Coverfly writer Chris Hicks has forged a new pathway for horror writers into the entertainment industry. He leveraged social media with his unique voice and excellent storytelling skills into an unconventional journey as a writer.
Chris’ relationship with Coverfly led him to a manager who helped him develop his stories and get his writing in front of the right people. As a result, he recently sold his short story to Netflix in a massive bidding war.
From Viral Reddit Horror Story to Hollywood Bidding Wars
After his script was tapped for the 2020 Fresh Blood Selects, Chris posted his story “My Sleep Paralysis Demon is Actually A Pretty Chill Guy" to the Reddit community r/NoSleep where it was voted Scariest Story of the Year. In 2021, Chris connected with Coverfly via a Twitter mentorship initiative, and was selected to participate in 2021 Pitch Week, where he was connected with Peter Katz at Story Driven.
“When I was selected to Coverfly's Mentorship Program, Coverfly helped me refine my profile and bio, prepped me for my calls, and set up the introduction that led me to signing with my manager.”
Chris and Peter worked together to develop scripts and short stories, and in 2022, Chris sold his short story "All You Can Eat" to Wonder Worldwide, which is adapting the story into a feature film with Big Light Productions. That same year, he was named a quarterfinalist for the Academy Nicholl Fellowship with his script "The Butter Street Hitchhiker". Shortly after, Chris signed with literary agency Verve, and in the same month, he sold I Am Not Alone to Netflix after a 5-studio bidding war. Misha Greene is attached to write and direct, with Jessica Chastain starring, and Simon Kinberg producing.
Listen to the Final Draft podcast to hear Chris talk about the massive sale.
How Chris Hicks Leveraged His Short Story to Achieve Success
Chris recently sat down with horror master (and fellow Redditor) C. Robert Cargill to discuss how he leveraged his viral short story from r/NoSleep into a sustainable career, what it means to have a “personal” horror, and how the writing process differs for writing short stories vs screenplays.
C. Robert Cargill is a co-founder of Crooked Highway, the Clarke Award-shortlisted author of SEA OF RUST, and such books as DAY ZERO, DREAMS AND SHADOWS, and WE ARE WHERE THE NIGHTMARES GO, as well as the co-writer of such films as SINISTER, Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE, and THE BLACK PHONE. Cargill got his start as a film critic before using his love for writing fiction to transition into screenwriting full time with his frequent writing partner Scott Derrikson. The two are currently collaborating on a sequel to the 2022 hit THE BLACK PHONE.
Check out their conversation in the video below:
The lesson? There’s no one way to make it — find what you like and what you’re good at, and keep at it. Also, get your work out there in any way you can.
