What do you think of when a good horror film comes to mind? Some cool monsters, plenty of gore, a dark atmosphere, spooky setting…you get the gist.
But does a good story ever come to mind? For many horror fans and filmmakers, the story is the most underrated aspect of horror filmmaking. It’s also arguably the most important aspect.
Coming from a writer myself, I see so many well-crafted horror films. But many of them lack the same thing: a good story. Maybe the concept was good but the story was predictable. Or maybe the story was just overall redundant.
Why should filmmakers and horror directors focus on great writing? Here are a few reasons this horror writer can think of!
Keep in mind, this advice is tailored for writer/directors and indie horror filmmakers. This isn’t advice for screenwriters, though screenwriters may still learn a thing or two from this blog.
Without a Good Story, Your Film Will Be Bland
Plain and simple — a bland story equals a bland film. No matter how crazy the gore is or how spooky the scenes are, a bad story will bore your audience.
This example isn’t a horror film, but every viewer had a similar critique about Avatar. I personally liked the film and the story, but many viewers complained that the story was too simple. The film’s focus was on the visuals and the effects, taking you inside the planet Pandora.
As a horror filmmaker, you might think, who cares about the story? As long as there’s violence, blood, and naked chicks, right? Sure — every horror fan likes some gore and exploitation. But just because your film has these fun elements doesn’t mean you should skimp out on the story.
My friend Sean Donohue has this film saga, Death-Scort Service. He co-wrote the script with Chris Woods. This trilogy centers around murdered escorts. No matter how many Death-Scort films he makes, the story always throws me off guard. There are twists and turns that even I don’t expect (and I usually predict film endings very well). Overall, the stories he writes are extremely well-done and he puts a lot of thought into the stories — while offering plenty of gore and beautiful women!
A Good Story Breaks Barriers
Think about Night of the Living Dead. Imagine watching that film in 1968 (if you were too young to watch it during that time, such as myself). The cannablistic zombies. Running for your life and hiding in a random house while a horde of zombies are trying to break in. Not knowing what to do or how to kill them. Knowing the human race is coming to an end and you’ll inevitably turn into one of these bloodthirsty undead beings.
Today, the zombie story is nothing new. But there’s a reason why we still see zombie films to this day. The zombie concept broke barriers. It terrified yet fascinated a whole generation. And that’s what horror truly aims to do, right?
The film wasn’t anything fancy. They worked with a $114,000 budget. They filmed in a small, remote town. They also worked with limited effects and props.
Yet, Night of the Living Dead still remains a horror classic. Even though the film never refers to the undead as “zombies,” many fans think Night of the Living Dead birthed the zombie genre.
How did George A. Romero think of this ground-breaking story? Simple — he read books. He was largely inspired by Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend as well as Haitian zombie myths.
Want to create a film that truly breaks barriers? Open books, stir up a good idea, and put it into writing before you even start filming.
Great Stories Produce Great Quotes
“It’s alive!”
“Heeeeeeeere’s Johnny!”
“I see dead people.”
“Do you want to play a game?”
“They’re heeeeeeeere…”
“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”
“The power of Christ compels you!”
“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.”
“Your suffering will be legendary. Even in Hell!”
“The saw is family!”
What do all of these quotes have in common? 1. They’re all from famous horror/thriller flicks and 2. They all spawn from incredible stories.
Think of the events that lead up to some of these scenes. Kirsty solving the box that summoned the Cenobites. Jack Torrance going crazy in the hotel and trying to murder his wife. The birth of Frankenstein’s monster. Buffalo Bill trying to skin his captive to make a woman’s suit. Jigsaw forcing his victims into torment to achieve their escape. Norman Bates’ unhealthy obsession with his mother. Forcing the demon out of a young girl.
Every horror filmmaker aspires to generate some classic quotes from their films. Well, you can’t get a great quote without a great story!
Movies With Weak Storylines Are Difficult to Follow (Even If the Concept Is Good)
This is the issue I see the most, specifically with indie filmmakers. Maybe the director had a great story idea. If they didn’t have a screenwriter, the director wrote out the screenplay. But just because the concept is good doesn’t mean the story is good.
