101 Terrifying Horror Story Prompts
Welcome to the story den of horror, scares, and the macabre.
Most writers are often asked, "Where do you get your ideas from?" A majority of the time, writers find it difficult to answer that question.
We get our ideas from a plethora of sources — news headlines, novels, television shows, movies, our lives, our fears, our phobias, etc. They can come from a scene or moment in a film that wasn't fully explored. They can come from a single visual that entices the creative mind — a seed that continues to grow and grow until the writer is forced to finally put it to paper or screen.
In the spirit of helping writers find those seeds, here we offer 101 originally conceived and terrifying story prompts that you can use as inspiration for your next horror story.
They may inspire screenplays, novels, short stories, or even smaller moments that you can include in what stories you are already writing or what you will create in your upcoming projects.
But beware! If you scare easily — and have active imaginations like most writers do — turn up the lights and proceed with caution...
1. A girl goes missing in the woods, and her parents find only a decrepit and scary doll left behind. They soon learn that the doll is actually their daughter. And she's alive.
2. New residents of an old neighborhood are invited by their friendly neighbors to a Halloween party. The neighbors are vampires.
3. A family dog runs away from home. He returns a year later to the delight of his family. But there's something different about him. Something demonic.
4. A girl goes missing. Fifteen years later, her parents get a call from her older self. But they listen in fear because they killed their daughter that dark night years ago.
5. A man reads a novel, soon realizing that the story is his very own — and according to the book, a killer is looming.
6. A scientist clones his family that died in an airplane crash — but soon learns the repercussions of playing God.
7. A man wakes up bound to an electric chair.
8. A man wakes up in a coffin next to a freshly dead body.
9. A woman wakes up to find her family gone and her doors and windows boarded up with no way to escape.
10. A man afraid of snakes is shipwrecked on an island covered with them.
11. Serial killers worldwide are connected by a dark web website.
12. The world's population is overtaken by vampires — all except one little child.
13. A woman afraid of clowns is forced to work in a traveling circus.
14. An astronaut and cosmonaut are on the International Space Station when their countries go to Nuclear War with each other. Their last orders are to eliminate the other.
15. A treasure hunter finds a tomb buried beneath the dirt.
16. A young brother and sister find an old door in their basement that wasn't there before.
17. Winged creatures can be seen within the storm clouds above.
18. A man wakes up to find a hobo clown staring down at him.
19. Residents of a town suddenly fall dead while the dead from cemeteries around them rise.
20. A doctor performs the first head transplant — things go wrong.
21. A man is texted pictures of himself in various stages of torture that he has no memory of.
22. A girl wakes up to find a little boy sitting on his bed, claiming to be her younger brother — but she never had one.
23. A scare walk in the woods during Halloween is actually real.
24. A bartender serves last call to the only remaining patron, who is the Devil himself.
25. Earth suffers a planet-wide blackout as all technology is lost.
26. A boy's stepfather is actually a murderous werewolf.
27. Something has turned the neighborhood pets into demonic killers.
28. A priest is a vampire.
29. A woman wakes up with no eyes.
30. A man wakes up with no mouth.
31. A monster is terrified by the scary child who lives above his bed.
32. An astronaut jettisoned into the cold of space in a mission gone wrong suddenly appears at the doorstep of his family.
33. A woman answers a phone call only to learn that the voice on the other end is her future self, warning her that a killer is looming.
34. A boy realizes that aliens have replaced his family.
35. A woman wakes up in an abandoned prison that she cannot escape.
36. A bank robber steals from the small town bank that holds the riches of witches.
37. A door-to-door salesman circa the 1950s visits the wrong house.
38. Deceased soldiers return to their Civil War-era homes.
39. Kidnappers abduct the child of a vampire.
40. An innocent circus clown discovers the dark history of the trade.
41. A homeless man is stalked by faceless beings.
42. A spelunker stumbles upon a series of caverns infested with rattlesnakes.
43. A group of friends is forced to venture through a chamber of horrors where only one is promised to survive.
44. He's not the man she thought he was. In fact, he's not a man at all.
45. Suburbia is actually purgatory.
46. Someone discovers that we are all actually robots — who created us and why?
47. She's not an angel. She's a demon.
48. An old shipwreck washes ashore.
49. A sinkhole swallows a house whole and unleashes something from beneath.
50. A man has sleep paralysis at the worst possible time.
51. A woman out hiking is caught in a bear trap as the sun begins to go down.
52. Naked figures with no faces stalk campers in the woods.
53. An astronaut is the sole survivor of a moon landing gone wrong — only to discover that the moon is infested with strange creatures.
54. A woman is wrongfully condemned to an insane asylum.
55. A mother's baby will not leave its womb and continues to grow and grow and grow while doctors try to cut it out but can't.
56. Friends on a road trip stumble upon a backcountry town whose residents all dress up as different types of clowns.
57. Tourists in Ireland retreat to an old castle when the country is taken over by greedy and vengeful leprechauns.
58. A boy on a farm makes a scarecrow that comes alive.
59. A figure dressed in an old, dirty Easter Bunny suit haunts the children of a town.
60. The abused animals of a zoo are unleashed and wreak havoc on a small town.
61. A deceased grandma's old doll collection comes alive.
62. Little Red Riding Hood was a vampire.
63. Somebody clones Hitler and raises him as a white supremacist.
64. A pumpkin patch comes alive — beings with heads of pumpkins and bodies of vines.
65. An endless swarm of killer bees wreaks havoc on the country.
66. Christ returns to Earth — at least that is who people thought he was.
67. A natural anomaly brings all of the country's spiders to a horrified town.
68. A woman finds old 16mm film from her childhood and sees that she had a sister — what happened to her?
69. Something ancient rises from an old pond.
70. A woman suddenly begins to wake up in somebody else's body every morning — each day ends with her being stocked and killed by the same murderer in black.
71. An Artificial Intelligence begins to communicate with a family online, only to terrorize them through their technology.
72. A family buys a cheap house only to discover that an old cemetery is their back yard.
73. Years after the zombie apocalypse subsides, survivors discover that the epidemic was caused by aliens that have appeared to lay claim to the planet.
74. A woman has memories of being abducted by aliens — but she soon learns that they weren't aliens. They were...
75. A boy has a tumor that slowly grows into a Siamese twin — the older they get, the more evil the twin becomes.
76. A cult that worships history's deadliest serial killers begins to kill by copying their methods.
77. Stone gargoyles suddenly appear on the tops of buildings and houses of a small town.
78. A family on a boat trip stumbles upon an old pirate ship.
79. A winter snowstorm traps a family in an abandoned insane asylum.
80. A little girl comes down from upstairs and asks her parents, "Can you hear it breathing? I can."
81. A town is enveloped in unexplained darkness for weeks.
82. A jetliner flies high in the sky as Nuclear War breaks out below.
83. Children discover a deep, dark well in the woods — an old ladder leads down into it.
84. A child sleepwalks into their parent's room and whispers, "I'm sorry. The Devil told me to."
85. As a woman showers, a voice comes from the drain whispering, "I see you."
86. A child finds a crayon drawing of a strange family — it's inscribed with the words we live in your walls .
87. All of the cemetery's graves are now open, gaping holes — the dirt pushed out from underground.
88. A woman is watching a scary movie alone on Halloween night — someone, or something, keeps knocking at her door.
89. Someone is taking a bath as a hand from behind the shower curtain pushes their head into the water.
90. A farmer and his sons begin to hear the laughter of children coming from his fields at night — no children are in sight.
91. Someone looks out their window to see a clown standing at a corner holding a balloon — staring at them.
92. Mannequins in a department store seem to be moving on their own.
93. What if the God people worshiped was really Satan — and Satan had somehow kept God prisoner?
94. A man dies and wakes up in the body of a serial killer — and no matter how hard he tries to stop killing, he can't.
95. A prisoner awakens to find the prison empty — but he's locked in his cell.
96. A woman jogging stumbles upon a dead, bloody body — she then hears a strange clicking sound and looks up to see a dark figure running towards her.
97. A girl hears laughter downstairs — she's the only one home.
98. An Uber driver picks up the wrong person — and may not live to tell the tale.
99. There's someone or something living and moving up in the attic — but it's not a ghost.
100. A child's imaginary friend is not imaginary.
101. The reflections that we see of ourselves in the mirror are actually us in a parallel universe — and they are planning to do whatever it takes to take our place in this world.
Share this with your writing peers or anyone that loves a good scary story.
For some more scares, check out ScreenCraft's 20 Terrifying Two-Sentence Horror Stories and 8 Ways Horror Movies Scare the S*** Out of Audiences!
Sleep well and keep writing.
Once you're inspired, take your idea to the next level and Develop Your Horror Movie Idea in 15 Days .
Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.
He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout , starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies
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159 Horror Story Prompts to Get You Started Writing Scary Tales (Organized by Genre)
By: Author Paul Jenkins
Posted on September 5, 2022
Categories Writing , Inspiration , Storytelling
Do you love to write horror stories? If so, then you’re in luck! In this blog post, we will provide inspiration via 159 horror story creative writing prompts that will get your creative juices flowing. Whether you are a beginner or experienced writer, these prompts – categorized by horror genre – will help you create spine-chilling tales that will send shivers down your readers’ spines. So what are you waiting for? Get started writing your scary story today!
25 General Horror Writing Prompts
Before we get into the categorized prompts, here are 25 general horror story ideas that you can use to get started writing:
- A family moves into a new house and discovers that the ghost of a previous owner haunts it.
- A group of friends goes on a camping trip in the woods and is stalked by a killer.
