We're about two weeks away from Halloween, and I've been watching a lot of horror movies to get in the right holiday mindset, as well as the mindset for working on my own horror screenplays.
Watching and reading the horror genre are great places to start getting inspired, but every now and then, we like to shake things up to get our creative juices flowing.
Here are some creative ideas to find inspiration for your next horror project.
The SubstanceCredit: MUBI
Reddit and Online Communities
Online horror communities like those on Reddit are goldmines. Just tread carefully.
Subreddits like r/nosleep, r/LetsNotMeet, and r/Glitch_in_the_Matrix overflow with unsettling experiences people claim are real.
The key word is "claim." Many are creative writing exercises. You're not looking to steal someone's original story, right?
Instead, let these posts spark your imagination. Someone describes an encounter with a stranger who knew too much about them. You don't steal anyone else's story, but suddenly you're thinking about surveillance or a stalker character. Sometimes a detail or image can inspire you to take something you've already been considering in a new direction.
The same applies to TikTok's horror storytelling community, which can be a super fun scroll. Watch how creators build dread in seconds, but develop your own concepts from the feelings they trigger.
Real Life
Look, not to be pithy, but reality is full of horror stories right now. Look around and see what you might want to write about. Keeping up to date with creative trends and the news in general will help you be plugged into the zeitgeist so you know what's selling and resonating, and you can be prepared.
Just be aware, sometimes the most urgent stories are going to feel too fresh to traumatized audiences, so you might need some distance and time before writing about the most recent horrors.
Also, be respectful. True crime is rife with people trying to make a quick buck off the traumas of others, and you don’t want to be among those attempting to take advantage. Remember that real people are involved.
You also need to be aware that life rights are a thing. You can’t just yoink a story from the zeitgeist and call it yours. Find and option an IP if you need to.
However, “inspired by a true story” gives you more leeway, and nowhere more so than in horror. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, loosely inspired by Ed Gein, makes this claim at the start of the film. The Conjuring universe was built on the real-life escapades of the Warrens.
Reality can be a starting point. Jump off from there.
SuspiriaCredit: International Classics
Physical Locations
Get out of your house. Visit places that unsettle you.
During the pandemic, there were stories of people using Randonautica to travel to new and strange locations, and some of them ended up being pretty creepy.
Obviously, don't trespass and don't put yourself in danger with urban exploration.
Consider locations with active tension or weird energy. Familiar places turn strange at the "wrong" hours. An elementary school after everyone goes home is super liminal. A grocers or department store right before closing feels odd. An empty church seems haunted. An open field contains endless possibilities.
Bring a notebook and pay attention to sounds, lighting, the way space makes you feel small or exposed. What stories might take place in these locations?
Subverting Genres and Tropes
What happens when you add a dash of horror to something else?
Look at a romantic comedy and think about what happens when the meet-cute turns sinister. Consider workplace comedies where the toxic boss isn't just annoying but is secretly a slasher. Look at family dramas and find the horror inherent in relationships.
You don't need to reinvent horror from scratch. Take something audiences think they understand and give it a dark twist to make it something totally new. That's how we get things like an evil Winnie the Pooh or the relatable serial killer character from Dexter.
Your Own Fears and Nightmares
This might be the most uncomfortable source, which makes it maybe the most valuable.
What actually scares you?
What are you afraid of?
It takes some vulnerability, but chances are, if you're scared of that thing or idea, someone else is too. And there's your audience.
Write those fears down, even when they feel too personal or too strange.
Keep a dream journal to remember your nightmares. The logic won't always make sense, but the feelings will, and those fears are a great starting point.
Let us know what inspires you when you're brainstorming ideas for the horror genre.