Writing isn’t as easy as many people think. You have to go from Point A (the beginning) to Point B (the ending) and consider all of the little details in between. You have to ensure your story flows well, sticks to the main ideas, your characters keep their individualistic traits, you avoid plot holes, etc. I can go on about the difficulties all writers face.
What are some common story issues I see with films? I watched one recently where I could tell the filmmakers were really working with a cool idea. The beginning was very powerful and the viewer was instantly hooked. But it went downhill after that. New characters were introduced and weren’t really defined. The conflict was difficult to identify. The ending was all over the place — one thing quickly led to the other without any explanation or hints at what was happening and why.
Overall, the story was impossible to follow and it decreased the viewer’s perception of the film.
As a filmmaker, how do you ensure you have a powerful storyline? Don’t write your film as a screenplay immediately. Write it as a story. You don’t need to incorporate fancy details and descriptions — you’re more than likely not publishing the story, only using it to help your script.
But why write your screenplay as a narrative first? You will get the visual in your head, will jot down the details of the story, and can view every aspect of the story before it goes into the final script.
Here’s a good example of a narrative vs. a script:
Scott was always told the house was haunted. He didn’t believe the myths. But he was also hesitant about stepping foot in that house. That was until he became friends with Mark, an avid urban explorer. Mark has just moved into town and he and Scott shared many classes together.
Mark moved in close to the house. He noticed it immediately and it piqued his curiosity.
“Hey, do you know anything about that old house on 113th street?” Mark asked Scott one day at lunch.
“Oh yeah. People say it’s haunted. But I don’t believe it.”
“Well, why not?” Mark’s whole body faced Scott’s and his eyes bulged out of the sockets.
This made Scott uncomfortable. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Have you ever been inside the house?”
“Hey, let’s talk about —”
“Have you?”
Scott sighed. “No,” he responded.
“Come over to my house after school. We’ll sneak out when my parents go to bed. I’ll bring my ghost hunting kit.”
Compare this narrative to this screenplay.
SCOTT and MARK are at school, during lunch time.
MARK
Hey, do you know anything about that old house on 113th street?
SCOTT
Oh yeah. People say it’s haunted. But I don’t believe it.
MARK
(turns to face SCOTT)
Well, why not?
SCOTT
(feeling uncomfortable)
I don’t want to talk about this
MARK
Have you ever been inside the house?
SCOTT
Hey, let’s talk about —
MARK
(cuts off SCOTT)
Have you?
SCOTT
(sighs)
No
MARK
Come over to my house after school. We’ll sneak out when my parents go to bed. I’ll bring my ghost hunting kit.
While the screenplay offers basic dialogue, it cuts out some important details. What if Scott suddenly becomes the enthusiastic urban explorer mid-way through the film? What if they were supposed to go to Mark’s house but go to Scott’s instead? A narrative defines some of these details and helps you outline your story.
Don’t want to write a full narrative? Many writers keep a notebook or index cards filled with character details, basic information about the plot and conflict, the outline of the story, etc. Before writing the script, write this essential information out. Your script will be more detailed and coherent.
Good Stories Are Cheap
These days, films are affordable to make. Even amateur quality-gear can produce some well-made films. Video editing and effects tools are easy to learn and are accessible. Films also don’t require a huge crew, especially indie films. Sure, you still have investments, such as actors, rental spaces, food, water, etc. But filmmakers can make a decent film on a small budget.
But what’s the most vital and cheapest aspect of a good film? A good story! Unless you’re outsourcing a writer, you pay nothing for an amazing story. The only thing you need to invest is time to put your thoughts on paper and write your screenplay.
Let’s take one of my favorite modern films as the perfect example — Escape From Tomorrow. The film was shot entirely on consumer-grade cameras. They primarily shot at Disney World and Disneyland (albeit with no permission from the Walt Disney Company). Since it was a guerrilla film, the crew didn’t have the luxury of using lighting equipment, microphones, or other essential filmmaking gear. Otherwise, the cast and crew bought season passes to both theme parks, flew back-and-forth from Florida to California, and used hotel rooms for pre-production and certain scenes.
