How to Write a Horror Story
What is the structure of a horror story, and how does it differ from the general narrative framework? In this blog post, I explore the distinct structure that gives the horror genre its gripping allure.
What is the purpose of a horror story, and what is it intended to achieve? What is the ideal that we are aiming for?
What is the structure of a horror story?
The Purpose of a Horror Story
Simply put, the purpose of a horror story is to terrify or deeply disturb the reader. If, by the end, the reader isn't horrified, the narrative may be captivating, but your reader will be disappointed. To understand how to evoke fear in your readers, let’s explore the unique structure of a horror story.
The Structure of a Horror Story
What are the parts of a horror story?
This is a structure I've refined over the years, drawing inspiration from the works of Christopher Vogler and Joseph Campbell.
Establishing the initial situation involves several key elements.
The Hero Does Something ACTIVE and ROUTINE (within the first 15%)
The hero might go on a date, meet friends, or embark on a road trip. This is where you introduce your characters and foreshadow the dangers to come.
For example, your hero could play a game of hide and seek with her two little girls. She pretends not to be able to find one of her children and says that The Chia Beast must have gotten her. Just as the other child becomes seriously worried, her sister pops up from her hiding place and cries, “Boo!” Scaring her sister.
This introduces the family dynamics and sets up the idea that The Chia Beast is a scary entity said to target young children.
The Hero Encounters a Problem (20% mark)
Something goes wrong: While engaged in something active and routine, the hero encounters an obstacle.
For example, college students embark on a road trip, but they get lost and have to ask a local resident for directions. The stranger is both creepy and deceitful, providing them with directions that lead to a place of danger.
Note: Often in the first act, the theme or moral is stated. For instance, in The Cabin In The Woods, 8.5 minutes into the movie, Marty says, "Society needs to crumble; we're all just too chickenshit to let it."
The Hero is Warned to Turn Back (22% mark)
Something happens that would give a reasonable person second thoughts about the wisdom of proceeding (see the above example).
The Hero Makes a Choice (25% mark)
The transition into act two occurs when the hero willfully ignores the warning. The key word here is "will." The hero must consciously choose to disregard the warning. While this is the typical approach, it's worth noting that there may be exceptions in certain horror movies.
Ordinarily, act two begins when the hero refuses to turn back and fully commits to the quest. However, in a horror story, the act of ignoring the warning can be seen as the hero tacitly accepting the quest.
The Initial Problem is Either Solved or Changed (30% mark)
Almost immediately upon entering act two, the problem changes.
In the movie "The Cabin in the Woods," for instance, the college students are warned to turn back by an eccentric and scary person at a gas station. Dismissing the warning, they proceed to search for the titular cabin, finding it at the beginning of Act Two. Their goal then shifts to exploring the place to uncover its mysteries.
Another illustration involves a mother playing hide-and-seek with her children. However, the game takes a dark turn, and she realizes they have been taken. Her objective shifts from finding where they're hiding to discovering who took her kids and bringing them back.
Fake solution (50% mark)
After the situation becomes progressively worse a fake solution often emerges. An event occurs, and the hero believes that the problem is solved or will soon be solved because someone more skilled or competent is on the scene to handle the crisis.
Consider this scenario: the mother, unable to locate her children, calls the police. In a suspiciously short time, a police officer arrives—someone she knows and trusts, someone who seems capable of handling anything.
Fake villain (50% mark)
In many cases where a fake solution arises, the hero, possibly influenced by the actual villain, starts to suspect one of her friends or allies. The apparent threat is contained, and the hero relaxes.
However, before long, the real killer is exposed. This often occurs because of a slip-up, such as divulging information only the killer could know.
At this point the hero has an idea about what the Special World of the Adventure is like and he has a plan. Now it is a race to the finish.
Climax (90% mark)
This is where the hero and the villain (or the monster) engage in a climactic confrontation. While in many genres the hero typically wins, in a horror story not only does the hero typically lose, but their fate is far worse than we could have imagined!
By the way, don't forget to include a few "red shirts" who meet their demise in horrifying, gruesome, and so-gross-you-can't-watch ways.
That’s It!
Thank you for reading! Which horror story scared you the most? What was one thing you loved about it? Do you have any tips for how to write a horror story? I read all comments and try to respond to each one.
Further reading:
In Henrik Holmberg's excellent blog post, Horror Movie Scripts - 10 Steps To Writing A Horror Screenplay, he approaches the structure of a horror story a bit differently, but I would highly recommend giving it a read.
Note: A previous version of this article appeared here.