Scream Writing: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing the Horror Screenplay

by Zack Long

What exactly does it mean to be afraid of a film? How do horror films manage to thrill, disgust and terrify their audiences? Why is it we are scared of run-down hospitals when they show up in film after film? Where can we see the evolutionary roots of horror in action? Creator of the horror screenwriting site Scriptophobic, author Zack Long sets out to answer these questions and more in Scream A Comprehensive Guide to Writing the Horror Screenplay . Breaking the genre down into the parts that make it unique, Long uses evolutionary history, psychoanalysis and linguistics to explore what the monsters, scares, settings and plots of the horror film say about us and how we can use this knowledge to build our own tales of terror. * Discover how plots are divided into the seven struggles of horror* Explore how psychological baggage and mental frameworks color our experience of cinematic settings* Use abjection and biology to craft terrifyingly real monsters* Learn what separates fear, disgust, anxiety, shock and tension from each other and how they work together to produce a cognitive effect within the audience* And so much more

258 pages, Paperback

Published October 29, 2019

Reviews

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this almost as a joke, I found it when looking for another book and it was among a really ridiculous list of things.

Actually, though, this was quite a fascinating read into how horror is made, how to look at it analytically, and how to look at what you write yourself in the horror genre. I loved the subtle humor the author wrote with throughout the book, I can tell that is simply his voice and that he is probably a pretty witty guy in person too.

All in all, I’m not really looking to write a horror but I enjoyed learning about it and reading about the particular examples he gives and all with a perspective that gets away from specific traditional methods of telling and still highlights the best of any traditions he mentions.

[Michelle M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for educational purposes only. But it would be a great asset in helping you create a horror screenplay; it gives ideas and comparisons rather than how to’s. Long is also humorous in his writing and so it also made for good entertainment.