Lesson 4

[Rick Whitney]

R Whitney Horror Plot Track

What I learned doing this assignment is: Elements of my structure were either out of place or missing.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil established: The jungle discovery team is killed by the menace<div>

Connect with the characters: Main character works in a lab and she keep pets. She talks to them.

The characters are warned not to do it. Main character is warned not to open the sealed container with the Mantis eggs unless with major controls in place.

Denial of Horror: Opens container anyway.

Safety taken away: The eggs, thought to have died during shipping survive.

Monster: The nature of the beast. The scientist discovers how this new species has evolved a carapace that can allow the Mantis to grow large.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: The eggs hatch without knowledge and a maintenance man performing his usual cleaning in the lab is attacked and eaten.

One of us killed: The maintenance man.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer: Main character returns home where she observes her neighbor attacked by the 5 foot Mantis.

Terrorized: She becomes trapped in her house where a hungry Mantis pursues her.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death: The Mantis’s have escaped into the wilds and now are free to breed.

Hysteria: Mantis attacks increase. The town is threatened. A plan is developed to kill the hungry menace.

The thrilling escape from death: While placing traps to kill the Mantis’s, the scientist is attached and rescued by our hero only for the hero to be killed by the Mantis.

Death returns to take one or more. Militia deployed are attacked

Resolution: The traps work to kill the Mantis’s but did the Mantis leave eggs?

</div>

[Kevin Lobo]

Kevin Lobo’s Horror Plot

What I learned doing this assignment is…

Once again this lesson helped me look deep into the story way ahead and plot out key moments, the killings, the reveal and the death of each of the victims.

This was a fantastic training of my writing skill to thinking systematically long before writing a single page of the script.

This also helped plug in a ton of details long before introducing the protagonist and her secondary team and their fight in leading the village and the affected teens.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil established

The entire village is now in the grip of fear. They begin to sense the nature of the horror and the pattern to the possessions and the killings.

Connect with the characters

The villagers who initially frowned on the disruptive teen gang of 6 that were turning 19, now begin to empathize and fully try to protect the teens.

The characters are warned not
to do it.

Two of the teens have been killed on the night of their 19^th birthday as they had their wild celebration. The town tries to isolate, hide and protect the teens. They warn them to let their birthdays pass by and live isolated from each other in the safety of their home.

Denial of Horror

The teens, especially, Ruth the rebellious and wild one will have none of it. She continues her carefree and open lifestyle helping the other surviving 3 to break out and join her.

Safety taken away

When Ruth’s family tries to escape the town promising her the allure of a wild birthday celebration in Vegas, the escaping family is confronted by the spirit in a zombie form and with the aid of the now possessed Ruth, kills them all.

Monster: The nature of the
beast.

The evil spirit in a headless zombie form, the systematic killing of the teens and the messages through the teens all bring about the realization that the spirit is not on a random killing spree. It follows its pattern from its live-days, and is seeking revenge and the return of something that has been taken away from it.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted

The affected teens and their families are now fully trapped in the village.

One of us killed

In Ruth, the evil spirit reveals it’s full horror in the sight of the entire village as they rally in the comfort of a large crowd to recover Ruth’s slaughtered family. It kills Ruth in full sight of the village establishing it’s complete hold on the village.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer

There are 3 teens remaining, with Jason and Glen, the twins sharing a birthday being the next obvious victims of the spirit. The villagers separate the twins and rally around them as protection but the spirit has already seeped into one. It moves from one to the other is a bid to slaughter them together as the villagers keep the twins separate and on the move to counter that spirit.

Terrorized

It is now a full fight between the spirit and the village. The villagers live in abject terror, knowing that they have no weapons or defenses of any sort against a belligerent evil spirit hell bent on its next killing.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death

The villagers fight to protect Jason and Glen, knowing there is guaranteed fatal end for both if they don’t give it their all.

Hysteria

With the angry spirit unleashing mayhem through the possessed teen, Jason and Glen alternately, and others becoming collateral victims, hysteria sweeps the town. The paranoid villagers turn on each other as factions form in the best way to protect the teens.

