Fifty Horror Clichés That Need to Die in a Fire

#37: Killers Escaping Out of Prison

  Okay, what the heck is wrong with the judicial system in most horror stories that allows the killer to escape out of prison so easily?  Are the regular criminals in these stories just more lax than the main antagonist, making the security systems in these prisons a lot more lackluster than in real life?  Is there no high security prisons available in these fictional worlds due to some type of dumb tax cut?  Also, where is the logic in the police to let so many serial killers escape so easily in these alternate universes?  Do they just not pay attention to the security cameras enough and allow slip up after slip up to occur so escapes are much more common place?  All these questions, and many more concerning the justice system in horror fiction are just the tip of a huge cliché, plot hole filled issue plaguing the genre.

  When it comes to the mindset of most horror writers today, they tend to focus on creating a book series versus a stand alone book.  This is kind of understandable considering that if the first book is profitable, then releasing its sequel and any other follow up books in the same universe will be profitable as well.  Because of this, authors need to find a way to make sure the same antagonistic threat from the first book is still present so the tension the audience felt the first time can be revisited in the sequel.  Some authors decide on the creative route of crafting antagonistic threats connected to the original killer, usually in the form of some cult or siblings of the killer.  In this route, the main threat from the first book can more realistically stay in jail, closing the chapter on their story while smartly continuing on the aftereffects their legacy had on others.  Most authors though decide to just bring the original killer back to repeat the same plot formula as the last novel, creating unrealistic cracks in the justice system that allows the antagonist to rein terror once again by escaping prison without much effort.  The result is genuine sequelitis, and a growing problem in the horror genre that makes the stakes in the story all the less impactful.

  If a horror writer so badly wants to bring back the original antagonistic threat in a sequel novel, they don't have to create stupid cracks in the judicial system.  They have so many more avenues to explore in order to reach the same result in a way that would satisfy audiences much better.  The writer in question could have the killer be freed on the all too real loopholes in the court system, where something as simple as not having a search warrant present at the crime scene being enough to nullify the jail sentence.  In that instance, the killer is freed on something that is just terribly bad luck on the part of the characters, and saves the author from making the police in these stories look unrealistically dumb.  There is additionally the idea of having the killer smartly appeal the case and by using their skills of manipulation convince those observing the hearing that they truly feel remorse for their crimes.  The antagonist is then freed on matters that again feel much more realistic, and again feels like bitterly bad luck for the characters who helped arrest them the first time around.  By using some elements of realism from the judicial system, you can still release the killer on multiple fronts that are all too real in our own world.  Sometimes, bad people just get away with their crimes, and unfortunately there is really no law out there to fix this.

  By going down this informative, more creative route in the narrative, the audience is more likely to find some appeal from the more original setup in the sequel.  The audience may even see your different course of action in freeing the killer from jail to be strong social commentary on injustice that occurs in our society all too often.  You are rewarded greatly for trying something new, and create a pretty strong foundation for the story going forward.  From the first few chapters, audiences get a sense that this story is going to not be a repeat of the first, attracting much more attention towards the novel than most sequels of the slasher genre usually tend to generate.  In this case, you have crafted a route in your story that gives you the right to generate a polished sequel that people will hold in a high regard, breaking the trend most follow-up books have of lacking the creative juices of the first novel.

  You do not have to sacrifice realism in horror fiction in order to get from plot point to plot point.  There is still a creative way you can release the killer from prison that does not portray the judicial system as inattentive.  You do not have to create a plot hole iceberg the size of Texas.