creative writing about halloween

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BEST HALLOWEEN WRITING PROMPTS

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The great unknown, set your story in a world where contacting the dead is as easy as making a phone call., write a story where ghosts and the living coexist., write a story about someone trying to raise the dead., write a story about someone who is haunted. whether by a ghost or something else is up to you., write a story from a ghost’s point of view..

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It's Halloween, and a war has suddenly erupted among the neighborhood kids. The battle: Twix versus Kit-Kats. Who wins?

• Write a story set in a haunted fairground on Halloween.

You are responsible for taking your neighbors' kids out to trick-or-treat, but you look outside and suddenly feel scared of the gloomy dark...

Write about a costume competition at a halloween party..

• Write about a caveman who accidentally time travels to present-day Halloween, only to become unexpectedly popular in the town because of a surprising talent: pumpkin carving.

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• Write a story about a family that goes pumpkin picking together.

"Wow, great costume! How'd you make it?" you say to the kid dressed as the Grim Reaper, reaching a hand out to test the material of the mask. The mask doesn't come off. It's not a costume.

You are the owner of the best halloween costume store in town. then a rival costume store moves in… and sets up shop right next to you., set your story backstage at the theater., write about someone whose busiest night of the year is halloween., set your story at the boundary between two realms., write a story that involves a secret or magic ingredient., write about a drummer going to a halloween party for musicians..

• Write about a group of witches meeting up on Halloween night.
• Write about someone’s first Halloween as a ghost.

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The best Halloween writing prompts

Spooky scary skeletons and things that go bump in the night have one favorite night of the year: Halloween. And we love this holiday just as much, which is why we've curated our favorite Halloween writing prompts — the perfect inspiration for any writer who loves the macabre.

The options are endless. A tale of trick-or-treating gone wrong. A haunted house that turns out to be haunted for real. Ghost, goblins, and witches roaming the streets freely. Parties, decorations, costumes and facades all provide ample inspiration for a spooky holiday story. Since you're spoiled for choice, we've narrowed down our top story ideas for you.

Here are our top ten Halloween writing prompts:

• You have a few friends over for a Halloween party. You've just finished watching a scary movie when the power goes out and the door is slammed open. What happens next?
• "Wow, great costume! How'd you make it?" you say to the kid dressed as the Grim Reaper, reaching a hand out to test the material of the mask. The mask doesn't come off. It's not a costume.
• You are responsible for taking your neighbors' kids out to trick-or-treat, but you look outside and suddenly feel scared of the gloomy dark...
• Write a story about someone spending the night in an old Victorian home-turned-hotel on Halloween.

Want some more tips for writing horror stories? You can check out the following free resources:

• How to Master the 'Show, Don't Tell' Rule (free course) — Halloween stories are all about the atmosphere. And to capture atmosphere, you need to evoke all five senses. From the twinkling of a jack-o-lantern, to the scratchy interior of a monster costume, the sweetness of candy on your tongue, the sticky grab of cobwebs, or the chill of a wind whistling through a graveyard lit by the moon — all these sensations will immerse your reader in your story. Show, Don't Tell is the golden rule for descriptive writing, so check out our free course.
• How to Write a Horror Story: 7 Tips for Writing Horror (blog post) — Our horror writing bible. If the story you're writing errs on the side of scary, this is where you'll find the best tips to pull it off.

Want more help learning how to write a dramatic short story? Check ou t How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekl y short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

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82+ Halloween Writing Prompts (+ Free Printable)

There are still a couple of weeks until Halloween, making it the perfect time to start writing some Halloween stories and poems. We understand that writing horror stories can be difficult, so here are over 82 Halloween writing prompts to help you out and even a free printable! Whether you only have 20 mins or 2 hours, these Halloween writing prompts should be perfect for getting those creative juices flowing. To get extra spooky with your story writing, you can even try combining some of these prompts into a mega story. Alternatively, why not write a scary story for each day until Halloween? Take a look at these Halloween picture prompts for more spooky inspiration!

For more Halloween inspiration, check out our horror book title generator or our list of horror writing prompts .

Halloween Writing Prompts:

Mu hahaha! Prepared to get creative this Halloween with our writing prompts.

• You’re a mad scientist. Today in your lab you are creating a new monster. Can you describe this monster? What does it look like? What do they eat? What do they smell like? You can use this monster name generator for some cool name ideas.
• Write a spooky story about three ghosts to tell around the campfire. Don’t forget to end on a big finale to scare everyone! (Check out our list of ghost name ideas for possible character name ideas.)
• One night, after carving a pumpkin, the pumpkin starts speaking to you.
• You hear a strange sound from your wardrobe, you open it and see…
• A bat flies into your room and says he needs your help.
• Describe your perfect haunted house . You can even draw a picture of it.
• What is the scariest thing you have ever seen? And are you still scared of it?
• You find some footprints leading into your house. What do you do?
• Your imaginary friend becomes real and starts causing trouble for you.
• Write 10 questions to interview a vampire and then answer them from the point of view of a vampire.
• Write a recipe for a witch’s brew. If you need an awesome name for your witch, check out our witch name generator .
• Write three acrostic poems using the words, Halloween, Witch and Frankenstein.
• Write a poem in any format you like about the scariest monster you have ever seen.
• Write down a detailed description of a recent nightmare that you have had.
• Your name is Connor. You are a troublemaker. What sort of problems do you think you would get into at your school Halloween party? Write about them!
• Write a gothic poem using the words creepy, ghouls, goblins and pitch-black. 
• Write a scary story about a group of friends playing a creepy version of Chinese Whispers, called Black Lotus. What consequences does this game have on their friendship?
• Write a script for a Halloween ghost stage show that includes a musical number.
• What happens when you dream of a creature that never sleeps? This creature is there when you wake up and there when you sleep. There’s no escaping it, or is there? 
• Write a poem that begins with the sentence: This night it’s your turn to die! How will you die?
• Write a ghost story using the book title idea: Catch A Ghost.
• Make a list of three things you love about Halloween and three things you hate about Halloween.
•  Write a scary story where a house does something supernatural and dangerous in order to stay in the Halloween spirit (it can even be a ghost that is haunting your house!).
• Imagine you are throwing the best Halloween party ever! How would you plan this party? Who will be at the party and what will happen at the party?
• Create a wish list of all the items you need for your Halloween party (dress, food, decorations…). How much money would you need?
• Think of 10 scary things that could happen on Halloween and brainstorm the consequences of each one.
• Find a relative of yours from the past who has passed away and imagine a conversation you might have with that person (for example Grandma: “When I was growing up…”).
• Think of a scary place where you would go on Halloween (it could be an old house, a building,…). What makes this place so scary?
• Candy is a huge part of Halloween, so why not think of something scary that you could do with your Halloween candy? Try to think of at least one idea.
• Write a short horror story about an evil, living pumpkin and its past.
• Write a ghost story that sounds like a haunted phone call that you would get if you called a non-existent person.
• Make a top ten list of the best Halloween costumes to wear.
• Make a list of your top five favourite Halloween candy or treats to eat.
• Do you follow any Halloween traditions or something that you do every year? If yes, why is this tradition important to you? Examples of common Halloween traditions include watching horror movies, going trick or treating, wearing costumes etc.
• If Halloween was banned in your town, would you care? Write a letter to your town mayor stating your opinion on Halloween. 
• Imagine you are a new student in school and you have to write a speech about Halloween. Write an interesting speech and share it with your friends and teachers.
• Write a newspaper article about a scary event that happens in your town every Halloween. 
• Make a top ten list of your favourite scary movies.
• Imagine you are a ghost and you want to haunt people. Where would you like to haunt people?
• Monster Mash is one the most popular songs to play on Halloween. Can you write your own spooky song for Halloween about monsters?
• Think of the worst Halloween treat you have ever eaten, and describe its taste in great detail.
• Make a top ten list of the scariest monsters or villains from books and movies.
• Trick or Treating is an ancient tradition that dates back to the middle ages. Back then it was known as mumming where people dressed up as creatures and performed tricks in exchange for food and drink. If you lived back then, what trick would you perform?
• Imagine your life as a ghost and you are chasing people to tell them what happens after death. What are you going to tell people?
• Think of any object in your room right now, and imagine that it was haunted by a ghostly spirit. What would it say or do?
• Write a how-to guide on how to scare people. What is the best way to terrify someone? What are some of the best things to use to scare someone?
• If you walked through a haunted house, what would be the scariest part?
• Do you think that trick-or-treating is just for little kids, or is this an activity that grown-ups should also be able to do?
•  Write a story about someone who gets lost in the woods on Halloween.
• Imagine a world, where instead of dressing up as monsters or creatures on Halloween, people dressed up as each other. Who would you dress up as and why?
• Write a newspaper article titled: The Biggest Trend Coming This Halloween Season!
• Have you ever seen a ghost and even if you didn’t believe in them, do you think they are real?
• Make a list of at least 5 activities to do on Halloween.
•  Think of a scary ghost from history or legend and write a ghost story about it. For example, some of the best ghost stories are based on true events like The Apparition of Madeleine or the Bloody Barrow in West Virginia.
• Write a Halloween story where ghosts and monsters appear and cause havoc all around town.
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: Halloween is a time to…
• Write a newspaper article about the different Halloween traditions that exist around the world.
• Make a list of at least 5 scary words and use each one in a sentence. 
• Think of a time when you were scared of something and it was so bad that you couldn’t think about anything else. Describe what was going on around you.
• Write down a spell for turning people into toads. For this spell to work, it must rhyme. 
• Imagine that a ghost in your home is following you around. What would you do to scare it away?
• Write a scary story about a person who works at a pumpkin farm.
• Make a list of your greatest fears, and explain each one.
• Describe the world’s scariest clown. What would their name be? Think about their appearance and how they talk.
• Research and make a list of 5 interesting facts about Halloween.
• You’re hosting a Halloween dinner party at your house. Make a menu of the food you plan on serving your guests.
• Write a newspaper article about the history of Halloween and how it has changed over the years.
• Pretend you are on a ghost-hunting tour. Write a list of questions you will ask your tour guide.
• Imagine you are interviewing a real-life vampire for your school newspaper. Make a list of 5 questions you would ask this vampire. As a bonus, why not try answering these questions from the perspective of a vampire?
• Make a list of ten words related to Halloween, and use each one in a sentence.
• Complete the following sentence in at least three ways: If Halloween was a person, they would be…
• Would you rather be stuck in a graveyard on Halloween night, or lost in the woods? Explain your choice.
• Create your own Halloween greeting card – What spooky message will you include on the inside?
• Most people are scared of ghosts, but what do you think ghosts are scared of?
• Imagine you are invisible and you can hide anywhere in the world. Where would you hide and why?
• Write a limerick about a boy who drinks blood. You can start the limerick like this: There once was a boy who drank blood.
• Imagine that a ghost resides in your room, and every time you walk by, it laughs and tickles you. What should you do to stop it?
• Describe the monster that lives under your bed in great detail.
• Use the following story starter: A drop of blood, a handful of toenails and a pinch of ground-up teeth.  Timmy smiles and waits for things to come back.
• Use the following sentence to start your story: “Once upon a time, on Halloween night, there lived a guy named Sam…” 
• Use the following story starter: “So, which monster is going to eat you up tonight, little boy?”
• How do you think ghosts pick their victims? Make a list of things they look out for in their victims.
• Imagine you work for a spooky monster agency. Your task is to write up a job description for hiring a ghost to haunt people. What skills and traits are you looking for in a ghost?

