“Scare the Cat” Story Beat Sheet for Horror Writers

During the drafting phase of Heart of Skulls, I struggled to equate Save the Cat to horror because it doesn’t entirely work for the horror genre. Somehow, I magically came across T.L. Bodine’s tumblr blog and his outline of a horror beat sheet. I made a basic diagram of the outline provided by T.L. Bodine.

While most horror novels and movies follow this outline, you can rework this to fit your story. For example, perhaps the monster isn’t a physical being, but something the protagonist most overcome—an internal monster, if you will. You do not have to follow this structure in order to write a successful horror novel either. Many horrors do not involve an actual monster, but a different story element entirely.

Good luck writing your horror novel!

XO,

Ashley