by Bridget Ng
Horror-Themed Writing Prompts
Haunted House
Imagine that you are creeping through a haunted house. What might the corridors and rooms look like? Are there spiderwebs dangling from every corner and a layer of dust over the windows? Or is it a perfectly normal looking cottage with a dark secret behind its walls?
Trick or Treat
Write a choose-your-own-adventure story in which each pathway either culminates in a happy ending (a treat) or a terrifyingly grotesque conclusion (a trick).
The Mask
There is someone in front of you: a child dressed up for a Halloween parade, perhaps, or a teenager out for a night with their friends. They are wearing a mask that covers their entire face. Slowly, they move towards you and begin to lift the mask off. What might lie beneath?
Spooky Story Starters
The mirror shattered and something leaped out.
“I don’t think arms are supposed to bend like that,” he said, backing away.
It’s only a doll, I keep telling myself.
Halloween Book Recommendations
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson is a psychological horror novel written in the voice of 18-year-old Merricat Blackwood, who lives in self-imposed seclusion with her sister Constance and her uncle Julian on their family estate. Exploring themes of isolation, guilt, and the unknowability of truth, this is a book that will leave you chilled to the core and questioning all previous assumptions.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a work of dark fantasy that follows two 13-year-old boys who confront a sinister travelling carnival in a small Illinois town. Combining elements of fantasy with the diabolical, it delves into a fight between the forces of good and evil, the cost of temptation, and the conflict between age, time, and acceptance.
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is an absolute classic of the Gothic horror genre. If you have not read it yet, take this as your prompt to do so! This novella follows Gabriel John Utterson, a legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and a mysterious criminal named Edward Hyde. It delves into the duality of human nature, forcing readers to face uncomfortable truths about their own morality and capacity for good and evil.
Halloween Writing Opportunities
The Halloween Horror Haiku Challenge is an annual competition for US residents encouraging writers to craft the “most original or haunted Halloween Haiku”. It takes place from midnight on October 30 to October 31, with a winner chosen on November 1. https://halloweenhorrorhaiku.com/category/halloween-haiku-challenge/
The Young Writers Ghost Stories Competition is open to residents of the UK. It requires a short story with a maximum of 250 words, “packed with creepy characters, eerie settings or unexpected twists”. This year the closing date is 6 November 2026. Entry is free and prizes include publication in a book, a certificate, and a £25 cinema voucher!
https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/all-ages/ghost-stories26?view=ind
The Writory Horror Short Story Contest accepts original horror of 100 to 6,000 words. The deadline is 30 November 2026 at 11:59 IST and there is an entry fee of $8. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 for their writing, so even if you don’t win a cash prize, you will still receive rubric-based feedback. This is an international competition with multiple rounds every three months, emphasising character, emotional impact, and resonance.
https://writoryofficial.com/horror-short-story-contest