For more Halloween writing prompts, check out our 31-Day October writing challenge ! You might also be interested in the list of over 62 fall writing prompts .

Halloween Writing Prompts Printable

Print out our spooky writing prompts to use offline. Perfect for when the electricity cuts off and all you have is the daylight or candlelight to write by. We even included a list of Halloween words to make your stories extra scary!

Share your Halloween stories with us!

Got a funny or scary Halloween story you want to share with us? We would love to read them! Comment your stories below or use the #imagineforest on social media to share them. You can even use the Imagine Forest story creator to publish your own stories online and share them with your friends. If you loved our 82+ Halloween writing prompts for kids, you’ll love our Halloween paper bookmark tutorial !

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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15 Haunted Halloween Writing Prompts

by Abigail Perry and Ruthanne Reid | 10 comments

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BOO! Halloween is right around the corner—what better day to write some spooky stories? Sharpen your pencil and take a stab at one of these Halloween writing prompts !

Scary Stories Connect With Readers in Big Ways

You write to get a reaction out of your readers. No matter the genre, you want your reader to feel  something when they read your writing.

For horror writers, that feeling is fear. But it's also so much more.

Great horror stories take the everyday creepy and turn it into something even  more  creepy (and often become a condemnation of injustices in society). The great thing is, horror stories teach you that those creepy things can be beaten. That's what keeps bringing the readers back.

And that's why horror writers keep churning out the fear.

Maybe you love writing scary stories. Maybe you don't, but I hope you'll give it a try, just for practice (we're fans of that around here!).

Just like reading outside your genre is valuable to mastering the writing craft, so is writing a scary story .

This story doesn't have to be long, it could be a short story . Try for something you can write in one sitting, like 1,500 words.

To get you started, use one of the Halloween writing prompts suggested in this article. Then let loose, and have fun!

Creepy Story Writing Prompts

1. It's late at night, and you hear footsteps in the cellar, but you're definitely home alone…or so you thought.

2. You've put that doll in the cabinet, in the closet, in the attic, but no matter where you tuck it, it always shows back up on the sofa. On Halloween night, you find it watching you…

3. A bad-tempered businessman is driving home after a long day of work. He thinks he sees his kids trick-or-treating and stops to pick them up but those aren't costumes.

4. It's Halloween night and you and your friends think it would be fun to visit the local town's annual corn maze. But when you're inside it, someone inside the maze doesn't look like an actor in a costume. And shortly after, your friends start to disappear one by one.

5. You don't believe in the rumors that say a certain scary book is cursed—and that anyone who reads it will meet their maker by the end of the week. So naturally, you read it. And then things start going wrong…

Monster/Ghost Story Writing Prompts

6. A young woman goes to her grandmother's house for tea on Halloween night. They have a wonderful time together, sharing stories, joy, and the best times of family. The next day, the woman learns her grandmother has been dead for a week and no one could get ahold of her to tell her.

7. A little boy is lost in the woods, but at least his faithful dog is with him. As they look for the way out, the dog defends his master against terrifying monsters and animals. But the closer they get to the escaping the dark forest, the more apparent it is that they'll need to face the person, or thing, releasing these monsters in the first place.

8. A farmer who dreams of being a scientist experiments on this year's pumpkins, hoping to enlarge them. He has a lot of success, until one of his potions is tampered with, and the cute pumpkin in his patch morphs into a monster that eats anyone who stumbles over its vines.

9. Your girlfriend/boyfriend brings over your favorite treat on Halloween, but when you eat it, you transform into a giant, poisonous snake that kills anyone who touches you. What do you do next?

10. You wake up on Halloween night, look outside your window, and see your sister sleep walking away from the house. You chase after her but can't catch her until she plunges into a dark lake, where there's a mysterious song that starts to pull you deep below the surface.

Not-So-Spooky Story Writing Prompts

Not all people love scary stories. If this is you but you'd like to try to write a scary story—and have a fun time writing it—try tackling a (not-so) scary story prompt that could turn a potentially scary tale into something that is fun (even funny):

11. You hate clowns, which makes it even worse when your husband secretly decides to hire a clown for you son's birthday party—which just happens to be on Halloween.

12. Aliens have just landed on Earth and boy, did they pick a weird day to come. How do they respond to Halloween, supernatural or otherwise? Do they decide this place is just too bizarre and get the heck out, or do they stick around and join in the fun?

13. On Halloween night, lovers get to come back and spend the evening together one more time. One couple from the Roaring Twenties decides to come back from the grave to help their extreme nerd great-grandchild or the kid will never get married.

14. You decide that this year you're going to crash the ten top costume parties in town—and prank each one while you're at it.

15. A mad scientist determined to destroy the world falls hopelessly in love with a not-so-wicked witch. As hard as he tries, he can't impress her.

Write Your Spooky Stories

Writing a scary story can be a fun exercise to give your students (regardless of age, elementary students to college graduates) around this time of year. It also can stir some exciting writing ideas in  any  writer, whether or not they're part of an entire class or their personal writing group.

As mentioned above, writing scary stories can also push you to better your creative writing skills, even if it's not normally in your genre lane. Bestselling author Neil Gaiman has some great insight about  why  this is true:

Fairy tales are more than true: Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.

You don't have to love horror stories to write one, but you will learn about protagonists who face trialing, often life or death, situations when writing them. Challenge students or writers to become better at their writing craft by pushing them to write a short scary story with one of the writing prompts in this article.

Sit down with your favorite candy or flavor of candy corn and get ready to write. Pluck it from the list, and let your imagination free!

What is your favorite Halloween writing prompt from this list?   Why did it stand out to you?  Let us know in the comments .

Abigail Perry

Abigail Perry is a Certified Story Grid Editor with professional teaching, literary agency, and film production experience. In addition to writing Story Grid masterwork guides, she works as a freelance editor and is the Content Editor for The Write Practice. Abigail loves stories that put women and diverse groups at the center of the story—and others that include superpowers and magic. Her favorite genres include: Smart Book Club Fiction, Women's Fiction, YA Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and unique memoirs. She also has a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film and loves working on screenplays that are emotionally driven and/or full of action. You can learn more about Abigail on her website.

Ruthanne Reid

Best-Selling author Ruthanne Reid has led a convention panel on world-building, taught courses on plot and character development, and was keynote speaker for The Write Practice 2021 Spring Retreat.

Author of two series with five books and fifty short stories, Ruthanne has lived in her head since childhood, when she wrote her first story about a pony princess and a genocidal snake-kingdom, using up her mom’s red typewriter ribbon.

When she isn’t reading, writing, or reading about writing, Ruthanne enjoys old cartoons with her husband and two cats, and dreams of living on an island beach far, far away.

P.S. Red is still her favorite color.

10 Comments

“Damn, I hate those busy bodies. Auditors, they call themselves. Pains in the ass is what they are.” said Joe aloud to no one who could hear. The radio blasted the nightly news and told a grisly story about three kids poisoned by bad candy. Joe, shaking his head from side to side and mumbling,

“For crying-out-loud. They’re just kids. Who in their right mind would do that to kids?”

The traffic became lighter and Joe took the off ramp to his street. As he drove toward his house, he saw his children walking down the sidewalk trick or treating. After hearing the news about the poisoning, he wanted his kids to go home. He stopped the car and walked over to them.

“Jeremy, Julian, why are you out here alone. Your mother was supposed to wait until I got home?”

He stood over the children waiting for an answer. When none came, he grabbed an arm, one child in each hand, and marched them to the car. He opened the back door and demanded they get in.

“In the car. Don’t stand there, get in… I’ve had a rough day, keep this up and you’ll get a Halloween to remember.”

Jeremy, the cutest little goblin, turned to Joe, jumped on top of him, opened his enormous mouth, and swallowed Joe whole. Julian, danced around Jeremy singing

“Remember, remember, a Halloween to remember, A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down”

To the children passing by, the song sounded familiar. They started to sing,

“Ring-a-round the rosie, A pocket full of posies, Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush! We’ve all tumbled down.”

William – I enjoyed your story. Nicely developed in such a short span.

Great lead-in to the story as a way to introduce taking his kids home. One suggestion in the first paragraph … not sure you need “from side to side” after “shaking his head”, and you could modify it to ” Joe, shaking his head, mumbled, …” or “Joe shook his head and mumbled, …”

While it could be viewed as too abrupt (I didn’t think so), I love how Jeremy “the cutest little goblin” got right down to business and “jumped on top of [Joe], opened his enormous mouth, and swallowed Joe whole”, with Julian dancing and singing along. Those two lines plus Julian’s clever integration of “Remember, remember, a Halloween to remember” made for a ghoulishly delightful twist.

Thanks for the Halloween treat.

– Susan

Thanks Susan. I already made the change (Joe, shaking his head, mumbled). It reads much better. William

Hi thanks for writing this story it gave my students some ideas to write about since halloween is coming up

Thanks for the Halloween treat, Ruthanne. Great prompts.

I love prompt #4 with the grandma, I was devastated when my grammy died…. this will be good to write about.