The thrilling escape from death

Jason and Glen repeatedly escape death as the villagers are able to successfully get one or the other teen twin away from each other and revel in small victories.

Death returns to take one or
more.

The evil spirit ultimately gets both Jason and Glen.

Resolution

The villagers are now fully determined to protect Kimberly, the last teen surviving. That is despite knowing that it was Kimberly’s dare game, the spell she tricked the gang into using was what unleashed the spirit in the first place.

[Michael Jones]

Mike’s Horror Plot

What I learned doing this assignment is…?

A story start to take shape, not exactly sure what it’s going to look like, yet, at this point. This also allowed me to see some of the ideas and the areas that need to be worked on, thought through, and tightened. But, a great way to see and start to think about what this story could be. Of course, I need to be more clear and specific in my plot points.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil established: Kid encounters terror in the woods. Connect with the characters: Teens interact while hiking. The characters are warned not to do it: Some strange sounds, eerie forebodings, and a solo hiker warning them to avoid an upcoming part of the forest. Intro of Dr. Julian Grimm, Declan Caldwell, and Flint Maddox. Denial of Horror: Sam assures that this will be a fun time, a time to remember.
Safety taken away: Enter the ‘haunted’ part of the forest, where the kid disappeared, only, they are not alone.
Monster: The nature of the beast: The teens get their first glimpse of the monster, and it is a Sasquatch.<div><div>

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Teens trapped in abandoned cottage. Sasquatch sounds about.
One of us killed: Danny faces the terror only to find he hasn’t the courage. While fleeing he falls to his death; Flint, the hunter, finds him. Dr. Julian and team meet up with teens.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought! They think the Sasquatch is playing with them, like an orca with a seal.

Full pursuit by the killer: Dr. Julian tries helping teens escape but the teens see the Sasquatch again and separate, some into the cave, where the Sasquatch enters.
Terrorized: In the cave the noises and sounds of the approaching Sasquatch with no escape. But something else hunts them. Something more terrifying. Actual villain revealed.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death: Teens join with Dr. Julian’s team to face the villain only to find they can’t.
Hysteria: Katie and Nate paired and play off each others paranoia, and for good reason as the villain brings them to the edge of death.
The thrilling escape from death: False defeat of villain, capture of Sasquatch.
Death returns to take one or more: The villain overthrown, but at a heavy cost.
Resolution: Sasquatch released, teens get free but a couple friends down, and disturbed by shaken reality. Declan has his evidence but chooses to keep it secret.
</div></div>

[Eve Williams]

Eve Williams’ Horror Plot

“What I learned doing this assignment was the ending to my story.”

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil Established –

Moonless night in the Mojave Desert. Far away from civilization, an older pick-up towing a loaded trailer heads down a deserted road. The truck’s headlights illuminate a worn sign: El Mirage Heights. Dimly lit homes line the short street.

Connect With the Characters –

Inside the truck is Alberto, a worn Hispanic man in his early 30s, Maria, tired and 26, 5 months pregnant; Jesus, coke bottle glasses wearing 5 year old; Bonita a fat old Chihuahua, and Lolita Bird, a vocal green Conure parrot

Typical tract home; it was the model home for the El Mirage Heights subdivision. Sheet draped furniture is inside. The group works to grab suitcases and settle in.

Denial of Horror –

Maria says that the house is so far out. Alberto says that she saw the neighbors’ homes and they won’t be alone. And cell service is difficult, but standing in the street may lead to success.

Safety Taken Away –

Before dawn, Alberto is picked up by a co-worker. They’re off to Northern Nevada to work construction for a week.

Maria goes outside. Under the bright desert sun, she looks down the street and sees that the homes are unfinished. They have no neighbors.

Monster –

The nature of the beast. Most of the monster’s initial actions involve scary nature things, like wild winds and mirages

Poltergeist activity in the house includes water turning on and off, scratching, knocking, whistles, knocking, muffled music, and the sounds of a baby crying. Things disappear and reappear in different rooms.

Maria and Jesus are baffled and frightened as they experience the phenomenon. Maria’s baby is kicking more than usual, and she attempts to remain calm.

ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated/Trapped

The next day, cross and Rosary in hand, Maria attempts to cleanse the house. The lack of blowback pleases Maria.

Maria and Jesus continue to unpack.

After a bit, the desert winds howl and rocks hit the house. And then it is quiet.

Maria looks outside and sees Jesus. Then turns around and sees Jesus. Another look outside and she sees her doppelganger.

That afternoon, Maria tries to call Alberto. No signal.

After failed attempts in the house, a wary Maria stands near the center of the street.

Two bars on the phone and the call is placed. No answer but she leaves a frantic voice mail.

Maria is in the backyard, searching for Bonita. She follows footprints leading to a metal shed

She opens the door, and suspended cow skull swings past her head.

On the concrete floor is a painted pentagram, spent candles, and bones. In the middle of the pentagram is a dead Bonita.

MIDPOINT: The Monster Is Worse Than We Thought!

Terrorized –

Carrying suitcases,, Maria runs to the truck. Jesus follows with Lolita Bird’s cage. Maria fumbles but manages to shove the key in ignition. The truck’s engine catches and the radio blares. Then it sputters and stops.

Maria frantically tries again, starter motor whirs. And again. Then just click, click.

Dead battery.

ACT 3 – FULL OUT HORROR

A monstrous wind batters the pair as fight their way back to the home. Lighting stabs, and thunder shakes the earth. The rain begins.

As they run back to the house, the apparition of a hanged man appears house’s dormer window.

Full Pursuit By The Killer –

Once inside the house, Maria and Jesus barricade the doors.

Hysteria –

Outside, black birds pound the windows; several break their way inside and fly wildly around the room. They are joined by swarms of bats. The power goes out.

Fight to the Death –

Banging inside and outside the house. The Monster shows itself as the hanged man, who grabs Maria by the throat. Jesus tries to grabs the Monster, and is thrown against the wall.

Maria wrenches free, and races to open the front door. Fierce winds suck Maria and Jesus out of the house.

They run to the shelter of the partially built home. Lighting strikes the structure, which flares up immediately. The two run to the next property, and the next, and the next.

Each time, the structure is incinerated by a lighting strike. But the ferocity wanes with each strike.

Maria and Jesus crouch behind some construction debris in the last remaining structure.

Resolution –

The Monster in the form of a huge apparition appears in the center of the street.

It enters the only remaining structure, and searches for Maria and Jesus. Maria and Jesus taunt the creature with rocks, bricks, and Bible verses

The Monster grows to enormous proportions, and Maria and Jesus run from the structure.

A massive blot of lighting hits the structure, and a huge fireball forms.

Unearthly screaming of a thousand demons. Then silence.

In the middle of the street stand Maria and Jesus. The rain stops as they walk home.

[Tom Freyer]

Tom’s Horror Plot

What I learned was: I have a lot to sort out plot-wise, but this structure helps a bit.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil established: We meet Captain Taylor Vanderpool and CWO and first female NAVY SEAL Angel Hernandez onboard top-secret stealth nuclear submarine. Captain narrates about mission which is to spy on North Korea. Medical Officer summons Capt to the view port. Deep underwater, submarine passes by a crashed UFO.

Connect with the characters: There are alien bodies floating outside the ship. Medical Officer wants to grab a specimen.

The characters are warned not to do it. Captain warns against picking up alien anything– no idea about their biology, stealth mission, etc.

Denial of Horror: Medical Officer retrieves cadaver secrectly. The alien’s left eye is a gaping hole.

Safety taken away: Alien body now aboard ship.

Monster: Alien body seemed to have disappeared. A pipe moves amongst the hallway hydraulics Something attacks Med. Officer! He screams, dies. There’s a neat hole where his right eye was.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted: Whatever is inside the ship is a shape-shifter! North Korea has a spotter ship looking for sub. Captain orders silent running: Absolutely no noise! CPO Connor McCaffery cracks a whispered joke to baby-faced First Mate Toby Schein. Toby walks down hallway. He screams! Angel finds him dead. His left eye is gone! WTF?

