Screenwriting : Screenwriters, It’s Halloween! Boooo.... Let’s Talk Fear :) by Sandra Isabel Correia

Sandra Isabel Correia

Screenwriters, It’s Halloween! Boooo.... Let’s Talk Fear :)

While the world celebrates Halloween with costumes and candy, we storytellers honor something deeper: the art of fear.

Horror isn’t just blood and jump scares; it’s tension, atmosphere, and the slow unraveling of safety. Whether you’re crafting a slasher, a psychological thriller, or a supernatural drama, today is a tribute to the genre that thrives on the unknown.

Fear is universal. But how do we explore it? That’s personal.

So light a candle, open Final Draft, and let the shadows in.

What’s your favorite horror film? Mine’s The Witches of Eastwick. A wicked blend of charm, power, and eerie seduction.

And yours?

Maurice Vaughan

"Horror isn’t just blood and jump scares; it’s tension, atmosphere, and the slow unraveling of safety." You're right, Sandra Isabel Correia. The blood and jump scares should come second in my opinion.

My favorite Horror movie is The Thing.

Sandra Isabel Correia

For myself, that’s the big stake of Horror films :)) The Thing is the movie from 1983? I went to IMDb looking for it Maurice Vaughan :))

Maurice Vaughan

1982, Sandra Isabel Correia. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0084787/ It's an incredible movie, and I think it's one screenwriters should study!

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

I'm not a horror fan (I scare way too easily lol), but my favourite thriller at least is Perfect Blue. It's aged extremely well because with the ubiquity of the internet and social media in particular, every single one of us is Mima.

Eboni Sloan

I love sci-fi horror so I’ll go with Alien. Outside of sci-fi… maybe a slasher like Scream.

Rachel Mensch

I love the horror genre, both to watch and write. It's hard to pick a favorite, but The Ring got me to love the genre so it will always have a special place in my heart. I also really loved Time Lapse.

Bartosz Wójt

Honestly? I love slashers. And I've gotta say the original Halloween. I just love how it doesn't rely on jumpscares and is more an enormous jumpscare itself. But aside from a classic? Scream. It does one thing I love doing myself: making fun of cliches.

Joshua Viers

Both the original and remake of The Haunting (1963) and (1999). I know the remake got panned but I find it a guilty pleasure for me. Lili Taylor is great and the music and set design are phenomenal. The script though? It could definitely use a re-write.

Sandra Isabel Correia

I will take a look, Maurice Vaughan. You are an expert :)) I hope your Halloween was good.

Sandra Isabel Correia

I am not a horror fan either, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, but sometimes I like more the horror with fantasy. I'll take a look at Perfect Blue. Thanks for sharing.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Alien is a classic Eboni Sloan :)) Good choice.

Sandra Isabel Correia

It's so good when we write what we like most Rachel Mensch. I'll take a look at your suggestions. Thanks for sharing.

Sandra Isabel Correia

I love that, Bartosz Wójt "making fun of cliches" and I believe that's the spirit. Thanks for sharing.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Go for that rewrite, Joshua Viers :)) Or maybe inspired by it, you can write a new one with your own signature:)) Thanks for sharing.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

You’re welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. Perfect Blue is a great psychological thriller, it’s pretty terrifying.

Sandra Isabel Correia

I will watch it Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. Is now on my bucket list :))

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