Harold Saggerbob loves Halloween. Has his very own Pumpkin Club. But while the ‘pumpkins’ on his shelf, might be round, they are certainly not orange. And every Halloween, several kids disappear near his home…

It’s not really creepy but I tried it with my characters. English isn’t my first language so if you see any mistake, please let me know:

“Aymeric was eating alone in the kitchen. He didn’t have much appetite and spent more time looking at the dark sky through the window than eating. He sighed. He wished he had company. But that wouldn’t happen. Rose was back to his home and was probably already sleeping – flowers go to sleep with the sun, after all. The sky was covered in dark clouds so thick he couldn’t even see the Moon – and it was definitely up somewhere. He could feel it. It felt as if he had a knot in his throat. He covered his plate and put it in the fridge. He would eat it later, when he’d be hungrier. Suddenly, he stilled. He had heard footsteps. He closed the fridge slowly, careful not to make any noise. It wasn’t some kind of rodent. They were scared of lycanthropes. And Aymeric was able to recognize footsteps from rodents. With a hearing like his, no one could fool him. He put his fork and his knife in the sink, shrugging. It wasn’t as if the intruder could mess with his stuff unnoticed, anyway. What bothered him was that he didn’t heard the intruder enter. It was definitely strange. He didn’t know what or who it was but he’d better be careful. He grabbed a dagger and followed the noise. It definitely came from the cellar. He barged in there, determined to end all this quickly. The moon was rising and waxing, anyway, so he shouldn’t have any problem dealing with whoever it was. What he saw still surprised him. A tiny body in the middle of the room. Thick wavy blond hair, long ears, big grey eyes. Aymeric recognized the child immediately. When the little elf saw him, he rushed into his arms. “Hey, what’s wrong, champion?” He didn’t expect the kid to reply. The elf only hugged him tightly. Aymeric could feel his relief and his fear. The ability they had to travel between spaces and times was really something he couldn’t get used to…”

Noah was waking up. He had been knocked down while he was chased by a group of teens. It was Halloween. Noah left his home with Oscar his dog. He headed to park across the street where his friends were waiting for him for trick or treating around the neighborhood. As they got treats from the third house Noah and his friends headed for the next house. Suddenly a huge dark figure appeared and almost grabbed one of Noah’s friends. The group was actually chased by teenage boys who looked hideous beasts in their costumes. Noah and his friends were dispersed. Some managed to stick together, some made it back home. Noah lost the sense of direction and was running for a while now. Suddenly he stumbled and tripped over. He knocked his head hard on something and passed out. After he got up he could see dark figures with blazing eyes staring down at him. Noah jumped to his feet and fled into the woods that were the only easy hideout he could access fast. Oscar was behind him growling and barking at the dark figures that followed them into the woods. As he went farther it got more and more dark. The only thing that kept him going was Oscar who was right behind him keeping the dark figures at a distance. Noah saw bushes and managed to hide within. Oscar had stopped barking now and there was a deadly silence. Noah was panting and was trying to calm down. He was about to lie down when he saw a huge hand trying to grab him from within the bushes. Noah screamed in panic when Oscar jumped in between just in time to save him. Noah was running fast when suddenly he saw light piercing through the darkness. He ran towards the light fast. When he came near he couldn’t believe his eyes. The sun shone bright and there were beautiful flowers and trees. Far away he could see children playing. He quickly entered the garden as he had no better choice to escape the dark figures. Oscar slowly paced back and ran all the way home where Noah’s parents were mourning his death.

great Helloween

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Picture Prompts

25 Picture Prompts for Writing Scary Stories

Photos and illustrations from The New York Times to inspire your spooky stories, poems and memoirs.

By Natalie Proulx

Happy Halloween! Do you enjoy reading, watching or listening to horror stories? What about writing them?

To celebrate the season, we’ve rounded up 25 haunting photos and illustrations from around The New York Times that you can use as prompts to write your own terrifying tales. Choose an image and then use your imagination to write a short story or a poem inspired by it — or tell us about a memory from your own life that the picture makes you think of.

You can use these images however you like, but if you need more guidance, here are four prompts, as well as articles with advice from horror writers and experts, to get you started:

Use the image as the setting for your story.

“The most important thing is the setting,” Ruth Robbins, professor of Victorian literature at Leeds Beckett University in England, said in “ How to Tell a Ghost Story .” She suggested starting with the “atmosphere” and the elements in the scene “that you may be afraid of.”

What makes the setting of the image especially eerie? What is the mood there? What are some of the creepier elements you could describe to build the atmosphere? What scary story could take place there?

Write from the point of view of a character in the image. Or write from the point of view of a character just outside of the scene who is observing it.

In his MasterClass , R.L. Stine, the author of the “Goosebumps” series, said the secret to making a story scary was a “close point of view with your main character” because then “the reader is experiencing this horror close up.” But, he warned, “you have to be very careful to keep the balance between what she’s feeling, and what she’s seeing, and what she’s thinking.”

Who is the person, or creature, you are writing about? What brought them to this scene? What are they thinking, feeling and, most important, experiencing? How can you show their fear instead of telling readers about it?

And consider the conflict: What does your character want? What is preventing them from getting it? What are they doing to try to get it?

Use the image as the starting point of your story , and then work backward.

In “ A Simple Way to Create Suspense, ” Lee Child, a thriller writer, said “we should ask or imply a question at the beginning of the story, and then we should delay the answer.” He continued: “Like the old cartoon of the big fish eating a smaller fish eating a very small fish, you’ll find out the big answer after a string of smaller drip-drip-drip answers. The big answer is parceled out slowly and parsimoniously.”

What question could be implied by the image? For example, how did this person get trapped behind the wall, and will he be able to escape? What did the woman hear that led her into the darkened hallway? What are these creatures in the haunted corn maze, and what do they want from you?

How can you build suspense in your story by revealing the answer to that question slowly, bit by bit?

Consider the image as a metaphor or symbol.

“Horror is, and always has been, in dialogue with the anxieties and fears of its time,” the author Stephen Graham Jones wrote in a guest essay for The Times Opinion section. For example, “During the Great Depression, the misery and economic strife were embodied by monsters from literature and folklore, as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the mummy made their way across the movie screen.”

What real-world fears and anxieties could this image represent, whether in the world at large or in your own life? For instance, could it be a symbol for our anxiety about climate change? Or a metaphor for a challenge you are facing at school? What horror story could you tell that reflects the uncertainties we are facing in our real lives?

Scroll through the images below to find one that scares you. Then use these writers’ advice to craft your piece. Once you’ve got a draft, post the opening of your piece in the comments for others to read.

(Please keep in mind that if you choose to post in the comments, your writing should be appropriate for a general audience and observe Times commenting guidelines .)

Reaching Through the Wall

Mysterious Mansion

Subway Skeleton

Beware of Zombies

House of Terrors

Cursed Corn Maze

Creepy Clown

Shadowy Figure

Ghost Story

Monsters Come Out

Electric Shock Therapy

Witch at Night

Hallway of Horror

Skeleton Funeral

Trick-or-Treat

Michael Myers

Abandoned Library

Familial Frights

Miss Underworld

Darkened Doorway

Bates Motel

Franken-Commuter

School Spirit

In the Dark

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx

31 Halloween Writing Prompts

Halloween night the streets were filled with children in costumes wearing masks that were trick or treating, and nearby ghostly images watched.

The month before Halloween, beginning October 1 is an ideal time to use Halloween writing prompts with children.

This holiday has an intriguing history that is associated with trick or treating, costumes, pumpkins, black cats, ghosts, bats, bobbing for apples, skeletons, haunted houses, and candy.

The wide range of topics associated with Halloween inspires creative writing with children. Writing prompts about Halloween can break through writer’s block, produce excitement about writing, and create new ideas.

How To Use Writing Prompts For Halloween

You can use writing prompts twice weekly to write a short one or two-page story about Halloween. After you finished, the children can read the stories aloud. The writing time can be from 30 minutes or more.

Each week you can focus on Halloween themes black cats, ghosts, haunted houses, or pumpkins, for example.

Teach children research skills by providing a topic and letting them research and write a short paper. Use online sources and books for research material.

Provide your class with a list of  Halloween writing prompts about a topic and let each child choose one to write about.

• The black cat with yellow-green eyes appeared on the doorstep on Halloween morning snarling and hissing. Write a story about a black cat that brings bad luck to the family that crosses its path.
• Their black cat Shadow disappeared on Halloween. What happened to their pet Shadow? Write a story about this.
• Write about a fun Halloween party that you would like to plan. What type of food, decorations, and activities would the party have?
• She saw her neighbor an ugly old woman with warts and wrinkles on her face wearing a long flowing black robe climb on a broomstick and fly away. Write a story about an ugly evil witch.
• Sharon observed a young woman who had a black hat, green eyes, blond hair, fair complexion, light green robe, and carried a broom. Write a story about a beautiful young good witch.
• Create a scary ghost for Halloween and write about what it looks like and how it scares people.
• Research the history of trick or treating in the United States. Write a short one or two-page paper on the topic.
• A witch creates a potion and puts it in candy. What happens to those kids that eat the candy?
• You’re at a Halloween party and walk into an empty room and see what seems to be a ghost. Write a story about this.
• What happens in the local graveyard on Halloween night when ghosts and ghouls are out and about?
• You dream about a fiend in the attic or cellar of your home. What happens when you’re left alone one night for the first time.
• Research All Soul’s Day and write about how it relates to the  Halloween tradition of trick or treating.
• What is your favorite Halloween candy? Research the topic and write about the history of this candy.
• What is the worst Halloween candy you ever ate  Describe it and why it is so terrible!
• Research the history of the Halloween costume in the 1900s. Write a short paper on what you learn.
• Create a frightening Halloween costume of a witch, devil, monster, or clown. Write about the costume and what the person wearing it does.
• Write a story about a neighbor that hands out creepy candy eyeballs, creepy fingers, bags of blood, or spiders. Write about what happens when the kids go to that house on Halloween.
• A ghost haunts a house in your neighborhood. Write a story about the ghost and what happens when a group of kids visits that home.
• Write a short poem about the fun activities you can do on Halloween. It does not have to rhyme.
• A harmless bat scares kids on Halloween night because it is flying around or gets in a house. Write a story about what happens.
• Research vampire bats or other kinds of bats and write a short paper about what they eat, how they find their prey, and their habitat.
• A werewolf is loose on Halloween night and there is a full moon. Children are out trick or treating – write about what happens.
• You dream about a monster in the basement or attic of your home. What happens when you’re left alone one evening.
• What happens in the graveyard on Halloween when ghosts and ghouls lurk about and children visit it at night?
• What happened to the kid that disappeared one Halloween night without a trace?
• Create a new candy with magical powers. Describe what it looks like, the ingredients, how it tastes, and what it does.
• Write about what you would do when all Halloween events are canceled.
• Create a creepy Halloween recipe other than candy. What is it called, and what are the ingredients?
• Devise a clever Halloween trick to play on family and friends.
• Write about your favorite Halloween recipe or food.
• Write about your favorite way to spend Halloween.

Looking for more ideas?

Looking for more ideas for writing prompts on different subjects? Please explore our site as we have many unique ideas and resources for you.

You might like to try out our prompts about cats – or how about our visual prompts to inspire even the most reluctant writer!

Please share these ideas with family, friends, parents, and teachers – and if you have ideas on other resources please let us know !

• Activities / Creative Writing / ESL / Fun Stuff / Halloween / Writing

Spooky Writing Ideas for Halloween

I love everything about Halloween – the scary movies, the decorations, trick or treaters, Halloween parties – all of it! So of course, I find every way possible to incorporate this theme into my teaching, whether it’s grammar or writing.

One thing I love to do is give students non-structured practice with writing topics related to the season. And I am always amazed at the ideas they come up with when given Halloween writing prompts! It’s a fun way to break up the monotony and give them the freedom to use their imaginations and get their creative juices flowing.

Spark Their Creativity With Story Starters!

One easy (and super fun) way to get the creativity going is by giving a selection of story starters. First, they choose the one that inspires them and then let their imaginations run wild. With a story starter, they begin with the basic premise and setting, and then they add their own details and events to see where the story takes them. It’s so much fun to see how the same story starter can produce wildly different and creative stories by different students.

