So have a conversation with yourself and ask what really scares you. Realising an evil presence is influencing those around meĪ grinding, shrieking, mechanical failure of some kind, e.g. Not being able to control my body or actions In pitch darkness, running away from something I can’t see. Scared children’s voices / Masked children Having loved ones killed by a quick and inescapable event. a tsunami wave, an alien craft, a tornado, a nuclear bomb, a giant chomping mouth. Waking up, looking out of a window, and seeing an inescapable threat coming charging toward me, e.g. My personal horror list of things I find scary (What’s yours?): Because if you don’t find your ideas scary - no one else will. This is my “nightmare fuel” to channel into my screenplay, and it is invaluable.
It can be derived from films, memories, nightmares, or even real-life events. If I know I’m writing a horror story, the first thing I do is look deep within myself and write down 10-20 things that personally scare me. So with this in mind… Q) What’s your darkest inner most fear? But it’s also the feeling of facing a primal sense of fear and overcoming it…and the resultant rush afterwards. When it comes to horror, and what it conjures in the audience, two things come to mind:ġ) Dread - the fear of the unknown, of death, of being hurt, more.Ģ) Adrenaline - the biological result of being on edge, feeling a dopamine rush, and the emotional release afterwards.Įver wonder why some people are addicted to rollercoasters or death-defying sports? Isn’t because it’s scary - it is. Why do you want to write a horror screenplay? What is it about horror films or TV shows that personally excites you? Why do you want to join the horror pantheon and add your unique spin to it? Before You Write, Brainstorm 10-20 “Horror Concepts” That You Find Really Terrifying.As a film fan and an avid writer of horror films and concepts, I’ve come up with a CURSED CHECKLIST OF 12 TIPS to ensure your horror screenplay kills your audience. Through your unique brand of horror, you’ll also need to have something interesting to say about people and the world around you.īut don’t worry - it isn’t that hard. In today’s landscape, you’ll also need to do it in a way that is entertaining, memorable and explores timeless and unexplored themes in ways we haven’t seen before. Writing horror for the sake of horror isn’t enough. Terrifying the audience by inducing fear, dread, and making the worse nightmares of the audience come alive.īeing entertaining - through thought-provoking themes, drama, horror set pieces, genre-smashing and more.ĭoing the other two while exploring the inner psychologies of great characters with the strong narrative drives to overcome their fears. Writing a horror screenplay is all about focusing on three main things:
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