- A young woman is alone when she hears strange noises from inside her house.
- A woman is driving home from work late at night when her car breaks down in a dark and isolated area.
- A group of friends decides to play a game of Ouija board and summon a demonic entity in the process.
- A woman wakes up in a hospital without recollecting how she got there or what happened to her.
- A mother discovers that her children have been playing with a voodoo doll that seems to be affecting them in strange ways.
- A group of teenagers dares each other to spend the night in a haunted house.
- A woman is being terrorized by threatening phone calls and strange gifts showing up at her door.
- An elderly woman living alone notices that things in her house are mysteriously moving around on their own.
- On Halloween night, a young child dressed as a clown comes to the door of a babysitter who is home alone with two small children.
- A woman discovers that her identical twin sister has been locked away in an asylum for years and decides to take her place.
- Faced with the prospect of being laid off, a man starts seeing his co-workers killed off in mysterious accidents.
- While cleaning out her deceased grandmother’s house, a woman finds an old music box that seems to have a life of its own.
- After being involved in a car accident, a woman starts having terrifying nightmares about dying.
- A group of friends goes on a beach vacation and discovers their hotel is haunted.
- While trying clothes in a dressing room, a woman notices she’s not alone.
- At their weekly poker game, a group of friends discovers that one of them has been replaced by an impostor.
- After being stranded on an island, a group of survivors finds themselves being hunted by cannibals.
- On vacation in Mexico, a couple witnesses disturbing rituals at an abandoned temple.
- After moving into their new home, a family realizes they’re not the only ones living there.
- Returning home from war, a soldier discovers that sinister doppelgangers have replaced his family.
- Desperate for money, a woman agrees to participate in an illegal medical experiment.
- When performing maintenance on an old elevator, a worker gets stuck overnight with some unwanted company.
- A homeowner makes a horrifying discovery by investigating strange noises coming from the attic.
25 Horror Screenplay Ideas
Looking for ideas for horror screenplays? This list will help inspire your writing.
- A small town is plagued by a curse that causes the residents to turn into animals overnight.
- A woman is haunted by the ghost of her dead sister, who is trying to kill her.
- A group of friends goes on a camping trip in the woods and are hunted by a pack of werewolves.
- A young girl is possessed by a demon and starts murdering people in her town.
- A man discovers that an alien creature has replaced his wife.
- A family moves into a new house and discovers that the ghosts of the previous owners haunt it.
- A woman is stalked by an abusive ex-boyfriend who has come back from the dead.
- A group of friends visit a haunted house and are terrorized by the ghosts that live there.
- Zombies abduct a couple on vacation in the Caribbean.
- A mother tries to protect her children from a monster that lives in their closet.
- An evil witch turns people into frogs, and they must find a way to break the spell before it’s too late.
- During an eclipse, vampires come out from hiding and start feeding on humans again.
- A mad scientist creates a serum that turns people into zombies and unleashes it upon the world.
- A woman is being haunted and driven insane by demonic children.
- While investigating a series of murders, a detective discovers that werewolves are responsible.
- A demon possesses people through technology, like cell phones and computers.
- On Halloween night, all the previously deceased rise from their graves as zombies.
- When enemies break into his home, a boy must protect his younger sister from them.
- After moving into their new home, a family realizes they are not alone but are being watched.
- As teens party in an abandoned warehouse, they become trapped and must face deadly consequences.
- After being experimented on, a man gains psychic abilities, which he uses to take revenge.
- At summer camp, a group of kids discovers that the staff are aliens planning to eat them.
- As teens explore an abandoned asylum, they begin to disappear.
- On vacation in Japan, an American family becomes caught up in Yakuza paranormal activity.
- While hiking in the mountains, a group of friends become lost and must find their way back before nightfall.
37 Science Fiction Horror Prompts
If you’re a science fiction and horror fan, then you know that the two genres go together like peanut butter and jelly. Both genres deal with things beyond our understanding, and both can be pretty scary.
- A space expedition goes horribly wrong when the crew realizes they’re not alone on the ship.
- A group of friends uses a time machine to go back in time, but they accidentally end up in a parallel universe where creatures with malevolent intentions are hunting them.
- A ghost haunts a woman astronaut from her past that she thought she had taken care of long ago.
- An alien invasion takes over a small town, and the only people left are a group of teens who have to figure out how to get rid of the aliens before it’s too late.
- A cursed alien object is unearthed, and those who touch it are met with gruesome deaths.
- A mad scientist is experimenting on people to create the perfect human being.
- A group of people has to find their way out of a maze on a faraway exoplanet filled with deadly traps set by a madman.
- A virus has turned humanity into zombies, and a small group of survivors must do whatever it takes to stay alive in this new world filled with death and destruction.
- After making a wish on a shooting star, a girl’s life is turned upside down when she starts seeing creatures that no one else can see.
- A boy finds an old door deep in the forest that leads him to another world where he is not welcomed.
- A girl with psychic abilities inadvertently opens a portal to another dimension that unleashes terror upon her small town.
- While investigating strange disappearances near their hometown, three friends discover an evil alien entity that wants them dead.
- After taking some weird pills given to her by her teacher, a student starts seeing terrifying hallucinations of an alien invasion.
- During an eclipse, everyone in town suddenly goes blind…except for one person.
- People start mysteriously disappearing in town, leading some residents to believe that aliens might be responsible.
- While visiting her grandparent’s house, a girl discovers an old photograph of herself as a child…but she doesn’t remember ever taking it.
- In a future world where a hive mind connects everyone, one woman starts to hear voices that aren’t hers.
- A team of astronauts on a deep space mission discovers a creature hiding aboard their ship.
- A young woman wakes up from cryogenic sleep to find that she’s the only person on earth.
- In a world where democracy has fallen and corporations rule, one man discovers the dark secret they’re hiding.
- A group of scientists working on a top-secret project inadvertently open a door to another dimension.
- A woman discovers that her perfect life is just an illusion created by an AI implant in her brain.
- A man finds himself caught in a time loop, reliving the same day repeatedly with deadly consequences.
- An environmental disaster has left the earth uninhabitable except for a small dome city run by a tyrannical government.
- In a future world where cloning is commonplace, one woman discovers that she’s not who she thought she was.
- A family on vacation in space finds themselves terrorized by an alien creature stalking them.
- A woman wakes up from surgery to find that she’s been given someone else’s heart – and it’s still beating inside her chest.
- In a world where people can upload their consciousnesses into virtual reality, one man realizes he’s not the only one controlling his avatar.
- A group of friends playing an augmented reality game discovers that they’re not the only ones playing it – and the stakes are deadly high.
- An alien invasion has left humanity retreating underground, but when one man ventures back up to the surface, he finds something even more horrifying.
- A small town is being terrorized by a killer who turns out to be…something not quite human.
- A woman experimenting with lucid dreaming realizes too late that she’s not the only one inside her head.
- In a future world controlled by artificial intelligence, one man begins to suspect that his memories are not his own.
- A woman haunted by nightmares discovers that they might be real -and she’s not the only one experiencing them.
- A group of scientists working on bringing extinct animals back to life realize too late that they’ve resurrected something far more dangerous.
- When a suspicious virus turns people into zombies, one man discovers that he may have started it all.
- In the wake of an alien invasion, women find themselves inexplicably drawn to one of the aliens -but is it purely physical attraction or something more sinister?
27 Halloween Night Horror Prompts
The veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest on Halloween night. Strange things can happen on Halloween night…and that’s why it’s the perfect time for horror writers to get their creative juices flowing. Here are 25 horrifying prompts to get you started.
- A group of friends is telling ghost stories around a bonfire. One of them starts to tell a story about a cursed house in their town…but then they realize they’re standing in front of that house.
- A young woman is at home alone on Halloween night when she hears someone break into her house. She hides under the bed, but then she realizes the intruder is already in the room with her.
- A family is driving home from a Halloween party when they hit a deer on the road. They get out of the car to check on the deer, but it’s not dead…it’s something else entirely.
- A babysitter watches two kids while their parents are out for the evening. The power goes out, and she hears strange noises from upstairs.
- A woman is Walking home from her office late at night when she sees a man Following her. She quickens her pace, but he quickens his too. She starts to run, but he’s right behind her.
- A group of teens is dared to spend the night in a haunted graveyard on Halloween night. As midnight approaches, they realize they’re not alone in the graveyard.
- A girl is trick-or-treating with her friends when they come across a house that looks abandoned. But the lights are on, and she can hear people inside.
- A boy is out playing basketball by himself on Halloween night when he sees a clown walking down the street toward him.
- While cleaning up after a Halloween party, a woman finds a hidden door in her basement that she’s never seen before. She opens it and goes down into the darkness.
- A woman is home alone on Halloween night when she gets a call from an unknown number. The person on the other end says, “I’m coming to get you…”
- A group of friends is exploring an old abandoned mental asylum on Halloween night when they hear something coming from one of the cells.
- A girl is walking home from school when she takes a shortcut through an alley and sees something strange in one of the dumpsters.
- A family moves into a new house on Halloween night and starts unpacking their boxes..but something doesn’t feel right about this place.
- A babysitter is home alone with the kids on Halloween night when strange things start happening.
- A group of friends is celebrating Halloween at a remote cabin when they’re suddenly cut off from the outside world.
- A young woman is out trick-or-treating with her friends when she realizes a masked man is following her.
- A family moves into a new house on Halloween night and starts to experience some eerie paranormal activity.
- While preparing for Halloween, a woman finds an old box in the attic that contains some disturbing items.
- On Halloween night, a woman is mysteriously drawn to an abandoned house she’s never seen before.
