Scary Rewrites — How to write a horror screenplay

Every time you go to rewrite your horror script, it’s an opportunity to try something new, discover new connections, and go deeper into the story. Don’t be afraid to revise half of your script by deleting pages and starting over.

Never Too Many Rewrites

I average around five to six rewrites when I’m working on a horror short script or a horror feature. With a horror feature screenplay, I try to focus on the overall structure during the first and second rewrite. I will cut up pages, rewrite sections or sequences, and move scenes around with the goal of improving the structure of the script. Early on in my screenwriting career, I would delete a half or a third of a script based on feedback and problems discovered with the underlying structure.

Try something new, Test your ideas

With a horror short script, you should be scared of trying something new. How would the story be effected if it was told from a different character’s point of view? What if the movie opened with an image from the end or started in the middle of the story? Do you really need the first page of the script? If the first page is full of dialogue, how could you convey the same ideas visually?