On Writing Horror

Austin Film Festival's On Story

Hello podcast listeners, I’m Barbara Morgan and you’re listening to Austin Film Festival’s On Story. This week on On Story, horror writers Akela Cooper and Owen Egerton discuss their love for the genre, setups and payoffs, emotional scares, and inspirational moments from classic horror films.

Akela Cooper is a television writer and producer whose work includes Hell Fest, American Horror Story; and Netflix’s Luke Cage. She began her career as the Writer’s Assistant on ‘Dexter’ and the Researcher on ‘Jericho.’ Following the programs, she landed her first staff writing job on the ABC series V. She then joined the NBC paranormal drama Grimm in 2012, as story editor and has since written for The 100 and Witches of East End, for which she also served as a co-producer. Cooper is currently set to write the next installment in James Wan’s Conjuring universe, Nun 2, produced by New Line.

Owen Egerton is the writer/director of Mercy Black, Follow, and Blood Fest as well as a novelist whose work includes Hollow, which was named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR. Working in both horror and comedy, Egerton's screenplays have landed on the Black List and the Blood List, and have earned him writing work for Warner Brothers, Disney, and Fox Studios.

Moderator Paul Alvarado-Dykstra spoke with Cooper & Egerton at the Austin Film Festival.