Halloween has increased in popularity with many countries around the world celebrating, although the dates and names for the celebration may vary. In the United States, Halloween celebrations occur on October 31. Latin American countries celebrate the Day of the Dead for three days from October 31 to November 2. Wherever you live, one of the major components of this celebration is a concentration upon skulls, skeletons, and things unexpected, unusual, and scary.
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Active imaginations find it fun to share their thoughts and experiences in writing. However, it can be difficult coming up with an original idea. Our Halloween writing prompts are designed to get you started. In this article, you will find Halloween writing ideas, then some categorized story ideas. Next we have some Halloween story prompts that begin the story for you. If you like something really scary, we have creepy writing prompts. The article ends with Halloween writing activities suitable for families and classrooms – things to do that involve unique writing opportunities. Have fun and create something memorable related to this popular holiday.
Halloween Writing Ideas
Sometimes all you need is a quick idea to kick-start your writing. Our Halloween writing ideas are designed to do just that. We have included scary, funny, and both the expected and unexpected. You are sure to find the perfect idea to get your story started.
- Weird new neighbors with a secret
- A doll or stuffed animal that is alive
- A terrifying dark place, such as a basement, attic, or cellar
- Walking alone in a graveyard
- Waking up in a room with no doors, windows – no way to get out
- Fear of and contact with spiders or snakes
- A door that appears in a wall that leads to another world
- Waking up with no reflection in the mirror
- The discovery that a family member has a dangerous secret past
- A repetitive scary noise without any apparent source
- Objects suddenly flying off surfaces and crashing on the floor
- A Halloween pumpkin or scarecrow coming alive
- Opening the door to the scariest costume ever
- Being lost in the woods at night and something following you
- A boarded-up house on your street finally has a light in the window
- Garden gnomes and other cement decorations of people and animals come alive
- A mannequin in a department store that is alive
- Making the mistake of stealing from witches
- Neighbors suddenly start dropping ill with the same strange symptoms
- A glance in the mirror reveals fangs you did not have yesterday
- Waking up to find the floor covered with snakes
- Dating someone you discover is not human
- Losing any knowledge of who you are or where you live
- Your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and your phone has a new app you did not install
- A corn maze that changes its paths after dark
- A friendly ghost asks you to deliver a message by midnight
How To Use These Prompts
- Pick one idea and write for 10 minutes without stopping – no editing.
- Swap the setting to a place you know well to add detail quickly.
- Change the point of view – tell the scene from the monster’s perspective.
- Combine any two prompts to spark a plot twist.
Halloween Story Ideas
Sometimes you just need one good idea to get started on the perfect story. In this section, we give you Halloween story ideas to help you start writing with ease and creativity.
- The Costume Rule. Halloween is known as the one time of year when people can dress up and become whatever they wish. Write a story centered on this tradition. Ideas include:
A costume that cannot be taken off.
Someone you think is wearing a costume, but it is really their appearance.
Costumes in a store that come alive after closing. - Creatures and Companions. Certain creatures are associated with Halloween. Choose one to write about, such as:
A black cat following you and continually crossing your path.
A demonic pet that is not what it seems.
Abused animals in a pet store escape and take their revenge – but on the wrong person. - Between Life and Death. Death and everything associated with the dead and undead are frequent themes of Halloween stories. Consider the following ideas:
A murdered child rises from the grave to get revenge.
Visiting a relative and finding out later they were already dead when you did so.
At a funeral, the deceased rises up and accuses someone present of murder. - Traditions and Lore. There are some interesting facts associated with the Halloween celebration. Use one to write a story, such as:
A special tradition your family includes in your Halloween celebration.
The origins of Halloween told by an unreliable narrator.
Celebration of Halloween in another country – for example, the Day of the Dead in Latin American countries. - Modern Hauntings. Technology meets terror. Try one:
A smart home that keeps resetting to October 31 on its own.
A group chat where one participant is messaging from beyond.
A viral filter that reveals things no one else can see.
Halloween Story Prompts
A story writing prompt is a brief passage of text that gives you a starting point for an original story. The first part of the story gives you just enough to picture the setting and characters. From there, you write your original story. The following Halloween story prompts could take several directions and become either a scary, humorous, or intriguing piece of writing.
- The doorbell rang. It was late, but there were other lights on in the neighborhood still. A wild party raged next door; the cops had already come by once to warn them to keep it down. Maybe they were asking if she had made the call. Or maybe it was a Trick or Treater hitting one last house before heading home. She grabbed the bowl of candy, opened the door, and screamed because . . .
- He could not find their cat, Missy. The stubborn animal had not eaten her dinner. In fact, he realized she had not eaten for the last three days. He had not wanted a cat, but his daughter had begged for a pet. At least she chose a full-grown one, not a kitten that needed housebreaking. He was on the back porch when he heard a noise behind him and saw the claws just before . . .
- He turned the page of the book. Chapter one had been pretty exciting. Interesting. There was a blank page before chapter two. He turned the page again and saw the spot of blood on the paper and realized . . .
- She loved gardening and her new house faced the way she had hoped. She could sit on the front porch and watch the sun come up and, in the evening, the back patio gave her a view of sundown. Her gardens were neglected, but with just a bit of work, she would have them looking awesome in no time. She headed to the far bed that lay in the shadow of a big tree and was not visible from the road. Funny, there was a pile of clothes in the corner by the fence. She carefully lifted the corner with her hand trowel and saw . . .
- She almost did not see the girl on the side of the road until she turned the corner and her headlights picked up her silhouette. Luckily the road was wide enough there was no danger of hitting her. The rain had soaked her witch’s costume and she looked miserable. She never picked up hitchhikers, but this rural environment was non-threatening, and she was a girl, and it was raining. She slowed, rolled down the window, and asked, “Can I give you a ride into town?” The girl turned, and to her horror, she saw . . .