- On Halloween night, a group of teenagers decides to explore their town’s haunted history by visiting some of its most famous ghost stories locations..while being watched by something evil.
- While home alone on Halloween night, a boy accidentally unleashes something evil when he reads aloud from an old book he found.
- A group of teens ditch their planned Halloween party in search of adventure and end up somewhere they shouldn’t have gone.
- While watching a horror movie at midnight on Halloween, a teenage girl starts receiving terrifying texts from an unknown number.
- A family spends their first Halloween in their new house but soon discovers they’re not the only residents.
- While lying in bed on Halloween night, a child hears footsteps coming up the stairs, slowly getting closer and closer to their room.
- During a power outage on Halloween night, someone starts knocking on all the doors in an apartment complex.
- While setting up for their annual Halloween party, two friends discover that they’re being watched by something lurking in the shadows.
18 Haunted House Horror Prompts
The haunted house trope never gets old, no matter how often it’s been done. A home is supposed to be a safe environment, so when horror strikes, it’s terrifying. A haunted house is a way to go if you’re looking for a classic horror story setting.
- A family moves into a new home, only to find that the ghost of a previous occupant haunts it.
- A woman is haunted by nightmares of a mysterious figure intent on harming her family.
- A young couple moves into a fixer-upper, only to discover that the house is haunted by the vengeful spirit of a previous owner.
- A group of friends spends the night in a haunted house as part of a dare, only to find that the haunting is all too real.
- A family moves into a new home and discovers that a malicious ghost already occupies it.
- A woman begins to suspect that a demon possesses her husband after she finds strange symbols etched into the walls of their home.
- A young girl is tormented by a ghost that seems to be trying to tell her something.
- A family moves into a new home and discovers it is connected to a demonic realm through an otherworldly portal.
- A woman is pregnant with twins but starts to worry that one of them may be possessed by a demon.
- An unsuspecting family moves into a home with a dark secret: it was once the site of brutal murders committed by the owner’s son.
- A mother starts to worry that a demonic entity is possessing her daughter after she finds strange scratch marks on her body.
- A woman begins to suspect her husband may be cheating on her when she sees another woman’s reflection in mirrors around their home.
- A couple’s marriage is tested when they move into a new home and discover that it may be haunted.
- A woman discovers that she can see ghosts after she moves into a new home.
- A man starts hearing strange noises coming from the attic of his new home.
- A woman becomes convinced that her son is communicating with demons after he starts speaking in tongues and exhibiting other strange behaviors.
- A woman discovers that her new home was once the scene of grisly murders after she finds evidence hidden in the walls.
- A young couple moves into their first home together and quickly realizes they are not alone; someone or something else is living in the house with them.
17 Paranormal Activity Horror Prompts
- A group of friends go on a camping trip in the woods and start getting picked off by a creature that may or may not be human.
- A woman is haunted by a ghost trying to tell her something.
- A woman finds out that a demon possesses her son.
- A family goes on vacation to a remote cabin in the woods and starts experiencing strange things around them.
- An evil witch casts a spell on a small town causing everyone to turn into animals overnight.
- A family moves into a new house only to find out that ghosts already occupy it.
- A woman discovers that she has supernatural powers and must use them to stop an evil force from taking over the world.
- A group of friends starts being targeted by a serial killer who seems to know all their deepest, darkest secrets.
- A girl with psychic abilities foresees her death but cannot prevent it from happening.
- Two girls discover they are witches and must use their powers to battle an evil sorcerer.
- A family is haunted by the ghost of their deceased child, who died in a tragic accident.
- A mother becomes possessed by a demon and starts harming her own family.
- An exorcism goes wrong, releasing demons into the world.
- Angels begin descending from heaven, but they are not friendly.
- The four horsemen of the apocalypse ride into town, bringing death and destruction with them.
- People start spontaneously combusting for no apparent reason.
- Possessions become rampant as people become possessed by demons.
10 Plot Twists for Horror Stories
What makes a good horror story? Is it the suspenseful build-up, the scares, or the twists? We think it’s a combination of all three. And when it comes to twists, there’s nothing quite like a good plot twist to send your readers’ hearts racing.
- The protagonist wakes up to find that they’re trapped in a never-ending nightmare.
- The villain is revealed to be the protagonist’s long-lost twin sister.
- The monster is an alien from another planet.
- The ghosts are time-travelers from the future who are trying to prevent a disaster from happening.
- It turns out that the protagonist is the reincarnation of the villain.
- The protagonist discovers that they have psychic abilities and have seen visions of future murders all along.
- The small town where the story is set is revealed as a portal to Hades.
- The killer is revealed to be an evil doll that comes to life at night.
- It turns out that the protagonist is dead and has been stuck in purgatory this whole time.
- The final twist is that the reader is the killer all along!
The Structure of a Great Horror Story
A horror story is, at its core, a story about fear. It’s designed to scare the reader, to get their heart racing and their blood pumping. But to do that effectively, a horror story needs to be well-structured. Here are the key elements of a successful horror story.
The first and most important element of a horror story is the hook. This is what will grab the reader’s attention and persuade them to keep reading. The hook should be scary, but it shouldn’t give too much away-you want to leave the reader wanting more.
The Buildup
Once you’ve hooked the reader, it’s time to start building the tension. This is usually done through suspenseful writing and creepy description. Remember to keep things vague-you don’t want to give away too much too soon. The goal is to keep the reader guessing until the end.
Eventually, you’ll have to give the reader a good scare. This is where all your build-up pays off. The scare should be shocking and unexpected, but it must also make sense within the story’s context. A sudden jump scare might be effective in the moment, but if it doesn’t make sense in the story’s larger context, it will just end up feeling cheap and manipulative.
The Resolution
Once you’ve given the reader a good scare, it’s time to start wrapping things up. The resolution should provide some answers for the reader. Still, it shouldn’t tie everything up in a neat little bow-a bit of ambiguity can leave the reader unsettled long after they’ve finished reading.
A horror story is a daunting undertaking for any writer-but with these simple tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a truly terrifying tale. Just remember: keep things vague, focus on building tension, and don’t be afraid to go for the jugular when it comes time to write that big scary scene. Happy writing!
The Potential Weakness of a Horror Story
A horror story is only as good as its ability to scare the reader. If a story fails to frighten, its purpose has failed. However, there is such a thing as being too scary. If a story is so horrifying that it turns the reader away, it has failed. So, how does a writer strike the perfect balance?
The first step is to understand what scares people. This will differ from person to person, so it’s important to do your research. Are you writing for an audience who loves being scared out of their wits? Or are you writing for an audience who enjoys more subtle scares? Once you know your audience, you can begin to craft your story accordingly.
It’s also important to remember that not all scares have to be based on blood and gore. Sometimes, the scariest stories are the ones that prey on our deepest fears. For example, a story about a mother who loses her child in a store would be much more terrifying than one where a monster kills someone.
Another potential weakness of a horror story is that it can often be predictable. The best way to avoid this is to subvert the reader’s expectations. They take them in a completely different direction when they think they know what will happen next. This will not only keep them guessing but also ensure they’re always on their toes.
A horror story can only be successful if it finds the perfect balance between being too scary and not scary enough. Understanding what terrifies your audience is the first step in achieving this goal. From there, you need to ensure that your story keeps them guessing until the end. By following these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to writing a horror story that will leave your readers truly terrified.
What Are Common Horror Writing Themes
The supernatural.
One of the most classic horror themes is the supernatural. This can take many forms, from ghosts and vampires to witches and zombies. All these creatures have in common is that they strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest men and women. If you want to write a truly spine-chilling story, consider making the supernatural an integral part of your plot.
Serial Killers
Another popular theme in horror is the serial killer. This type of character is usually driven by mental illness, making them even more dangerous and unpredictable. Often, serial killers will target a specific type of victim, making their crimes all the more personal for the reader. If you’re looking to write a gruesome tale, consider making a serial killer the main antagonist of your story.
Isolation is a powerful tool for any writer, but it’s especially effective in horror stories. When your characters are cut off from the rest of the world, whether by choice or circumstance, it provides an opportunity for things to go very wrong very quickly. If you want to ramp up the suspense in your story, consider having your characters face their fears alone.
The Apocalypse
The apocalypse is another classic horror theme. Whether it’s a zombie apocalypse or an environmental disaster, there’s something inherently terrifying about watching civilization crumble before your eyes. If you want to write a truly harrowing tale, consider setting your story during or after the world’s end.
Body Horror
Body horror is a type of horror that focuses on gore and Mutations rather than scares and suspense . . . although it can certainly have both! This type of story is usually more graphic than other types of horror, so it’s not for the faint of heart. But if you’re looking to write a truly gruesome tale, body horror may be just what you’re looking for.
These are just five of the most common themes and tropes in horror fiction . . . but they’re far from being the only ones! Whether you play off one of these themes or come up with something completely original, remember that the most important thing is to write what YOU enjoy reading.
What Makes a Character Terrifying
To create a truly terrifying character, you must ensure they’re well-rounded and believable. They need to be three-dimensional, with hopes, dreams, and flaws like any other human being. However, one key difference between a regular person and a truly terrifying character is their motives. While regular people might have good or bad intentions, terrifying characters always have malevolent motives. Here are some things to remember when creating a scary character for your latest horror story.
What Do They Want?
First and foremost, what does your character want? Their goal should be something sinister, something that will cause harm to others. It could be as simple as wanting to cause pain or as complicated as wanting to take over the world. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something that will send chills down your reader’s spine.
How Far Will They Go?
