Stay Outta Them Woods
YOUNG ADULT SUSPENSE/THRILLER HORROR APOCALYPTIC CRIME
2000s
Jared and Janna Rhodes
Submision Type
book
Logline
Twins Rory and Rachel have grown up being told to stay out of the forest that surrounds their small Georgia town of Chaytonville. They find mysterious people wearing animal costumes, and when their friend gets kidnapped by these people, they must solve the mystery that their tiny town holds.
Genre
Young Adult,Suspense/Thriller,Horror,Apocalyptic,Crime
Short Summary
A pregnant woman is pursued by shadowy figures. She faces down two men, one dressed as a wolf and the other as a falcon. The wolf-man shoots the falcon in the face, and sends the woman away. We see Rory being told to follow the rules by his Nanny, and Rachel having cryptic dreams of a freaky party.
Setting
Small Southern Town in Georgia
Based on a True Story
No
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Twist,Meaningful Message
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Main Character Details
Name: Rory Wilson
Age: 17
Gender: Other
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Adventurous,Narcisstic,Confident,Charming,Funny,Manipulative,Heartthrob,Leader,Unapologetic,Outspoken,Blunt
Additional Character Details
Name: Rachel Wilson
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Charming,Clumsy,Empathetic,Educated,Insecure,Obedient,Blunt,Selfless,Gracious,Outspoken,Funny,Seductive,Lone Wolf
Additional Character Details
Name: The Falcon Richard Wilson
Age: 65
Gender: Female
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Decisive,Confident,Complex,Narcisstic,Religious,Blunt,Unapologetic,Aspiring,Villainous,Power Hungry,Visionary,Secretive,Seductive,Leader,Desperate,Crazy,Criminal
Additional Character Details
Name: Millie Barnes
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Role: mentor
Key Traits: Aspiring,Badass,Adventurous,Charming,Aggressive,Empathetic,Engaging,Lone Wolf,Funny,Skillful,Faithful,Gracious,Heroic,Blunt
Genre
SUSPENSE, THRILLER
Brief
A small town made one rule for its citizens: Don't let anyone into the woods. However, some people, including the twins Rory and Rachel, break this rule and end up going to a party, finding there several people wearing animal costumes there. One of their friends is kidnapped by the group, and they end up getting involved in an investigation that leads to the mystery: The twins' father, taken by a supernatural force, became the group's leader and commanded rituals that murder people. They will then have to go against their father to end this criminal group.
Overall Rating
FAIR
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: FAIR
Characterization: FAIR
Commerciality: FAIR
Franchise Potential: FAIR
Pace: GOOD
Premise: FAIR
Structure: GOOD
Theme: FAIR
Accuracy of Book Profile
It is accurate.
Draw of Story
The beginning of the book goes straight to the point, which is great for the story. We follow a scene from the past that already gives us an idea of how dangerous this group of people is. Then, already in the present time, we see how Rory and Rachel's grandmother try to keep them away from the woods and the mystery surrounding their family. It's an excellent start to get the audience excited.
Possible Drawbacks
The story ends up being a little predictable since we know the mystery and that the father of the twins is involved in the story from the beginning. So that takes some of the excitement out of finding out more about this group of people. Although that beginning in flashback is important to the story, it would be interesting to keep some surprises generated by the plot twists.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The curiosity to know who this group of animal-men is and how this secret society works would be the hook. The animal group itself ends up becoming more interesting than the city's community, precisely because of its strangeness.
Fanbase Potential
The group of criminals has a weird look, capable of catching the audience's attention, especially thriller fans. However, the narrative itself ends up becoming a little too predictable to attract a larger audience.
Awards Potential
It could win awards in more technical categories due to the positive appeal in terms of customs and setting, but regarding narrative, it would need a little more development to achieve the main categories.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
THE GREEN INFERNO: A GROUP OF CANNIBALS THAT LIVE IN THE FOREST CAPTURE TOURISTS. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT: A GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE FILMING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE LEGEND OF THE WITCH WHO LIVES IN THE FOREST, WHEN THEY BEGIN TO BE TORMENTED "BY HER."
What’s New About the Story
The group of men who dress up as animals and have a hierarchy of power within their own group is original and interesting.
Lead Characters
The twins are characters with their own voices and unique personalities. As shy as Rachel is, she has the courage to face problems and is not afraid to speak her mind. On the other hand, Rory has a slightly more aggressive stance but is still likable. The other characters are also distinct from each other, but have a little less prominence in terms of character development.
Uniqueness of Story
Despite having original characteristics and managing to create a suspenseful atmosphere, we have seen similar films before with similar plots in which a group of people threatens the residents of a city. A solution to this issue would be to focus a little more on the antagonists and show more deeply the rules of their universe.
Possible Formats
Film: Indie, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
WORK IN PROGRESS
Justification
The writer knows how to create suspense and uses familiar tropes of the genre, but the film ends up falling into a well-known narrative, of residents of a city fighting a common threat. As much as the writer has managed to create good dialogue and a structure that efficiently pushes the plot forward, the story seems unsurprising when we have the final reveal.
Tips for Improvement
The story has a thought-provoking beginning and makes us want to keep reading, and when we meet the twins and learn about the rule of never going to the woods, we are intrigued about the dangers they will face throughout the story. However, when they discover the group of people who live in the woods, the story loses strength, and we fall into a loop. Sometimes they try to find out who the masked men are, and sometimes they need to convince the police to help them, which ends up being repetitive. The group of animal men could be further explored in the plot. In addition to a very interesting visual, they have an even more significant appeal than the own protagonists in this story. We see them interacting at the beginning of the book, and we manage to find out a little about their relationships, but right after, the story's point of view falls on the twins, and we miss the chance to delve deeper into that group of masked men. The surprise factor at the end is not very surprising, which takes some of the excitement out of the final pages. It is already kind of clear, from the first pages, that the new Falcon is the father of the twins, and when this is presented at the end, after a long time of investigation, the revelation doesn't shock us. It would be interesting to have false leads throughout the story so that we can actually be curious about Falcon and be surprised by the answer. Since the antagonists wear masks, this would be a key point for us to keep the audience's attention throughout the story.