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.

1. 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.
2. 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.)
3. One night, after carving a pumpkin, the pumpkin starts speaking to you.
4. You hear a strange sound from your wardrobe, you open it and see…
5. A bat flies into your room and says he needs your help.
6. Describe your perfect haunted house. You can even draw a picture of it.
7. What is the scariest thing you have ever seen? And are you still scared of it?
8. You find some footprints leading into your house. What do you do?
9. Your imaginary friend becomes real and starts causing trouble for you.
10. Write 10 questions to interview a vampire and then answer them from the point of view of a vampire.
11. Write a recipe for a witch’s brew. If you need an awesome name for your witch, check out our witch name generator.
12. Write three acrostic poems using the words, Halloween, Witch and Frankenstein.
13. Write a poem in any format you like about the scariest monster you have ever seen.
14. Write down a detailed description of a recent nightmare that you have had.
15. 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!
16. Write a gothic poem using the words creepy, ghouls, goblins and pitch-black. 
17. 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?
18. Write a script for a Halloween ghost stage show that includes a musical number.
19. 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? 
20. Write a poem that begins with the sentence: This night it’s your turn to die! How will you die?
21. Write a ghost story using the book title idea: Catch A Ghost.
22. Make a list of three things you love about Halloween and three things you hate about Halloween.
23.  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!).
24. 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?
25. Create a wish list of all the items you need for your Halloween party (dress, food, decorations…). How much money would you need?
26. Think of 10 scary things that could happen on Halloween and brainstorm the consequences of each one.
27. 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…”).
28. 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?
29. 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.
30. Write a short horror story about an evil, living pumpkin and its past.
31. Write a ghost story that sounds like a haunted phone call that you would get if you called a non-existent person.
32. Make a top ten list of the best Halloween costumes to wear.
33. Make a list of your top five favourite Halloween candy or treats to eat.
34. 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.
35. If Halloween was banned in your town, would you care? Write a letter to your town mayor stating your opinion on Halloween. 
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. Write a newspaper article about a scary event that happens in your town every Halloween. 
39. Make a top ten list of your favourite scary movies.
40. Imagine you are a ghost and you want to haunt people. Where would you like to haunt people?

41. Monster Mash is one the most popular songs to play on Halloween. Can you write your own spooky song for Halloween about monsters?
42. Think of the worst Halloween treat you have ever eaten, and describe its taste in great detail.
43. Make a top ten list of the scariest monsters or villains from books and movies.
44. 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?
45. 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?
46. 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?
47. 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?
48. If you walked through a haunted house, what would be the scariest part?
49. 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?
50.  Write a story about someone who gets lost in the woods on Halloween.
51. 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?
52. Write a newspaper article titled: The Biggest Trend Coming This Halloween Season!
53. Have you ever seen a ghost and even if you didn’t believe in them, do you think they are real?
54. Make a list of at least 5 activities to do on Halloween.
55.  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.
56. Write a Halloween story where ghosts and monsters appear and cause havoc all around town.
57. Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: Halloween is a time to…
58. Write a newspaper article about the different Halloween traditions that exist around the world.
59. Make a list of at least 5 scary words and use each one in a sentence. 
60. 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.
61. Write down a spell for turning people into toads. For this spell to work, it must rhyme. 
62. Imagine that a ghost in your home is following you around. What would you do to scare it away?
63. Write a scary story about a person who works at a pumpkin farm.
64. Make a list of your greatest fears, and explain each one.
65. Describe the world’s scariest clown. What would their name be? Think about their appearance and how they talk.
66. Research and make a list of 5 interesting facts about Halloween.
67. You’re hosting a Halloween dinner party at your house. Make a menu of the food you plan on serving your guests.
68. Write a newspaper article about the history of Halloween and how it has changed over the years.
69. Pretend you are on a ghost-hunting tour. Write a list of questions you will ask your tour guide.
70. 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?
71. Make a list of ten words related to Halloween, and use each one in a sentence.
72. Complete the following sentence in at least three ways: If Halloween was a person, they would be…
73. Would you rather be stuck in a graveyard on Halloween night, or lost in the woods? Explain your choice.
74. Create your own Halloween greeting card – What spooky message will you include on the inside?
75. Most people are scared of ghosts, but what do you think ghosts are scared of?
76. Imagine you are invisible and you can hide anywhere in the world. Where would you hide and why?
77. Write a limerick about a boy who drinks blood. You can start the limerick like this: There once was a boy who drank blood.
78. 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?
79. Describe the monster that lives under your bed in great detail.
80. 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.
81. Use the following sentence to start your story: “Once upon a time, on Halloween night, there lived a guy named Sam…” 
82. Use the following story starter: “So, which monster is going to eat you up tonight, little boy?”
83. How do you think ghosts pick their victims? Make a list of things they look out for in their victims.
84. 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!