So, you’ve written a horror short screenplay and you’re thinking about entering it into the Killer Shorts Horror Short Screenplay Competition. Smart plan! I mean, where else can you win the opportunity to have literary managers reading your horror short screenplays, free subscriptions to Shudder’s horror streaming service, or a jury that includes horror legends like Barbara Crampton or Joe Bob Briggs? But before you smash that submit button and hand over your hard-earned cash, read these 10 Tips on Writing a Horror Short Screenplay that Doesn’t Suck.

1. PROOFREAD YOUR WORK

You would be shocked how many people enter contests with scripts that are riddled with typos. This is a major turn off to any reader. How can they immerse themselves in your story when you put “it’s” instead of “its”? It’s enough to drive a contest reader insane.

The solution is simple: Spellcheck. Use the spell checker provided with your screenwriting software. If you are prone to grammar mistakes as well, ask a trusted friend to check it over. Buy them a beer, or an Amazon gift card. Or use that Grammarly thing, it works pretty well and it’s free. But don’t feel bad about making mistakes – even professionals make typos.

2. KEEP IT SHORT

Seems obvious, right? Short films are supposed to be short! Therefore, short screenplays should also be short. Forget about backstory and character development. Save that for a feature. You want to get in and out fast. How short should it be? In my opinion, 12 pages or less. Think of it this way. Have you ever been to a film festival and watched a block of short films, and there’s like 3 or 4 shorts that are about 10 minutes each, and then there’s that one really artsy short film that’s about 35 minutes long? No? That’s because film festivals don’t program LONG short films! Yes, there are exceptions, but they are so rare just pretend I didn’t say that. Also, when it comes to horror shorts specifically, ideally you are giving us just a taste of a new monster or a new concept which has the potential for a feature film. Like loglines, you should be able to give us the gist of things quickly – if you need 35 minutes to win us over, you aren’t going to be successful. The page limit to enter Killer Shorts is 25 pages.

3. GIVE US SOMETHING NEW

This has been said so many times by so many people in the screenwriting world, you would think everyone knows it by now. But some people don’t, so let me repeat it here. GIVE US SOMETHING NEW! SURPRISE US! Whether that’s a zombie that eats cats (I hate cats, don’t you?) or a serial killer that only kills you if you – just spit-balling here! – use solar panels for electricity (damn, that’s a good idea, don’t steal that!) – readers want to read something they haven’t read before. Something that makes them go “oh, I’ve never seen that before. Yeah, I’d watch that!” These are the screenplays they remember. These are the screenplays that make it to the finals in contests. Whatever your idea is, make sure it hasn’t been done first, and if it has, find a way to make it different. Your new concept / idea should lend itself to just enough unique scenes to give you a killer short screenplay.

4. LIKABLE CHARACTERS

Just kidding! In short films, you don’t have time to really get to know the characters. In fact, it’s usually more about the monster or the concept itself. So, don’t worry about adding in a ‘save the cat’ moment (especially since cats would NOT do the same thing for you. They will kill you.) to make your protagonist likable. That’s not what we’re here for. We want to be disturbed.

5. UNIQUE LOCATIONS

This is similar to the ‘give us something new’ tip but it’s worth pointing out. Any time I read a script in a location I’ve never seen used on film before, I AM INTRIGUED. Introduce the reader to a new world they’ve never experienced! Did you grow up in the Amazon rainforest? Or perhaps a steel rod factory in Germany? How about an unexplored part of Antarctica? Has there been a horror movie set in an Amazon warehouse yet? No? Then get on that shit! Push yourself to be different and unique. Google up some unexplored locations around the world. Show us some place new.

6. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

This is a great way to come up with new ideas for horror screenplays. What scares you? You, specifically. Do you have a fear of drowning? A fear of heights? A fear of going broke and being homeless? A fear or criminals breaking into your house? A fear of chinchillas? Chances are, others share the same fears as you. Now think about a scary situation for you to be in. You can also Google different phobias and see if there’s one that hasn’t been explored on film yet.

7. FORMAT IT PROPERLY

Woa, captain obvious. I think everyone knows this one, right? Wrong. Some people submit screenplays that are not properly formatted to contests and that’s an instant disqualification. Do NOT submit pitch documents, look books, or a word document with janky formatting. Buy yourself some proper screenwriting software (Final Draft is a great choice!) and format it right. Ask others to check your formatting. Even if you aren’t submitting your script to a contest, even if you plan to make it yourself, it should be formatted correctly if you’re going to let anyone else read it. That includes any potential cast and crew that will be working with you to make this short film. Do you want them to think you’re an amateur?!

8. GET DISTURBING

Horror shorts don’t necessarily have to be scary or even have kills. But they should instill a sense of dread and make the audience / reader uncomfortable. Personally, I like to be grossed out with unique kills and very disgusting visuals, but that’s just me. The main goal is to make the reader feel something, and if it’s not dark and disturbing, you may need to rethink your genre.

9. END ON A TWIST

No predictable endings please. When you reach the half-way point in your horror short screenplay (ideally, around page 5 or 6), ask yourself this question: how will the reader expect this story to end? If that’s exactly what you have planned, scrap it! Remember, you want to surprise them. Readers and audiences alike have seen it all before. The best way to finish off your script is with a shocking twist right at the very end that leaves the reader going “Oh snap!” (or shitting their pants).

10. LOVE YOUR WORK

Be proud of what you’ve written. Get excited about it! If you aren’t excited about it, no one else will be. But that’s the great thing about writing short films – they don’t take very long. Don’t be precious about your words. If your script isn’t unique or check off all the boxes, trash it! Well, not literally. I mean put it in a folder labeled “Old Shit” and don’t look at it again until one day ten years from now when you’re desperate for new ideas. Then look back at your collection of lackluster scripts and mine them for potential nuggets of gold. Ideas that perhaps you didn’t execute well back then, but now you know you can knock it out of the park.

11. WATCH SHORT FILMS

Bonus tip! Watch horror short films. There are tons of horror shorts online. We recommend ALTER’s Youtube channel for a constant stream of award-winning horror short films, but you can also find them by simply searching “award winning horror short”. Go on Shudder, or check out some of the other articles on the Killer Shorts website. Dissect them. What makes them good? What would you do differently? What’s the common thread with some of your favorites? Get inspired, then go write your own.

I hope these tips have you excited to write (or rewrite) your next horror short screenplay. When it’s ready, we’d love for you to submit it to the Killer Shorts contest. We’re looking for fresh voices in horror, and it could be yours. If you need any help with screenwriting in general, the Script Hive is a helpful community you should definitely join.