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer: Angel discovers that even though it’s a shape-shifter, the creature gives off an infrared signal. They lock it in a room and freeze it. First Mate Quantrell goes into the room to retrieve it, fires the frozen cadaver out of a torpedo shoot. FM Quantell Jefferson discusses creature with Seaman FC Mallory Ewing. She tells him she was never worried, she’s got Jesus on her side.

Terror! Jefferson turns into the creature and kills Mallory. who screams before she dies. North Korean boat hears it. DPRK Captain Orders depth charges dropped on boat. Now not just the creature, but also depth charges are terrorizing the boat!

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death: Angel discovers it hiding, fights it with a fire axe. She cuts it in two with a fire axe. It’s dead. But no, a piece of it is still twitching. It attacks and kills another Crewmember.

Hysteria: The entire crew panics.

The thrilling escape from death: Angel finds the creature again and iocks herself in a room with it. Puts on oxygen tank and mask. Turns off the air in the room. The creature goes through gasping death throes. It’s dead!

Death returns to take one or more: She reaches for the fireaxe, but it turns into the other creature (created when she cut it in half)! The creature launches out at her face.

Cliffhanger: The sub floats into a harbor. Rescue Crew finds no one alive onboard except Angel.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  Tom Freyer.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  Tom Freyer.

[Tasha Espinoza]

Tasha’s Horror Plot

What I learned doing this assignment is that the simple act of filling in plot points will help you start to hammer out a story in a big way. I had no real idea what to do with the concept, but then I started working to meet the criteria of the plot points and before I knew it, I had the skeleton of a story. Such an easy process and rather amazing. It was painless. And also a lot of fun!

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 young girl, traveling at night, gets gas at a lonely station in a woodsy area.

Connect with the characters – The young girl chats to her mom as she puts gas at the unmanned station.

The characters are warned not to do it. – Her mom warns her to stop at a motel and not drive all alone by herself at night.

Denial of Horror – The girl assures her mom she’ll be fine.

Safety taken away – She’s run off the road by a serial killer that has been stalking her and flees from him on foot. She flags down a fan of thuggie guys that won’t help her because she doesn’t have anything to give them. She says she’ll haunt them if they don’t help her and they leave her on the side of the road.

Monster: The serial killer dismembers her.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – The group of thuggie guys experience paranormal activity.

One of us killed – One of the members dies by running into the street after encountering a phantom. Then the head thugs berates the group for letting some bitch ghost scare them into doing “stupid shit” and points out that her scare tactics are actually harmless.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer – A serial killer starts to stalk the members of the group

Terrorized – The serial branches out to members of the group’s family that fit his MO. The group realizes that the serial killer killed the girl they failed to rescue and she is the one guiding the serial killer to go after them.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death – They try to find the serial killer to stop him.

Hysteria – The serial killer picks off more of the group.

The thrilling escape from death – They find a serial killer and do a ritual to sacrifice him to the vengeful spirit in order to appease her and get her to cross over.

Death returns to take one or more. – The ritual actually imbues the vengeful spirit with demonic powers and she kills the innocent Vivi as her act of vengeance.

Resolution – Quade is left to more his friends, but the spirit of Vivi needs her revenge.

[Suzanne Frank]

Suzanne Frank Horror Plot Track

What I learned doing this assignment: I didn’t need MOST of the storyline I thought I did, or most of the character depth and development. This appears to be a very streamlined genre.

Set Up for Horror- 1921, house party. A group setting off for the “ritual” and leaving others behind, but also a cut open mummy and an artefact that “didn’t belong.” Thunder rumbles

Connect with Characters — flashback to the morning when Innocent is writing a letter, explaining who everyone is, how they all met in Egypt and are making up a “club”

Warning — same day, the staff refuses to move the sarcophagus to the site; fight with the Leader over it

Denial — Ritual, each climbing into sarcophagus to be “reborn” … the storm grows too bad, the Innocent refuses and they all run to the shelter in the esoteric garden.

Safety taken away — when they try to leave, all the find is the entrance. They are trapped and hear a scream

Monster — the missing character thinks he’s talking to someone, it becomes the monster and he dies.