Story Starter Ideas

Need some ideas for story starters? Here are a few you might want to try:

• Everyone told my friend and me to stay away from the abandoned mansion, but we didn’t listen.
• As I put on my Halloween costume, I suddenly started to feel…different.
• There was something very strange about the way that black cat was staring at me.
• There’s an old saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” After the old woman offered to grant me any wish, I discovered just how true this saying is.
• I took pictures during a cemetery ghost tour. When I looked through them later, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
• The sign on the laboratory read, “Keep out. Authorized personnel only.” So of course I decided to go in and have a look around. This was the first of some very bad decisions made that day.

Print & Go or Digital Halloween Writing Prompts 

If you want to have some ready-to-go writing prompts, get the above story starters and many more in festive printable task cards or colorful fillable Google Slides!

In addition to story starters, general Halloween prompts are always a good option. This opens up a possibility for a wide variety of writing types: narrative, descriptive, informative, persuasive, or other creative writing activities.

More Halloween Writing Ideas

If you need some inspiration, here are a few topics that you could use for Halloween:

• Choose 3 random words and create your own spooky story starter. Then write the story.
• Write a scary movie review.
• Write about the history of Halloween.
• Create your own monster.
• Describe your idea of the best Halloween.
• Would you rather…? (Example: go to a Halloween party or go to a haunted house) Get a ready-to-go print and digital set HERE !
• Describe a house that has been decorated for Halloween using descriptive details and words.

If you would like a printable activity that includes these prompts and more, click the image below to get a PDF choice board.

Get festive writing papers with even MORE writing prompts!

You might also like to have some festive Halloween writing papers (printable or digital) for students to complete their writing activities. Get them by clicking the links below, and as a bonus, you will also get a handout that includes the writing prompts listed above and more, which you can distribute to your students for another ready-to-go writing activity.

I hope these prompts will help inspire your students to write some creative and interesting stories and essays!

Tags: Halloween writing prompts October writing activities

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Halloween Narrative Writing Prompts: Embrace Spooky Storytelling

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Ideas to Inspire Your Halloween Narrative Writing

Creating suspense and eerie atmosphere in your halloween story, crafting memorable characters for your spooky tale, utilizing descriptive language to enchant your readers, plot twists and surprises: keeping your halloween narrative engaging, incorporating supernatural elements into your halloween story, building tension and terror: tips for writing a chilling climax, engaging the senses: adding a spooky touch to your halloween narrative, frequently asked questions, concluding remarks.

Looking for some spooky inspiration for your Halloween narrative writing? Look no further! We’ve got some unique and creative ideas that will send shivers down your readers’ spines.

1. Explore haunted houses: Take your readers on a bone-chilling journey through a haunted house. Describe the creaking doors, ghostly whispers, and eerie atmosphere as your protagonist navigates the labyrinth of terror.

2. Unmask a supernatural creature: Set your story in a small town where strange occurrences have been happening. Your main character could discover the truth behind these events and uncover the existence of a supernatural being lurking amongst the townsfolk. To add suspense, keep the creature’s true identity hidden until the climactic ending.

3. Summon a ghostly legend: Introduce a local legend that has haunted the imagination of people for generations. Your protagonist could become the brave soul who decides to test the legend’s authenticity. Will they regret their decision or come face to face with a supernatural phenomenon?

Get those creative juices flowing and let your imagination run wild with these hair-raising ideas. Don’t forget to utilize vivid imagery, build tension, and create memorable characters that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats!

As Halloween approaches, it’s the perfect time to immerse your readers in a spine-chilling experience with a suspenseful and eerie atmosphere. Whether you’re writing a short story, a terrifying tale, or even a horror novel, here are some creative tips to elevate the tension and keep your readers on the edge of their seats:

• Set the scene: Descriptive language is your greatest ally when it comes to creating an eerie atmosphere. Use vivid imagery to paint a picture of the spooky setting in your readers’ minds. Describe the abandoned, creaking mansion, enveloped in a thick fog that obscures all but faint flickering lights. Conjure up sinister details like the gnarled trees with their twisted branches scratching against the windowpanes.
• Build up tension: Slowly build the suspense in your Halloween story to maintain the readers’ interest. Start with small, subtle hints at something unsettling, like a character noticing strange shadows lurking in the corners. Gradually escalate the weird occurrences, making each one more intense and menacing. Use short, punchy sentences and carefully paced paragraphs to quicken the pace and keep readers eagerly turning the pages.

The key to a spine-tingling Halloween story is to create an eerie atmosphere that captivates your readers from the very beginning. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a haunting tale that will leave your audience filled with goosebumps and eagerly awaiting the next twist and turn.

Creating captivating characters is essential when crafting a spine-chilling and unforgettable spooky tale. Whether your story revolves around vampires, witches, or haunted houses, it is the characters that will truly immerse your readers in the eerie atmosphere you aim to create. Here are some key tips to help you bring your characters to life:

• Embrace the Unusual: Ensure your characters have unique and peculiar traits that set them apart from ordinary individuals. Perhaps your haunted house has a creaking chandelier inhabited by a mischievous spirit or a vampire with a fondness for knitting. These intriguing details will leave a lasting impression on your readers.
• Add Depth and Flaws: Complex characters are more relatable and engaging. Give them conflicts, fears, and imperfections that mirror real-life struggles. A witch burdened by a tragic past or a ghost struggling with their own mortality will captivate readers, making them invested in the character’s journey.

In order to captivate and mesmerize your readers, utilizing descriptive language is essential. With the power of words, you can transport your audience to a world of imagination and evoke emotions that will leave a lasting impression. Here are some tips to help you master the art of descriptive writing:

• Paint vivid pictures: Use descriptive adjectives and adverbs to create sensory experiences for your readers. Engage all their senses by describing the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and even textures within your writing.
• Create lifelike characters: Bring your characters to life by going beyond physical appearances. Describe their mannerisms, quirks, and personality traits in a way that readers can easily visualize and relate to.
• Set the scene: Transport your readers to the locations in your story by crafting detailed descriptions of the surroundings. From the weather to the architecture, every element contributes to creating a convincing and immersive world.

Remember, the key to enchanting your readers lies in the power of your words. Utilize descriptive language skillfully to transport your audience to new realms, engage their senses, and immerse them into the heart of your storytelling. By crafting rich, vibrant descriptions, you can create a reading experience that will linger in the minds of your readers long after they have finished your work.

Halloween is the perfect time to immerse your audience in an engaging and thrilling narrative. Whether you’re writing a spine-chilling short story, creating a haunted house experience, or organizing a mysterious Halloween party, incorporating plot twists and surprises will elevate your Halloween experience to the next level. Here are some creative ideas to keep your audience on their toes and leave them begging for more:

• Character Reversals: Take advantage of stereotypes and common Halloween tropes by subverting expectations. Turn the innocent victim into the villain or reveal the supposed antagonist to be a misunderstood hero. These unexpected character revelations will keep your audience guessing and bring a fresh twist to your narrative.
• Unveiling Dark Secrets: Nothing adds suspense like a hidden secret. Gradually expose unsettling truths about your characters or the haunted location itself. Incorporate clues throughout the story or event that, when uncovered, reveal a sinister past or a shocking connection between characters. These revelations will captivate your audience and leave them breathless.
• Misdirection: Play with your audience’s expectations by leading them down one path and then abruptly switching directions. Utilize foreshadowing and misdirect their attention to create surprising plot twists. By subverting their assumptions, you’ll keep them engaged and astonished by the unexpected turns in your narrative.

Remember, a successful Halloween narrative relies heavily on keeping the element of surprise alive. Implement these plot twists and surprises strategically throughout your story or event to maintain a captivating experience from start to finish. Engage your audience’s imagination, challenge their assumptions, and leave them craving more of your thrilling Halloween world!

When it comes to writing a Halloween story, adding supernatural elements can take your tale to a whole new level of excitement and intrigue. Immerse your readers in a world where ghosts, witches, and monsters roam freely, unleashing a sense of wonder and thrill. Here are a few creative ways to incorporate supernatural elements into your Halloween story that will captivate your audience:

• Create Unique Supernatural Beings: Go beyond the traditional ghosts and witches and let your imagination run wild. Develop your own supernatural beings, such as shape-shifters, enchanted creatures, or vengeful spirits tied to specific locations. By crafting unique supernatural entities, you’ll give your story a fresh and unpredictable twist.
• Intertwine Supernatural with Reality: To make your Halloween story truly engaging, intertwine the supernatural elements seamlessly with the real world. Instead of isolating the supernatural beings in a separate realm, place them within familiar settings. This clever blending will make the existence of supernatural entities seem almost plausible, amplifying the sense of mystery and suspense for your readers.
• Explore Hidden Dimensions: Delve into the concept of hidden dimensions, where the supernatural entities reside. Paint vivid descriptions of these parallel worlds or mirror realms, drawing your readers deeper into your story’s enchanted universe. Unveil the connection between these dimensions and the main characters, revealing how these otherworldly realms can intertwine with their lives.

By using these creative methods, you can transport your readers to a thrilling world filled with magic, mystery, and horror. Let your imagination soar and dare to take your story to the supernatural realm where anything is possible!

When it comes to crafting a chilling climax that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, building tension and terror are key. Here are some expert tips to help you create a spine-tingling finale that will have your readers trembling with both fear and anticipation:

• Develop multi-dimensional characters: Characters that are relatable and well-developed can help intensify the tension in your climax. Show their fears, flaws, and vulnerabilities, making the reader emotionally invested in their outcome.
• Employ foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is a powerful tool for building suspense and creating an air of impending doom. Subtly drop hints and clues throughout your story to keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats.
• Create a sense of urgency: Ramp up the pace and establish a ticking clock or impending deadline. This will heighten the tension, making readers feel the pressure and intensifying their fear for the characters’ safety.

To truly captivate your audience and elicit true terror, you must also consider:

• Setting the stage: Craft a vivid and atmospheric setting that not only becomes a backdrop for your climax but also contributes to the overall sense of fear and unease.
• Utilizing suspenseful pacing: Alternate between moments of high action and slower, tension-building scenes. This ebb and flow will keep readers on their toes and ensure they can never fully relax, even for a moment.
• Targeting the senses: Engage all the senses to immerse readers in the experience. Describe the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes associated with the terrifying events unfolding, making them more palpable and vivid.

By honing your skills in building tension and terror, you’ll be able to deliver a climax that will have readers devouring your pages well into the night, unable to tear themselves away from the spine-chilling conclusion.

