WRITING HORROR
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WHY WRITE HORROR?
Writers and filmmakers can use Horror to talk about all the things that interest them.
But they can do it in truly cinematic ways that have great creative potential and a prospect of communicating to big audiences. By making our fears concrete, Horror intensifies the visual and cinematic quality of stories, increasing their stakes, heightening their emotions and giving opportunities for strong audience engagement. This is because Horror embodies its ideas. Instead of gesturing towards rage, grief or fear, it features beings which are actually made from those emotions. The workshop will help you think through the genre in fresh and creative ways, opening up your work to new possibilities. WHAT THE WORKSHOP WILL DO
We'll look for new variations on the characters, scenarios and ideas which constitute the genre.
Some of the areas we'll cover: Emotions. A crucial element of all stories, but we'll look deeply into the specific ways that emotions work in the horror genre. The Uncanny. What is the exact nature of this idea, and how can we use it to best advantage? Taboos. Horror thrives on delving into socially forbidden and circumscribed areas. We'll look at how and why. Rites of Passage. Unpacking this concept gives writers in Horror a surprising cornucopia of ideas to work with. The Abject. A hugely powerful idea that lurks beneath the surface of just about every horror story. Humans Need Horror. At root, it seems we need the things that horror offers us. But why? we'll ponder some of the answers. We’ll watch stimulating clips illustrating the key ideas, inspiring you to come up with your own variations. And you’ll end the day with a sheaf of self-generated ideas to use in your original horror scripts. AFTER THE WORKSHOP - A FACEBOOK GROUP I'll organise a closed Facebook group after the workshop so that we can continue sharing information, clips and ideas, and let each other know about our projects. FEEDBACK FROM PREVIOUS STUDENTS
"Profound and detailed investigation into horror and storytelling. Very interesting and unusual take on the subject."
"The information provided and Ian's thoughts really opened my eyes ... brilliant, I am leaving with 6 or 7 workable ideas." "A great workshop, wonderful tutor, an enjoyable and insightful foray into the deep disturbances of the horror genre." "A very useful way to learn about key areas and current horror tropes." |
WHEN, WHERE AND HOW MUCH?
DATE AND TIME
Friday 13th June Registration - 10.00am Workshop - 10.15am - 5.30pm VENUE Prospect House 100 Rochester Row London SW1P 1JP (Close to London Victoria) CLICK HERE FOR A MAP EVENT CAPACITY: 15 STANDARD PRICE - £105
CONCESSIONARY PRICE: £95 Available to members of our affiliated organisations - the Society of Authors, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Women in Films and TV and Directors UK - as well as students and other concession holders BECTU MEMBERS PRICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS
Email Ian Long ABOUT IAN LONG
I'm a writer, script editor and story consultant. Recent writing projects include the psychological horror feature STARGAZER (to be released in 2025) and MALEDICTION, a folk-horror drama set in rural Italy, now in pre-production. I head Euroscript's Consultancy services and also teach workshops in Deep Narrative Design, Making and Breaking Patterns in Creating Fear in Films, Writing Speculative and Science Fiction, and Writing Horror. Email me for further information DISCLAIMER
By its nature, Horror wants to disturb us, unsettle us, and probe our deepest fears and taboos. For these reasons, the workshop will touch on challenging, sometimes extreme ideas, and some of the visual material will reflect this. |
