halloween themed creative writing

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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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BEST HALLOWEEN WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 25 prompts reset

Night owls and early birds, 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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Halloween Writing Prompts for Kids

Halloween is coming, and what better way to scare off the ghosts and creepy crawlies than to show off fangtastic creative writing skills?

Our Halloween writing prompts will inspire your child to write spooktacular poems, recipes, short stories, and much more:

• Write an acrostic poem with the word SPOOKY. The first line will start with a word that begins with S. The second will start with a word that begins with P, next O and so on. Keep writing these lines until you spell SPOOKY.
• Write a spooky recipe for a witch’s brew!
• You’re throwing a Halloween party! Write a list of Halloween-themed supplies you may need.
• Do you like reading scary books or watching scary movies? Why or why not?
• In your opinion, what’s the best Halloween treat? Why is it your favorite?
• Are you dressing up in a Halloween costume this year? If so, what character are you dressing up as, and why?
• Your family takes you to a corn maze to celebrate Halloween and you get lost! Write a story about how you manage to find your way out.
• A group of giant goblins are trying to break into your house! What happens next?
• If you could dress up as any Night Zookeeper character, who would you pick and why?
• What’s your favorite Halloween night activity? Do you usually go trick-or-treating or stay in and enjoy a scary film with your family? 🍿
• Draw a picture of your perfect haunted house! Then write a paragraph describing it.
• Write a spooky poem , all about Halloween! Make sure to use the word “haunted”.
• Do you like to go trick-or-treating? Do you go with your friends, family, or both? Describe your yearly trick-or-treating routine.
• Imagine the jack-o-lantern you just carved started speaking! What does it say?
• Write a spooky story about a black cat that has been created by a mad scientist to defeat their scariest creation - Frankenstein!
• Imagine that you met a friendly ghost. Write what this ghost’s name is, what they look like and why they are friendly!
• Write a Halloween story mentioning as many common Halloween costumes as you can.
• Journal prompt: Imagine you're a friendly ghost for a day! Describe this ghostly day in your journal.
• Story starter: As I watched the huge spaceship land in my backyard, I knew I was in for an out-of-this-world adventure!
• Write a scary story about a magical broomstick that can fly on its own.

More writing prompts

• Elementary Writing Prompts
• Creative Writing Prompts
• Picture Writing Prompts

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October Writing Prompts For Kids

November Writing Prompts For Kids

Minds in Bloom

By Rachel Lynette

20 Halloween Writing Prompts!

It’s that spooky time of year again! Get your kids writing (or discussing) with these creative Halloween writing prompts.

Grab these FREE writing prompts in print and digital!  Plus use the prompt randomizer to choose a prompt for you!

Watch the video to see how the randomizer works!

20 Writing Prompts to Choose From

• What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? Why was it so scary?
• Pretend the mayor of your town wants to outlaw Halloween. Write a letter to convince him that this is not a good idea.
• What was the best Halloween costume you have ever had? What made it so special?
• Pretend you are in charge of your class Halloween party. Make a plan for what you will do. What games will you play? What food will you eat?
• If you could only do one, would you rather go to a Halloween party or go trick-or-treating? Why?
• Do you like reading scary books or going to scary movies? Why or why not?
• Write a Halloween acrostic poem using one of these words: Halloween, Monster, Ghost, Vampire, Zombie.
• Onomatopoeias are words that sound like what they mean, such as “crackle,” “squish” and “plop.” Write a Halloween story using as many onomatopoeias as you can.
• Explain Halloween to someone from another country where Halloween is not celebrated.
• Create a list of safety rules for Trick-or-Treating.

You may also like this ESCAPE ROOM activity!