Secondly, how far will they go to get what they want? Will they kill? Torture? Maim? There’s no wrong answer here, but the more gruesome their methods are, the more scared your readers will be. Think about movie villains like Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers; they’re so terrifying because they have no qualms about inflicting pain on others. Your character should be the same way.
What Makes Them Tick?
Once you know what your character wants and how far they’ll go to get it, you need to figure out why they want those things. What drove them to this point? Was it a tragic event from their past? A dark secret they’re keeping hidden? By understanding what motivates them, you can create a truly believable-and truly terrifying character.
Remember, anyone can be scary if you give them enough motivation. So get creative, dig deep, and let your imagination run wild. With these tips in mind, you’re sure to create a horror story that will have your readers sleep with the lights on for weeks.
Fate and Coincidence in Horror Story Writing
As a horror writer, you know that one thing that makes your stories so spine-tingling is the element of fate and coincidence. When everything seems to be going wrong for your characters, and they can’t catch a break, readers can’t help but feel a sense of dread. But how do you ensure that your story’s coincidences are believable and not just contrived? Here are a few tips to integrate the two into your story idea.
The first thing to remember is that not all coincidences need to be explained. Sometimes it’s better if they’re not. If everything in your story is specifically tied together, it can feel forced and unbelievable. Mystery can go a long way in making your spooky story more suspenseful.
That being said, certain types of coincidences should be avoided altogether. For example, if two characters who have never met before just happen to run into each other on the street, that’s probably not going to sit well with your readers. Or if a character discovers something important just by happenstance rather than through their efforts, that can feel like cheating.
Generally, the best way to avoid contrived coincidences is to ensure that every event in your story serves a purpose. Ask yourself why this particular thing is happening and how it will affect the characters and the plot. If you can’t come up with a good answer, then maybe it’s time to rethink that scene.
By following these tips, you can make sure that the coincidences in your story are believable and add to the suspense rather than taking away from it. Keep things mysterious, but make sure everything serves a purpose. With a little bit of effort, you can create some truly spine-tingling horror stories that your readers won’t soon forget!
- Scriptwriting
Scary Story Ideas — 18 Prompts For Horror & Thriller Writers
H ere there be dragons, boogeymen, and blood-sucking vampires! Scary stories have frightened and allured audiences for thousands of years. So, whether you’re looking to establish a new form of horror, or riff on an existing genre trope, you’ve come to the right place, because we’re going to break down scary story ideas. Dim the candlelight, turn up the theremin, and sit back as we delve deep into horror writing prompts!
Scary Story Prompts for Writers
Scary story ideas & horror writing prompts.
It can be challenging to respond to writing prompts when they’re proposed without follow-up questions. So, we’re going to attempt to rectify that by giving you some scary story ideas with follow-up questions.
*Note on scary story ideas and writing prompts: all of the prompts outlined here were created by me! However, they’re almost all surely inspired by existing material, whether recognized consciously or unconsciously. In accordance with that point, I’m going to attach “suggested accompanying viewing” to each prompt for further inspiration!
1) A young man finds himself unable to break out of a recurring lucid dream.
Ideas for Horror Stories • Still from ‘Spellbound’
- Who is the young man?
- What is the recurring lucid dream?
- Why is he unable to break out of it?
SCARY STORY IDEAS
Suggested viewing.
- Inception
- Donnie Darko
2) An island community is besieged by a rapidly-mutating virus.
Horror Story Ideas • Still from ‘The Beach’
- Where is the island?
- What is the virus?
- How did the virus originate?
HORROR WRITING PROMPTS
3) a woman sells control of her father’s estate to a peculiar… bloodthirsty… count from transylvania..
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’
- Who is the woman?
- Who is the count?
- Why is she selling her father’s estate?
Writing Prompts Horror
- Bram Stoker’s Dracula
- The Cherry Orchard (Play)
4) A group of hitchhikers enter a seemingly empty home to wait out a torrential storm.
Horror Story Ideas • Still from ‘The Twilight Zone’
- Who are the hitchhikers?
- Why does the house seem empty?
- Where is the antagonist?
- “The Howling Man” from The Twilight Zone
- The Cabin in the Woods
5) An asteroid hits a space station orbiting the outer-ring of a lunar outpost. Oxygen supply is cut by 80%, meaning the crew has to kill four members, or else they’ll all die before an emergency shuttle arrives.
Horror Story Prompts • Still from ‘Sunshine’
- Who’s on the space station?
- Why aren’t there any emergency shuttles on the station?
SCARY STORY PROMPTS
6) a veteran cop suspects his daughter is dating a serial killer..
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘Taken’
- Who is the cop?
- Who is the daughter?
- Who is the suspected serial killer?
- How did the cop learn about his suspicious nature?
HORROR STORIES IDEAS
- The French Connection
7) A small-town legend says that a monster lurks under the lake. Sounds crazy, but why have so many people gone missing?
Horror Story Ideas • Still from ‘The Wailing’
- What is the monster?
- Why have people gone missing?
- How did this legend spread?
- The Wailing
8) A man finds a slumped-over investigator with puncture-wounds in his neck. His final word, “devil.”
Scary Writing Ideas • Still from ‘Angel Heart’
- Who is the man?
- Who is the investigator?
- What does “devil” imply?
- Interview With the Vampire
- Angel Heart
9) A group of college girls stargazing at the Grand Canyon find themselves stalked by a shadowy figure.
Horror Story Prompts • Still from ‘It Follows’
- Who are the college girls?
- Why are they at the grand canyon?
- Who, or what, is the shadowy figure?
- Spring Breakers
10) A woman is kidnapped in broad daylight, only to re-awaken in a human zoo.
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘The Truman Show’
- Where is the woman kidnapped? And where is she brought?
- Who is responsible?
- Why is there a human zoo?
- "Black Museum” episode from Black Mirror
- The Truman Show
11) A cursed man must find love by year’s end or else his entire family will be killed.
Horror Story Ideas • Still from ‘Beauty and the Beast’
- How was he cursed?
- How do we know his family will be killed?
- Why do we want him to succeed?
HALLOWEEN STORY IDEAS
- Beauty and the Beast
- “The Chaser” episode of The Twilight Zone
12) A woman goes back to a man’s apartment after a date… but discovers what appear to be mementos – hair-pins, engraved jewelry, watches, etc. – in the bathroom drawer. When she decides to leave, the man blocks the doorway.
Scary Writing Ideas • Still from ‘Burning’
- How does the woman discover the mementos?
- Who is the woman? And who is the man?
13) A group of strangers find themselves locked in a classroom – and instructed that whoever scores the highest on the test will be allowed to leave. The rest will be killed.
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘Exam’
- How did the strangers find themselves locked in a classroom?
- Who is “the instructor?”
- Why are they being forced to engage in a sadistic game?
14) A teenage-outcast finds solace in a Dungeons & Dragons club, but slowly starts to suspect that their teacher, the club’s organizer, is an actual demon.
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘Stranger Things’
- Who is the teenage-outcast?
- Who is the teacher?
- Why does the teenage-outcast suspect the teacher is a demon?
HORROR STORY IDEAS
- Stranger Things
- Dazed and Confused
15) A young vampire on a tiny island must drink blood to survive. But people are running out. And ships stopped coming.
Horror Story Ideas • Still from ‘Vampyr’
- Who is the young vampire?
- Why are they on a tiny island?
- Why did the ships stop coming?
- Shutter Island
- Vampyr (game)
16) A traveler runs out of gas on the outskirts of a mountain-town. In the distance, he sees a hooded-figure, with a fleshy-sinewed face.
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘Insomnia’
- Where was the traveler going?
- Why did he allow his car to run out of gas?
- Who, or what, is the hooded-figure?
- "The Hitch-Hiker” from The Twilight Zone
- Deliverance
17) An expeditionary voyage is thrown into chaos when a dead body is discovered in the captain’s chambers.
Horror Story Prompts • Still from ‘Clue’
- Who’s body is discovered?
- Where is the expedition going?
- Why was it discovered in the captain’s chambers?
- Return of the Obra Dinn (game)
18) A nuclear holocaust forces people to move underground. Things are safe for a while, but eventually, the monsters make their way down.
Scary Story Ideas • Still from ‘Metro 2033’
- Who detonated the nuke?
- Why was the nuke detonated?
- What are the monsters?
- How did they get underground?
- Metro 2033 (novel/game)
How to Write Horror
We touched on some strategies for writing scary story ideas here – but the focus was mostly on the ideation stage. Want to learn more about the process of writing scary stories? Check out our next article on “horror writing” where we break down examples from Stephen King, Edgar Wright, and more. By the end, you’ll know not only how to start a scary story, but how to see it through to the end!
Up Next: Horror Writing Tips for Fiction →
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66 Horror Writing Prompts That Are Freaky As Hell
Looking for some scary story ideas for your next writing project ?
Sometimes, a good scary prompt idea is all you need to get started on a dark story your readers won’t be able to put down .
And that is the goal . What’s a horror story without white-knuckle suspense ?
You want your readers at the edge of their seats, unable to stop though they know something bad is about to happen.
You also want to reward them for reading to the end and leave them wanting more.
So, how can this collection of horror writing prompts help with that?
What Are the Main Elements of Horror Writing?
List of most common horror themes and tropes to write on , 66 horror writing prompts, halloween writing prompts, mystery writing prompts, psychological horror story ideas, “the monster you know” story ideas, ghost story writing prompts, funny horror story ideas, horror story ideas.
Every good story needs an idea that takes root in your imagination and doesn’t let go. Horror stories in particular need to affect you a certain way. If they don’t sound an alarm in your head, they won’t sound one in the heads of your readers, either.
