Horror Story Formulae

Copyright 2009 by Gary L. Pullman

I. General Horror Formula

1. A series of bizarre, seemingly unrelated incidents occurs.
2. The protagonist (and, sometimes, his or her friends or associates) discover the cause of the incidents (often, it is a monster).
3. Using their newfound knowledge, they end the bizarre incidents (perhaps by killing the monster).

Examples: It, Summer of Night, The Exorcist

II. Specific Horror Authors’ Formulae

H. G. Wells

1. An ordinary man lives an ordinary life.
2. He is confronted by extraordinary circumstances.
3. He has trouble fitting back into an ordinary life.

Examples: The Invisible Man, The Island of Dr. Moreau

Edgar Allan Poe (1)

1. A man and a woman fall in love.
2. The woman dies.
3. The grieving man seeks to survive the woman’s death.

Examples: “Annabelle Lee,” The Raven

Edgar Allan Poe (2)

1. A villain insults the protagonist or the protagonist’s beloved.
2. The protagonist executes revenge.
3. The protagonist and/or the protagonist and his beloved escape.

Examples: “Hop-Frog,” “The Cask of the Amontillado” Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (3)

1. A madman becomes obsessed with another person.
2. The madman kills the other person or violates him or her in some way.
3. The madman succumbs to his madness.

Examples: “Berenice,” “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Stephen King

1. A fairy tale is reduced to its basic narrative elements.
2. The fairy tale’s conflict symbolizes a contemporary issue or concern (theme).
3. The fairy tale is retold in contemporary terms, in a small-town setting.

Examples: Carrie, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Misery

Dean Koontz

1. A guy meets a girl.
2. The couple encounters a force that tries to kill them.
3. The couple, surviving, fall in love.

Gary Pullman

1. Neglected or abused children face a common threat.
2. As a team, they fight their common threat.
3. They overcome the threat and become friends.

Examples: Saturday’s Child, Mystic Mansion, Revelation Point, Wild Wicca Woman

III. Christian Formulae

Christian (1)

1. People enjoy paradise.
2. Paradise is invaded, or the people give in to temptation.
3. Paradise is corrupted or destroyed or the people are exiled from it.

Example: Adam and Eve

Christian (2a)

1. People displease God.
2. God warns the people to repent.
3. When the people refuse to repent, God destroys them.

Example: Noah and the ark; the curses against pharaoh and the Egyptians

Christian (2b)

1. People displease God.
2. God warns the people to repent.
3. When the people refuse to repent, God curses them, and they suffer the consequences of the curse.

Example: Moses and the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness

Christian (3)

1. A people is oppressed by a tyrant.
2. God elects a leader to rescue them.
3. The people are rescued from the tyrant.

Example: Exodus

Christian (4)

1. God promises a people that it shall have a land in which to build a nation.
2. Through leaders, God seizes the land from its inhabitants.
3. The people occupy the land and build a nation.

Examples: Judges and Kings

Christian (5a)

1. A chosen one is called to undertake a mission.
2. The chosen one performs the mission.
3. The fortunes of a tribe, a nation, or the human race is improved.

Example: Moses, David, Israel, church

Christian (5b)

1. God promises a Messiah.
2. The Messiah arrives, performing his ministry.
3. The Messiah redeems humanity.

Example: Jesus Christ

IV. Another Formula

Hans Christian Andersen

1. A character is rejected by his or her peers or community.
2. The character accomplishes a great deed on behalf of his peers or community.
3. The character is accepted with praise by his peers or community.

Examples: "The Ugly Duckling," "The Littlest Christmas Tree," Revelation Point