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TEN TAKEAWAYS from a HORROR WORKSHOP with FOUR WORKING PRODUCERS

I recently completed the inaugural run of my “Story Maps Horror & Thriller Seminar,” a 4-week course wherein I guided a small group of screenwriters to develop original concepts for films and television series in the hottest genres in entertainment. Along the way, I brought in four guest speakers, industry veterans with credits ...
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Crafting Dialogue That Pops: 10 Tips for Writing Memorable Conversations

  • May 21, 2025
When it comes to screenwriting, dialogue can make or break your script. It’s not just about what characters say—it’s about what they don’t say, how they say it, and how their words reveal who they are. Great dialogue deepens character, drives the story forward, and keeps readers glued to the page.According to Creative Screenwrit...
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Horror at the Oscars: On "The Substance" and Crafting Your Own Nightmare

When we think of the Oscars, we don't immediately think of horror movies. But it happens. This year, we've got The Substance with five nominations and Nosferatu with four. Alien: Romulus can claim one nomination. Academy-lauded horror films of the past include The Sixth Sense, Get Out, Misery, The Exorcist, and Best Picture-winn...
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‘Yes, And’-ing Your Story Into Existence: The Sixth Sense Edition

Let’s do some more “Yes, and’ing” of movie stories, shall we? This time, I’ve looked at a screenplay that I originally covered on the job as a professional Reader, then watched it sell in a huge $3+ million deal for M. Night Shyamalan to write and direct the film that not only went on to become a huge hit, but at the time it bec...
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The Art of Selling Without Selling Your Soul

Today is all about pitching. I worked with one of my coaching clients last week and he needed help with his pitch. It prompted me to really dive in and get into the nitty-gritty of how a pitch should be written and developed. You’ll notice that the process of developing a pitch is quite similar to the process of developing a sto...
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An Inside Look: Judging Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s Competitions

  • Jeffrey Morales
  • .January 10, 2025
Creative Screenwriting Magazine runs a range of screenwriting competitions for television pilots and feature length scripts throughout the year. Each one has a specifically-trained pool of readers to judge each category. This article breaks down the various components that are judged and some sample comments you can use to ensur...
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I Hate to Break It to You, But Your Logline Isn't Working

(Be like Hermione…study, read, practice, be smart.)I am going to vent a little bit in today’s post, but it’s because you all need to hear it. I’ll hold myself back as much as I can. Please remember that I am coming to you with love and positive intention here, I swear.Your logline sucks.OK, so maybe I didn’t hold myself back. I ...
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Writing Morally Gray Characters, Part 1

When you speak of gray in life, you’re normally talking about a mainly colorless tapestry. But morally gray characters, those considered not good nor bad, neither heroes not villains, are some of the more complex characters you can write. Even more interesting, is a psychological phenomenon that allows our audiences to embrace a...
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10 Recent Horror Movies That Weren’t Afraid To Push Their Boundaries

  • Staff Writer
  • .October 28, 2024
Horror films have been a staple of our screens since the inception of film, especially during Halloween month. It seems of late that these films have become more bold and daring in mashing up and contorting the traditional genre of scares to create a new entertainment experience.1) Alien: Romulus (2024)The Alien franchise is bui...
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Would It Kill You To Smile 2? Writer/Director Returns With A Gorier Sequel

  • Staff Writer
  • .October 25, 2024
The premise of a trauma-driven supernatural entity infecting people and causing them to violently bludgeon themselves to death began in Parker Finn’s 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. It centers on the nightmares of Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) featuring a smiling face, eventually forcing her into state of somniphobia (fear o...
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"How JT Mollner Used 'Halloween' to Inspire Horror Film 'Strange Darling'"

  • Staff Writer
  • .October 21, 2024
“Strange Darling came to me through an initial image that I saw of a woman running through the woods in distress,” says JT Mollner of his horror film that can be described as a mix of a bloody popcorn wild ride and art.“I’ve read countless stories about serial killers which gave me some inspiration to show a different side of th...
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Screenwriters Alfred Gough & Miles Millar Talk “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”

  • Staff Writer
  • .October 16, 2024
Beetlejuice was a playful foray into horror comedy in 1998 depicting the gentrification of family neighborhood Winter River with left-field visionary director Tim Burton at the helm. A follow up film was discussed for over three decades since Michael Keaton first exclaimed “It’s Showtime” as his iconic Betelgeuse character.After...
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Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Dr. Linda Seger, author of Making a Good Script Great and 8 other books on screenwriting discusses how to set yourself up as a writer so that there is ALWAYS something to write about !   Writers vary in terms of how many ideas are floating around in their heads at any one time. Pen Densham, (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) told m...
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Play Fair with the Audience

  • James Vanderbilt
  • .November 7, 2022
“Play Fair with the Audience” James Vanderbilt on ‘Scream’ and ‘Zodiac’:“I’m always writing something,” said James Vanderbilt. “I’m always working on a spec. I always want to have something that is just for me, not something I’ve promised someone or something from someone else’s IP or sandbox. I think that keeps me sane.”“There’...
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Why Demons and Devils Make for Superior Villains

(REPOST) We all know that “the devil is in the details,” but why are there so many demons in movies and on TV these days? In the past two years, there have been 26 horror movies released where the primary antagonist is some sort of supernatural force (It: Chapter Two), a demon (Annabelle Comes Home), or in some cases, ol’ Beelze...
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The Mysterious Development of Your Villain

The Mysterious Development of Your Villain - (an excerpt from Max Timm's online class, The Craft Course - REPOST)In this week's lesson, we will be focusing on how the other characters in your story - namely the Secondary Character and The Villain/Rival - will play their essential roles in your project. I'm consistently reminding...
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Scaring Up Funds: How to Acquire Investors When Your Movie’s in Horror

(REPOST) Scaring Up Funds: How to Acquire Investors When Your Movie’s in Horror, the Most Profitable Genre of Them AllBy Brian Herskowitz and Tony Timpone on November 14, 2017There are a few paths you can take to finding investors for your movie:Friends, Family, and AcquaintancesIf they are rich enough or if your budget is low e...
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Up Close And Personal With Guillermo Del Toro

  • August 13, 2019
Señor Del Toro is a very special filmmaker. The self-described traveling Mexican lives out of a suitcase from film set to film set, from life experience to life experience. He is simultaneously a Hollywood studio system misfit and Hollywood studio system darling. After directing his short Doña Lupe in 1986, Del Toro was never fa...
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Jason Scott Goldberg – Young & Hungry

  • December 26, 2018
Jason is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America with over 100 hours of original programming to his name. His most recent credits include E!’s hit series Botched and Disney’s reboot of Bug Juice. Horror is his genre of choice and he has 7 completed feature screenplays and 2 television series that have placed in top writing c...
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Why You Need a Professional Consultant to Give You Screenplay Feedback

  • May 28, 2018
What should expect from a script consultant? Creative Screenwriting Magazine gets into the weeds with our friends at the International Screenwriters’ Association to help elevate your screenplay to a marketable level and strategize your career.When your car needs repairs, you seek a mechanic to help you fix the issues that need t...

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