Lesson 4

[Sophia Lee]

Sophia’s Horror Plot (#4, 1/27/25)

What I learned doing this assignment is… knowing who the characters are, and the circumstances, I decided to just go with it without really thinking about it. The blackmail evidence popped up as I was just going. Imagery of kills came up that I tried not to think about as I know that will come later. But I’m thinking this will be a rather contained story, which is always good.

ARCANE
Create your plot.

1. Knowing your concept, fill in one or two sentences for each of the plot points.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
• Atmosphere of Evil established
A ceremony takes place in a large mansion. We can’t tell if it’s Halloween or not. SUPER Creepy.

• Connect with the characters
Of the ten or so people there, it is clear one person does not want to be there. They are all dressed in white and wear masks. A woman comforts her that all will be well. It’s not.

• The characters are warned not to do it.
A woman calls out her husband’s infidelity while everyone is masked. The ceremony is interrupted and everyone is embarrassed. The ceremony, however, continues, and the husband is sacrificed to save the embarrassment of public infidelity.

• Denial of Horror
The wife, still in disguise, doesn’t realize what she has done. The woman whom she comforted earlier helps the wife escape.

• Safety taken away
When the wife is by herself, mourning the loss of her husband, his mistress sets the wife on fire, destroying her and her home.

• Monster: The nature of the beast.
Four others who participated in the ceremony are also set on fire and are mysteriously killed. The mansion where the ceremony took place burns to the ground.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
The remaining group of people (6 or 7?) go their separate ways. Five years later they are summoned for a ritual. No one understands for what or why, but they are obligated to go.

• One of us killed
The enormous secluded house is booby-trapped. They are also trapped. Snow storm? The others believe the first kill was an accident. But the first victim witnessed the killer and died in terror.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

• Full pursuit by the killer
Hours later – the second kill. Burnt to death in a bathtub. Gets the attention of others. They now know a killer is on the loose.

• Terrorized
The third one is brutally killed in a ritual room. The other two (the mistress and the woman who was the wife’s friend) decide to escape down the tunnels. The only way out. Only the tunnels are set on fire.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
• Fight to the death
The friend has a chance to save the life of the mistress, but doesn’t. She is just like the rest of them.

• Hysteria
Dead bodies are throughout the house from all the horrible rituals that have taken place.

• The thrilling escape from death
The friend finds all the blackmail evidence in a secret room as she tries to escape. But then she is locked in the room and cannot get out.

• Death returns to take one or more.
The friend meets the killer – her friend whom she thought was dead. But the mistress is still alive. She didn’t die.

• Resolution
The mistress kills the wife once and for all. The friend, wanting to avenge her friend, kills the mistress.

She holds all the power of all the blackmail evidence and finds stuff on the wife, mistress, etc.

She burns it all.
Except one piece that remains.

[Ira Drower]

Lesson 4 Horror: Ira Drower’s Horror Plot Track

I learned to design a quick outline using basic plot points and reveals.

The Garden of Evel – Night of the Blood-Red Moon

Act 1 – Atmosphere of Evil Established:
The opening scene has two drug cartel growers being killed by a monster water plant hidden in the lake by the long-closed Summer Gardens campsite. It uses extended spear-like appendages to spear the pot growers and drag them into the water.

Connect with the Character:
At a group home for former wards of the state of California, a group of 19-year-old teens sit around the dinner table and discuss the day’s events. When Tony mentions he thought he saw Caretaker riding a bus, the conversation suddenly shifts to the summer camp they all attended, ‘Summer Gardens.’ They discuss how they are all going separate ways soon, and a weekend together at the former camp sounds good. And cheap.

Characters are Warned not to Go:
Grace complains it’s been abandoned for years, and there is nothing at the site but a few dilapidated buildings. And cell service is spotty at best. It doesn’t come up on Google Maps. None of the group can remember anything about their 2-week trip seven years ago. Rumor has it the place was closed because the Caretaker killed Miss Marie.

Denial of Horror: Grace informs the group that Summer Gardens was closed by the state because of too many runaways. Becky tells them Miss Marie loved her garden so much that she named the plants. After laughing over the scare tactics, the group decides the trip would be a couple of days of swimming in a nice lake and being together one last time.

Safety Taken Away:
Tony steers the minivan onto an unmarked dirt road, accelerating down a dirt path covered with leaves and plants as if on autopilot. Grace tells everyone she lost cell phone service. They soon enter a clearing for the Summer Gardens Youth Camp.
The buildings are completely covered in vines and plants. They have some cleanup to do before having fun in the sun.

