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. If you want to turn that spooky energy into stories, these 105 Halloween writing prompts give you plenty of places to start.
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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. You will also find prompts written just for kids, Halloween journal prompts, October writing prompts for the whole month, and pun story starters to lighten the mood. The article ends with Halloween writing activities suitable for families and classrooms – things to do that involve unique writing opportunities – plus answers to common questions about using these prompts. 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. We have included scary, funny, and both the expected and unexpected.
- 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
- A door that appears in a wall that leads to another world
- Waking up with no reflection in the mirror
- A repetitive scary noise without any apparent source
- 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
- 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
- Dating someone you discover is not human
- 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.
- In a classroom, set a timer for ten to fifteen minutes, have everyone write without stopping, and let volunteers read their stories aloud at the end.
Halloween Writing Prompts for Kids
Teachers and parents often need prompts that work in the classroom without giving anyone nightmares. These Halloween writing prompts for kids stay on the fun side of spooky. They fit kindergarten through middle school – younger writers can draw a picture first and add a sentence or two, while older kids can aim for a full page. If your class enjoys acting things out afterward, pair a story with a round of Halloween charades.
- You open your lunchbox and find a note from a friendly ghost. What does it say?
- Write about a pumpkin that does not want to become a jack-o-lantern.
- Your pet dresses up for Halloween and enters a costume contest. Describe the big night.
- A little witch keeps losing her broom. Where does it keep going?
- You are given three magic candies. Each one does something different when you eat it.
- The school principal is secretly a vampire, but a nice one. How do you find out?
- Describe the best Halloween costume ever invented and how you would make it.
- A scarecrow gets one night a year to walk around town. Write about his evening.
- You knock on a door and a talking black cat answers. What happens next?
- Invent a new Halloween tradition for your family and explain the rules.
- Write a letter convincing the monster under your bed to move out, politely.
- Your candy bag has a tiny door at the bottom. Where does it lead?
Halloween Story Ideas
Here are the best Halloween story ideas for short stories, grouped by theme. Pick the one detail that hooks you and build your tale around it, or borrow a premise from our short scary stories for kids.
- The Costume Rule. 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. A black cat that keeps crossing your path. A demonic pet that is not what it seems. Pet store animals that escape and take revenge on the wrong person.
- Between Life and Death. A murdered child rises from the grave for revenge. You visit a relative and learn later they were already dead. At a funeral, the deceased sits up and accuses someone present of murder.
- Traditions and Lore. A special family Halloween tradition. The origins of Halloween told by an unreliable narrator. The Day of the Dead celebrated in another country.
- Modern Hauntings. A smart home that keeps resetting to October 31. 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 prompt, also known as a story starter, gives you the opening of a story and lets you decide where it goes next. Each of the following could turn scary, humorous, or intriguing.
- The doorbell rang late on Halloween night. She grabbed the bowl of candy, opened the door, and screamed because . . .
- Their cat had not eaten in three days, and now he could not find her anywhere. 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. There was a blank page before chapter two, then a spot of blood on the paper, and he realized . . .
- The neglected garden bed lay in the shadow of a big tree, hidden from the road. Funny, there was a pile of clothes in the corner by the fence. She lifted the corner with her hand trowel and saw . . .
- Her headlights picked up the girl at the corner, a witch costume soaked with rain. She never picked up hitchhikers, but 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
We have collected creepy writing prompts, sometimes called scary or horror writing prompts, to help you find the perfect frightening story. 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 Journal Prompts
Not every writing session needs a plot. Halloween journal prompts help you slow down and record the season – memories, senses, and traditions. They work well as morning pages during October or as a quick classroom warm-up before the main lesson.
- Describe your earliest Halloween memory. What made it stick with you?
- Which smell says Halloween to you: candle smoke, candy, or fallen leaves? Write about it.
- What was the best costume you ever wore, and who helped you make it?
- Write about a Halloween tradition your family keeps and how it started.
- What scares you now that did not scare you as a kid, and the other way around?
- Describe your street on Halloween night using all five senses.
- If you could spend Halloween in any country, where would you go and why?
- Write about a time you acted brave when you did not feel brave.
- What does your perfect cozy October evening look like?
- List ten small things that make fall feel magical, then pick one and expand on it.
October Writing Prompts
Halloween lands at the end of the month, but the writing season starts on October 1. These October writing prompts cover the whole month – falling leaves, harvest time, and that first hint of something spooky. Use one a week or one a day as a countdown to the big night.
- The first leaf falls in your yard and it has writing on it.
- Write a scene at a fall farmers market where one stall only appears at dusk.
- A scarecrow contest turns competitive when one entry keeps improving itself overnight.
- Describe the perfect apple orchard visit, then add one detail that feels wrong.
- Your town’s harvest festival has a tradition no one will explain to newcomers.
- Write a letter to summer, saying goodbye until next year.
- The fog on the morning walk to school is thicker than it has ever been.
- An old sweater from the thrift store carries a memory that is not yours.
Halloween Pun Story Starters
Need a lighter warm-up before the scary stuff? Try these Halloween puns as story starters. Read the question aloud, let everyone guess, then reveal the answer and use it as the first line of a silly story. They pair well with our Halloween riddles if your group wants more guessing games.
- What do witches use to style their hair?
- Where do ghosts go on vacation?
- What kind of music do mummies love?
- Why did the skeleton skip the Halloween party?
- What is a vampire’s favorite fruit?
- How do monsters like their eggs?
Halloween Writing Activities
Our Halloween writing activities work well with kids, families, and classrooms. Each one has writing at its core and leaves you with something to share.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 an alternative ending to your favorite Halloween book or movie. You might want to give it a humorous or romantic ending.
- 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 Writing Prompts FAQ
What are Halloween writing prompts?
A Halloween writing prompt is a short idea, question, or opening line that gives you a starting point for a seasonal story, poem, or journal entry. Prompts remove the hardest part of writing, the blank page, so you can jump straight to the fun part.
What makes a good Halloween story?
A good Halloween story needs three things: a normal situation the reader recognizes, one detail that feels wrong, and an ending that either explains the mystery or makes it worse. Short is fine. Some of the scariest stories ever written are only a few sentences long.
Whether you are a teacher, an author, or simply someone who likes to tell a good story, these Halloween writing prompts will get you started. Pick one and 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