- By morning the jack-o-lantern’s smile had changed. It was wider now, and there were fresh seeds on the porch that no one had carved out.
- They saved the last candy bar for whoever dared to open the attic door. When the knob turned itself, they realized someone else had already taken the dare.
Creepy Writing Prompts
Halloween is associated with frightful beings and happenings. We have collected some creepy writing prompts to help you find the perfect scary story. Four of them are relatively long. Then we share a list of creepy short writing prompts. Are you brave enough to read them?
- The first time I heard the voice, I thought it was part of the lyrics on a new song on the radio. But when I heard, “I see you,” in the kitchen and then in the shower, I knew something or someone was speaking in that awful, creepy voice. I decided to . . .
- Sonja stretched and sat up in bed. She was excited about today, because it was her birthday. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened them to see him standing at the foot of her bed. “Are you excited about our birthday, today, sister?” She screamed for her parents because she had no brother. However, her parents . . .
- They had waited so long to have their own home. The apartment had been so small and in a bad part of town. They were careful to check the crime rate in the new neighborhood, thinking that might be the reason the house was on the market so long and at such a good price. It needed some work – minor cosmetic changes mainly. It was not until they moved in that the neighbors told them the history of the house. A horrible . . .
- I was so excited to inherit my grandmother’s doll collection. I played with the dolls for hours when I visited her house as a small child and she knew how much I loved them. It took a few days to unpack them because I washed all of their clothes, redressed them, and made sure their hair was perfect before setting the ten dolls on a special shelf in my living room. The next day, I thought they were in different locations. But it took a week to discover . . .
- I was taking a shower when I heard the door open and saw the shadow of . . .
- The little girl was home alone, heard laughter, and headed downstairs, only to discover . . .
- We were on a road trip when we stopped in the small, dark town where we . . .
- I answered the phone, heard a scream, and then heard my own voice say . . .
- Every morning when I looked in the mirror, there was something different and I could not . . .
- I had to walk home alone, and the only way was through the cemetery, where . . .
- I had loved that dog and burying it in the back yard kept it close. However, I did not expect . . .
- Was it my imagination or did my ivy house plant’s tendrils keep growing toward me when . . .
- The new neighbor smiles too much and never blinks. The porch light never turns off.
- The old radio only plays one station after midnight – a station that went off the air years ago.
Halloween Writing Activities
Sometimes what one needs is an activity related to Halloween – something to do with the kids or family related to Halloween. Our Halloween writing activities include some drawing and other activities associated with the holiday. However, they all have writing as a component. You will have a great deal of fun and have something to share with others.
- Carve a jack-o-lantern and create a story for it.
- Write a detailed description of a haunted house with the type of rooms, inhabitants, noises, smells – everything you can think of to make it scary.
- Draw a corn maze. Then write the instructions for getting out if someone gets lost.
- Think about all the Halloween costumes you have worn in the past, write a description of your two favorites, and tell why they were the best ones.
- Write directions for making a Halloween costume from recycled materials and other things you have in your home.
- Create a Halloween poem. Use words related to Halloween, such as black, cats, bats, witch, scary.
- Make up and write down a recipe for a witches’ brew that can be used to cast a spell. Think about and use unusual items related to Halloween, such as the hair of a black cat.
- Write out plans for a Halloween party including decorations, food, activities, and costume suggestions. You might even want to build your party around a specific Halloween theme, such as goblins and ghosts.
- Write real estate listings for haunted houses. You must mention that the house is haunted, but convince prospective buyers that they really want to live there.
- Write a Halloween acrostic poem. Write a Halloween-related word down the left side of the page and start each line with that word.
- Write and post online an opinion piece about Halloween. Should trick-or-treating have an age limit? Is it dangerous in all neighborhoods? What costumes are appropriate for what age? Which is better, store-bought or homemade costumes?
- Create a fictional social media profile for a monster or a character from a scary book or movie. Try to make the individual you choose sound like a normal, misunderstood person with issues. For example, the Mummy is just shy and does not want anyone to see his face.
- Write a list of safety rules for Halloween. Think about trick-or-treating, costume safety, and party attending.
- Write a description and invitations for a monster’s wedding or funeral. Include descriptions of flowers, clothing, and those in attendance.
- Write an alternative ending to your favorite Halloween book or movie. You might want to give it a humorous or romantic ending.
- Write interview questions for your favorite scary character. Then use the questions to ask a friend or relative who pretends to be that character. Make sure you write down their answers.
- Create blackout poetry using pages from a thrifted book – highlight spooky words and black out the rest.
- Record a 60-second ghost story as an audio clip, then write the script and stage directions.
- Design a postcard from a haunted location – write a short message on the back from the point of view of the sender.
Halloween storytelling remains part of Halloween celebrations, especially with children and teens. Whether you are a teacher seeking suggestions, an author looking for ideas, or simply someone who likes to tell a good story, our Halloween writing prompts will get you started writing something to increase the enjoyment of this annual celebration. Start writing!
Susan majored in English with a double minor in Humanities and Business at Arizona State University and earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Liberty University. She taught grades four through twelve in both public and private schools. Subjects included English, U.S. and world history and geography, math, earth and physical science, Bible, information technologies, and creative writing.
Susan has been freelance writing for over ten years, during which time she has written and edited books, newspaper articles, biographies, book reviews, guidelines, neighborhood descriptions for realtors, Power Point presentations, resumes, and numerous other projects.
Perfect for Halloween