When it comes to creating a captivating Halloween narrative, it’s all about engaging the senses and immersing your readers in the eerie atmosphere. The devilish details can make or break your spooky tale, so why not go the extra mile and add spine-chilling sensations to your storytelling? Here are a few bewitching tips to give your Halloween narrative that extra ounce of fright:

• Powerful Imagery: Paint vivid pictures with words, allowing your readers to visualize eerie landscapes and mysterious settings. Describe the moonlit graveyard engulfed in mist, the sound of creaking doors in a decrepit house, or the pungent scent of damp earth and fallen leaves.
• Sinister Sounds: Create an audio experience by incorporating spine-tingling sounds. The haunting howl of the wind, the distant crack of thunder, or the soft whisper that sends shivers down the characters’ spines. Words have the power to make readers hear what they can’t see.
• Chilling Tactile Sensations: Infuse your narrative with tactile experiences that will send goosebumps down your readers’ arms. Describe the icy touch of a ghostly hand, the slimy texture of a mysterious potion, or the roughness of weathered gravestones.

By skillfully incorporating these elements into your Halloween narrative, you’ll transform it into a bone-chilling experience that ensures your readers won’t be able to put it down. Engaging the senses will transport them to a world where witches, goblins, and ghosts come to life. So, embrace the frightful nature of Halloween and harness its supernatural essence within your storytelling realm. Happy haunting!

Q: What are Halloween narrative writing prompts? A: Halloween narrative writing prompts are creative suggestions or ideas that serve as a starting point for crafting spooky and thrilling stories. They provide writers with a specific theme, plot, or scenario to work with, enhancing their storytelling abilities while embracing the essence of Halloween.

Q: How can Halloween narrative writing prompts be useful? A: These prompts offer writers a fun and engaging way to explore their imagination and delve into the world of horror and suspense. They can help stimulate creativity, inspire new ideas, and challenge writers to push the boundaries of their storytelling capabilities.

Q: Where can I find Halloween narrative writing prompts? A: Halloween narrative writing prompts can be found in various places, such as online writing communities , educational websites, writing blogs, or even in creative writing textbooks. Many websites offer free downloadable lists of prompts specifically tailored for Halloween-themed stories.

Q: What are some examples of Halloween narrative writing prompts? A: Some examples of Halloween narrative writing prompts include: 1. Write a story about a haunted house that mysteriously appears in your neighborhood overnight. 2. Create a story where trick-or-treating takes a sinister turn, and the candy being given out holds a dark secret. 3. Write a spine-chilling tale about a cursed costume that possesses whoever wears it. 4. Craft a story about a group of friends who venture into a forbidden forest on Halloween night, only to encounter something otherworldly. 5. Write a narrative about a ghostly presence that haunts the halls of an abandoned school. Remember, the possibilities are endless, and you can always adapt or tweak the prompts to suit your writing style and preferences.

Q: How can I make the most of Halloween narrative writing prompts? A: To make the most of Halloween narrative writing prompts, it’s essential to fully immerse yourself in the Halloween atmosphere. Embrace the spookiness, darkness, and eerie vibes associated with this holiday. Imagine yourself as the reader and think about the emotions and excitement you would like to experience while reading a Halloween-themed story.

Q: Can Halloween narrative writing prompts be useful for children? A: Absolutely! Halloween narrative writing prompts can be an excellent tool for children to explore their creativity, improve their writing skills, and have fun during the Halloween season. With appropriate guidance and assistance, children can develop their storytelling abilities while crafting spooky and imaginative tales.

Q: Are Halloween narrative writing prompts limited to horror stories? A: Not at all! Although Halloween is synonymous with horror, narrative writing prompts for Halloween can encompass various genres and themes. You can incorporate elements of mystery, fantasy, adventure, or even humor into your Halloween-themed story. The prompts merely serve as a starting point for your imagination to take flight.

Q: How can I share my Halloween narrative writing with others? A: Once you’ve completed your Halloween-themed story, there are several ways to share it with others. You can join online writing communities or forums to receive feedback and engage with fellow writers. Additionally, you can submit your work to literary magazines or anthologies that accept Halloween-themed submissions. Social media platforms, personal blogs, or even publishing your own ebook are also great avenues to share your Halloween narrative writing with a broader audience.

Q: Can Halloween narrative writing prompts be used for non-fiction writing? A: While Halloween narrative writing prompts are primarily designed for storytelling and fiction, they can be adapted to suit non-fiction genres as well. For example, you could use a Halloween prompt to write an informative article about the history of spooky traditions or a personal essay reflecting on your scariest Halloween experiences. The prompts can inspire creativity in any style of writing.

Incorporating Halloween narrative writing prompts into your lessons will ignite students’ creativity and love for storytelling.

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50 Spooky Writing Prompts and Horror Story Ideas

If you’re looking for scary story prompts or horror writing ideas, you’ve come to the right place! These are great Halloween writing prompts, and some of these could also be used as suspense story prompts or dark fantasy story ideas.

These are all from my book 5 ,000 Writing Prompts: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More . The book has 100 additional spooky writing prompts and horror story ideas, as well as master plots and idea starters for all kinds of writing.

If you are easily scared and have an over-active imagination, just skip this one. And anyway, just remember it’s all nonsense that I made up while I was exercising on the treadmill or sitting in bed.

Some of these are skeletal (ha) plot ideas, while others are images or suggestions. And if you’d like a spooky soundtrack to inspire you, be sure to check out my scary music playlist for writers ! Be sure to pin or bookmark the post for future reference. After all, when autumn rolls around, you might find yourself looking for Halloween writing prompts!

• A musician practices. When she finishes a piece, she hears someone clapping for her, although she lives alone.
• Frightening events in a small town lead its citizens to dig up the grave of a deceased inhabitant.
• Someone gets on the elevator by himself and is never seen by his friends or family again.
• The Furies—the vengeance deities of classic mythology—are back in business again.
• A collector buys an unpublished manuscript by an obscure writer that describes a terrible historical event a year before it occurred. The collector learns the writer wrote many unpublished stories…
• Creating a hybrid of a human and this particular animal turns out to be a bad idea.
• A person has the ability to make other people very ill.
• The dead walk out of the sea.
• An individual begins seeing and hearing from someone who looks just like her – and learns she had a twin who died at birth.
• A killer places an advertisement for a willing victim and finds one.
• A basement contains jars filled with unusual specimens.
• A person finds new photos of herself on her cell phone that she didn’t take.
• The spirit of a brutalized slave or prisoner of war wants revenge on his tormentor’s descendants.
• A couple vacationing in a remote area begins having the same nightmares.
• All of the circus performers were killed in the train wreck.
• The television switches to another station of its own accord and plays footage of something horrible that happened long before the technology existed to record it.
• A spouse or sibling dies. He or she begins to take over the body of the surviving spouse or sibling.
• Weekend adventurers explore a cave and can’t find their way out again. Then they encounter something terrible…
• Authorities go through the cluttered apartment of a deceased man who lived alone with no known friends or relatives for decades and find something disturbing.
• A group of teenagers trolls everyone else in an online group by telling made-up stories about terrible things they’ve done. Things then get out of hand.
• It’s bad luck in the theatre to call the Shakespeare play Macbeth by name, but someone in the company keeps doing it anyway… and the superstition proves true.
• Every exhibit in this carnival sideshow is fake. Except this one thing.
• An individual develops a terror of water – drinking it, touching it, or even being near it. There’s actually a good reason why.
• The grandfather clock starts running backwards.
• People in this neighborhood begin having freak accidents that involve normal appliances and machinery, such as blenders, weed whackers, and garage doors.
• The cure for a new deadly epidemic is almost scarier than the disease.
• He locked the doors and shuttered the windows; it came in through the roof.
• A woman is happy when her dead loved one comes back to life… but he’s changed.
• This centuries-old beauty secret is effective but horrifying.
• A killer toys with his victims by orchestrating a series of false hopes for them.
• She wakes up in the middle of the night and runs out to a certain tree.
• Tourists on a ghost tour, along with their guide, fall into the hands of an evil presence.
• A young woman is impregnated by her handsome new boyfriend, who turns out to be something other than human.
• The empty swing is swinging.
• A bride on her honeymoon discovers she’s not her new husband’s first wife… not even close.
• Long ago, when he was a baby, a man’s parents made an unwise deal in order to bring him back from the dead.
• Members of a family or people in a town begin sleepwalking and doing strange things in their sleep.
• A young man confesses to a killing that hasn’t happened. The murder he describes takes place while he’s in custody.
• Grisly events happen after the arrival of a hypnotist in Victorian London.
• An author’s fictional villain stalks him.
• Fraternity hazing goes way too far.
• It always happens when he’s alone in the car.
• A patient in a mental hospital encounters a malevolent ghost, but nobody believes her.
• A mother’s young child may or may not be a changeling.
• Swarms of insects appear in various places in a town, always followed by an untimely death.
• The ghost at the movie theater wants everyone to watch one particular snippet of film.
• A child’s imaginary friend starts to cause real trouble.
• When putting together a slide show for a wedding or funeral, someone notices that for decades, the same man, dressed in the same fashion, has been appearing in the background of photographs taken in public places.
• A politician, religious leader, or celebrity exerts mind control over the will of his or her followers.
• The fairy godmother isn’t the good kind of fairy.

Okay, I creeped myself out a little with these spooky writing prompts! If you’re writing a novel and want a step-by-step guide to planning, writing, and editing, be sure to check out my book 5,000 Writing Prompts .

Do you have questions or suggestions about horror story ideas? We’d love to hear them in the comments section! And don’t miss future posts about writing. Follow my blog, if you aren’t already — there’s a place you can sign up below. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

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60 thoughts on “ 50 spooky writing prompts and horror story ideas ”.

This was terrific. Thank you.

Thanks, B.D., you’re so welcome!

You always have the best writing prompts. I love these! Several gave me the jeebas. 🙂

Thank you so much! Haha, it only seemed creepy to me when I went back and read straight through them. 😀

Fabulous prompts – I see some stories in my immediate future.

Aw thanks Noelle, glad you like them!

Thanks, Bryn, for all the great prompts. I appreciate it. 🙂 — Suzanne

Thanks, Suzanne, you’re welcome!

Great prompts for the coming season and for those who write about the supernatural all year round. A friend of mine and myself send photos to each other as prompts and most of the time, mine stories lean toward the macabre, supernatural or fantasy. I love it! Many of these set my thoughts in motion (the gears are turning). Thanks!

Cheryl, that’s so cool that you and your friend send image prompts to each other! So glad you liked these. Thanks for the nice comments!

Those are delightful ideas and I thank you for them. Did you hear, by the way, about the writer of bizarre tales whose stories were typed using the blood font.The one that leaves an occasional trail of blood down the background image of the screen. Isn’t technology a delightful addition to this lexicon?

Hi Robert! Holy smokes, I had not heard of that use of text. That’s amazing! Thanks so much for commenting, and for the kind words!

I really like the first one: A musician practices. When she finishes a piece, she hears someone clapping for her, although she lives alone.

My character plays the violin and she’s blind, so imagining something like that happening is kind of scary.

Oh geez, Cinthia, that would be scary. That one was my favorite one, by the way. Thanks for commenting!