They need to reach into your psyche, take a scrap of memory, and turn it into something that would keep you up at night.
And as you’ve no doubt read already, “No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”
Look through the prompts that follow, and choose one that calls out to you and lingers in your imagination.
Paint a picture in your mind of the characters involved. Give yourself a reason to invest in them by giving each one some interesting backstory.
Then set a timer and write.
Since Earl Horace Walpole’s gothic horror The Castle of Otranto hit shelves in 1764, English readers have clamored for dark plots that excite primitive instincts and tickle our fear bones.
Many horror authors leverage shadowy impulses by sprinkling stories with uncomfortable happenings and gruesome fatalities.
But that’s not all it takes to write within the genre, begging the question: What are the main elements of horror? Traditionally, there are five: suspense, fear, violence, gore, and the supernatural.
- Suspense : Creating anxious tension is a critical component of horror as it keeps the audience glued to the story. They need to find out what happens! Traditionally, suspense is valued as a sophisticated form of horror, and building it well is a skill.
- Fear : Confronting fearful things is a powerful emotion with chemical reactionary consequences, making it a hallmark of horror writing.
- Violence : Savagery is scary because it’s inextricably linked to death and pain — two of the four great human fears.
- Gore : Brains and guts are a cornerstone of classic horror. For better or worse, our neural pathways light up when confronted with intestines, brain matter, and gushing fluids. Successful horror writers keep readers and watchers engaged by deploying gore effectively.
- Supernatural: The main difference between “true crime” and “horror” is a supernatural element. While horror stories draw people in with realism, they usually feature an emotional detachment valve in the form of an explicit or implicit otherworldly presence.
Vampires, ghosts, zombies, and murderers are big-picture mainstays of the horror genre. But what are some other, more detailed tropes associated with scary storytelling?
- Babysitter Alone in Big House: The naive babysitter trope is oft-repeated because it works. The sitter acts as a stand-in for the reader or audience in that, like you, they’re vulnerable. Horror-sitters are the character conduit through which readers and viewers can experience the impending fear.
- Manipulative Vampires: Maybe it’s their piercing eyes, snappy attire, or mysterious penchant for the “nightlife.” Whatever the case, people stan vampires, and sensual and manipulative ones are an incredibly effective horror character trope.
- Ghost-Haunted House: Ghost-haunted houses are a recurring horror motif. Whether you approach it from a traditional or modern angle is up to you. Both can work.
- Creepy Kid: In real life, it’s kind to see all kids as precious and special, no matter their quirks. But when it comes to Horror World, creepy kids are a dime a dozen! Sometimes they’re the main attractions or “red herrings” (which we’ll get to more below); other times, they’re supernatural catalysts that serve as a story’s MacGuffin. Whichever the case, unnerving kids go a long way when devising a disturbing scene and fomenting suspense.
- The Nonbeliever: Most horror stories have at least one character whose lack of fear or faith (in the story’s “supernatural” element) lands them six feet under.
- The Red Herring: A “red herring” is a false clue. The term dates back to the 1400s to describe a culinary preparation for fish, but the first known use as a euphemism for “distraction” appeared in 1884.
- Isolation: Few things frighten people more than being all alone while danger looms. As such, isolation can be a helpful trope when crafting horror stories.
- Graveyard Chase: A well-conceived chase around a graveyard is another horror mainstay that continues to deliver. Try adding a twist to modernize the trope.
- Distorting Mirrors: Whether a single reflecting glass or a full-on maze, using mirrors as a motif is a tangible and effective way to signal distortion.
- Aliens and Cultists: The human psyche can’t resist rubbernecking when confronted with the possibility of aliens and the sociopathic underbelly of cults. Resultantly, they work well as engaging frameworks for horror stories.
Whether you’re writing for a special occasion or just to experiment with the horror genre, any of the scary story prompts in the following groups should get you started.
Go with your gut on this one, and choose an idea that feels both familiar and provocative. Then give it a go!
1. A mysterious gift from an estranged aunt arrives on Halloween with a crystal ball and a note addressed only to you, her godchild.
2. One of the trick-or-treaters bears an uncanny resemblance to your departed sibling and repeats that sibling’s last words before picking your sibling’s favorite candy bar.
3. On Halloween night, you find a box at your door that contains a strange note and a little something from each of the people who have hurt you in the past year.
4. On this Halloween night, your guinea pig won’t stop running in circles, and your dog keeps staring at the door, emitting a low growl.
5. You run out for candy on Halloween afternoon to find the streets empty and the store abandoned. A single car cruises into the lot and pulls into the spot next to yours.
6. Every time you went to answer the doorbell, no one was there. The next day, you heard about the missing children. The worst part? Your kids spent Halloween with your ex and were supposed to come trick-or-treating last night.
7. You arrive home on Halloween to a large package from your new boss, who’d bought every piece of your favorite candy from local stores. The note reads, “Save some for me.”
8. You’re watching TV on Halloween night when your show is interrupted by a faintly familiar someone declaring their love for you and saying they’ve watched you all your life.
9. You come home to find a stranger walking through your home, sipping your wine and admiring your collected antiquities. They startle at your approach and act as though you’re the intruder.
10. The night before Halloween, you have a dream in which you wake up to see a dark shape standing outside your closet. You wake up screaming with your hands around your spouse’s throat.
11. Election day looms, and Halloween feels more ominous than ever. You’ve kept the lights off, but that doesn’t stop one visitor from leaving a note: “Knew you lived here.”
12. Your best friend has gone missing, and someone keeps leaving small reminders of them in your mailbox. You see someone approach to deliver something else, and your heart nearly stops when you recognize them.
13. You’ve always wanted a dog, so when a rain-soaked mutt shows up on your front step, you let him in. Unfortunately, something else hitched a ride.
14. Someone moves into the apartment next door and starts playing loud music at night. You call the police, who find the guy dead holding a note with your name and address.
15. Someone keeps replacing items in your home with different objects that look vaguely familiar. No one else has a key to your home, and there are no signs of forced entry.
16. You bake some cookies to share with the new neighbor, but the terrified woman backs away from the plate, shaking her head. Someone from inside calls out, “I’ll have those.”
17. Someone at work has offered to do a tarot card spread for you, and you politely decline. You find a single tarot card in your mailbox when you return home.
18. You don’t remember wandering alone on a country road as a small child, but someone does. And he wants to make sure you’re not around to testify against him.
19. Someone has gotten to your laundry before you and left it neatly folded in piles on top of the dryer. A note reads, “For more TLC, knock on #303.”
20. The window of your apartment leads to a fire escape, but twice you’ve come home to find it open. Nothing is missing. But someone keeps leaving a ring on your kitchen table.
21. You order a Christmas wreath for your door and the company sends you a package with money instead. The note reads, “Keep half. I’ll pick up the rest in 72 hours.”
22. A child knocks on your door and tells you you’ll be visited by three people that night. One of them will show you your future. The child’s face reminds you of someone.
23. Your best friend is dating a woman who seems familiar to you — and not in a good way. Turns out, she’s got a bad feeling about you, too, and she warns your friend.
24. You receive a surprise delivery of a holiday flower arrangement with a note from someone who went to jail for assault. The message reads, “I’ll be home for Christmas.”
25. An abuser from your past has written you a long letter of apology, and you agree to meet them for coffee. You find your favorite coffee place deserted — on Black Friday.
26. You broke up with your sweetheart when he lied about taking you to the prom and begged you to run away with him so he could escape an abusive home. He’s back.
27. An old friend, who had tried to warn you about an ex-boyfriend years ago, has come back to town to run a diner. Within a week, known bullies start disappearing.
28. For the past three dates, the guy you met ended up dead and posed as if proposing. A note on each one’s empty chest cavity reads, “My heart belongs to [your name].”
29. You’re with a friend at the home of the guy she’s dating. In the bathroom, you find a box with jewelry for almost every birthstone. Yours is the only one missing. You hear a scream.
30. Everyone keeps telling you your memories can’t be trusted. You’re safe with them. They’ll protect you. But you haven’t left the house in years.
31. You thought it was cute when your little sister wanted to wear your aunt’s high heels and pose with a hand on her hip. But your sister had an uncanny way with accidents.
32. You never expected to win the ‘57 Chevy from the church raffle. Neither did the car’s owner, who immediately tried to buy it back. He didn’t respond well to “No, thanks.”
33. Every time you saw anything like “Tornado Warning” or “Flash Flood” in the news, you knew someone would end up dead. And your ex would blame the weather.
34. You come home to a dozen roses from a guy who’s been telling his friends you’re dating, and you get angry. For some reason, though, everyone you know is on his side.
35. Your “Secret Santa” leaves an expensive bottle of wine with a note, “Drink me.” You call a familiar number and hear the phone ring on the other side of your door.
36. Your dad has a secret known only to his twin brother, who mysteriously disappeared but left a note with a box of his belongings in the attic. You take it with you when you leave.
37. You just broke up with the person who’s catering your best friend’s wedding. They also made the cake.
38. Some of your in-laws have decided to deliver their sibling from you. When they cross the line, you make a promise to them and to your spouse. One by one, they disappear.
39. Your health is steadily declining, and you don’t know why. Neither do your doctors, who test for the usual health issues and find nothing. Then someone calls to warn you.
40. Your estranged father sends you a porcelain doll — the one he swears you told him you wanted. It has the face and hair of your missing mother. And her eyes are glued open.
41. You’ve just told your family you’re asexual, and they seem to accept it. Out of the blue, the handsome guy next door shows up to ask you out, and your parents quietly nod.
