Proposal

Working document

Horror as Regulation braids three strands: the neuroscience of recreational fear; first-person neurodivergent testimony from original interviews and a structured survey; and film theory — Carol Clover's identification theory chief among it. No existing book combines all three. The book sits in the gap between Scrivner/Clasen (science of fear, neurotypical by default) and Clover (identification, never the neurodivergence question).

Alternate titles
None finalized. Keep them labeled working titles in public.

Horror as Regulation

The Calm in the Dark: Why Horror Films Regulate the Neurodivergent Mind

Safe Scary: Horror, Fear, and the Neurodivergent Brain

Final Girl, Calm Mind: What Horror Does for Brains Like Mine

Sections

1. Overview
Needs work
Hook + claim + three-strand argument + gap vs. Scrivner/Clasen/Clover. Opening anecdote still a placeholder.
2. About the Author
Draft
Production design, marketing/platform-building, Saving the Unsavable, ADHD-style self-identification, Lillington NC.
3. The Market and Comparative Titles
Ready
Why now; Lane A (pop-science of fear) and Lane B (Clover lineage); white space; five readerships.
4. Research Methodology
Ready
Three pillars plus the 18-question interview/survey instrument.
5. Marketing and Promotion Plan
Draft
Influencer network, live website, original-data press hook, festival panel, advocacy partnerships.
6. Chapter-by-Chapter Outline
Ready
Ten chapters from introduction through regulation-technology conclusion.
7. Sample Chapter — Introduction
Needs work
Argument and structure complete (~3,000 words); personal-memory placeholders remain.
8. Timeline for Completion
Ready
12-month schedule from research through delivery.
9. References
Draft
APA 7th working bibliography across science, theory, disability media, and journalism.

Placeholders still open

Proposal §1 Overview
Opening anecdote: one specific sensory memory of watching horror when anxious, overstimulated, or unable to focus — and it worked.
Still needs the real scene
Proposal §2 Author
Personalize ADHD-style self-identification: age of self-recognition, a defining anecdote, or a note about formal evaluation.
Still needs the real scene
Sample chapter opening
Specific opening scene: film, year, where you were sitting, what the day had been like, what changed by the credits.
Still needs the real scene
Sample chapter
How many years you lived with this before asking whether anyone else experienced it.
Still needs the real scene
Sample chapter
When you started suspecting this wasn't just you — a conversation, forum post, or friend's comment.
Still needs the real scene
Sample chapter
Second memory: difficulty focusing or an anxious day where horror (not any media) let you focus or fall asleep.
Still needs the real scene
Sample chapter / Ch. 9 preview
If any informal conversations exist, summarize one anonymized takeaway. If none, note recruitment is underway.
Still needs the real scene