The reasons why crime features so heavily in media coverage are many and varied. In practical terms crime stories are often easy to cover, relative to other issues. Police make appeals for witnesses, ‘tip off’ journalists (sometimes in ethically problematic ways), court hearings are easy to access and scheduled long in advance.

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nice stories……..give me the creeps

Haha, thank you so much Jayitha!

Thanks so much really helped me.I have to write a short story for english so thanks!

So glad it helped, Neveah! Hope your story turned out (or turns out) great!

who are you?

That was amazing, I am 11 years old and I looked up writing prompts for fun but now I want to write a whole story! Thank you!

Thank u for these ideas. Good suggestions. I am actually writing a horror/thriller story right now and I’m almost done with it. It may be my first story to publish. At least I hope so. I hope that if it does get published, people may like it. I try to make my stories as unique as possible compared to the fantastic horror books already written.

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Great article…So, I have a very sketchy idea (comments welcomed).Newly married couple, husband starts having night terrors about being trapped/lost in a cave (the type extreme potholers go down). He suffers from claustrophobia, specifically potholing. The terrors become more and more violent until one day/night he wakes up inside a shaft, wedged between the walls by his broad shoulders…can’t go forward, can’t go backwards. That’s as far as I’ve got. Apart from skipping to a potential sad ending. You may have guessed that this is a fear of mine!!!

That is unbelievably terrifying!!

ps. You may also guess that I am attempting to write my FIRST book!!!

Thank you Ember Jay

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can you have more scary stories and pin them on pinterest? If you want my email for anything its [email protected] . Thanks

lisette isabelle

Isn’t the last one the plot of Shrek 2?????

yessss broooo

Broooo thats my fav movie!!!!!

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I like #4 The Furies—the vengeance deities of classic mythology—are back in business again. I’m currently writing a story about a demon and a school girl the story is call Her name was Misaki

I like #4 The Furies—the vengeance deities of classic mythology—are back in business again. I’m currently writing a story about a demon and a school girl the story is call Her name was Misaki

This sounds like a a great story!

I used the first one to get me started on brainstorming, and I warped the idea into a feature screenplay that was very fun to write. Thanks for the awesome help!!!

Yeah boiiiiii

I was sitting by the window watching the snow slowly and silently fall. Suddenly, outside, a snap of a branch and a stutter of leaves, a sad old man leaves his house over the road. I watch him as he slowly strolls down the driveway with his brown old wooden stick. Is this a good story starter?

Thanks for getting my imagination running. I needed that. J

Aw, thanks. Thanks for reading, John!

heyo…. I’m 13 years old and i want to write a horror story…..this is helpful!!! I want to be an author when i grow up…whats it like being an author???!!! i have so many ideas , too many that i actually have no idea what to write this gave me some good ideas too thanks. oh, and i love your eyes they are so pretty.

Hey there! I’m so glad you liked the list! It sounds like you have an amazing imagination. Being a writer has challenges, but it’s fantastic making up whole characters, stories, and worlds…and when readers love your stories, too, that’s a great feeling. I hope you have great success as an author. Thanks for the compliment, too!

idea 48 is probably the ex boyfriend of the girl getting married and getting revenge on the husband hehe

I love all these prompts! They give just enough detail but also leave a great amount of imagination! I am doing a spooky story contest and now I have a wonderful idea! thank you so much! -Charlotte

Love this list! I plan on entering a short story contest, and this is very helpful! I lean more towards lengthy fantasy (particularly magic or medieval related) stories, so coming up with ideas for a scary short story is not exactly easy. I now have a solid idea combining bits and pieces of a few prompts (for example: #13 and #16) plus combining my own twists. So thank you!!