42. A cop pulls you over for driving a few miles over the speed limit, tells you to get out of your car, slams you against the hood and whispers in your ear, “This is from your ex.”
43. You emailed your fiancé for months before meeting him for the first date. Now, you’re getting strange phone calls from someone claiming to be his wife and telling you to run.
44. You stood numb at the coffin of a close friend and flinched when your father rested a hand on your shoulder. “Had to be done,” he whispered. “Remember the bigger picture.”
45. A small package bears the name of your sister, who died five years ago. It contains a pendant that matches her own and a note asking you to activate it by chanting, “Sisters Forever.”
46. Your elderly neighbors died on the same day of an apparent suicide pact. In their will, they left their pug to you, along with a small box of what they called “magical items.”
47. You receive a note penned by your best friend, who died in a car accident the month before, His parents had found it in his room and hand-delivered it, barely looking at you.
48. You pounce on a new opening in the apartment building close to your favorite coffee place. The first night there, you wake up to ghostly shapes surrounding your bed.
49. At your first slumber party, your friend’s older brother surprised you during a late-night run to the bathroom. He died a decade later in prison. Now you see him in your dreams.
50. Your home is the high-tech brainchild of your best friend, who bequeathed it to you (rather than to his wife). It anticipates your every need and desire.
51. You’ve been having dreams about a door that shows up in your room. In one, you walk through it and see someone you love being murdered . You warn them the next day.
52. You’re the lone survivor of a horrific train crash, and everywhere you go, you see the ghosts of some of the passengers. Some have told you the crash was no accident.
53. You’re looking through your mother’s possessions when a note slips out of the book she’d been reading, warning you about “the ghost who runs this house.”
54. Your new boyfriend is obsessed with ancient artifacts, but when something hitches a ride on his latest find, you witness disturbing changes in his behavior.
55. Your life is already complicated when your boss asks you to stay at his home to care for his dog while he’s away. You soon learn the house is as mischievous as the dog.
56. You’re an editor for the college literary journal, and you’ve been getting poetic hate mail from a student who’s angry you didn’t choose their poems for the latest issue.
57. Your favorite neighbor is a trans woman named Lani who looks out for you. She warns you about a guy down the hall, who keeps trying cheesy pick-up lines to get you to smile.
58. Your co-workers tease you about your weight gain. One is found dead in the bathroom, her mouth stuffed with candy. Everyone but the custodian suspects you.
59. An anonymous admirer sends you a singing telegram with a chilling question. Now you have less than 24 hours to sing your answer in a public square, with a flash mob.
60. You sign up for wine deliveries but are disappointed by the first bottle you open and taste. On the label, you find a crass, insulting note from an old enemy.
61. Your date finds out your BFF is asexual and starts asking intrusive and insensitive questions. When your friend shuts him down, he insults and warns you both.
62. You’re working the dinner rush, and a customer loudly insists on changing her order the moment you deliver it. Someone quietly follows her as she storms out the door.
63. You’re having an open house for your new shop, and you catch a customer shoplifting. She says, “I was told to come in here and take these. You’re being watched.”
64. You arrive at your new house, and the keys from the realtor don’t work. Someone answers the door with a disarming smile. “So, you’re here about the room? Come in!”
65. Your date is going well until you reveal that you have a dog. “I’m not really a dog person,” you hear. When you get a bad feeling and end the date, things get messy.
66. Your journal goes missing, and within a week, a goofy, adorable guy starts showing up at your usual stops. He seems surprised to see you, but something isn’t quite right.
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Go Forth and Terrify
Armed with this generous sampling of horror story prompts, what stories are brewing in your mind as you read this?
No need to stick to exact details, either.
If any part of the writing prompts you just read teased your imagination and became the kernel of a story, run with what you’ve got.
And don’t worry if the first sentence isn’t perfect (you’ll probably change it, anyway). Just write.
May you love this new story every bit as much as your readers will.
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Novel writing ,
150 of the best horror prompts, settings and characters.
By Thea Pelletier
150 Heinous Horror Prompts and Ideas to Make your Readers Tremble
Whether you’re looking to scare, horrify, or make your readers jump, we are here with all the inspiration you need! We’ve created a horrific list of 50 horror writing prompts to give your writing that hair-raising, back-of-the-neck eerie touch.
Why Use Horror Prompts?
Horror books (as well as movies and TV shows) exist because human fear exists. And all readers love to feel something with each genre! Classic horror fiction books aim to frighten, and over time authors have found a myriad of ways to do that. Common themes include ghosts, ghouls, monsters , vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies, murderers, serial killers, paranormal forces, witchcraft, apocalypses, psychological fear, and gore.
So if you’re feeling uninspired, you think all the good ideas have already been taken (they haven’t), or you simply want to kick-start your imagination – take a look at our horror prompts list. We have included 50 specific examples of horror story ideas organised under sub-genres. We hope some of them send a tingle down your spine and inspire you to write your own creepy novel!
50 Horror Story Prompts
Word of warning: in keeping with the nature of the genre, most of these prompts contain violent or upsetting themes.
Comedic Horror Prompts
- You survive the apocalypse purely due to a series of happy accidents. It turns out, an alien race orchestrated the doomsday events on Earth to see if humans were ready to ascend. As lone survivor, you’re selected to be the sole representative of humanity in the new world order.
- Unpopular new arrivals in a town that treasures natural beauty, Michaela takes pity on her plastic surgeon father and goes to bed one night wishing that all of her classmates’ worst fears of their physical insecurities would come true.
- You work at a Zombie Rehabilitation Centre in LA. It was your dream job until you realise you’re stuck teaching ‘Bite Inhibition’ classes.
- Flattered to be one of the few freshmen listed on the most popular sorority’s website “Fresh Meat”, you turn up to a party in your honour at the Kappa Kappa house. At the end of the night, you discover a secret book containing a step-by-step plan of ‘How to eat the class of 2022’.
- Former beauty pageant queen transforms into a hungry werewolf on the most important full moon of the year, on the prowl for the ‘next pretty young thing’. This year’s pageant hopefuls are armed to the teethed and willing to fight for the crown.
- You’re a vain, ancient witch adapting to the 21st century by getting a job at the Apple Store so that you can enchant teenagers’ smartphones and sap their youth through their devices.
Demonic Possession Horror Prompts
- Stacey’s perfect family life begins to unravel one day when a malicious spirit moves in and inflicts itself upon its host, jumping around between her, her husband, and her two daughters.
- You terrify your family when you wake up floating two metres above your bed. An exorcist tells them he’s cured you, but the demon doesn’t actually leave your body. It’s learned to come out only when you are alone.
- Taking part in a prison experiment for extra credit, 11 university students are unable to explain the violence that overcame them, and the brutal death of the 12 th student, citing demons over any psychological element.
- You’re trying to put your house on the market. You’ve lived there all your life, and you’re the last surviving member of your family. Every estate agent you bring in to the house dies in a tragic accident days later.
Gore Horror Prompts
- Uni student Jamie was looking for some extra cash when he signed away two weeks of his summer vacation to take part in a simple clinical trial. But when he realises patients are having their organs harvested against their will, his experience turns into a brutal, bloody nightmare.
- Someone in your neighbourhood has been committing grisly acts of violence on people at night. You set up a camera to investigate and catch an exact replica of yourself in the act.
- A well-intentioned break-in turns nasty for a group of friends who become trapped in a ‘chalet of death’ as the stunning vacation home turns into a gruesome automated killing machine at night.
- You take a summer job at an amusement park. When covering for a coworker on the rollercoaster booth one night, body parts start flying off the ride. You stop the train and find that all the passengers are long-dead corpses.
Monster Horror Prompts
- Night-time brings terror for caring but agoraphobic cat lady as her six beloved pets transform into flesh-hungry demons as soon as it’s dark out.
- You’ve seen The Quiet Place and Birdbox , but what if the monstrous entity who invaded Earth destroyed humanity through touch? Each ‘spore’ is as big as a city, growing bigger each time it absorbs a victim. A pack of survivors must spread out if they want to make it through an ever-narrowing world in order to find, and destroy, the epicentre.
- Susie is a wedding photographer whose camera starts to reveal monsters unseen to the eye that prey on the love of newlyweds. When Susie’s clients start to disappear from their honeymoons, she is the only person who knows what’s really happening to them.
- You’re a teacher chaperoning swimming lessons at your school. You inspected the pool yourself, but when the kids get in you see an enormous, invisible creature come to life. The first drowning is ruled as accidental, and to your horror, the lessons continue.
Paranormal Horror Prompts
- College student Josh is tapped as a pledge for an ultra-secret society via coded messages, which are unbeknownst to him left by the ghosts of past members who each met gruesome ends. The final test forces him into an abandoned storage facility where he must carry out increasingly punishing tasks on other pledges.
- A close relative who died before you were born is standing in the upstairs window of the house across the street. You have no doubt it’s them. When you work up the courage to break in to the neighbour’s house and confront them, you turn to see the person you came to find now visible in the window of your own house.
- The local sheriff’s night turns hellish when the man he locked up uses his telekinesis to lethally booby trap the station.
- A mother of three does all she can to protect her family from imminent doom when she begins having visions of their collective deaths.
- You’re out walking the dog one afternoon when you find yourself caught in a physical endless loop in the woods. You feel yourself losing time but you can’t find a way out.
Post-Apocalyptic Horror Prompts
- Humanity took to the sea to survive the rising sea levels caused by climate change, but now their ocean rigs are massively overcrowded, resource-poor, and steeped in disease. A deadly class struggle breaks out on one of the stations.
