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A Horror Beat Sheet

There are no hard-and-fast rules in writing fiction. There are, however, some established patterns and expectations, and once you know them, you’ll be able to work within those patterns and deviate from the path as you see fit.

What is a Beat Sheet?

Popularized by Blake Snyder’s book Save The Cat, beat sheets are an outlining method often used for screenwriting that some authors have started to use for books as well. Basically, a beat sheet lays out the story ‘beats’ or necessary plot points that make up the essential story structure. The Hero’s Journey is, essentially, a beat sheet. You can see more beat sheet information here: https://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/

Horror has a slightly different structure than other stories, and for that reason I don’t think a classic beat sheet works quite right for it. So with that in mind, here is my somewhat adapted version, drawn from my studies of horror media. Various beats can be reorganized somewhat, and will vary a bit depending on sub-genre and other considerations. But if you need help in establishing a horror plot…this beat sheet should help guide the way.

Horror Story Beat Sheet

Act One (The Setup):

1 - The World is Not What it Seems

(The reader catches an early glimpse of the monster, or a hint that the monster exists. This is optional, and may occur right away – often as a prologue – or after the main characters have been introduced.)

2 - Putting the Players in Action

(You introduce the important characters and the primary internal conflict)

3 - Setting them on the Path

(The characters make a choice that inadvertently isolates them or places them on a collision course with the monster)

4 - The Warning

(The characters are given an opportunity to turn back, but choose not to; could occur before or after The First Contact With The Monster.)

5 - The First Contact with the Monster

(The characters have their initial contact with the monster, but are unaware of the true threat it poses.)

Act Two (The Turn): 6 - Shit Gets Real (May be the first death or when seriously spooky activity begins; regardless, this is when the danger becomes evident and unavoidable)

7 - The Chase (The monster pursues the characters, who lack the skills to fight it; one or more people may die here)

8 - Failed Confrontation (The main character attempts to destroy the monster, but does not yet possess the ability to do so)

9 - The Darkest Hour (Hope appears lost. Perhaps someone very important has died, or the hero has tried everything they can think of.  The link between the internal conflict and monster may become clear to the character here)

Act Three (The Prestige): 10 - A Different Solution (The hero gains new information on how to defeat the monster.  This may be delivered by someone they seek out for help, or may come through soul searching and observation.)

11 - Seeking Out the Beast (For the first time, the hero approaches the monster, rather than fleeing it.  They intend to enact their solution)

12 - The True Cost is Revealed (In the process of confronting the monster, the hero realizes that to overcome it, the internal conflict must be encountered and defeated.  That is the hidden cost; the hero will be irrevocably changed)

13 - Sacrifices Are Made (or not) (Faced with the ultimate choice, the hero either succeeds in defeating their internal conflict and  winning against the monster, or fails and ultimately succumbs to their weakness)

14 - The Inevitable Fall Out (Show the consequences of whichever choice is made)

15 - Evil Cannot Be Conquered, Only Delayed (If the hero failed #13, show the monster relishing its victory in a changed world.  If the hero succeeded, show a hint that the monster may yet return. )

—- I think you will find that if you compare many, many, many horror stories against this beat sheet, you will see versions of this structure/pattern.  I encourage you to try it.  I’ll post some plot studies of my own to show you later.

There is no single “right” way to write a story, and I certainly don’t think you must follow this structure in order to be successful.  But I can guarantee you that following this structure will give you the framework necessary for a complete and emotionally satisfying horror story.

Caveat: this beat sheet is meant for long-form stories such as novels and films.  Short stories follow a very different structure.  We can talk about that in a later chapter.

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On the day when the rain fell and flooded the ground, the sign of the wolf appeared outside of town.

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- Sylvia Plath, from the 'Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath'

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The reason none of my wips get finished

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CW: teeth + spiders

Just had one of those mini dreams where Auntie is telling a listener about the tooth spiders (orachnids, of you will). Their bodies resemble teeth and when you lose one, they slip their long, thin legs inside the hole in your gums and take the missing tooth's place...for a little while.

Be careful wiggling those loose teeth, children.

