Top 8 Horror Movies for Dreaming Horror Screenwriters

Last updated on January 22nd, 2014 at 10:49 pm

There are many options to becoming a horror or science fiction writer.  When you think of the great horror screenplays that were made into films, who do you think of?

Here’s my Top 8 Horror Movies for Horror Screenwriters –

1. Dawn of the Dead – 1978, Written and Directed by George A. Romero

2. Halloween – 1978, Directed by John Carpenter

3. Night of the living Dead – 1968, Directed by Dean Lachiusa & George Romero

4. Psycho – 1960, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

5. The Shining – 1980, Directed by Stanley Kubrick

6. Nightmare on Elm Street – 1984, Directed by Wes Craven

7. Friday the 13th – 1980, Directed by Sean S. Cunningham

8. The Exorcist – 1973, Directed by William Friedkin

I have read that you don’t need any special schooling to be a screenwriter. Film schools usually offer screenwriting classes – if we feel we need training.

Like me, if you are dreaming of becoming a horror or science fiction writer and you are just starting out, you might want to stop by the website Critters Workshop. It’s an on-line workshop/critique group for serious Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror writers — sort of an online creative writing course.

The local colleges here in Northern California offer screenwriting classes. The Santa Rosa Junior College offers a basic screenwriting class, while Sonoma State University offers classes through their Communications Studies program. They even have a local screenwriters chapter with their own Facebook page, called Northern California Screenwriters.

I believe the most important skill to being a great writer of any genre is to read, read, read.

Then test the waters by submitting short horror or science fiction stories to the most popular genre magazines. David Barnett, a horror screenwriter says that his writing process for horror films is a grueling process.

Do you think you could handle that process? It’s certainly something to think about when you are dreaming your big dream – do I have what it takes?

In the meantime I’ll be over here writing about blood, guts and what’s for dinner . . .

Dawnda’s dream is to be a published science fiction author she left 8 Women Dream in 2009.