Artwork by Matthew Howard
Well I have been busy working on a horror script. Wanted to write a good horror for a long time. Or even a bad horror. Finally I decided to stop wondering and just do it.
It is based on a nightmare I had but I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I like creature features but prefer suspense to gore. More Alien/Thing than Saw/Hostel. Yes, I know Alien and Thing has gore too but it is quick and only one part of the plot. It wasn't the core of the film.
Anyway, I have recently been using a different approach to writing. Before I would write a quick outline then dive in. Trying really hard to not do that now. Instead I have been knocking outlines, characters and background into good shape first. Sometimes this is a slog but in this case everything seems to be dropping into place nicely.
Something else that has changed. I used to try and keep the budget low. However the sad reality is that few speculative scripts get made. They are more a showcase.
Therefore I have split my scripts in two. Some are low budget and hopefully stand a chance of being made. Some are high budget and show what I can do without limitations. This horror falls into the second camp and I am loving working on it.
So now I have to discover whether all that work was actually useful or if I was just procrastinating. Time to write Draft 1.
