10 Steps To Writing A Horror Screenplay
A horror movie has certain rules. If you break too many the
audience will be disappointed.
This is a very short, no fluff, blueprint of how to write a
horror script.
1. The Hook. Start with a bang. Step right into a suspense
scene. ("Scream" opens with a terrifying sequence with Drew
Barrymore on the phone with a killer)
2. The Flaw. Introduce your hero. Give him a flaw. Before you
can put your hero in jeopardy we must care for him. We must want
our hero to succeed. So make him human. (In "Signs" Mel Gibson
plays a priest who has lost his faith after his wife died)
3. The Fear. A variant of The Flaw. The hero has a fear. Maybe
a fear of heights, or claustrophobia. (In "Jaws" Roy Scheider
has a fear of water. At the end he has to conquer his fear by
going out onto the ocean to kill the shark)
4. No Escape. Have your hero at an isolated location where he
can't escape the horror. (Like the hotel in "The Shining")
5. Foreplay. Tease the audience. Make them jump at scenes that
appear scary -- but turn out to be completely normal. (Like the
cat jumping out of the closet) Give them some more foreplay
before bringing in the real monster.
6. Evil Attacks. A couple of times during the middle of the
script show how evil the monster can be -- as it attacks its
victims.
7. Investigation. The hero investigates, and finds out the
truth behind the horror.
8. Showdown. The final confrontation. The hero has to face both
his fear and the monster. The hero uses his brain, rather than
muscles, to outsmart the monster. (At the end of "The Village"
the blind girl tricks the monster to fall into the hole in the
ground)
9. Aftermath. Everything's back to the way it was from the
beginning -- but the hero has changed for the better or for the
worse. (At the end of "Signs" Mel Gibson puts on his clerical
collar again -- he got his faith back)
10. Evil Lurks. We see evidence that the monster may return
somewhere..somehow..in the future..(Almost all "Friday The
13'th"-movies end with Jason showing signs of returning for
another sequel)
Now you can start writing your horror screenplay. Good luck!