Monster: The nature of the Beast
Becky takes a long swim late in the afternoon as an ominous floating plant follows closely behind. A boot worn by one of the Cartel men floats nearby.

Act 2 – The Point of No Return

Isolated/Trapped/Abducted:

As the sun slowly sets, the plants and trees begin to sway and howl as if it is getting windy, except there is no wind. As the burnt orange turns to deep purple, the blades of grass slash the tires on the minivan and Rob’s Camaro. When the blood-red moon rises, the tracks made by the tires are covered by leaves and underbrush. Vines grow and twist around the axles of the vehicles.

One of Us is Killed:
Becky dries herself off from her swim and walks back toward the cabin where everyone is hanging out. She steps on what looks like a piece of moss until it opens its tooth-filled jaws and chomps on her foot, almost tearing it off the bone. Her screams summon everyone outside.

Midpoint – The Monster is Worse than We Thought:
The teens are all attacked by the trees and plants that have morphed into something more dangerous and deadly. The trees pound on them with branches shaped like clubs, some shoot spikes at them, and bushes strike victims with elongated thorns.
The flowers show their fangs.

Full Pursuit by Killer: The roots of the plants rise above the ground, making them mobile. They stab, bite, bludgeon, whack, and cut the teens.

Terrorized:
The plants attack in all directions as they try to return to the cabin. Jack uses his Camaro to fend the plants off so they can run to safety. A group of Drug Cartel Enforcers searching for their compatriots seeks refuge in the cabin as well, abducting the teens.

Act 3 – Full Out Horror:

Fight to the Death:
The cartel sends several teens outside to create a distraction for their escape. The teens run into the nearby shed used for repairs and maintenance in search of weapons. One teen, ensnared by a giant Venus flytrap, is slowly dissolved alive. The ones that make it to the shed encounter the Caretaker who ties them up. Rob cuts them loose with a box cutter he swiped from the workbench. Jack provides cover for the returning teens but is overwhelmed by the plants attacking him. They return to the cabin with bags of salt.

Hysteria: Once inside the cabin, Grace recites biblical passages of death and destruction. Becky mutters about what Miss Marie did to them in an almost trance-like state. Tony carries Becky outside as they both transform into plants. Tony becomes a tree while Becky turns into a water Lilly. The cartel members decide to run for it but get cut down by the encircling plants and Jack, who is now a cannibalistic plant.

The Thrilling Escape from Death:
Skeeter, Leah, and Becky create a plan to dump the bags of salt into the water tank on site and hose the plants. The saltwater should make them shrivel and die. Skeeter dumps them into the tank as Grace hoses down the plants. When an obstruction in the tank stops the water, Leah swims underwater to remove it.

Death Returns Once More: An Underwater Plant Creature attacks and drowns Leah inside the tank. Rob is pulverized by a thorn bush and swallowed by a Corpse Flower.

Resolution:
The three survivors sit at the edge of Miss Marie’s Garden as dawn breaks. The plantation is withered or returning to normal. The Caretaker stops by to pick up his knapsack taken by Rob. He tells them he never tried to harm them, only protect them. He disappears into the woods. A hand pops out of the garden and grabs hold of Grace. The three return to their lives. Grace files paperwork to re-open Summer Gardens.

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Horror Plot

What I learned from this assignment is how much work needs to go into creating a terrifying horror script. I now know how important it is to think about the horror that will befall the characters in a more organized way.

ACT 1 – SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil Established
Decades ago, a young historian ventured into a forgotten section of the building, following strange symbols etched into the walls. As shadows moved unnaturally and whispers turned into screams, his lantern failed, leaving him to face an incomprehensible entity in total darkness—an event that still haunts him to this day.

Connect with the Characters
The group is introduced: Stacy (the leader), Jack (the rebel), Eliza (the innocent), and others as they navigate their strained relationships and secrets in the claustrophobic, shared building. Stacy’s discovery of an old journal hints at the town’s dark history.

The Characters Are Warned Not to Do It
The historian, now a reclusive older man, warns Stacy that uncovering the journal’s truths could unleash something terrible. He cryptically mentions that “the darkness must not be disturbed,” but no one takes him seriously.

Denial of Horror
The characters rationalize the growing strange occurrences as the result of the storm: flickering lights, missing people, and strange noises in the hallways are brushed off as stress and bad luck.

Safety Taken Away
The building’s generator fails, plunging the entire structure into near-total darkness. The group realizes they're trapped with no way to contact the outside world and the storm blocking all exits.

Monster: The Nature of the Beast
The shadow creatures reveal their presence subtly at first—whispering voices, distorted reflections, and shadows that move unnaturally. Their ability to manifest victims’ fears becomes horrifyingly clear when one character is lured into the dark by a shadow mimicking a loved one.

ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
The group is forced to huddle in the lit areas of the building, but their limited light sources begin to fail. The creatures start dividing them by manipulating the building’s layout and isolating individuals.

One of Us Killed
The shadows claim their first victim in a horrifying display, dragging them into the darkness. When the others find their remains, distorted and unrecognizable, panic spreads through the group.

MIDPOINT: The Monster is Worse Than We Thought!
Stacy uncovers the full truth: the creatures were born from an ancient ritual gone wrong, tied to the town’s collective guilt and unresolved traumas. Worse, the creatures grow stronger with every death and every ounce of fear, meaning their survival only empowers the darkness.

Full Pursuit by the Killer
The shadow creatures relentlessly pursue the group, extinguishing their light sources one by one. The group’s attempts to find safety are thwarted by the shadows manipulating doors, stairwells, and hallways, turning the building into a labyrinth of terror.

Terrorized
The creatures exploit each character’s personal fears and guilt, driving them to madness. Paranoia sets in as the group begins to turn on each other, unsure of who can be trusted and whether any of them can truly survive.

ACT 3 – FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the Death
The group makes a desperate attempt to fight back, gathering the last of their light sources and barricading themselves in a central room. Stacy insists the only way to stop the creatures is to complete the ritual, but the group’s paranoia and growing fear cause division, and they begin to turn on each other.

Hysteria
As the shadows grow stronger, the group descends into chaos. One member accuses Stacy of being the cause of everything and sabotages her efforts to perform the ritual. The creatures manipulate their paranoia, creating illusions of loved ones and past mistakes, driving the survivors to lash out at each other.

The Thrilling Escape from Death
Stacy and the remaining survivors make one final attempt to reach the generator to flood the building with light. They manage to restore power briefly, creating a glimmer of hope, but the shadows adapt, extinguishing the light and plunging the building into complete darkness.

Death Returns to Take One or More
One by one, the remaining survivors are claimed by the shadows in increasingly horrifying and personal ways. Stacy, realizing the ritual cannot stop the creatures but only delay them, sacrifices herself to buy the others time. However, the others are too consumed by fear to act effectively and are quickly overpowered.

Resolution
The storm eventually clears, and the town is eerily quiet as spring arrives. When the tunnel reopens, those who left for the winter return to find the building abandoned, with no sign of life. Inside, the rooms are marked with frozen, distorted bodies and cryptic symbols burned into the walls. Whispers echo faintly in the halls, hinting that the shadows are dormant but still present, waiting for the next intrusion into the darkness.

[JD Oppen]