- A wayward AI has slowly infected all computers and devices, subtly turning humans against each other. Now living in a culture of suspicion and distrust running on the currency of violence, nomadic young Kit refuses to kill to survive.
- You’ve grown up as the next generation of the most wealthy and successful humans who survived the end of the world. Your world unravels when you realise that those raising you have in fact been the robot overlords who destroyed humanity. They copied the skins of those they found locked in an emergency bunker and started to artificially grow humans as pets and slaves.
- Trapped inside a small cabin by her phobia of the rain, one of the last surviving human women on earth tries to survive the night when a horde of those infected with the plague (that wiped out most of the human race) track her down hungry for blood.
Psychological Horror Prompts
- After a tragic accident on his 21 st birthday, Peter gets back in touch with his estranged father via email. He flies 6000 miles to stay with him, but when he arrives he’s pulled into a deadly catfishing game carried out by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
- You wake up in your childhood bed, look down at yourself, and find that you’re 12 again. You can’t see yourself in the mirror, or in photos, but everyone else can see you. You’re convinced you’re going to disappear altogether.
- Suspecting his wife of infidelity, Ben hires a private investigator to catch her in the act. When she disappears without her lover, Ben begins to suspect the man he hired had something to do with it.
- You work the graveyard shift at a 24 hour on-campus library. While snooping around you come across a handwritten book that was started three decades ago. It contains a record of all the accidents and atrocities that have happened at the school since then. A week later, a girl falls off the roof and dies. During your next shift, you see a beloved professor writing in the book. You start to doubt everything when the death is ruled an accident.
Religious/Folk Beliefs Horror Prompts
- Summer is excited to be spending her semester abroad, until she witnesses some locals performing a horrifying ritual on her fellow traveller.
- Your parents reveal a horrid secret to you on your 18th birthday. Your idyllic lifestyle in a small, isolated community will come to an end if you don’t start participating in the cult’s obscene rituals. If you refuse, you’ll be sacrificed against your will for the cause.
- Born into a futuristic fringe community that abhors physical contact, a young woman’s attempts to break free are met with the harshest repercussions.
Slasher Horror Prompts
- Callie is delighted to be driving to college in her graduation gift – a brand new electric Mercedes – when an EMP attack leaves her stranded by the side of the road. There’s nothing but forest around for miles, until a lumberjack with a dark past pulls up beside her.
- Ten years after you said goodbye to your imaginary friend, you see their face on the evening news next to the headline ‘The Redfield Ripper’s Recent Attacks’.
- An insane chef renting a cabin in the woods sharpens up their knife skills on whoever is unlucky enough to disturb them.
Vampire Horror Prompts
- Cal is a postman resigned to a boring new route in a rural valley when he comes across three beautiful sisters living alone in a big house. He finds himself there almost every day hauling curious packages. A bout of bad weather knocks a tree down on the only road in, and a few days later, Cal is greeted with a terrifying scenario at the front door.
- For months, your dog keeps waking you up at the same time every night. He barks at the window. When you look out onto the street, you see the same stranger watching you. The stranger can’t be recorded, and nobody believes you when you tell them. One night, thinking yourself delirious, you invite him in.
- Told from the POV of the youngest sibling of an ancient coven of vampires, Clara and her family are ‘monsters’ living their lives in fear of a powerful new hunter who has trapped them in a small town and is threatening to pick them off one by one.
Witchcraft Horror Prompts
- Down on her luck librarian Eliza idolises famous American movie star Marsha Green. When she comes across an ancient tome under some rotten floorboards and begins to meddle with unknown forces, she sets events in motion which alter Marsha’s life forever.
- You win the lottery. But every time you spend some of the money, no matter what you use it for, bad things happen. You go back to where you found the lucky ticket, pinned to a tree, and it’s now covered in unfamiliar symbols.
- A revolutionary new computer game downloads itself onto the laptops of a group of 11-year-olds. After playing all night, they return to school to find their in-game actions inflicted on their classmates. Suspecting their strict teacher to be behind it, the kids must figure out how to undo her spell and reverse the damage they have done.
- You’re an overbearing mother who wishes she could give her daughter the perfect life. You do more harm than good with your cosmetic spells and emotional enchantments, nearly destroying the life of your sixteen year old, who eventually exacts her revenge in equal measure.
- Working late one night, an exec finds himself unable to leave his bewitched office chair as a scorned investor instructs him to perform humiliating acts in front of his webcam as penance.
Zombie Horror Prompts
- A teenage girl goes to an illicit gathering in the woods one night and meets a boy. Their encounter ends badly. She wakes up to find teeth and nail marks, and realises she is a little less alive than she was the day before.
- You dreamt of the zombie pandemic as a child. You dedicated your life to preparing an antidote, waiting for the outbreak so you could develop a cure. You are shunned from the scientific community for your ‘fringe beliefs’. At the first signs of sickness in your loved ones, you kidnap them and take them to an underground research facility where you push yourself to your limits and make dire choices in anticipation of saving the human race.
- Years after her best friend is murdered, detective Alana’s latest case leads her to a mansion overrun by a horde of zombies led by a hauntingly familiar face.
- You’ve never questioned your landlord’s odd behaviour, desperate as you were for cheap rent. But when the fuse blows and no one is around to fix it, you uncover a nasty truth in the basement’s freezer. It’s overflowing with brains!
- You’re a doctor volunteering in the latest wave of deadly outbreaks across Europe. When you’re morally unable to kill patient zero in the early stages of a new unknown strain, you must live with unleashing the zombie virus across the world’s population.
50 Places to Find Inspiration for your Horror Story
The setting of a horror story is everything – but not all scary novels have to take place in a scary place (in fact, sometimes the most mundane of places can be given a horrifying twist by adding a bit of the unknown). When looking for inspiration, it really helps to physically go to a place, or research old relics, to help kick-start your imagination. Take a look at our 50 places that may inspire your next creepy tale. In fact, see if you can think of a horror book or movie set in some of these places (we certainly can!).
- An empty school
- A graveyard
- Look at old paintings
- Go through old photo albums
- An empty house
- The basement
- A toy store after closing time
- Visit an old library
- An old lady’s house that hasn’t changed in decades
- A scrapyard
- The dessert
- The ocean (the deeper, the scarier)
- A secluded island
- The forrest on a misty day
- A snowy tundra
- A corn field
- A shopping mall
- An abandoned…well…anything
- A locked room
- A log cabin
- A swelteringly hot day
- Suburbia…but different
- A run-down urban street
- A room full of puppets
- Backstage of the theatre
- Empty corridors leading nowhere
- A rubbish dump
- An empty road in the rain
- The top of a mountain
- Ancient ruins
- The inside of a church
- A fairground after closing hours
- Beneath the streets of a big city
- A metro station/the tube
- The kitchens of a hotel or restaurant
- An old stone quarry
- Overgrown railway line
50 Horror Story Characters to Inspire you
Sometimes, the most simplest of storylines with the most mundane of setting, can be utterly horrifying of you add one very complicated character. Of course you can use monsters and fantastical characters you have created, but often the best effect is mixing an everyday character with a setting where they belong; for instance a clown hiding inside a car at an empty scrapyard, or a little old lady, bony and bent double, in the middle of the jungle. And remember – these characters can be the good gifs, the bad guys, or maybe a mix of both!
- Little old lady
- Troubled teenager
- A person with no eyes
- Police officer
- Woman with dramatically applied make-up
- Sex worker or pimp
- Someone with blades for fingers
- Baby in a crib
- Toddler that doesn’t speak
- Girl in bedclothes with hair that covers her face
- A character that belongs in another time
- Animal that can talk
- Person with wings for arms
- A very normal looking mother. A bit too normal.
- Someone who is meant to be dead
- A goody-two-shoes child
- Airline pilot
- Captain of a ship
- Firefighter
- Scientist (everyone loves a mad scientist)
- A single dad
- A mother with more kids than she can handle
- Sewage worker
- Builder working on an new house
- Archeologist
- Security guard
- Traffic warden/meter maid
- Someone with wheels for feet
- Prison warden
- Door to door salesperson
- Shy secretary
- Nun or priest
Writing Horror Doesn’t Have To Be Hard
We hope our list of writing prompts for horror , along with settings and characters, has sparked your imagination! If not, here’s how to take our horror ideas to the next level:
Found a horror story prompt you like but unsure of where to take it next? Let’s take #8 from the top list, for example, and add a few interesting characters from our list and choose a setting or two. Then start to build an information bank on your protagonist from there. At this point focus on the character , not the plot – because often one thing can lead to another. The Prompt: You’re a troubled teen who terrifies your family when you wake up floating two metres above your bed. You just moved into an old house in a quiet, creepy suburban street. An exorcist tells your family he has cured you, but the demon doesn’t actually leave your body, and learns to come out only when you are alone.
You’re still a teenager, living at home. Your name is Jackson, but you go by Jax. You’re a second generation immigrant and you speak Greek at home with your family. Your father named you after his favourite American baseball player. You have dark hair, dark eyes, and when you would steal your grandmother’s baklavas off the kitchen counter she would say she could see the devil in your face. You spend the weekends riding the coastal roads on motorbikes with your friends, doing your best to stay out the way of your spoiled little sister and your overworked father. You’re closest to your YaYa but too afraid to tell her where you spend most of your time. Moving house unsettled you and took away everything you ever loved.