While some visual aspects of the film are notable, such as the gloomy black-and-white atmosphere contrasting the stereotypical happy theme park, we all remember the story. The father who’s trying to free himself from domestic life and becomes fixated with two Parisian girls. Then the story takes a darker turn, and I won’t go into detail in case you’ve never watched the movie. Overall, you have a what the fuck just happened moment. I had to read Wikipedia’s bio as well as some interviews with writer/director Randy Moore to fully comprehend the story. It was incredible.
Moral of the story: your story is the cheapest aspect of the film. As long as you’re working with a solid plot, you don’t need the fancy and expensive gear.
Good Stories Avoid Redundancy and Clichés
Oh, clichés. How they ruin a story. All writers know this. But filmmakers? Well, I’ve seen some pretty redundant horror films. Someone getting murdered by a Satanic cult? Boring. Discovering a cannibalistic tribe? Cannibal Holocaust was already made. Another masked murderer film? Yawn.
But what is interesting? An acid-fueled Manson-esque hippie cult that burns a woman alive and her lover, Nicolas Cage, seeks revenge? That movie is Mandy and is absolutely amazing. A motel that murders guests and uses their meat for the motel’s world-famous sausage? If you’ve never seen Motel Hell, it’s a classic! What about a young, beautiful, blonde woman who turns out to be a psychopathic serial killer? Okay, maybe it’s not a movie (unless a filmmaker is interested in making one). But it’s a novel written by ya gurl over here!
Films encompass many aspects. Acting. Camera angles. Setting. Gear. Editing. Graphics. The list goes on. From what I’ve learned from my filmmaker friends, they try to reinvent their films by revolutionizing different aspects of their film (such as a beautifully-shot film about cannibals, rather than a low-budget cannibal gore-fest). They put their focus into these visual aspects; while the film looks amazing and is high-quality, they settle on a redundant and cliché horror story. This loses serious interest, no matter how pretty the film looks.
Stories Are Relatable
Who can relate to the high-quality camera you use, the superb acting, and the incredible editing? Other filmmakers and crew. While your audience may be able to tell the difference between a low-budget and a well-made film, they’re not paying attention to the small details that go into production. They’re paying attention to the very thing that piqued their attention: the story.
Stories are relatable, no matter who your viewer is and what your story is about. And this extends to horror. Are you making a horror film about a child who was bullied and becomes a killer? I’m sure many of us were bullied (and hopefully didn’t become killers). Are you making a horror story about dinosaurs? You’ll likely attract some viewers who are obsessed with dinosaurs. Or maybe your film is just plain ol’ scary. We all know what it’s like to be scared — that’s why we watch horror films!
I had this experience recently when I watched the movie Berlin Syndrome. It’s based on a book (which I want to read) about a woman who had a one-nighter with a hunky German dude when she moved to Berlin. And the dude turned out to be a psychopath and held her captive in his apartment.
There are two reasons I related to this movie:
1. I’ve been to Berlin. In the film, they showed many places that I visited. It’s a beautiful city, I highly suggest everyone visit.
2. Like the protagonist, I’m a female who travels to different countries alone. And I wouldn’t be lying if I said I didn’t meet a cute guy or two on my travels. How do you think I met my boyfriend? I attended a death metal festival in Montreal, met him at one of the venues, and the rest is history.
Back to the film. I would love to describe the lighting, the camera angles, etc. Except I wasn’t paying attention to any of that. I was focused on the evolving storyline, the dramatic characters, and the intense emotions I experienced while watching this movie. My eyes were glued to my laptop (which is how I watch movies these days).
People Love a Good Story
Stories have existed since the dawn of humanity. From “The Epic of Gilgamesh” to Harry Potter, we eat up a story faster than a plate of chicken wings (and I don’t know about y’all but I devour chicken wings pretty fast).
Sure, no film is perfect. Maybe you didn’t work with a big budget. Maybe there were issues in the production. Maybe the final product didn’t turn out how you want.
But will the viewer care? No. Because everyone wants a good story. If your story is solid, those little imperfections won’t matter.