JD’s Horror Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is how simply filling in the blanks of the Plot Track has unfolded to what feels like a pretty solid plot as far as the main monster and killing goes, but still brainstorming more on the storyline of the experimental meds and main character & his family. Need to work that in.
ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established:
Group of classmates talks about going up to isolated cabin area that is closed to the public because a family was killed by a group of bears, all the while, the visuals are of the bear attack on the family, or just of the barren cabin location.
*Alternate Idea: News footage that is a one year anniversary after the family was killed talking about it, possibly a survivor, and discussing the fact the grounds remains closed to the public.
As well there is some chatter about bringing the main character, whose step brother and sister were mysteriously murdered in their sleep.
Connect with the characters:
Most characters are classmates watching 2 of their friends playing a championship football game. We see the character’s traits and get an idea how they are and may react in horrific situations by how they are with the game and/or each other. Some are friends watching the game, a couple are cheerleaders and 2 are playing the game. A couple are friends of the main clique, so they are kind of outsiders. The main characters is teased.
As well, 2 other characters somewhat unrelated to this group listen in and decide to go to the same abandoned location for the weekend. They are a scary goth couple, frightening to some just to look at.
The characters are warned not to do it:
The more outsider characters, a friend of one of the cheerleaders, the main character, whose the cheerleader’s friend has a crush on, are all apprehensive about going to this place because of what happened. One of the cheerleaders is also apprehensive. The school basketball player agrees with the football players about how cool, fun and exciting the trip will be in the face of possible danger… bears. Again the main characters is teased/taunted. He really does not want to go, but is mostly talked into it by the friend of one of the cheerleaders.
The goth couple are sitting behind those watching the game and talking about their upcoming weekend, and they chime in about the dangers, then discuss amongst themselves how they should go too just to scare the hell of the group of friends… or protect them. They tell the main character they got his back, establishing some type of friendship.
Denial of Horror:
The football players are all for it, so is the football player. They are all tough guys, so they are not afraid and don’t think anything will happen. As well, one of the cheerleaders has a crush on the quarterback, so she goes along with what he says. Some of them laugh stating the only thing they have to fear is sleeping around the main character because of what happened to his siblings.
Safety taken away:
On the three hour drive, a couple of them fall asleep and appear to be visited by an entity while they sleep. As they get closer to the cabin area they are losing cell phone reception, it is intermittent. Even closer there are signs stating no trespassing, the area is closed to the public. The main characters is taunted again and the girl who likes him stands up for him.
The goth couple travel separately, they could care less about anything going wrong. They are not easily intimidated.
Monster: The nature of the beast:
The goth girl drives, her boyfriend falls asleep on the way and is visited by the entity. He wakes shaken and frightened, which is way out of character for him. His girlfriend laughs but is also a little excited about the entity her boyfriend dreamt of… maybe even a little jealous.
ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted:
As the main group gets closer their vehicle dies. They must make the rest of the trip on foot and sun is on it’s way down. Cell reception is pretty much non-existent. They reach the cabins at dusk, and there’s no turning back now.
It gets late and it’s time for everyone to sleep. Some of them are visited by the entity as they sleep. They wake in a frenzy. The football players tell them it’s nothing to worry about. They all reluctantly go back to sleep.
One of us killed:
The group is again confronted by the entity and one of them is brutally killed in their sleep. This is really happening now. But no signs of anyone or anything entering the cabin.
They realize another cabin is inhabited, to find it’s the goth couple. The group blames them for what happened.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
Full pursuit by the killer:
The monster is the main character. His experimental meds turn him into a psychotic killer who attacks his victims in their dreams. Now the group of them are all in the same dream and fighting to survive as they realize who it is that’s attacking them.
Terrorized:
The killer wages a brutal assault on the classmates who had taunted him. They are hunted in their dreams while the others are terrorized but trying to stop it from happening. They cannot wake.
ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death:
The victims are being brutally attacked. They are horrified, but must find a way to unite.

Hysteria:
Pandemonium ensues as the victims are being slaughtered, one by one.
The thrilling escape from death:
The goth boyfriend helps to unite the group in their dreams. They must find a way to wake the main character so the killing stops. Finally the last few survivors are able to wake and wake up the main character. One of the survivors is the linebacker. He is furious with the main character. Though they appear to be safe now that they are all awake, the linebacker beats the main character, knocking him unconscious.
Death returns to take one or more:
Because the main character is unconscious, he can attack his victims again. But this time the victims are all awake! They work together, deciding to kill the main character while he sleeps so he cannot attack them anymore.
Resolution:
The surviving victims succeed. They kill the main character and escape as the evil entity is sucked back into the dead main character’s lifeless body.
As they run to the goth couples’ vehicle to leave this place the evil is all sucked back into the main character… As the survivors flee in the car… the main character OPENS HIS EYES!

[Nick Walsh]

LESSON #4
Nick’s Horror Plot

What I learnt: A story emerged as I filled in the plot points. I feel confident I will come up with a horrifying 3rd Act as we progress. The broken down parts of the acts made me think horror..

CONCEPT: Six twenty-something buddies go on a week-long mountain bike adventure in the Sierras and end up getting lost, only to become prey to a demented family who collects eyeballs.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil established:
—We open with an excruciatingly cringy, detailed close up of an eyeball being nonchalantly cut out from a screaming victim’s head. We do not see the monster, but we hear him mumble-singing “Twinkle, twinkle, little ‘eye’, Now’s the time to say goodbye….”

Connect with the characters:
—We meet our six bikers as they park and unload their bikes, then follow them as they do fancy and dangerous maneuvers over rough terrain. The leader reveals he has a gun in case of varmints. They camp and pass the time playing a dice game called Ship, Captain, Crew—rolling six dice from a cup. The leader, works on a map of their trail blazing. He notes the trail is made for them, mostly tramped by animals.

The next day they challenge the rough terrain with daredevil feats, showing off their death-defying expertise as seen partly from the make-you-grit-your-teeth lens of a GoPro. They stop at a bar in the middle of nowhere to rest and get out of the heat.

The characters are warned not to do it:
—They get permission from the reluctant bartender to play Ship, Captain, Crew on the pool table. The BRO family gang—all real brothers—watch and want to play, too. Soon the table is surrounded by players—Bros and our bikers, but the Bros rarely win, which makes them suspicious, especially when the bikers are only ordering rounds of drinks for themselves when they win, and not the Bros. A big, dumb Bro sits alone, drinking on a stool against the wall repeating to himself, “Sump’n bad gonna happen…,” while chuckling.

