Overview:
A deep-dive interview with horror writer and screenwriter Frédéric Morin, exploring how childhood frights, classic authors, and mythical creatures shaped his four-decade career in horror and suspense storytelling.
By William Barber
From Script to Screen
Horror novels and films tell stories based on scripts. However, the stories of the individuals writing those scripts often get overlooked.
Frédéric Morin has written several short stories in the horror and suspense genres, as well as a movie script and novel. The journey behind Morin’s success — and how horror authors and films shaped him — is a story of its own.
Authors That Inspire
Speaking to Presence News, Morin shared that two authors sparked his early fascination with mysteries and the macabre.
“I read my first Agatha Christie book when I was twelve years old, and then one of my cousins talked to me about Howard Phillips Lovecraft,” he said. “That’s what inspired me.”
Werewolves to Witches
Morin also recalled being traumatized by a film at age 12.
“It was a werewolf movie,” he said. “There was a channel when I was a kid that would broadcast horror movies in the middle of the day.”
Those early frights would eventually influence his voice as a writer — especially when he discovered another creature that helped him break through.
“When I was in college, I won a writing contest for a short story about witches,” he said. “I’ve always been fascinated by witches; I went to Salem in 2011; I loved it.”
An Exorcism Leads to Inspiration
Like many horror fans, Morin was also shaken by a childhood viewing of The Exorcist (1973). But instead of turning him away from horror, it fueled him.
“Normally, if something traumatizes someone, they would want to avoid it, but The Exorcist traumatized me, but fascinated me at the same time,” Morin told Presence News.
That fascination led him to write a movie script that received industry recognition — including quarter-finalist placement in the Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Screenplay Competition in Los Angeles and a Rising Star Award at the Canada International Film Festival.
Nightmares Become Dreams
While many horror films rely on realism, Morin is drawn to a different style — fantasy-based horror rooted in dream logic.
“What I like about A Nightmare on Elm Street is the killer is not in reality,” he said. “If you take Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers, they live in reality; I want my killer to live in another world.”
Storyteller
Morin expanded his horror storytelling with Her Highness of Horrors.
“It’s a short story; there are seven characters that are all killed as a sacrifice for the birthday of one of the witches,” he said. “It’s a very gory short story, but there is a lot of action.”
Words of Advice
For rising writers, Morin’s guidance is refreshingly simple:
“Be sure to write what you want. Don’t think about what others may think.”
About Frédéric Morin
Frédéric Morin is a writer, translator, proofreader, and screenwriter. He has been writing for 41 years. Originally from Quebec City, he now resides in Montreal.
For more information about his work, visit:
👉 fredericmorin.ca
Source
William Barber Interview with Frédéric Morin — November 14, 2025.
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