• What is something that used to scare you but no longer does? Why was it so scary?
• Write a story about visiting a haunted house.
• Which Halloween monster (ghost, vampire, werewolf, zombie, mummy, etc.) do you think is the scariest? Why?
• Pretend you are going to interview a vampire. Write ten questions you would ask him or her. Bonus: Pretend you are the vampire and answer the questions.
• The Scream  is a series of paintings by Evard Munch. Write your impressions of  The Scream .   How does it make you feel? What do you think the artist was trying to express?
• Some schools have replaced Halloween with a Harvest Festival. Do you think this is a good or a bad idea? Why?
• You and your friends have created a haunted house. Make a flyer to tell people about it and convince them to come and visit.
• Would you spend a night in a graveyard for $100? Why or why not?
• Personification means giving human traits, such as feelings and thoughts, to objects. Personify a Jack-O-Lantern. Write a story from a Jack-O-Lantern’s point of view.
• Finish this sentence: This Halloween, I hope…

Grab a FREE Digital and Print version of these 20 Halloween Writing Prompts!

Looking for more Halloween fun? Look no further!

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October 28, 2018 at 1:07 pm

These are very great prompts and my students loved them. Thank you so much

May 17, 2020 at 9:40 am

do some more halloween writing prompt or more holiday

October 11, 2020 at 7:31 am

Hi there!! Love the activity. Trying to post on seesaw. When I clicked on the link in my email it is not downloading. I can’t find it in my folders either. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.

The music is awesome too!!!!

October 18, 2020 at 4:22 pm

Hi 🙂 I’m sorry I’m just getting this, but if you want to email me at cassi@minds-in-bloom, I can send you the link. Usually it just opens up in a new tab within your browser. 🙂

August 13, 2023 at 9:17 am

Thanks or sharing

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• Activities / 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: creative writing Halloween Halloween activities October Writing writing prompts

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15 Haunted Halloween Writing Prompts

by Abigail Perry and Ruthanne Reid | 10 comments

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.

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

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• Lesson ideas

6 spooky writing prompts, ideal for Halloween!

• by: Anna from Pobble
• On: 8, Sep 2022
• Discover (80)
• Lesson ideas (42)
• Teaching writing (36)
• Pobble Power (26)
• Teacher tips (23)
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Looking for unique writing opportunities in time for Halloween? We've got you covered!

The Forbidden Woods

" The night was still, an eerie silence filling the air. The crows' wings flapped as they returned to their nest, breaking the quiet. The ghostly silhouette of the house, with rickety stairs, made Lucy nervous. Her heart thumped, matching the crow's beat. Crows with sharp beaks and staring eyes always unsettled her. As she approached the rotten stairs, the crows watched, tilting their heads towards the house. Lucy wondered what they were up to... "

See the full story starter, questions, sentence challenges, punctuation challenge and a word bank that all accompany this image.

Eyes wide open

" They knew it was Halloween. Things were meant to be spooky. They were meant to be scary. Something didn’t seem right though and as the children stood on the edge of the path, staring blankly ahead, they wondered if they should turn and run. The pumpkin by the door glared at them with eerie eyes. With a deep breath and a thundering heart, the bravest of the children shuffled forward… "

The Strange Ship

" Shrouded in a veil of sea mist, the ghostly galleon swept through the black ocean waves. One minute you saw her, the next you didn’t. She was like no other ship. Blink, and you missed her… "

See the full story starter, questions, sentence challenges, a punctuation challenge and a word bank that all accompany this image.

" The creaky, old door had not been opened for years. The beast had always lived inside but nobody dared to visit. Noises that echoed from the gaps in the door had haunted those who heard them. Nobody knew where the narrow, mossy steps led to. Nobody knew what was lurking within. Groaning heavily one day, the large, wooden door slowly began to open... "

The Ghostly Shadow

" It was the dead of night. All that could be heard was the muffled beating of the creature’s enormous wings as it soared through the inky-black sky. Behind it, at the end of a frayed length of rope, sat the coachman. Coat wrapped tightly around his broad shoulders, his mission tonight was a straightforward one: to escort the two strangers to Castle Midnight. It all seemed straightforward to him. Even if it wasn’t, he always did as the Master bade. No one ever dared to disobey the Master, especially on a night such as this…"

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