Isolated — they realize they are in a maze, and there’s an Extra person now, but no one really seems to notice

One of Us — at the main house, they wake up to everyone still being gone, realize someone broke in and also the staff is missing

Midpoint — worse than we thought — chasing, fighting, and finding the tortured bodies, as Extra is putting the pieces together for them. Extra tells Innocent to run for the artefact when she can.

Terrorized — Mot introduces himself and tells them why they will die. They each run and are caught and killed, except Innocent who flees when Extra gets caught.

Act 3

It’s the Underworld, everyone who died is there, being tortured. They’ll each die for each death they, or their families, inflicted, for four generations. Extra reveals herself as ancient priestess …

Hysteria

Innocent runs screaming back to the house for the artefact, looks out the window and the gardens are missing (mist?) and stabs herself while holding it.

Thrilling Escape

Innocent enters underworld, stunned at the misery, as Mot upbraids her for entering, she slips Extra the artefact. Extra engages Mot and as his attention shifts, various of the dead get a break, Extra captures him in the artefact, swallows it and makes Innocent promise to bury her and guard the site for the rest of her life. Dies hideously.

Takes One More

Underworld fades back into the gardens, now filled with bodies. Sarcophagus just appears, and takes the body of Extra, then seals shut. Everyone else shows up, shocked.

Resolution

Underworld, the newly-dead cheer that they have escaped, and each shows true nature of character, unchanged even by their experiences … a lake of fire rings around them … close with screams.

[Brett Born]

Brett Born’s Horror Plot

What I learned doing this assignment is how to breakdown the pacing of a successful horror film. Too many wrong beats can muddle the tension and the atmosphere that is trying to be achieved.

ACT 1 – SET UP FOR HORROR

-Atmosphere of Evil established: Flashback thirty years to the night of the first murder at the drive-in.

-Connect with the characters: Present day… reconnect with several of the characters including one as a detective hunting a serial killer and one working to reopen the drive-in. Meet new characters planning a podcast/reality series that will document experiences at the alleged haunted drive-in.

-The Characters are warned not to do it: Jen orders Christine to stay away from the theatre. Jade argues with Shin that reopening the theatre is a terrible idea.

-Denial of Horror: Buck Kilgore has been locked away for thirty years. Muse is only a legend.

-Safety Taken Away: Cell phones have been blocked by an app from the management team. Even Shin’s phone is blocked. Can’t initiate any outgoing communications and only receive incoming messages from Muse. Jade is nowhere to be found.

-Monster: The nature of the beast – Buck attacks double dating teens after he finds them trespassing at the theatre. Some of the core group discover remnants from this attack.

ACT 2 – THE POINT OF NO RETURN

-Isolated/Trapped/Abducted: Cars have been tampered with. Pyro guys have disappeared. Film crew hasn’t arrived as scheduled.

-One of us is killed: Muse murders Carlos outside the ticket booth.

MIDPOINT – The Monster is worse than we thought: Muse stalks Shin and kills him.

-Terrorized: Buck attacks the girls in the bathroom and kills Hannah. Muse throws Shin’s corpse through the lobby ceiling.

ACT 3 – FULL OUT HORROR

-Fight to the death: Group tries to retrieve the only working cell phone from Hannah’s corpse. They fail, and Barbra is killed in the process. Javier tries to escape in his car, and he’s killed. The remaining survivors make a run for the pyro van in hopes of finding a weapon.

-Hysteria: Buck has the remaining survivors trapped in the pyro van. They formulate a plan to fight him. It fails.

-The thrilling escape from death: Muse beats Buck with a sledgehammer. The girls escape with the road flares and race for the higher ground of the movie screens, hoping someone from the highway will see the call for help.

-Death returns to take one or more: Muse finds an injured Alyxx and kills her. Christine is tricked into coming down from the top of the screen. She’s taken hostage, along with her mom.

-Resolution: Detective unmasks Muse, saves the one survivor from the double date attack, but is too late to save Christine and her mom. Christine and the other unlucky victims become part of the haunting intermission ads which play on the giant screens.

[Deleted User]

Karen Crider’s Horror Plot

TITLE? TOUCHING EVIL? KILLING TIME????

