#29: Horror Genre Conventions

In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the horror genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie Halloween. Here's a preview of what's included:

[01:25] What makes the horror genre unique? In horror novels, bad things happen to good people. There are life and death stakes, a monster intent on death and destruction, claustrophobic settings, and a major fight for survival.
[02:35] Readers choose horror novels because they want to feel the thrill and the terror of being in a life and death situation without actually being in danger in real life. And like all genre fiction, you have to deliver the emotional experience readers are looking for in order for your story to work.
[03:15] Genre conventions are the character roles, settings, and events that are specific to a genre. They’re what help us writers write a story that works AND evoke emotional reactions in our readers.
[04:40] #1 - A monster (or antagonist) that can't be reasoned with.
[05:50] #2 - The monster (or antagonist) is VERY strong or powerful.
[06:50] #3 - There’s some kind of sin or past mistake that the protagonist (or the world) is being punished for.
[08:00] #4 - The settings feel very claustrophobic.
[08:45] #5 - There are multiple lives at stake (including your protagonist's).
[09:25] #6 - The monster(or antagonist) stays hidden as long as possible.
[10:30] #7 - There’s at least one shapeshifter character.
[11:00] #8 - A ticking clock or some kind of deadline by which the protagonist has to stop the monster (or antagonist).
[11:45] #9 - A speech in praise of the monster (or antagonist).
[13:10] #10 - A false ending (and a sense that evil still lurks).
[15:35] Key points and episode recap.

Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts!

If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode Freebie: Horror Genre Conventions PDF Cheat Sheet
• Horror Obligatory Scenes: The 6 Scenes Every Horror Novel Needs (article)

👉 Click here to get access to the FREE limited-episode podcast series "Write Your Book In 2025." Learn the 3 things you need to write your book in 2025, how to silence your inner critic so you can write confidently, practical strategies for finding time to write (even when life's busy), and my clear roadmap from idea to finished draft.

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.