Whether you are an author or screenwriter, these nine tips will help you craft your next horror story.
Last Thanksgiving it was my turn to host the Turkey Day feast. While the heavenly smells of turkey, homemade yeast rolls, oyster dressing, and sweet potato pie wafted through the house, my ravenous guests began to get restless. They begged for morsels, but being the control freak that I am, I refused their pleas. I didn’t want to spoil appetites I worked so hard to build.
So, I decided to distract them. I sang pitiful renditions of Cold Play, Tim McGraw, and Young Joc songs. After my sixth round of the chorus of “It’s Goin’ Down”, they told me to shut up. Then someone suggested a movie. Everyone perked up wondering what holiday-ish video was in store.
My friend’s daughter gleefully skipped to the video cabinet. I screamed a slow motion, “Nooooo!”
See, my guests were conservative to say least. And I knew what was behind those cabinet doors. If my video collection could ride a seesaw, horror would be the 250-lb, big boned girl and the rest of the movies Kate Moss on a diet.
The little girl pulled out the Collectors Edition of The Evil Dead. Parents gasped and covered their children’s eyes. Some made accusing finger crosses. "She's the devil," someone shouted. Obviously, these people were Rosanne Barr fans. The crowd surrounded me and everything went black.
When I woke up, I was covered in holy water. My reverent friend, Kathy, was holding a stake over my heart. Luckily, the oven alarm went off. “You better be glad I’m hungry,” Kathy said as she let me get off the floor.
I served my guests hoping that this feast would be sort of a peace offering for exposing them to that glimpse of hell. They picked at the food, searching for pieces of human flesh and eye of newt. As time went on and their bellies got full, I didn’t care what they thought of me.
I still loved horror.
Now, don’t misunderstand. I enjoy other types of movies – especially anything with Jodie Foster, Robert DeNiro, or Dave Chappelle. As a script consultant, I read and analyze all types of screenplays. However, horror is special. I am a student and true fan of the genre. And after reading numerous “scary” scripts and books and watching thousands of terrifying movies, I know for sure what makes good horror.
Man, someone’s got issues
Not all horror stories use this morsel, but it always adds dimension to the designated hero. The savior has got a flaw. This initial hindrance is an obstacle that makes it difficult for the hero to deal with the conflict and obstacles being thrown at him. As the tale progresses, the hero manages to overcome the flaw or transmute it into a skill he will use to defeat the Evil.
Bad to the Bone
The meat and bones of every horror story is…well…the horror. No matter what form the Evil takes, it must be seemingly invincible up until the climax. But you’ll need to craft a convincing way to defeat the Evil, a logical Achilles’ heel.
Foreplay
A good setup is mandatory. If you start off bad, particularly during the first fifteen minutes of a film, you’ll lose your audience or have a tremendously difficult time getting them to invest any more interest in your story.
“I Think We’re Alone Now”
Enough of my ode to Tiffany. Seriously, you’ve got to isolate your hero. This isolation is not always location (cabin in the woods, deserted island, etc.). Case in point – The Faculty. The town is being taken over by body-snatching aliens. A group of teenagers knows what’s going on, but can’t turn to anyone because they don’t know who is still human. And the ones who the teenagers know are human don’t believe them. They’ve got to stand and fight on their own.
Medieval torture
The rack. Sadistic as heck. The victim is slowly stretched. Their cartilage pops, bones break, and finally separation of limbs from the torso. I like horror, but thinking about that gives me the heebie jeebies. But, when it comes to writing horror you must apply that same principle. You have to create tension in your horror story at all times. The stress you deliver to your audience should never stay at the same level. It should rise, rise, and rise until it reaches the climax. At that point, the audience should be having trouble breathing.
I’ll check it out
Something is amiss, a bit off. The Evil is working its maniacal mojo. Someone has to find out what’s going on. Admittedly, this has become cliché. But that’s because horror writers can be at bit lazy. We resort to the same old scenarios we have buried in our subconscious. But, if done in a fresh way, the investigation technique can amp tension to stratospheric levels.
Face-to-Face
This is the “after school” fight the audience has been waiting for – the climax. The hero, after dealing with his flaw, finally confronts the Evil. You’ve got to make the climax worth the price of the book or movie ticket. If the climax is a dud, the rest doesn’t matter.
Aftermath
It’s all good. The hero has been reborn into a “better” person than they were at the beginning. Everybody’s safe. Most stories end there. However, sometimes that too good ending is a ruse.
Evil is still getting’ busy
There is evidence that the evil may come back, rise from the dead, or is still lurking in the shadows. Sequel, anyone? Cha-ching.
There you go - nine steps to a great scary story. Now if only Jodie, Robert, and Dave would make a horror movie together. Ah, heaven.
