Start with Beats
What do three books on screenwriting have to do with writing a horror novel from start to finish?
In my experience screenplays are the best outlines for any novel. They are about structure and provide all the necessary framework to telling a story. Therefore a beat sheet is a necessary tool in developing any outline for your horror novel.
But wait, doesn’t “Save the Cat” have a book on writing novels?
They do! In fact, I own a copy. However, I’m most familiar with the 3 books on screenwriting and I use them quite frequently when I’m breaking a new horror story. Therefore, that’s where we’ll begin.
A beat sheet is the bullet point outline of a your story. It breaks up the act structures of the script and identifies the important moments — or beats — in a story.
- Opening Image – our very first impression of the story, its tone, its mood, its type.
- Theme Stated – this is the stories thematic premise. It happens after the first scene in the midst of the…
- Set-Up – this is where we introduce or hint at every character in the A-story (more later) and what Snyder calls the “six things that need fixing” (remember that FLAW from the Nutshell?).
- Catalyst – something happens to our protagonist and now they have a decision to make.
- Debate – the section of the story that asks that vital question the protagonist will have to decide (how will they respond to the catalyst).
- Break Into Two – the protagonist made their decision to leave their old world behind and explore that thematic premise (remember that Point-of-No-Return from the Nutshell?).
- B-Story – most often the “love story” throughout the middle of the book, this is where we explore the thematic premise and respond to all the action in the…
- Fun-n-Games – I like how Snyder describes this part as the “promise of the premise” – this is why we bought the book.
- Midpoint – the A&B story collide, the fun-n-games are over, and the protagonist either gets everything the want (consummate that love story) or their world collapses. It’s either a false win or a false defeat. This also where the audience learns the true identity of the antagonist, that’s why…
- Bad Guys Close In – the antagonist regroups or reveals their true intention (depending on whether it was a false victory or a false defeat).
- All is Lost – “the whiff of death,” it marks the end of the world as is and the beginning of a new world the hero will create from this seeming end.
- Dark Night of the Soul – the protagonist has been beaten (or won) and they know it. Often they might say, “It’s all my fault” or “Finally!” (this is their “Crisis/Triumph” depending on the Midpoint).
- Break into Three – But thanks to the B-Story, all the lessons learned from the thematic premise, and the Bad Guys kicking their butt, they’ve finally found a solution! (whether it’s the right one or not will depend on their “Climatic Choice” and if their moving away from or toward their Flaw).
- Finale – they execute their plan, but there’s a “high tower surprise” so they must “dig down deep” and make their final act. They’ve either become a new person or they’ve fully embraced their flaw.
- Final Image – the opposite of the opening image, it’s either proof that change has occurred. Things have either gotten better or much, much worse.
Writing a horror novel from start to finish requires far more details than what I’ve provided with this exploration of Blake Snyder’s books. I recommend getting your hands on a copy of one or all of them. In Part 5b I’ll show you how I use “Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies” to build a horror novel out of a “Monster in the House” (need a “Half-Man“) and then in Part 5c how to combine all of that with the thematic premise and the nutshell to create an original outline.
By the time we’re done you should be able to write the first draft of a horror novel from start to finish based these techniques.