A very drunk LOCAL, sitting alone at the bar, tells a biker that’s getting drinks that they are about to be in serious jeopardy if they keep revealing the wad of money they won from the locals, when adding their winnings to it. He offers them a ride away from there in his camper. The oblivious bikers finally become aware of the sudden change of mood and of their predicament and try to turn things around—trying to lose (which they can’t, no matter how hard they try), buying them a drink—but it’s too late.

After the bikers make a one-at-a-time nerve-wracking escape out the back door and throw their bikes into the camper, the drunk local, who hates the Bro gang after they once broke his legs, tears off and swings around to the front of the bar, stops, lights a cherry bomb (firecracker) and tosses it into the Bro gang’s motorcycles. BOOM! As the camper weaves and speeds away, the Bros rush out, furious; fire up their bikes, and give chase.

Denial of Horror:
—After twenty miles of winding roads, the drunk local lets the bikers out in the middle of nowhere, telling them that he will continue to lead the motorcycles far away, and for them not to worry. He takes off.

Now off the road, they watch as the Bro gang roars by. They breathe a sigh of relief, feeling safe to continue their exploratory adventure.

Safety taken away:
—The leader loses the map of the trail route he was making. And now there is a twenty-mile gap because of the camper ride from the bar to here. They decide to keep going. On the way back, they will fill in the road gap and pick up the trail they’d already mapped out, which is in recent memory.

Monster: The nature of the beast:
—After another day of trail blazing and mapping, they cross a dirt road and espy the local drunk’s camper, abandoned. They figure he ran out of gas, then carry on. They discover what remains of him hanging upside down from a tree limb skinned from head to foot and both eyes missing.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted:
—They bikers, terrified, decide to go no further, but high-tail it back. They must be alert for whoever is doing the killing and the Bro gang. They follow the route they took to get there, then hear motorcycles on their trail. It’s the Bro boys on their Honda 500s riding through the woods prowling for them. The bikers panic. They follow a raging river. One of them falls off a slippery log crossing into the river and is carried away.

They go after him, but he’s moving too fast and they lose sight of him. It’s tough going along the river. Hours later, they hear screaming in the distance and go towards it.

One of us killed:
—They find a naked man hanging upside down from a tree moaning. His skin has been half-peeled down over his head, like a T-shirt half removed. They lift the skin up and it’s their buddy. Both eyes are missing. They are freaked out and don’t know what to do. The skinned boy is barely alive and begs to die. The leader reluctantly shoots him to put him out of his misery. A fight ensues with the boy’s older brother until a truce is established—deal with it later.

MIDPOINT: THE MONSTER IS WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT!

Full pursuit by the killer:
—The bikers now know that somebody means business. They are ever alert. The dead boy is lashed to his older brother’ back. The going is exhausting as they attempt to find the trail, or a road.

They discover a large, beat up cabin with a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney.

Terrorized:
—They knock at the door. Nobody answers. The door is open, so they go in to a scene of horror: A host of mannequins wrapped in human skin. A dental chair. A workbench with eyeballs encased in epoxy. A collector’s book of iris’ in round wafer-thin epoxy. There is a man with his back to us working at the bench, apparently oblivious to the intruders. What the fuck!!! They hear motorcycles approaching.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death:
—They run out of the house, grab their bikes, and take off into the woods in a panic. They are chased by the Bros on motorcycles, who outnumber them. Soon three are caught. The leader and another get away after some clever bike maneuvers that send a few Bros over cliffs to their deaths.

Hysteria:
—The three captured bikers are hogtied to chairs at the cabin. There is the man with his back to us working at the bench. We now see he is carefully slicing the iris from an eyeball, then laying it into a form the size of a glasses lens. He pours clear epoxy into it and lets it set.

He turns around to face us. We see, for the first time, the horrifying face of a monster: The left hemisphere of his brain is missing. He wears an epoxy eyepatch with a bright blue iris in it (their friend’s eye). His other eye is dull, soulless black. He is chinless with an extended overbite exposing two prominent yellow incisors. His hair is in a braid over his right ear. No hair on the left side of his head, just a bubbly pink and gray cavity.

He plays a game of Ship, Captain, Crew using eyeballs instead of dice. When rolled, the person who has the most eyeballs staring towards him is strapped to the dental chair to have his eyeballs removed.

The thrilling escape from death:
—In the meantime, the two escapees decide to go back and somehow save the other three. They break in nervously holding a gun on the Bros. Two of their buddies now have no eyes and one is still screaming on the dental chair about to have his second eye removed. (Ironically, he’s the only one who ultimately survives.) They untie him and the others.

