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Monster in the House: a Save the Cat!® Writes Horror Workshop
Start with an idea. Leave with all 15 beats and a killer pitch in this live Save the Cat! writing workshop, taught by Jamie Nash.
In this small-group intensive, you’ll turn a scary idea into a full Save the Cat!® beat sheet—tailored to horror’s signature engine: Monster • House • Sin.
We’ll use the “mad science” from our latest book, Save the Cat! Writes Horror, to sharpen suspense, escalate dread, and design a story that sticks in the mind long after the lights go out.
You’ll learn to:
- Crack a chilling logline and one-paragraph pitch.
- Design your Monster, House, and Sin (with subtypes and examples) to unleash the terror at the core of your story.
- Pin down your Final Girl/Guy, Goal, Obstacles, and Stakes.
- Choose your horror heartbeat—Slow Burn vs. Relentless—and build accordingly.
- Build memorable horror characters—from first-to-die victims to final girls and guys—while exploring how their flaws, choices, and arcs mirror deeper fears and social truths.
- Shape the Hero’s arc so theme and terror reinforce each other.
- Harness the mad science of turning Save the Cat!’s 15 beats into a horror story that builds tension, sharpens scares, and leaves your audience squirming.
Who’s this workshop for?
Screenwriters, novelists, and horrorhounds at any level. The beats apply whether you write for the screen or the page.
Format & Capacity
4 Zoom sessions · 2.5 hours each · Capped at 8 students for step-by-step, beat-by-beat guidance.
(Templates, case studies, and “scarecraft” tools included.)
Saturday, October 4, 2025: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM pacific
Sunday, October 5, 2025: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM pacific
Sunday, October 12, 2025: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM pacific
Sunday, October 19, 2025: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM pacific
You’ll leave with:
* A finished 15-beat outline of your Monster in the House story
* A polished logline & pitch paragraph
* A plan to draft scenes that build tension, sharpen scares, and pay off
Your instructor is Jamie Nash. Jamie is the author of Save the Cat! Writes Horror, Save the Cat!® Writes for TV, and the Save the Cat!® Beat Sheet Workbook. He has written and sold almost every type of story under the sun, including the horror films Exists, V/H/S/2, The Night Watchmen, Altered, and Lovely Molly, and the family films Santa Hunters and Tiny Christmas. He has written the Middle Grade novels Bunk! and The 44 Rules of Amateur Sleuthing and the sci-fi novel Nomad. Jamie knows what it’s like to make a living as a writer. When he’s not writing and selling work, he teaches screenwriting at Johns Hopkins University and MICA and co-hosts the podcast Writers/Blockbusters. Jamie lives in Maryland with his wife, son, and a talking dog.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Should you choose to cancel, a full refund will be given if a written cancellation notice sent by the registrant is received by Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC 10 days or more prior to the event.
2. Registrants canceling less than 10 days prior to the event will not receive a refund, but they will receive a $100 credit for a future Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC workshop or seminar.
3. Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC reserves the right to cancel an event at any time for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies and will give as much advance notice as possible. Should that occur, Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC will send the registrant a full refund. If Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC does cancel, it will not be liable for trip cancellation expenses, such as travel or hotel arrangements.
If you have any questions about the class, please contact [email protected].