Well, it’s another Tuesday and I’m thinking about my writing–what else is new, right?! The last two weeks, I posted about how writers get their ideas for horror stories. Sometimes we all have a great idea, but we aren’t sure how to get from point A to point B. Lately I’ve been stuck in a rut with my ideas, so I’ve taken to watching a few good shows and movies to help me. More and more I watch with a critical eye, rather than just enjoy the film. I want to learn more about writing and what really makes a good story. Of course I lean toward horror, but I’ve also taken a lot away from some fantastic dramas and thrillers.
So, what have I been watching?
This has to be one of the smartest shows on TV. I mean, it’s got it all: a tough female lead character, government secrets, hit men, romance, and a single thread that ties the whole thing together–command. This is how a good series should be written!
My husband loved this series, so I figured I’d give it a watch. Only 7 seasons long, this show had a great run. I did find some of the episodes to be lacking and one season in particular wasn’t even necessary to move the story along, but this is what I see in book series. Some books could have been melded with another, rather than be filler.
Faith loves Frankenstein, I love Dracula. This one was kind of meh for me. Sure it had an extremely H-O-T leading actor, but really the rest was just darkness. The final fight scene was very well done, but I would have liked to see a little more of the monster in the cave.
See, even watching TV helps to make a better writer. Just don’t make watching something an excuse to not write. You still need butt in chair time! Have any of you watched movies or TV series to get ideas? I’d love to hear how you get writing your horror stories, so leave a comment. Remember, we all learn from each other!
Kathy Palm
Sometimes my ideas come from my own problems, like how perfectionism can go wrong or OCD can take a dark turn. But mostly I get ideas from the unknown… what lurks in the shadows. I love demons and ghosts. And TV and movies can certainly trigger ideas. The BBC show Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is really making my brain spin, it’s weird and crazy and AH! I love shows with unforgettable images, things I haven’t seen before.
Amy Giuffrida
Kathy PalmLike a certain movie I’m about to watch?! Lol!
Kathy Palm
Amy GiuffridaYup. That.
thegrapesoda
I like to take real-life situations and play the “But wouldn’t it be messed up if…” game.
For instance: A film student searches her city for a story to tell and finds a homeless man with a beautiful singing voice…but wouldn’t it be messed up if the guy never actually STOPS singing, and never eats, drinks, sleeps, or speaks? Why not? How does the film student react to this? What’s REALLY going on?
So yeah. It’s fun to see how far I can push things without getting silly or campy. But sometimes it’s fun to write the silly and campy things down too 😀
Amy Giuffrida
thegrapesodaLove this idea! It is definitely a great way to create some good horror! I don’t know if you’re a Buffy fan, but there was an episode where the devil sang and Dawn couldn’t stop dancing–it was his version of torture. Totally freaky idea!
Faith McKay
I watch stuff for story reasons ALL THE TIME. Often to help get me in the mood (to write Lipstick & Zombies I would watch Shaun of the Dead, Spice World, Zombieland, Legally Blonde, and Pitch Perfect a lot).
I love Weeds! It feels to me like a serial instead of a series. That’s kind of jenji kohan’s style, I think (she also did Orange is the New Black). I have this serial I’m working on called Brody Undead, and I watched a lot of Weeds (it takes place in the suburbs) and The Addams Family and The Munsters… I love the pilot for Mockingbird Lane, which they didn’t move forward with, sadly. It was a really great pilot.
I’m sorry Dracula was meh. I was thinking about watching that, too, but I think I’m going to try out It Follows.
And hey, look! I’m mentioned in your post! I’m like a celebrity!
Kathy Palm
Faith McKayYou are a celebrity! *fangirls*
Amy Giuffrida
Faith McKayYou are soooo famous, I just had to make sure everyone knows that I know you;) xoxo!!!