The leader shoots the monster in the head and down he goes. The blinded will have to be guided out while keeping the now furious Bros at bay.

Death returns to take one or more:
—On the escape, the rest, but one, are killed in horrendous ways. The monster has survived and is killed again. [Will fill out the story here as we progress in the course.]

Resolution:
—Back to civilization, the one-eyed survivor has a dream that the monster has survived and has come to take his other eye. The last thing we see is that the monster did survive and is proudly adding another epoxied eyeball to his collection.

xxx

[David Wickenden]

Wickenden Assignment #4 Creating your Plot
What I learned from doing this assignment… was breaking down the timeline of the plot
Act 1 – Set up for Horror
• Atmosphere of Evil established
Scientists working in a lab are confronted by a specimen that tears them apart, leaving them dead.
• Connect with the characters
Meet Team Bravo, Heavy Reactionary group. A group of hardcore men and women, all professional soldiers, some
• The characters are warned not to do it.
The head scientist warns them that if any of the specimens escaped, it would be suicide for them to enter, but government agent refuses to stand down. Nothing can stop his group.
• Denial of Horror
Leader of Team Bravo tells the scientist that nothing can defeat his team.
• Safety taken away
As the team enters the building, another specimen escapes from its holding room, attacks and the building’s shut down procedure initiates, locking them within the facility. The creature is wounded. One man is taken. They find a teenager, terrified and wide-eyed.
• Monster: The nature of the beast.
They find the missing man, he is hanging from the ceiling, his skin stripped from his body. During the next attack, they realize the monster has evolved and its skin resembles Kevlar, making their bullets next to useless.

Act 2 – The Point of No Return
• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
The team realizes that they are trapped within the building and the locks are in place for 25 hours.
• One of us killed
While the group is attacked, one of their numbers is unknowingly taken. They are helpless as they hear him screaming down the corridor.
Midpoint: The monster is worse than we thought!
• Full pursuit by the killer
They must fight their way room by room, the creature always attacking. A flame thrower causes the sprinkler system to go off, and emergency lighting is all that’s left for them to navigate.
• Terrorized
The group tries to secure their area, but the creature keeps attacking. Their weapons don’t seem to hurt it.
Act 3 – Full Out Horror
• Fight to the death
The group is attacked nonstop. When one soldier throws a knife and wounds the creature, the creature evolves able to throw bone fragments like knives at the soldiers. One bone fragment kills one of the women.
• Hysteria
Her partner goes ballistic and attacks the monster. In close quarters, she throws a grenade and manages to wound the thing.
• The thrilling escape from death
The entire platoon attacks the wounded creature, their weapons tearing the thing apart. Their relief is short changed.

• Death returns to take one or more.
A second creature appears, and they realize that there are others. The fighting resumes and the last of the soldiers are cut down, but the second creature dies. Only our hero and the teen are left.
• Resolution
The teen reveals that he too is one of the monsters and kills off our hero.
We cut to a scene to an observation room where a scientist and a general witness the entire fight. The General likes what he has seen and orders the experiment to proceed to the next phase.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by  David Wickenden.

[Barry Barry Durbin Durbin]

ASSIGNMENT 4

Barry’s Horror Plot!

What I learned?
By digging into deeper levels, I had a breakthrough that has given me more clarity on my concept, monster, and characters.
Updated Concept:
When hunters kill a young, mysterious creature, they take the body planning to cash in on their discovery until an adult creature unleashes terror as the body count rises.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established: Native American guide with hikers crossing a stream on the outside of the forest tree line. They see movement and noises in the forest. An unseen creature lets out an extended, earth-shattering scream. Something is there and we don’t know what it is.
Connect with the characters: Characters are loading the vehicle for their trip and traveling to their destination.
The characters are warned not to do it: An elderly Native American woman warns them about the spirit of Shampe, Choctaw word for Bigfoot and cautions them not to go.
Denial of Horror: The leader assures everyone that he is an expert woodsman, and they have nothing to worry about and the old lady is crazy.
Safety taken away: The car becomes disabled and they discover there is no cell service at their location.
Monster: The nature of the beast: With the dead young creature inside the cabin, the adult creature is lurking outside. It’s found them!