Thank you so much I really needed this for English

My story Wrote by 11 yrs old girl (no name, sry) The Mystery Of The Unexpected Ghost: As my grandfather lies on his deathbed, he told me of a terrible crime he committed many years ago and got away with. He also told me that his freedom was the result of a spell someone performed and that I should expect a visit from a ghost. “He will come out from the shadows,” are his last words. Hi, my name is Naomi. I am 21 years old and I love to read ghost stories especially Mr Midnight. I love spooky things like ghost but I do not wish to meet one, until one day, an unexpected man came and it changed my friend, Ruby’s and my life, FOREVER. It all started when I woke up one morning, “Hey! Want to hang out today? Let’s start working on our club, Daring Devils!” I called my friend, Ruby, over the phone. “Sure! I have no plans anyways…” Ruby answered. “Yay! Come over now!” I hung the phone and waited for Ruby to come. Moments later, “Ring… Ring…” The doorbell rang. I thought, ‘Yay it’s Ruby!’ When I opened the door, I saw Ruby and pulled her to my room. Then, I got super serious and asked her for cases to solve. “Nah, I have none, you?” Ruby said. I replied, “Actually, I do have one, but I think ghosts aren’t real…” “Wait, this case is about ghosts? Woo hoo! This just got a little more exciting!” Ruby exclaimed as she waited patiently for me to tell her the case. “Ok, so, before my grandfather died, he told me that I should expect a visit from a ghost.” I responded. “What, that’s not fun!” Ruby complained. I continued, “But that’s not all, after that, my grandfather told me that the ghost will come out from the shadows.” After hearing what I had said, Ruby’s face lit up and imitated a ghost, “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO… So this is a mystery! Did your grandfather tell you when will the ghost appear?” “No…” I replied. “O…K… So we must predict when the ghost is coming…” Ruby said, trying to think when the ghost will come. I thought really hard that I thought my brain was going to explode and I suddenly said, “At night! Ghosts always appear at night!” “Ok, then, I’ll meet you at night, got to go, bye!” Ruby replied as she ran home. I sat patiently on my bed and waited for Ruby to come at night. I kept trying to sleep but thinking about the ghost kept me awake. “Ring… Ring…” the doorbell rang. I ran to the door, drag Ruby to my room and exclaimed, “Yay! This is going to be so fun!” Ruby answered, “Naomi, I’ll not get too excited if I were you…” “What, you scared of ghosts, I don’t even believe in them!” I responded. “Naomi! The ghost might be listening! Stop making fun!” Ruby warned me. “Whatever!” I blurted. Little did I know that the ghost was spying on us, listening to every word I said. “Let’s get started on the case!” I exclaimed as I turn on my computer and typed, ‘Ghosts that can perform spells.’ “Enter!” I said as I pressed enter. Once I pressed enter, lots of information from the internet popped up on the screen. I slowly browsed through each website. “Not this, not this and not this either! At this rate, we’ll never find out about that ghost” I whimpered, feeling hopeless. “Search, ‘Visit from a ghost who performs spells’.” Ruby replied immediately. I typed, ‘Visit from a ghost who performs spells.’ “Enter.” I uttered. Suddenly, there was only one website. I click on the website and it says: The Chancer * His real name is unknown. He is believed to be the ghost of a boy who never had a second chance. This ghosts helps humans in life. He gives chances to those who have a kind heart. If this ghosts visits you, you are lucky. But… if you do not have a kind heart, you will die! If you want to risk your life, then call him… Say, “Chance, chance, give me a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance.” If you did not call him but he came to you, means someone you knew had called him before… Beware of your surroundings, he will come out from the shadows. If you do not want him to come near you, say, “Chance, chance, I don’t need a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone but me, I’m done…” If you are expecting him to come, he will say, “Second chance, second chance, second, second, second chance… What would you like for your second chance? Tell me now, tell me now…” * (BOHH) “Gosh! Naomi, quick! Take a picture of it!” Ruby shook me. “Chill! ‘Kay, ‘kay!” I grumbled. I quickly took my phone and took a picture of it. “Anyways, what’s BOHH?” Ruby questioned me. “WHAT! You don’t know!? It means Blood On His Hands. He has taken a life. You should read Mr Midnight!” I responded. “So if you are not kind hearted and you called the ghost or if someone you know has called the ghost, you will die?” Ruby asked. “Yup!” I replied. “But I don’t need a second chance, do I?” I wondered. “I guess…” Ruby murmured. Unexpectedly, the lights suddenly off. “Second chance, second chance, second, second, second chance… What would you like for your second chance? Tell me now, tell me now…” said an unknown voice. “Who are you?” Ruby hollered. “I am The Chancer, would you like to have a second chance?” The voice said. “Uh… uh…” I stammered. I quickly turn on my phone and looked at the picture I took. I took a deep breath and said, “Chance, chance, I don’t need a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone but me, I’m done…” Once those words left my mouth, I heard a loud scream and the lights suddenly turned back on. “What just happened?” Ruby asked. “Am I dreaming? Pinch me, Naomi!” Ruby said. I pinched Ruby as hard as I could to get my revenge for her pinching me in the past. “Ouch! Stop!” Ruby screamed. “So, I’m not dreaming…” She said under her breath. Weeks past as I tried to forget the memories that haunt me. After a year, I called Ruby and asked, “Have you forgotten about The Chancer?” Ruby stammered, “I…I…I…I…” I asked impatiently, “So did you forget ‘bout it?” Ruby stammered again, “Ok, Naomi, I have to tell you this, don’t… freak… out, ‘kay?” “What is it?” I asked her curiously. “The Chancer… The Chancer has visited me…” Ruby answered me with a frightened look. “WHAT DID YOU SAID?!” I asked. “How many times must I repeat? The Chancer visited me!” Ruby shouted. “Oh! I understand everything now! If someone you know saw The Chancer, he will go to someone you know or someone you are really close with, or even you! I get it now!” I explained to Ruby. Then, I asked curiously, “But, what did you do when you saw The Chancer?” “Uh… Naomi, I forgotten what to say when The Chancer come, so I said I want a second chance!” Ruby replied me, feeling frightened. “What!” I hollered. “What is your second chance?” I asked. “My second chance is to be pretty!” Ruby answered, curling her hair and blushing at the same time. “But, you know that, err….” I said. “I know what?” Ruby asked. “You know that a second chance means, A SECOND LIFE, right?” I told her. “Oh no! I’m going to die? Please tell me I’m dreaming! Pinch me, please!” Ruby shouted. I pinched her cheek as hard as I could and she shouted. “Yup, definitely not dreaming!” Ruby said, as she touched her cheek. “HOW?!” Ruby shouted in horror. “Don’t ask me! Ask yourself!” I answered her with a furious look. “What am I supposed to do at this stage?” Ruby complained. “We’ll see… Let’s observe what will happen next…” I answered, feeling worried for Ruby. “We can have a sleepover at your house, YAY!” Ruby squealed. “Ugh…” I grumbled. “It’s midnight!” I said. “Be ready for what’s going to happen next!” I continued. Suddenly, Ruby was glowing. After a few moments later, she disappeared! Feeling afraid, I tried to sleep, but as expected, I could not. It was dawn and my eyes were still wide open. Unexpectedly, I heard someone screamed, “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH” I shut my eyes and covered my ears. When I opened my eyes, I saw a very beautiful girl in front of me. “Get away from me!” I screamed. “Naomi, it’s me, Ruby!” she said. “Liar, then tell me something only Ruby and I know!” I screamed, feeling afraid. “There is someone called The Chancer and he came to visit me and you.” She continued. “Oh gosh, Ruby!” I hugged her and cried. “What happened to your face? You somehow became, prettier!” I asked curiously. “Oh… About that, err… The Chancer said it is only temporary. He said if I did not use this chance correctly, I will have consequences. But if I use it properly, I can keep it forever.” Ruby explained. “You sure? This doesn’t feel right.” I said, thinking about why The Chancer would let her keep it if she used it properly. “Stop talking nonsense… Do you always act like this?” Ruby talked with a little bit of sassiness. “We need to change your name to something prettier…” I suggested. “I agree. I kind of want to be named Naomi…” Ruby said. “Let me think of a prettier name than mine. Hmmm… How about Alexi?” I suggested. “That is so nice! Ok…” Ruby Alexi replied. The next day, I went to school with Ruby Alexi. When we entered, many people were staring at Alexi with their mouths wide open, even the prettiest girl in our school, Cindy. “Hey girl, what’s your name?” Cindy asked with A LOT of sassiness. “Ru… Alexi” Alexi said. “Why you hanging around with this nerd… What was her name again? Oh yes, Naomi.” Cindy said, pointing at me. “You are the real nerd! Stop being so mean you ugly girl and don’t act like you are so pretty, because you are NOT!” Alexi screamed at the top of her lungs. “OMG… I can’t believe such a pretty girl like you to be so mean,” Cindy flipped her hair and sashayed away. After Cindy left, a lot of guys started crowding around Alexi, asking her stuff like, “Are you single?” and “Want to hang out with me?” When Alexi saw them, she started flipping and curling her hair. “Psst… Remember to use your second chance properly. Stop flipping and curling your hair and get away from this crowd,” I reminded her. “Oh sorry people, I got to go… See you guys later!” Alexi told them and sashayed away. “Ugh…” I whispered under my breath. Many days past and Alexi acts the same every day. Until one day, something odd happened to her. She stopped doing the stuff she normally do. When we walked back home together from school, I asked her, “What happened to you?” “Something is about to happen… Something bad! I know it… The Chancer is going to remove my chance! Am I going to DIE?!” She answered, feeling afraid. “No you are not! Can you stay over at my house for today? I need to observe you…” I asked her. “Ok…” She immediately agreed and plastered a fake smile across her face. We reached my house and we waited until it was night time. “What now?” Alexi asked. “We’ll see,” I replied, staring at her. “This is getting awkward… I’m going back,” Alexi said, walking away from me. When she was walking, she suddenly fainted and disappeared, AGAIN! “Ugh… Not again!” I complained. This time, I thought she was dead as she did not appear for the past few weeks and her parents said she did not return. One night, when I was about to turn off the light, the light off itself. When I was about to scream, someone covered my mouth and I immediately fainted. When I woke up, I was tied up. I took a closer look at where I was and noticed it was a cemetery. “Mmmm!” I tried to scream but my mouth was taped. Suddenly, The Chancer appeared. “I mean no harm… I just have to warn you something,” he said. “Ruby… She… Is dead!” He continued. “It’s Alexi!” I reminded him. “You can’t call her Alexi!” he warned me. “Why?” I asked. “Just don’t.” he replied. “But why is she dead?” I asked. “I tried to warn her about something but The Devi got her!” He explained. “Who is The Devi?” I asked curiously. “She is my sister, or should I say, she was my sister. She has changed. She used to be a kind girl but now, I’m not really sure what has happened to her.” He said, staring at a grave. “Her grave, is at this cemetery. It is over there,” he said, pointing at the grave he was staring at previously. I looked closer at the name at it said, “RIP DEV ‘LOVE FOR ALL, HATRED FOR NONE’ MAY GOD BLESS MY FAMILY” “Oh, so that’s her grave. But, why would she kill Ruby? I mean what did Ruby did? And, how do you know Ruby is dead?” I asked curiously. “You will know soon… I must get going!” The Chancer disappeared after saying that. When he left, I started feeling dizzy and lied on the floor. Moments past and I woke up after dreaming of Ruby. I immediately went to my computer, went to the internet and typed, ‘The Devi’. When I press enter, there was lots of websites popped up. I clicked on the first website and it says: The Devi * Her real name is Dev. She is believed to be the ghost of a girl who was murdered. Some say she was murdered because of her doing something ridiculous. The story goes, when she was born, she was ugly. When she grew up, she realised that other girls were prettier than her. So she went to this ghost and asked the ghost to make her prettier, but unfortunately, the ghost killed her. The Devi kills people who asked The Chancer to be pretty for their second chance. Some survived her as The Devi thinks that they are not very pretty. If you survived her, you will be unlucky for the rest of your life! But if you are lucky enough, you will be lucky for the rest of your life. Beware of what you asked from The Chancer! If The Devi wants to meet you, you will glow and suddenly disappear. If you disappear once, you will definitely survive from her. If you disappear twice, it depends if The Devi wants you dead or alive. If you disappear thrice, you will definitely die from her! * (BOHH) The Chancer, click here “Oh no… So did Ruby died or what?!” I asked myself confusedly. I took out my phone and took a picture of it. Suddenly, I heard the same voice, “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” ‘Ruby! Are you there?” I asked. Ruby appeared again. I saw a lot of blood and scars on her body. “Oh my… What happened to you?” I asked her. “Hel… Hel… Help… Me… I-I-I a… am…” After saying that, Ruby fainted. After a few days, Ruby finally woke up. “What… What happened?” she asked curiously. “You disappeared as The Devi caught you.” I explained. “Who is The Devi? I only remember there was this extremely pretty girl talking to me.” Ruby asked, scratching her head. “What did she said to you?!” I asked her, waiting for her answer. “I only remember part of what she said. She said, ‘You will disappear again and it’s up to me to decide whether you should live or die… Hmm… I guess you can…’ Then I forgot what she said.” Ruby said, trying to remember what The Devi had said. “She would either said die or live.” I told Ruby. “How would you know?” Ruby asked. I took out my phone and showed her the picture about The Devi I took before Ruby appeared. Ruby read and screamed, “AAAAAAAHH! Oh no! She said I will disappear again, means I will definitely die!” “We might not know if the internet is true…” I said. “Yeah, you are right,” Ruby said. “I guess we have to wait until I disappear again…” Ruby continued. “No… I have a plan, but I’m not sure if it would work. But we might now know unless we give it a try!” I said. “So, what’s the plan?” Ruby asked. “Ok, we have to make Dev come out.” I said. “Err…” Ruby said, feeling confused. “We have to say something to piss her off.” I explained. “Like?” Ruby asked. “Just try to think… Let’s do it now.” I answered. “Hey Dev! Are you really that ugly? If you are, come out!” I shouted. “Err… Oh yeah, come on out unless you are afraid!’ Ruby shouted. Suddenly, Ruby was glowing. I hold her hand and we disappeared together. “Where are we?” I moaned. “Oh no! Naomi! Hel…” I heard Ruby said. I looked around and realised that I was in a cemetery, AGAIN! “Ruby?” I hollered. I looked around and spotted Ruby lying at a grave that said, “RIP DEV ‘LOVE FOR ALL, HATRED FOR NONE’ MAY GOD BLESS MY FAMILY” “Uh oh…” I whispered. I ran towards her and carried her up. Suddenly, The Devi appeared. “Wow, you guys are the first who dares to say cruel things to me, other than my brother and… and… wow!” she said. “Err…” Ruby and I said, feeling confused. “I saw that you, Naomi, searched about me on the website. You did not believed the internet and that is very smart of you… It is all a lie. Let me tell you my real story. So my real name is Dev. I was murdered by The Chancer, my brother, also known as Chace. He murdered me because I had something he did not have, popularity. The story goes, when I was born, I was extremely beautiful. A lot of boys always hang out with me but he was not popular. Chace was extremely jealous of me, so he killed me one day.” “Then…” I gasped. “Chace is evil! Oh my!” I screamed. Immediately, Chace appeared and slid Dev’s throat with his knife. “You betrayed me! You evil little creature, you will never get a second chance to live your popular life!” Chace screamed. “Look what we have here… Two girls. Well, Ruby, you want to be pretty right? Then you shall die too!” Chace continued, taking a sword about to kill Ruby. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” I screamed. I shut my eyes, thinking of how helpless I am right now. “Don’t you worry and thank you for being so kind to me…” I heard someone whispered to me. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Dev jumping in front of Ruby and defend her from the sword. A lot of things happened in a blink of an eye. Dev was sliced into half, Ruby fainted and Chace screamed, “DEV!” Chace ran towards Dev and sob. “I’m so sorry.” He said to Dev. “Oh no! Dev is dead!” I screamed and ran towards Chace and Dev. “Why did you kill her!? You are crazy!” I screamed at Chace. “I’m sorry.” He said with tears dripping off his face. “Since young, I have this illness. I will turn into someone crazy when I am jealous. But now, when I’m a ghost, I will turn into someone crazy when I give someone a second chance to be prettier.” He explained. “Then just remove the chance you gave Ruby!” I suggested. “Oh yeah! You are right!” he said with his eyes lit up, twinkling with delight. “Second chance, come to me, come to me and you shall die.” He said. After saying that, Ruby was glowing and her face turned to her own face. “Yes! It worked! Ruby, you are back!” I screamed. I took a look at Dev and she was also back to her normal self. Dev cried and thanked me then face Chace and apologise, “I’m sorry, I did not know…” “It’s alright!” Chase said. After that, life was back to normal and now, everyone is wondering where Alexi went, even Cindy. Before I sleep, Dev and Chase would always come and visit me and you will never guess what happens when they visit me…

Although James did not believe in ghosts, it was hard to dismiss the appearance and Disappearance of the girl in a white chiffon dress.

As my brother lay helplessly on his deathbed, I would only recall the memories of him talking about the tree of death. His last words were ‘beware of the undergrowth’.

Days and weeks passed since the tragic accident until I had enough of keeping the secret all to myself. From that point onward I knew both my life and Ella’s life would change…

It all started in the morning when I was deciding on which book from the series ‘GHOST OF MURDER’ I should read again. Then before I could tell what I was doing, I was moving automatically towards the telephone. Unknowingly, I started dialling the numbers 07345967781, it then came to my head that I was dialling the phone number of my friend Ella. Within seconds, the phone was received and that was when I started blabbering about the new club we started, called Devils Dare. Just like I expected she agreed enthusiastically.

Soon after Ella came, fully packed with all the necessities for the club. “Ugh…” I complained it was so annoying when Ella does not understand what I wanted to say. Then I started ambling towards her and started to mumble under my breathe” GHOSTS”! Then out of the blue “AAAAHHHHhhh”! screamed Ella in her usual high-pitched voice. Grabbing her by the wrist we fledged to my room.