What I learned:

That movies to be genuine and realistic, requires insight and experience, that often comes with many failures entailing many attempts. Persistence is the weapon of choice that kills the monsters of self-doubt and insecurity. Monsters that are very real…

Concept: A clock smith receives a cursed antique clock that determines his fate.

Logline: A clock-smith receives an antique clock with gears corroded in rust, not knowing it’s blood from victims whose time has run out.

Cursory backstory on the clock: Perhaps the use of a Medius res structure.

The clock: Centuries ago, Hawk, the vampire, confuses night with day and almost dies. As a result, he steals a clock from a past victim, cursing it, while binding himself to time eternally.

ALAN EATEN, 29, a devious, underhanded man, with a metal detector, in search of anyone’s fortune, is shadowed by BENNY, 17, an intellectually challenged brother (previously labeled Gerb is now BENNY.) He goes with Alan, who makes him do all the digging.

The duo excavates a burial site where a skeleton’s upper torso is embedded with a wooden stake. Benny removes it. This activates the curse. HAWK returns to life. The duo absconds with Hawk’s clock.

Hawk, the time keeper, (antag) the clock’s overseer(vampire) animates. He takes the form of a bat and flies off.

The duet, Alan and Benny, (brothers) totes the clock to Chron Chomsky, Protag, chief clock-smith and owner of Chron’s Clocks, a man struggling to keep his business open.

While cleaning the clock, Chron cuts his hand on the clock’s gears, and the clock greedily accepts his blood, eager to claim more.

Mabel Chomsky, wife to Chron, a religious woman, likes to quote scripture, and warns her husband, something’s evil about the clock. They conflict over getting rid of it.

Alan and Benny Eaton assure Chron the sale of the antique clock will save the business and pay off Benny’s debts to Chron; so, they keep it.

Something draws a bent over silhouette (Hawk) puddling in the rain, against the rag-tag buildings, the ominous darkness– alone, his steps heavy as time, as he plods the pitted steps of Chron’s Clock’s Shop clutching a heavy sack. Alan, who sleeps with his brother on a rollaway bed hears something and goes to investigate. Alan dies.

ACT 2:

Benny dies. Mortician, DORIAN SIMMS, notes the puncture wounds. He researches and finds a case from years ago when a cadaver was exhumed with puncture holes on his cervical vertebrae. He starts investigating and learns about the scourge of vampires.

The police close down Chron’s business as a crime scene. Beneath a pall of evil, two cop-brothers, ED and AMOS DUSK, die under suspicious activity.

Deaths multiply. Nothing substantiated. Dorian puts together clues. He believes Chron Chronsky, is their man.

Chron just wants his business back. He goes to FATHER AMOS, brother to Hawk, a covert vampire and visiting priest, who feigns a cleansing, but actually gorges up past images of the building, inside and out, covered in blood.

The priest attacks Chron, but he fends off Father Amos and runs for his life.

The priest and Hawk attack other victims: Village goers, tourist, families.

Chron tricks Hawk , the priest and their victims to a social at a rundown hall He locks the doors from the outside after he gets them snockered and burns them to death.

Chron’s lost his business. Mabel, his wife, dies. Death on all corners. Chron’s in despair.

ACT 3:

The mortician, Dorian, goes to see Chron and takes him off his list of suspects. He educates Chron and they partner together.

They form a plan; one by one, they kill vampires, putting themselves in great peril.

Chron saves Dorian from harm several times. But when Mabel, his wife returns as a vampire, she begs Chron to join her. He resists, sick at heart, tricking her, as he drives a stake into her heart.

Each vampire shows up one way or another and Chron and Dorian must destroy them for the sake of mankind.

They kill the police detectives, Ed and Amos Dusk again, only for Dorian, the closest thing to a brother to Chron, is victimized. Chron must kill Dorian in the end.

Though Chron has lost everything and the village is burnt, he’s not aware one vampire has escaped, only for the scourge to begin again decades after Chron has left.

[Ryan Buffa]

Ryan’s Horror Plot

What I learned in this lesson is that I was made to think of new ideas to fill in the plot points needed for horror storytelling.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

Atmosphere of Evil established: Establishing signs that children have gone missing in the area. Show the hustle the gag of teenagers came up with that is dangerous but proving to be profitable vigilantism.