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Trapped inside the cabin with the creature outside. They don’t know what is outside or how to defend themselves.
One of us killed: They think the creature is gone. One goes outside to use the bathroom and gets killed.
MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought: They now realize that they’ve disturbed the Native spirits and it’s after them.
Full pursuit by the killer: Creature tries to gain access to the cabin and they have to come up with a new plan to stop it.
Terrorized: As the creature becomes more aggressive, the leader goes to confront the creature with a rifle. The weapon is of no use the leader is killed. Meghann is now ready to fight to the death.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
Fight to the death: The remaining victims come up with a new plan.
Hysteria: Creature crashes through the cabin wall and snatches another victim pulling them out and killing them.
The thrilling escape from death: Just two remain. The Native American male sacrifices his life thinking he will save Meghann. The creature destroys the cabin leaving Meghann hurt and under a pile of debris.
Death returns to take one or more: The creature finds the dead baby. Lets out a blood curling scream, takes the body and disappears. There is movement in the pile of debris, Meghann is alive.
Resolution: Creature takes the body and we get a glimpse of its world, hidden from humans.

[Deborah Daughetee]

Debbie’s Horror Plot

The Revenant Queen

While cruising up the Mississippi in the 1800s, the riverboat hits a snag, and fog rolls in. The river itself doesn’t let anyone clear the snag or escape. Our protagonists must battle both human traffickers and a monster from the depths of the river to survive.

Prologue:
Cassius inspects the newly refurbished Revenant Queen River Boat before her inaugural cruise. He’s unhappy with the seaweed on the paddlewheel. A crew member is berated, but he swears it wasn’t there earlier this morning. He is tasked with cleaning it. He gets into the water, and the water rises up and pulls him under with all of the vines on the paddlewheel. He struggles but is pulled down into the murky depths.
Act One
Quin, the professional gambler, greets the ladies as he comes on board. It’s obvious he’s a ladies man. Lilith isn’t buying it and ushers the ladies into their quarters.
Quinn meets the captain and rich men he’s been hired to fleece.
Samson is warned against this cruise. The Revenant Queen is cursed. Cassius’ father died on the ship. Jonas makes fun of Samson and any superstition. This boat is going to be lucky for him.
The women dance cancan for the men.
Rich men in a room while the auction is going on—are found all dead. The walls are dripping with muddy water and detritus and the brand new fixtures are all rusted.
Act Two
Boat is out in the middle of the Mississippi and turns to go back. Suddenly it lurches, caught on a snag. Samson goes into the water to free the snag, and is attacked by giant cat fish. He is pulled from the water by Quin, narrowly escaping death.
A thick fog rolls in, smelling of death things in the river.
Bonne Lou is killed.
Midpoint
Lilith does a spell to reveal the monster. A amorphous human-like form rises up from the river. It’s form is flowing-tendrils growing and then sinking back in to the mass of mud and river detritus. She goes after Lilith and Quin, but ends up finding and killing Jonas.
The monster leaves Quinn and Lilith alive. Why? They start to investigate.
Now the monster is loose and there is a chase through the claustrophobic space of the riverboat. Lilith and Quinn go after her. Lilith thinks maybe salt will deter her.
The monster finds the girls, who are screaming and scattering. Lilith throws salt on the monster. She screams and flees.
The Captain is lowering a private rowboat into the river. It is the only one that hasn’t been sabotaged.
But the monster finds him first. This is a fight to the death.
The monster finds Lillith alone and chases her through the corridors. Lilith hides in a room. The monster begins to leak under the door, but then pulls back and moves on. Lilith discovers Cassius books and the fact that he was selling her and her girls to the highest buyer.
Quinn uses salt to kill the monster.
Lilith tells Quinn about the trafficking. Quinn tells that his grandmother disappeared on the Revenant Queen at the time Cassius’ father died.
They confront Cassius. Cassius pulls a gun. But the Revenant Queen isn’t done. She takes Cassius into the depths of the Mississippi with her.
The snag and the fog magically disappear and the remaining crew take the riverboat back to dock.

[David Zelitzky]

David Z’s Horror Plot

What I learned doing this assignment is just throw stuff at the dart board and let it fall or stick depending on what develops later

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR
Atmosphere of Evil established
An army barracks where the Staff Sergeant beats a Private while the others watch, unsure of what to do as the private is unconscious, unmoving.
A hidden figure pulls a screaming girl into a dungeon and chains her to a wall and slams the door behind him. She is drugged and dying.
All the friends are arriving at the isolated house for a weekend of revelry. A break from school where they can all be themselves.

Connect with the characters
they all start playing around. We see who is coupled. Talking about her dad, strict, in the army. She’s a lesbian with her girlfriend there. Another female couple and a male couple.
Her father unexpectedly arrives. Silently furious at the partying. Claire grabs Marcus to cover and appease her father. Marcus won’t object because he knows what the deal is.

The characters are warned not to do it.
Claire warns everyone that her father is so strict and they talk about leaving but her dad tells them they’re here and there’s a storm coming so they better stay.

