Anatomy of a Horror

Horror has become the defining genre of our time. Great horror is a dark reflection of the world we live in and can tap into the primal fears and desires of the audience. In this three-hour workshop, writers will learn why audiences love to be afraid and what is the underlying meaning of our love of horror. We will analyze the structure of the horror story and study what has worked in the past by analyzing great works of horror literature and film and studying the masters of the genre: Poe, Shelley, Lovecraft, Stephen King, George Romero, and Clive Barker. This workshop will be useful for short story writers, novelists, and screenplay writers working in the horror genre. Students will be given short writing prompts to help refine their ideas and will respond to questions designed to strengthen their work.