Book by Devin Watson

Reviewed by Rob McKinnon

Having worked in various media formats, including feature film, for many years since graduating from Boston University's film school, I've read a seemingly endless number of books on writing for the screen. (I like to keep up.) Some of these books have been exceptionally useful, but most were a rehash of much of what I'd read before, or, at worst, a lengthy belaboring of the obvious. Some were overcomplicating the process, in my opinion, while others pushed rigid formulae and creatively confining rules on the writer. In all fairness, however, I usually found at least one or two useful ideas in almost any one of them. So, when asked if I would be interested in reading yet another book on writing to comment on for Indie Slate, I said "yes."

I said "yes" because, first of all, I like the publishers of Indie Slate, and the book is entitled, "Horror Screenwriting:  The Nature of Fear," home territory for  me. The book's author is Devin Watson, whose first produced feature script was The Cursed. Honestly, my expectation level wasn't particularly high simply because of so many disappointing previous experiences with books on writing. How delightful to be able to report, however, that this is a wonderful book on writing. You'll feel like you’re having a drink or dinner with a good friend who just happens to be a very intelligent and experienced horror writer. The rapport I felt with Watson was almost immediate, as his early recollections of how he came to his interest in horror resonated so positively with my own.

As the book progresses, one is shown solid examples of how and why horror writing works, presented in pithy, economical, and clearly understandable terms. There is absolutely no academic pretension in this work. As an experienced and talented horror screenwriter himself, Watson eschews rigid formulae and rules and takes the reader, whether student or working professional, right to the real world experience of writing for the screen. Somehow, he also made me feel very good about what we as horror writers do (for a living?). Devin Watson's excellent book has inspired me to rethink and clear out some of the notions about writing which inhabit my mind and to really enjoy the process. If you are at all serious about writing horror or any genre of screenplays or simply want to gain insight into the process, this is a fun as well as a must read.