Connect with the characters: Seeing the kids broken home life and celebrating their wins by getting a big meal, something they usually don’t have.

The characters are warned not to do it: Waitress at their celebration dinner tell them to be safe, another kid has gone missing.

Denial of Horror: The kids decide to pull their hustle one more time. When their hustle goes wrong and Lamia kidnaps their younger brother, they don’t believe that supernatural forces are at work.

Safety taken away: Alone in the woods with a dangerous person, it’s getting close to dark, no cell service.

Monster: The nature of the beast. Signs of snake skins and snakes, toys from missing children.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Isolated / Trapped / Abducted

One of us killed:

Now further isolated in the dark forest. There is some further conflict between the “pedophile” and one of the teens who really doesn’t trust him. He escapes and when they split up to go after him, one of the teens meet Lamia, who seduces him and then kills him. The older brother captures the pedophile again and when the group reconvenes, they discover the killed friend and blame the pedophile for the death. One the teens fights and wrestles with him, almost to the death, when they hear the screaming again. They are forced to continue.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer

Terrorized:

They arrive at Lamia’s lair. Along the way they find creepy signs – children’s shoes and clothes in the woods. Snake skin that is MUCH larger. However, Lamia is nowhere to be seen. They enter the lair and find the younger brother sedated but with a pulse. As they work to free him, the pedophile slips away and goes outside to take the lookout hostage. He stands in front of the house with the teen and Lamia appears, half naked woman and half snake. She slithers to the pedophile and kisses him and then takes the teen and constricts and kills him. The teens watch from inside in horror.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Fight to the death

Hysteria

The thrilling escape from death

Death returns to take one or more.

Resolution

They realize they are trapped inside the lair and that they all have been lured here by the pedophile to feed this supernatural being. They quickly try to make a plan for escape. They take items from the lair that could be used as weapons. They are surrounded and they have to come up with crafty ways to fight and escape with the sedated younger brother. They eventually have to leave the younger brother as bait one more time. Lamia comes back to the lair and takes her eyes out to rest. The teens sneak back in and take hostage of her eyes. This is how they can control her and eventually destroy her. They then trap the pedophile in the lair with Lamia to be her last feast. The rest of the teens flee and make it out of the woods. When they reach the road, a car stops to help them but it’s one of the pedophiles they beat up and robbed at the start of the movie.

[Bent Hanlen]

Bent’s horror plot

what I learned doing this assignment is I’ve simplified what seemed impossible. I like this way.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

• Atmosphere of Evil established – someone is murdered then a story is written by candlelight of the murder.
• Connect with the characters – we are introduced to the on edge townfolk who gossip about the deaths.
• The characters are warned not to do it. – Some want to go out at night as a group to find this killer but the author scoffs at everyone looking for him.
• Denial of Horror – the author engages with a beautiful woman who loves his writing. He writes down their dialogue and says he wants to use it in a book. She is enamored by him and kidnapped.
• Safety taken away – she realizes she’s been had. Then he kills her.
• Monster: The nature of the beast. – He writes the story of killing her.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

• Isolated / Trapped / Abducted – a man learning to read asks the author to sign his book. And he geeks out over meeting this author. He gets lured to the house to get killed and is held prisoner.
• One of us killed – A wise man follows the author as he walks home and says he reads these books and finds similarities with the characters and the author’s speaking voice. This man gets murdered.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

• Full pursuit by the killer – The man learning to read can’t read well but has escape skills. He breaks out of his prison.
• Terrorized – the illiterate one is chased around the house by the author.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

• Fight to the death – the illiterate man escapes from the house.
• Hysteria – he alerts the town that he has seen bodies.
• The thrilling escape from death – The townspeople converge on the house to break in. The author pulls a book off his shelf and starts reading a chapter about escaping death. He places it back on the book shelf and runs out the back.
• Death returns to take one or more. – When the mayor breaks into a room there is a prisoner who stabs him in a mentally ill panic.
• Resolution – The author escapes and all the town can do is realize they let a killer free. Instead of burning down the house, they choose to turn the house into a museum.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  Bent Hanlen.