quickly followed suit, and now, ironically, reaching your own followers has become a challenge—when social media was supposed to do the exact opposite, right?
So while I may have 120K+ followers, only 30-40% are actually seeing my content. That means I’m constantly competing for their attention, making every post a battle against the algorithm.
I’m actively working on a solution to tackle this exact issue. But for now, the algorithm struggle has forced me to become a social media specialist—constantly researching and testing new ways to increase my reach. Thankfully, my strategies have been working so far.
Have you faced censorship or platform restrictions because of your content?
Surprisingly, no. I’m always conscious not to put out any reel that’s too visually disturbing. My reels are enough to unsettle, but not enough for Instagram to censor me.
However, I was initially worried that some of my stories might get flagged for being too violent or containing certain triggering elements. But from what I’ve observed, Instagram’s algorithms don’t seem to scrutinise comments or captions as strictly as they do visual content.
So far, I’ve been able to push creative boundaries without running into censorship issues—which, honestly, is a relief.
How do you deal with writer’s block when crafting short horror tales?
Caffeine and pacing around while visualising the plot help 90% of the time in these situations. For the remaining 10%, listening to a podcast does the trick. Until the end of last year, my wife worked and lived three hours away from the city I live in, and I looked forward to those drives every week and a half. I’d deliberately start out late at night, speeding through the empty highways with a horror podcast playing in the background. Something about the combination of the dark, the silence, and the eerie storytelling would supercharge my horror creativity. That said, writer’s block isn’t something I struggle with yet. But I know this is just the beginning of my writing career, and I’ll likely face it more often in the future.
Have you ever considered expanding your Instagram stories into a book or a screenplay?
I have bigger plans for the 300+ short stories I’ve written so far. I considered turning them into books, but here’s the thing—the real problem I want to solve with my content is making people read again.
Most of the comments I receive are from non-readers who are genuinely surprised that they read so much in one sitting. That tells me something important – reading is a dying art, and that’s no surprise. But I see this as an opportunity to solve that problem—especially for distracted and non-readers.
So, I experimented with a few technical solutions and finally locked in one. Soon, I’ll be launching my own mobile app, where this content will be available in a format designed to keep readers engaged.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from sharing your horror stories online?
Horror stories don’t have to be just about horror. I’ve realised that having a platform means more than just telling scary stories—I have the opportunity to convey ideas to an audience that actively consumes them. With well-intentioned characters, I can weave in morality, philosophy, and even social issues, all within the framework of horror.
The beauty of it is that these themes hit harder when you least expect them. You come for the scares, but you leave with a realisation about the real horrors of society—ones that linger long after the story ends.
Horror isn’t just a genre. It’s a medium—a way to deliver ideas when readers are at their most intrigued and open to receiving them.
What advice would you give to aspiring horror writers looking to build an audience on social media?
Understand the platform you’re building on. You can’t just write something and expect it to be consumed—those days are long gone.
You’re competing with an endless stream of memes, dance reels, and viral content. If your work doesn’t have visual appeal, it’s going to get lost in the noise. Fortunately, we live in an era where creating visually engaging content is easier than ever.
Invest in the right tools. Learn new editing techniques, explore AI tools, and if you’re serious about this, be willing to spend on them. I personally invest a significant amount in tools every month to create the content I do. Relying on free tools would only limit me—or worse, leave me dependent on skilled tech professionals whom I’d have to pay anyway.
And you DO NOT need a social media manager to set yourself up for success—especially when you’re just starting out. The algorithm is so tricky and ever-changing that, chances are, even social media managers don’t fully understand it. Most of them are just applying template strategies that may or may not work for your content.
It’s fairly easy to research and understand the algorithm yourself. Everything you need to know is out there, and learning it first-hand will give you a huge advantage in the long run.
Instead of spending money on a social media manager, invest in better tools. The right tools will help you create, optimise, and scale your content far more effectively.
Finally, writing horror is 90% other genres and 10% horror. A horror story isn’t just a series of sentences describing how scared your character is. The key is to build — through drama, romance, or slice-of-life storytelling—and then hit the audience with a horror twist.
And here’s a golden rule – DO NOT write a single sentence until you understand the ‘Therefore, But Then’ theory of plot building. It’s the first thing every writer should master.
Last, if you could leave readers with just one eerie thought before they sleep tonight, what would it be?
A father had taken his six-year-old daughter on a hike—one she had been begging for, time and time again. He had kept pushing it off until he couldn’t anymore. It was a mellow, breezy evening, with the sun dipping toward the horizon.
As they walked, his daughter suddenly darted off the trail, running toward a particular spot—a tree surrounded by shrubs. She dropped to the ground beneath it, lying there as she admired the landscape.
Her father ran after her, his voice sharp as he scolded her for wandering off. But she didn’t seem to care. She simply looked up at him, unbothered, and asked in an innocent voice:
“Daddy, why did Mommy ask me to bring you here?”
The father froze.
He glanced around, realization dawning as he took in their surroundings.
Before he could react, his eyes landed on something—someone—watching them from the shadows beneath the tree.
It was his wife.
The wife he had killed.
The wife he had buried right on this very spot.