#sddaly

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I was honored and delighted to accept an invitation to contemplate entry into the Order of the Laurel last night at Menhir XXXIII. Thank you to everyone who has sent kind words and well wishes! I will share information about the elevation as it becomes finalized (including updates on what I'll be wearing, obviously). Thank you as well to Moreg Cochrane and Margavati Bai for your research and incredible art featured in my writ. With all my infernal affection, Your Auntie, Kehinde ALT: A missive written on black ink with the first letter in a scrolling script. Text reads: Let it be known this day that We, Randver and Arianne, King and Queen of Meridies, do command Our subject, Omokehindegbegbon of the Opo to come before us. We wish for them, if they still wish, to sit in contemplation entry into the Order of the Laurel, so that they might join their companions in teaching, learning, and arts, for they have distinguished themselves well and nobly, and We would have them elevated to such a station as their Peers occupy. We deliver this writ by Our hands on this 21st day of January, 2023 Gregorian, on the occasion of Menhir, and to come to Us in a timely fashion to inform Us when and where they wish the formal ceremony to take place. #mysca #kingdomofmeridies #historicalcostuming https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnu5RFFu0js/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysca #kingdomofmeridies #historicalcostuming

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Will it be done in time for Spring Crown List? The world may never know. ALT: a collage featuring two manuscript images of a lamia, two women in heraldic cotes, a sun in it's splendor, and the colors yellow and black. #mysca #kingdomofmeridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming https://www.instagram.com/p/CmDCn8HrKc4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysca #kingdomofmeridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming

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Tonight's learning experience is that when you quilt a bodice for stiffness, you should be prepared to spend 3x as long on eyelets because this bodice is D E N S E. Also, I'm probably gonna have some runs/snags in the back of the bodice, since the tension is a bit rough on the fabric content. Oh well! It's gonna be wearable and that's what counts! ALT: a closeup of an eyelet stitched in red thread set into the back of a red dress. #mysca #kingdomofmeridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl7caNNu4uu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysca #kingdomofmeridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming

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Mistakes aren't failures if you can learn from them! This dress taught me that I could make a lovely gown for only $15. Using modern materials like curtains is nothing to be ashamed of, but make sure you trim the machine stitched parts (the fiber content tends to pucker and snag when sewn, marking your progress for better or worse). Also, test your iron with every swipe - most cheaper curtains are meant to be steamed or tumbled - rarely are they meant to be ironed. You can see where I forgot to test between passes and burned a teeny hole. Cheaper materials like this are a great stepping stone to more accurate projects, but they also make awesome staple garments that can just be tossed into the wash. I see a lot of problems with the outfit, but that just means I'm improving - I can't wait to make another one. ALT: two closeups of a sleek red gown, one showing pucker marks and snags left over from a pulled machine stitch and the other showing a tiny burned hole from a hot iron. #mysca #kingdomofmeridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl4264cLYjS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysca #kingdomofmeridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming

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It's okay to have ugly stitches inside your gowns! "Perfect" is the enemy of "finished". ALT: closeup of the inner seam of a red dress. The thread is two different colors and the handstitching show where a whip stitch was used to cover a snagged knot in the thread. #mysca #kingdomofmeridies #historicalcostuming https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl4j8pbrOrt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysca #kingdomofmeridies #historicalcostuming

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Spinning through a darkened sky — a colder star, a brighter eye.

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Grant us eyes! Plant eyes on our brains to cleanse our beastly idiocy!

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My first sword sheath.

Not as impressive as @dbkcustomscabbards, but for a first try going off of videos and pictures. It's not bad.

Especial since it is now the home for my first IMFC/HMC sword.

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One of the hardest lessons to learn (for me at least) was that I don't have to break myself in order to finish projects. If my new outfit, class, or performance piece isn't ready by Thursday before the event - that's okay. I'm not going to pull an all-nighter to finish it. I can keep working on it later. If it gets done, it gets done. It's done wonders for my burnout and for rekindling my love for the creative process. In this case, "no" means "not right now" and that's okay. See you at Castle Wars (but not in this dress)! ALT: A brown hand holding the hem of an unfinished wine red gown. That's okay! Maybe next time! #mysca #meridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming https://www.instagram.com/p/ClCeV_PrvIP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mysca #meridies #societyforcreativeanachronism #historicalcostuming