So, why watch films for a good story? Why not read a book? I mean, I read books frequently (duh, I’m a writer). But do those other millennials and Gen-Zers turn their eyes away from their phones and read a book instead? Hey, you’re likely one of the 52.2% of website visitors accessing this very blog from your cell phone.
While 74% of adults state they read at least one book per year (phew! Maybe I chose a good career path, after all), most adults would rather binge-watch Netflix than shove their nose in a book (psht, these losers don’t know what they’re missing).
So, where do people get their stories these days? From visual media! They want to watch an exhilarating film, become addicted to a series, watch YouTube videos, and absorb other forms of video entertainment.
This includes indie films. With social media platforms and streaming, there are so many ways to get your film to the masses. If your story is compelling enough, you can build up a global audience. And it all starts with a good story!
How Do You Write a Good Horror Story for Your Film?
I keep emphasizing the importance of writing a good story for your film. So, how do you write a good story? I already provided some advice: start by detailing the basics of your story and turn to books for inspiration.
Here are some other pointers to keep in mind.
Write Your Ideas Down
Writers have the bad habit of thinking up a brilliant story idea and not writing it down. Hey filmmakers, don’t be like us writers. Write down your ideas. Even if it’s just a simple sentence. Jotting or typing up an idea like, “traveling circus freaks murder their audience” is better than forgetting your brilliant carnival-themed horror film idea.
Don’t have any thoughts on the rest of the story? Don’t worry, you will. Continue idealizing your story and documenting every little detail. Soon, you’ll piece together a whole story.
Focus on Your Dialogue and Characters
Fortunately, filmmakers don’t have to describe every detail of the setting. But your characters and their dialogue can seriously impact your film. Unfortunately, writing great dialogue and crafting memorable characters isn’t exactly easy.
First, focus on your characters. Think of certain personality traits. Is your main character ambitious and a leader? Are they outgoing and humorous? Are they shy and reserved?
If you’re unsure how to define your characters, look at family and close friends. You can also take influence from characters in your favorite books and movies. Having an influence will help better shape and mold your characters.
Now comes the hard part — what are your characters going to say? How are they going to act in certain situations?
Let’s say your main character is highly intelligent. They’re not going to be the stereotypical idiotic character who serves as the perfect prey for a masked killer. Your intelligent character will come up with obstacles to stay safe from the killer, all while looking for help or even trying to take on the killer themselves.
How they communicate with others is also important. Let’s look at the previous example. If your intelligent main character is interacting with other characters, they will be eloquent and will have a very compelling dialogue.
Use Influences From Your Personal Life
Life is truly the best story. How often have you looked back on your past and realized how much you changed as a person? That’s an amazing story in itself, right? Oftentimes, the little nuances of life make the perfect story — or at least the perfect inspiration for a story.
Did you see or experience something creepy? Boom, there’s your story. Did your ex break your heart? Take out your depression and anger and write a story.
Horror has an element of fantasy. But fear is an emotion we all feel. Make horror relate to your life. Your viewers will likely relate (and we already covered why stories are relatable).
Attend Writing Classes
Not exactly a wordsmith? Don’t worry — you don’t have to be. But a defined plot and some well-written dialogue will do wonders for your film. That’s why every filmmaker should attend a writing class or two.
I’m not saying quit film school and major in English instead (and this is coming from an English major — don’t judge me). Rather, take a couple of creative writing classes.
Where do you find writing courses? First, try online schools such as Udemy. If you prefer an in-person class, there are many local writing groups that host small creative writing courses.
Ask a Writer to Review Your Screenplay
Did you follow the previous advice and are unsure of your script? If you know a writer, ask them to read over your script and make some recommendations. Us writers will give honest advice (we won’t be too mean!) and will help turn your story into a masterpiece.
Horror Directors! Write that Great Film!
All horror directors want to create a masterpiece. But the secret to horror film success is as simple as a great story. This advice isn’t specific to horror filmmakers — all filmmakers should strive to write better stories. But horror is just my personal favorite genre!
So, who is this horror novelist giving filmmakers advice? Click here and learn more about me!