all horror at some point devolves into a battle for survival. If the battle for survival never comes

about, maybe it's not horror. And that battle for survival, it doesn't necessarily have to be whether

you live or die. It could be your identity is taken away or something like that. It's something

primal, though. It's not metaphorical. It's not like,

and then I lost myself to marriage or something. You know, it's definitely something primal. But I think

all horror, by the end of it, becomes a battle for survival.

Welcome to the fiction writing made easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo, and I'm here to help you

write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be

overwhelming. So each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and

step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you're brand

new to writing or more of a seasoned author

looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started.

In today's episode, we're diving into what it takes to write a horror story that truly works.

And I couldn't be more excited to have Jamie Nash joining me today. Jamie is a season screenwriter, novelist,

and the author of the brand new book Save the Cat Writes Horror, which honestly I am completely

obsessed with. In this episode, Jamie breaks down the three key ingredients every horror story needs,

how the Save the Cat Beats show up in the horror genre, and my personal favorite how to figure

out where your

story lands on what Jamie calls the dreadometer. It's such a fun and fascinating concept and I can't

wait for you to hear all about it. So without further ado, let's dive right into my conversation with

Jamie Nash. So, you know, at heart, I'm a screenwriter. That's, that's really what I am. And I mostly have

written horror screenplays. I've, I've written a couple horror novels as well. But for the

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