Denial of Horror
Someone leaves? It’s curious but they think he was just uncomfortable.
Safety taken away
Outdoors is booby trapped, Phone is cut off. No WiFi, can’t call out.

Monster: The nature of the beast.
Seems to be the dad, he’s furious and wants to punish them all. They don’t want to split up. They’ll keep disappearing if they do.
FOR NOW THEY ARE TRAPPED

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN
Isolated / Trapped / Abducted
No phones, can’t leave. Rain. Traps. Furious dad.

One of us killed
One of them is dead. Knife wounds.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!
we see the masked monster for the first time.
Marcus is exercising in the gym and Sargeant watches.
we find out at some point that it is a dishonorable discharge for beatings. That’s why he’s home.
The monster is full out attack mode.

Full pursuit by the killer
People screaming. More dying. Hysteria.

Terrorized
They find the bodies.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR
They are scared to go anywhere. Dad has his shotgun and pistols.
He finds out that his daughter is not with Marcus. Thinks she is protecting him cause he’s gay. Kills Ryan for it after he sees Marcus and him making out –

Fight to the death
The father is trying to shoot the monster. The others can’t see him. So many of them are dead now.
Hysteria
The thrilling escape from death
Do they kill / trap the father and what happens to the monster? He escapes the trap and reappears. The daughter won;t kill him but he’s an escape artist and can’t be contained.
He doesn’t realize until now that the monster is only something that he sees unless he’s actually dressed as the monster.
He doesn’t know if he can kill the monster.
What does he do about Marcus
Death returns to take one or more.
What does he do when he finds out Claire is a lesbian?

Resolution
Who is left and the father ultimately has to be killed so they can escape and shut the power off so they can leave.

[Pam Ewing]

Pam Ewing’s Horror Plot

What I learned from this assignment is how to pull things from my concept to create progress in the script – not just like Medusa jumps out of a birthday cake, everyone dies, the end.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

• Atmosphere of Evil established – creepy urban environment after an innocent brush with a stranger, a man takes ill and lands on the doorstep of the party

• Connect with the characters – flash cut to bright pre-wedding party. The drunk best man teases about the groom being left at the altar before and the groom indicates that he has taken steps to make sure that will never happen again. The bride stands out as more timid and love-driven than her success-driven friends.

• The characters are warned not to do it – toasts at party reveal double meanings in hindsight that highlight the ways their weaknesses can be used against them

• Denial of Horror – intersection of gory death by medical research doctor, the maid of honor, needing to step in. It is revealed that the medical doctor has been researching nanotech for healing and this would be a perfect use but she can’t find the nanotech – but she tables it until her return

• Safety taken away – squeamish bride tries to shrug the images off but it has taken the bloom from the rose

• Monster: The nature of the beast – post death the dead has lingering effects, we see the groom madly working on his computer/phone – he is slightly different – he looks different somehow

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – next day wedding party heads off a tropical destination wedding pushing horror out of mind

• One of us killed – while getting matching tattoos for the bride and groom the tattoo artist suffers a gruesome death

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

• Full pursuit by the killer – shaken, the bride is ready to postpone the wedding which creates a chain reaction IN her – the tattoo becomes direct communication with an entity IN her writing on her arm and twisting her will then she blacks out awakening to vivid gruesome re-imagining of what is happening around her

• Terrorized – The groom and wedding party try to console her and basically get her to the altar where she is invaded by the horror and tries to hide it – – her maid of honor doctor is able to piece together what is happening but is killed in an unexpected unnatural way by an unseen hand

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

• Fight to the death – The bride can’t settle into a honeymoon and the groom becomes demanding then secretive and withdrawn rather than consoling. She turns inward and is accepting of the messaging from IT.

• Hysteria – She discovers that the groom is manipulating the thing in her – he took the nanotech – he injected her with nanotech – he is reprogramming her/it. They fight but she escapes. He also injected it into himself to control his strength.

• The thrilling escape from death – She breaks into the tattoo shop and finds the tattoo ink from her tattoo and loads it into arrays and slams it into herself – instead of writing on her arm, the whites of her eyes swirl with ink. She is bonding to the entity to save herself. The groom pursues using tech thinking he can control her/it.

• Death returns to take one or more – She returns to wrestle computer control from the groom killing him in the process

• Resolution – now she has the controller program and has befriended the tech in herself. She discovers the backdoor to extract/harvest and preserve the nanotech from the groom. Heading home with the remains of the wedding party the whites of her eyes swirl, she dons sunglasses.

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by  Pam Ewing.