There, Ella started complaining about how her wrist is broken and that its paining horribly. “What a cry-baby she is”. I said under my breathe ignoring and trying focus on what I called her here for. Ella stop, I did not mean to scare you. And do you remember my brother…. “Yeah of course I do”. Ella said in a very intense voice. Well before he died, he told me about a tree near Midview meadow was the tree of death. “WOW!!!!” whispered Ella.

Within a blink of an eye I saw Ella opening her laptop and was typing (exceptionally fast) about deaths occurring near the tree. My face then drained out of colour. I felt dumbfounded that I did not think of that earlier. We then only found one website which had the title DEATH…. the ghost of eternal darkness. It then occurred once we started reading the second paragraph, that each time someone dies at that very spot, they have a leaf fall on them and that is when they will evaporate into thin air.

Stunned by the news, we were really wanting to see if it was true. However, just before my very eyes Ella was being taken away from me by the shadows. Suddenly RING…. RING! OH! PHEW, I was dreaming.”. At one point, I had thought that all this a real dream until I realised that it was true, Ella had been taken! Running around in my room just like a headless-chicken I was really frightened until it came to me that my brothers last words were ‘beware of the undergrowth’.

It came to my mind that the undergrowth are the ghosts guarding the tree from the kind and letting the leaves on the ones who have a cold heart. Hurrying up to the tree I went to the very spot where the very people named on the website died. However, I never realised there was a test to pass. Although there was just one question (and that to the question being quite easy I quickly answered it).

As I slowly walked, there was a loud thud, which had made the ground make a little sound of pain. Running towards the core of the loud sound, I found Ella tied up with a misty rope. Fear took over me and without thinking, I noticed that I was at the exact spot where the ghost called death killed its victims. Hoping a leaf would not fall on me, I closed my eyes and wished. Though I unfortunately failed and I evaporated into thin air…

Within seconds I understood Deaths intelligence of luring me to be one of the victims. Abruptly, I found myself floating, I was a ghost!

“OH please, ghosts aren’t real and are never going to be”. James stammered. Who would believe in that. Though little did he know that he would be seeing the exact person at that exact place. Alas, the day arrived he then went with all his bravery to the Midview meadow and to his astonishment saw the last victim of the ghost Death. The next day back at school he started telling everyone about the disappearance and appearances of a ghost he had read, and he saw about. Though no one would ever believe him…

Title: The Stalker “Ring…” the bell rang. “Class dismissed!” Mrs. Ng said. “Amelia! Amelia! Wait for me, let’s walk home together.” Ari shouted. Amelia agreed and they walked home together. On their way home, “Creak…” Amelia turned behind and saw nothing but heard the wind blowing in the air. “BOOM!” When they heard the loud noise, they shouted and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. When they thought they were safe, Amelia stopped running and said, “What a relief! I could hear the loud boom just right beside my ears!” Ari panted and said, “Let’s just walk home and forget that just happened.” Amelia agreed and they continued walking home. Just when they were about to reach home, there was an unknown voice that whispered into Ari and Amelia’s ears. The voice said, “I’ll set you free when I get what I want.” Amelia shouted, “Reveal yourself!” So, the stalker revealed himself. He had spiky hair, tattoo all over his body, long claws as finger nails, a weird smile on his face and a scar on his eye. “My name is Klaus!” “Oh My Gosh!” Ari said it shockingly. Feeling afraid, Amelia whispered to Ari, “Let’s run away!” Ari nodded his head and they ran away. Before they could even move, Klaus use a metal pole and knocked them down. Klaus brought them to an abandoned house, tied their hands with ropes and taped their mouth with duct tape. When Amelia woke up, she mumbled, “Mmmm…. Mmmmm!” When Ari heard Amelia mumbling, she woke up. When Klaus saw Amelia and Ari woke up, he said, “Finally, you’re both awake. I’ve been waiting for an hour!” When he saw both of them were trying to talk, he removed the duct tape on their mouth. “Hey! What do you want?” Amelia shouted. Klaus said, “Money, obviously. Everyone wants money!” “Fine! Take it, release us and go!” Ari said. Klaus asked, “You sure?” “Yeah!” Ari replied. When Klaus was about to take the money, a siren sounded. Klaus shouted, “You called the police?” Amelia giggled and said, “Yeah, I called the police!” After hearing what Amelia had said, Klaus ran as fast as a cheetah. Ari asked Amelia, “Did you really called the police?” Amelia laughed and replied, “No, silly! That was my alarm! I am prepared for anything… Come on, let’s walk home!” s the saying goes, ‘Once bitten, twice shy’, Amelia taught Ari to be prepared for anything.

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7 writing activities for Halloween

Boo! It’s time to get your scare on: hello, Halloween!

Many of us love to dress up for Halloween, but it’s also the perfect time to go beyond spooky sartorial choices and inspire creativity in the writing classroom.

These 7 spooky writing activities for Halloween will help your students create a creepy tale or two.

The Creepy Castle | Creepy Character Profiles | Through the Keyhole | Picture Writing Prompts | Persuasive Fast Starts Challenge | Spooky Stories | Petrifying Poems

1. The Creepy Castle writing prompt

Perfect for all year levels, this fun writing prompt will provide lots of fun this Halloween. This activity encourages students to use descriptive writing to show rather than tell (Step 5).

Show us what kind of character lives in a castle like this.

What do they love to do?

What is their pet like?

Access the teaching notes for this writing prompt!

Start your FREE Teacher Hub trial then click on the link below to download the resource.

It includes:

• Writing Prompt – The Creepy Castle (Step 5: Show, Don’t Tell )
• five ways to use the writing prompt
• thinking questions
• additional links
• ‘In the Moment’ editable template.

Your Teacher Hub trial gives you access to almost 300 other writing resources!

2. Creating Creepy Character Profiles

This activity and template has been extracted from our new Narrative Writing Manual .

For a story to have tension, the writer must create characters with depth that the reader can empathise with.

• Start by discussing characters from familiar spooky stories. What do we know about them? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What makes us care about them?
• As a class, brainstorm a list of possible spooky characters (e.g. a vampire, a mummy, Frankenstein).
• Ask students to form pairs and pick a character from the class list, then brainstorm ideas to create a profile of their chosen character using template below from the Narrative Writing Manual.
• Ask students to write a brief description of their spooky character based on the ideas in the profile. Challenge them to write it in a way that makes the reader want to know more.

Download your free template

3. Through the Keyhole Template

• Ask students to imagine they are looking through a keyhole. Is it a haunted house? A goblin’s grotto? A dungeon?
• Students can use the template to draw what they see, then write about it below. Don’t forget to capture the reader’s attention with a Sizzling Start.

Download the template

4. Picture writing prompts

These eerie and magical images are perfect visual prompts to help your students focus on specific writing skills.

View more free Seven Steps Writing Prompts: Narrative | Persuasive | Informative

Teacher Hub members: Remember to log in to gain access to the teaching notes for these Halloween writing prompts including:

• ‘In The Moment’ graphic organiser to help students writing more descriptive
• related media links.

Not a member? Start your 14-day free trial (no payment details required).

5. Persuasive Fast Starts Challenge

This is one of the best ways to increase your students’ engagement and bring the fun into your writing lessons.

• Trick-or-treating is dangerous
• Ghosts do exist
• Vampires vs werewolves
• Halloween is better than Christmas
• Being scared is fun
• Set a 60 second timer – try this one .
• Students write a Sizzling Start for each topic. After going through each topic, every student should have 5 different Sizzling Starts.
• Ask students to share their favourite Sizzling Start in groups of 3–4. This will help them generate more ideas, develop concepts and learn from each other.

New to the Seven Steps? Try the Sizzling Starts Transformation Challenge – it has all the resources you need to learn, teach, apply and assess Step 2: Sizzling Starts.

6. Spooky Stories

Using random words as the basis for a story is a great way to spark students’ creativity.

• As a class, watch the spooky story in the following video (watch from 1:30 to 2:20):

• Get each student to write a word they associate with spooky stories on a strip of paper.
• Place the strips of paper into a hat.
• Ask each student to pull a strip of paper from the hat.
• Get students to form groups of three and work together to write their own spooky story based on their words.

For example: attic, moon, bat.

‘She pushed open the attic door. It made a long, high-pitched creaking sound. She slowly tiptoed into the  darkroom and tried the light switch. No luck. Something rustled in the corner of the room, disturbed by her entrance.

‘I hope it’s a mouse,’ she shuddered.

The moon shone its faint light through the small window. Slowly, a shadow began to appear: large wings, a pointed head. A bat, bigger than any ordinary bat.’

7. Petrifying poems

The poems in the following videos are a a great example of Step 5: Show Don’t Tell. Watch the video as a class then get your students to create their own Show, Don’t Tell poetry.

For younger students:

One dark night, in the middle of the day….

For older students:

The vampire by conrad aiken.

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Want to continue improving your students’ poetry writing?

• Blog: ‘Instructions’ – A poem by Neil Gaiman  may help students think a little differently about writing a poem.
• Action Activity & writing samples: Teaching Poetry with the Seven Steps
• Story Graphs – Poe ms

On-demand PD, classroom-ready resources and time-saving planning tools all in one place.

K-12 Resources By Teachers, For Teachers Provided by the K-12 Teachers Alliance

• Teaching Strategies
• Classroom Activities
• Classroom Management
• Technology in the Classroom
• Professional Development
• Lesson Plans
• Writing Prompts
• Graduate Programs

7 Quick Halloween Creative Writing Prompts

The teachhub team.

• October 23, 2016

Halloween is a favorite among students of all ages. Whether you want to take a few minutes to have students “quick-write” or spend 20-30 minutes writing in-depth responses, these easy-to-use writing prompts will encourage your students to be creative. While all of the writing prompts are easy to incorporate independently, some can be used in collaboration with a story or novel that you are reading in class.

Halloween Writing Prompts

• If you could create your very own monster, what would it look like? What would it be called? What types of things would it do to scare people? Where does the monster live? Tell me everything there is to know about your monster. If you want, draw a picture of the monster.
• Do you love trick-or-treating? Dressing up in costumes? Haunted houses? Costume parties? Halloween games? Halloween decorations? Scary movies? Write a poem about your favorite part of Halloween, sharing why it is special to you.
• Write a story about a kid who goes trick-or-treating. Start from the minute he or she puts on his or her costume and finish when he or she gets home and puts on normal clothes again. Tell me everything that happens.
• If we had a Halloween party in class, what would you want to see? Should we decorate the classroom? How would we do that? What types of food and activities would we have? What costumes would you want to see?
• What was the best Halloween you ever had? What made it great? What would make this Halloween even better than that?
• Write a spooky story to tell around the campfire. Remember, you want to build suspense using onomatopoeia and alliteration. Don’t forget to have a big finale to frighten everyone who is listening.
• If you could design a haunted house, what would you name it? What types of rooms would you have? Describe, in detail, three of the best rooms in your haunted house.

Have fun with these Halloween-themed writing prompts. Your students definitely will!

• #Halloween , #WritingPrompts

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