History SoYouWantTo / WriteASlasherHorrorStory

* The original ''Film/{{Halloween 1978}}'' is frequently regarded as one of the two {{Trope Codifier}}s for most modern slasher movies. Be warned when watching it; not only is it less gory and visceral than most slasher movies which have followed it, including its own sequels (like ''TCM'', it relies more on suspense than gore -- the killer doesn't even kill very many people throughout), the fact that most of the tropes it popularised were later shamelessly ripped off may result in SeinfeldIsUnfunny syndrome. Its killer, Michael Myers, is the first of the "Big Three" slasher killers. Was [[Film/{{Halloween 2007}} remade]] by Music/RobZombie in 2007, with [[Film/HalloweenII2009 a sequel]] (also made by Zombie) following two years later; his vision of the film falls very squarely into polarizing territory.

* Does the FinalGirl have to be a virginal and innocent young teenage girl? Perhaps she could be one of the more 'experienced' or 'naughty' girls instead. Or perhaps the survivor could be a guy. Or there could be more than one survivor...

* Lots of slasher horror stories seem to use DeathBySex; the victims are often killed shortly after or even during an act of sexual intercourse, with the survivor at the end often being a virgin (or at the least, someone who avoided 'temptation' throughout the film); the perception is that the characters are being 'punished' for having sex. These days, this is usually seen as being a bit outdated and formulaic, and may also be accused of having UnfortunateImplications, particularly if [[MyGirlIsNotASlut the victims are women]]. See below for possible ways to subvert this.

* ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', made by ''Nightmare'' director Creator/WesCraven, takes the GenreSavvy approach to slasher horror, with plenty of LampshadeHanging, and turns several of the more common tropes on their heads, as well as featuring ''two'' killers rather than just one. It is actually quite genuinely scary at times, particularly in the opening scene. Its success wound up [[PopularityPolynomial reviving the slasher genre]] after years of being viewed as trite and cliche, as well as starting a [[PostModernism Post Modernist]] wave in horror. For tropers, the sheer quantity of horror tropes that get lampshaded, subverted and otherwise played with is by itself reason to see this film. It has had four sequels.

* ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' is the other TropeCodifier for the genre, spawning a long list of sequels of varying quality. [[Film/FridayThe13th1980 The first]], [[Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter fourth]] and [[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIJasonLives sixth]] movies are often held up as series highlights, ''Film/JasonX'' is usually viewed as SoBadItsGood, and the [[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIIIJasonTakesManhattan eighth]] and [[Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday ninth]] movies are usually treated as a DorkAge for the franchise. Introduced the second of the "Big Three" slasher icons: Jason Voorhees. Was [[Film/FridayThe13th2009 rebooted]] in 2009.

* The amount of survivors: How many main characters will survive it to the end? This can vary from [[KillEmAll all of them plus the killer ending up dead]] to just one or two meeting their demise. Note that the survivors don't necessarily have to come out unharmed.

* When a killer has the theme of [[RubeGoldbergHatesYourGuts Rube Goldberg deathtraps]], or generally killing each victim in a unique way, they run the risk of breaking the audience's WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief if it gets too cartoony or ridiculous. At least, this should be avoided if you want realism[[note]]in the "this could potentially happen to you" sense[[/note]], though a few films knowingly turn the above UpToEleven (most notably ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'') and draw audiences by promising [[SadistShow creative kill showcases]].

* Most (American) slasher casts are either all-white and all-heterosexual, possibly with a TokenMinority or two. Why not have an all-Black cast or have the film be set in the LGBTQ community?

* Most slasher killers are antagonists, with the FinalGirl being the protagonist. But some slashers, such as ''Film/{{Savaged}}'', have the killer as the ''protagonist'' instead, hunting down each of the people who wronged him or her in RoaringRampageOfRevenge fashion. Since most slasher killers are in no way sympathetic at all (they murder people in horrific fashions, after all), sympathy often has to be derived from having the victims do something ''horrible'' to the killer.

* A SerialKiller: Though it may come as a shock, slasher stories do generally need someone to do the slashing.

* Related to the above, DevelopingDoomedCharacters is a common problem with this genre; you have to establish ''some'' connection with the characters before you have your serial killer start butchering them, and a bit of teasing and tension is always good to get your audience in the mood -- however, if you wait too long to start the action, or if you make your characters too hard-to-like or cliched / formulaic, then the audience is going to spend this time not caught up in the character dramas and interplays between these characters but instead anxiously (and, depending on just how insufferable they are, possibly eagerly) [[EightDeadlyWords awaiting the arrival of the killer]] and start of the killing spree. You don't want to bore or frustrate your audience.

* Make sure you have a couple of TokenMinority characters, but try not to have too many, as then your audience might begin to wonder [[UnfortunateImplications how you feel about them]].

* ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', made by ''Nightmare'' director Creator/WesCraven, takes the GenreSavvy approach to slasher horror, with plenty of LampshadeHanging, and turns several of the more common tropes on their heads, as well as featuring ''two'' killers rather than just one. It is actually quite genuinely scary at times, particularly in the opening scene. Its success wound up [[PopularityPolynomial reviving the slasher genre]] after years of being viewed as trite and cliche, as well as starting a [[PostModernism Post Modernist]] wave in horror. For tropers, the sheer quantity of horror tropes that get lampshaded, subverted and otherwise played with is by itself reason to see this film. It has had three sequels.

* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' put a supernatural twist on the genre. The killer is a former child predator named Freddy Krueger (the last of the "Big Three" slashers) who was [[PaedoHunt murdered by local parents]] in an act of vigilante justice, and now stalks his teenage victims through their dreams as [[SinsOfOurFathers revenge against their parents]]. The original and ''Film/WesCravensNewNightmare'' are usually regarded as the scariest in the series, with most of the other movies moving further into [[SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror horror-comedy territory]] by turning Freddy into a more FauxAffablyEvil character. That is, with the exception of the second movie, ''[[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreetPart2FreddysRevenge Freddy's Revenge]]'', which is known primarily for having [[ReadingsAreOffTheScale off-the-charts]] levels of [[HomoeroticSubtext gay subtext]] that would make [[Series/{{Supernatural}} Sam and Dean Winchester]] blush. The original was [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet2010 remade in 2010]], to the disappointment of many.

* There are two common and popular alternatives for slasher movie settings; either an isolated, creepy out-of-the-way place (often some kind of shack or collection of shacks; see the {{summer camp|y}} setting of ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'', or the out-of-the-way hovel in ''Franchise/TheTexasChainsawMassacre'') surrounded by forests and scrub land, or an urban location that the audience would be expected to be familiar with presented in a creepy, sinister fashion ({{suburbia}} in ''Franchise/{{Halloween}}''; the high school prom in ''Film/PromNight1980''). The former generally allows you to stress the isolation of the characters -- if anyone is coming to the rescue, it's going to be a while before they get there, meaning the characters have to survive as long as possible before help arrives. It also generally allows you to present as the bad guys (or at least antagonists) the kind of [[HillbillyHorrors grotesque, in-bred, physically repellent and psychotic hillbillies and hicks]] that this genre seems to adore. The latter allows you to spook the audience out by presenting something that they'd recognise and be comfortable with as a horrifying place of terrors. Of course, the latter is usually less isolated, presenting something of a pitfall in that the audience may question why the characters don't just call the police and let them handle it; this is usually resolved (not entirely satisfactorily at times) by making the police [[PoliceAreUseless useless and incompetent blunderers]] who are usually [[RedshirtArmy way outmatched by one killer]] and thus end up as blade fodder. Or [[PlotDrivenBreakdown there is simply no way left to call them.]]

* For the killer, knives and other stabby things. The more elaborate forms of death you devise will require yet more elaborate contraptions to pull them off.

* Is it necessary for the slasher to be human? In some cases, it can be brought by [[CosmicHorrorReveal supernatural causes]], ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' is a good example of a CosmicHorrorStory disguised as a slasher film. Alternatively, the slasher could be an animalistic beast which hunts by [[SuspiciouslyStealthyPredator flanking from dark areas]], [[SuperPersistentPredator pursuing its preys continuously]] and picking its preys off one by one. The Xenomorph in the first ''Film/{{Alien}}'' film is essentially a slasher killer in the form of an animalistic alien creature.

* Is it necessary for the slasher to be human? In some cases, it can be brought by [[CosmicHorrorReveal supernatural causes]], ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' is a good example of a CosmicHorrorStory disguised as a slasher film. Alternatively, the slasher could be an animalistic beast which hunts by [[SuspiciouslyStealthyPredator flanking from dark areas]], [[SuperPersistantPredator pursuing its preys continuously]] and picking its preys off one by one. The Xenomorph in the first ''Film/{{Alien}}'' film is essentially a slasher killer in the form of an animalistic alien creature.

* Is it necessary for the slasher to be human? In some cases, it can be brought by [[CosmicHorrorReveal supernatural causes]], ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' is a good example of a CosmicHorrorStory disguised as a slasher film.