Or, why not map out a rough plot first? The inciting incident for this prompt could be: You’ve snuck back into your room after a long night out with your friends. You left the window open. Four hours after you collapsed onto your bed in your clothes, you wake with a start to find yourself hovering inexplicably in the air. Your body is locked into position. You spend a panicked hour trying to wriggle free of its grip, but you can feel another presence inside your own body, forcing you down. You’re going to be late for your new school, your sister is turning the doorknob and your father is yelling for you. Your feet frame the pure terror in the three faces at the door as your eyes strain to see them. Your grandmother recovers the quickest, stuffing her komboskini into your frozen fist and running out of the room to phone her priest. Whether you start your horror story with just a vibe, a small seed of an idea, a great setting, character , or a full plot – it doesn’t matter. A great story can start anywhere, you just have to make sure that (like any scary monster) you keep feeding it and watch it grow bigger and more horrifying every day!
Jericho Writers is a global membership group for writers , providing everything you need to get published. Keep up with our news, membership offers, and updates by signing up to our newsletter . For more writing articles, take a look at our blog page .
About the author
Thea is part of the Writer Support T eam here at Jericho Writers. She has a degree in German and English Literature from The University of Edinburgh and enjoys spending time with her dogs and working on her first novel in her spare time.
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110+ Horror Writing Prompts (With A Twist)
Give yourself the chills with this list of over 110 horror writing prompts. From scary ghost stories to creepy stories about animals and monsters. Now is the time to write your own horror story , just like Goosebumps or The Haunting of Aveline Jones.
From the gory to the scary, from the monstrous to the supernatural, from the humorous to the wacky, we have it all! Use this horror writing prompts generator to get a random horror writing idea to write about:
Keep on reading for a list of horror story prompts.
Most horror stories are based on one thing, fear. And it’s always a good idea to have a bit of that in your own life. Fear makes us all think differently, it makes us do things we wouldn’t normally do. And it’s the same thing that makes horror stories so scary. It’s a good idea to think of something that scares you, and then write about it. As a starting point, we have provided you with this list of horror prompts. For some of these gory ideas, we have included a twist, while for others it’s up to you how the story goes! Feel free to use any of these prompts in your writing, and to expand on any of the ideas.
List of Horror Writing Prompts
This list of horror writing prompts will you give you the well-needed inspiration for a good horror story:
- A small girl named Julie is walking down a country road when she finds a cemetery and realises it is her home town. She goes to her house and finds that it has been turned into a hospital. She finds her father and her mother there. Her father tells her that she is now a part of the hospital and that she must work to be paid. Julie and her mother go to work as nurses.
- A girl named Becky is walking in her neighbourhood when she sees a little boy playing in the street. Becky runs over to him and asks him what he is doing. He tells her that he is a little monster and that he will kill her if she does not leave him alone. Becky takes off running and the little monster chases her.
- A little girl named Melissa is walking through the park when she finds a little boy who tells her that he will eat her if she does not take him home. Melissa takes off running and the little boy chases her.
- This one involves a kid named Angela. One night she goes to sleep and when she wakes up the next morning her hands have turned into the claws of a cat.
- A boy named Billy is walking down the street one day when he sees a homeless man. He notices some fruit by the man. When the homeless man is not looking, Billy steals the fruit. Later on, he goes home and eats this piece of fruit. The fruit is poisoned, and Billy goes blind.
- A story of a kid who loves to eat the flesh of dead animals, but one day a man appears and tells him not to eat them.
- Write a story about a young boy who is terrorized by an invisible monster.
- The invisible monster is eating kids and it is in their room all the time.
- A handsome prince on a quest to learn magic wants to marry the beautiful princess, but the kingdom is being attacked by demons, ghosts, and…his dad.
- The whole little town goes insane. They start killing people with their mouths. They kill them in the most gruesome way.
- A serial killer is taking photos of their victims. He is telling them how he is going to kill them. And then he starts his killing.
- Two kids named ‘Bud’ and ‘Chip’ got separated from their parents. They live next door to a witch and are unable to leave the house. One day, the witch makes their parents get into a container, and leaves them in the backyard, chained to a tree.
- A summer camp where a powerful wizard casts a spell on the children to make them do his bidding.
- A ghost that follows you around and cries on your shoulder and if you get sad it gets angry and turns into a ghostly voice that spooks people.
- The lead character is haunted by a ghost who knows the truth about their past.
- A girl named Dana, who works at a daycare centre, doesn’t trust anybody. This causes her to make sure she does everything she can to stop any other person from ever entering her place.
- One day, the princess wakes up in a terrible nightmare. She is being chased by something, she cannot see what it is. And then she hears the voice of her mother, telling her to run away. She goes to her room and sees that the covers on her bed are in a shape that reminds her of the monster she just saw. She knows she cannot sleep in this place. She goes to the other side of her room and sees a window. She goes to the window and finds that it is an opening to a new world…
- A girl named Misty lives with her parents and their next-door neighbour who is an evil witch. One day her father and the witch get into a fight and the witch accidentally kills him.
- A boy named Sam is suffering from a terrible disease and he only has days to live. He’s in a coma, and he’s not responding to any medical treatments. Until one night he starts to experience some new changes…
- A little girl named Mina finds a genie. The genie grants her 3 wishes. Because Mina has been a victim of bullying, she uses all her wishes to punish her bullies with ghoulish consequences.
- One day, a boy named Marcus went out to take a walk, and he found a jar that he thought was full of gold. Marcus had also found a bag that was heavier than he could lift, but he drags it home anyway. When he opens to bag he discovers something disgusting…
- A creepy character named Nemesis is trying to kill Luke, who plays video games and lives in his basement. At night, Luke hears voices telling him to hide. He goes to the basement and a creature knocks him out. He ends up as a character in his gruesome game.
- A boy named Josh loses his best friend to a freak accident. He finds the other half of a bracelet he gave his friend that day. He hangs on to it until one night the bracelet brings his best friend back to life.
- Write a story titled, The Ghost Writer. Write about the ghost of someone who haunts you.
- Write a scary ghost story about a man who is cursed to spend eternity as a ghost.
- A boy named Brody is having problems adjusting to life in his new home after his parents divorced. He tries to see his dad, but they don’t want him around. One day he discovers a secret passage to a hidden underground world where his father now lives.
- A story about a young man named Kenny, who works as a garbage man. He also has a terrible stuttering problem that he has to deal with. One day he discovers that his stuttering is getting worse and worse and he becomes scared to death because of it. He thinks that the talking squirrel next to him is a demon.
- Write a story about an object in your room that becomes haunted.
- A boy named Bryce has been hiding out from his abusive father. One day his father is gone and his dad’s new girlfriend walks into the house. He thinks it’s the ghost of his dead mother. The ghost shows him that his dad’s new girlfriend has been lying to him about how his birth mother died.
- A young boy named Spencer and his sister Sarah, are on a camping trip when they find a box of mysterious objects. When they open it, one of the items shoots at them, striking Sarah and trapping her in a pod inside a tree. While locked inside the tree, Sarah meets an evil doll named Alice.
- A young girl named Cassandra is babysitting her neighbour’s two kids. One day the kids eat some forbidden foods and a demon spirit possesses one of the kids and turns him into an evil creature who haunts the neighbourhood.
- A little girl named Hayley discovers a secret house that no one in the neighbourhood knows about, and is welcomed inside by a red-eyed white bunny. One day when Hayley goes to a party, her newfound friend kidnaps her and traps her inside this mysterious house.
- Write a horror story about a horrible accident or a nightmare that has haunted you your whole life.
- A boy named Joshua falls into a river and is about to drown when he gets rescued by a beautiful mermaid. She tells him that he will die the next day because that is his destiny.
- A young boy named Alex finds a set of glowing door keys and uses them to enter a huge abandoned mansion. When he explores the mansion, he is visited by a dark spirit who attacks him and drives him insane.
- A boy named Sam wakes up one day to find that his parents have been missing for over a year. The day he discovers them, they tell him that he was kidnapped by aliens, and they built an experimental human brainwashing machine.
- A young boy named Toby starts having strange dreams of a girl named Stella. One day, he sees Stella when he’s on a roller coaster, but it turns out to be a ghost who is trying to take over his mind.
- A little boy named Ben is playing outside one day when he finds a strange leaf. When he picks it up, it turns into a leaf with a red eye and starts to follow him.
- Write a horror story about a ghost who just wants to kill the person who called him a monster when he was alive.
- A young girl named Annabelle is adopted by a family that lives in a very old house. One day when is playing outside, she is kidnapped by a scary man named the Nightman.
- A young boy named Jack gets lost in the woods and finds an old abandoned house. He enters the house and finds a huge stuffed animal. When he touches it, it wakes up and attacks him.
- Imagine your worst fear and write a scary story about it.
- Write a horror story titled, A Rude Awakening. What would you do if you woke up in a place that you weren’t familiar with?
- The Mysterious Case: What happens when someone goes missing and no one knows where they’ve gone?
- Write about a monster that might be stalking you in your dreams.
- Write a story titled, When The Wind Blows. This story could be about a sudden change in weather that comes with a new problem.
- Continue the following story: Suddenly, the demon in the mirror reappeared and she began to scream.
- When the doctor gave her the news, she screamed out loud and ran in circles.
- In her final hours, she told me to be thankful that I had done my best to keep her safe. That I had made sure no evil would ever hurt her again.
- Continue the following horror story: As I was growing up, every year our family went camping in the woods. My grandfather passed away a few years ago. He was a rich man, and I wanted to visit his grave at the cemetery.
- While walking around the forest, I came across a monstrous-looking creature. I was scared and ran back home. The next day, I decided to go back and see what the monster was doing.
- Write down your biggest fear. And then write a story based on this fear.
- When I looked in her file I saw that she had gotten five serious stab wounds. But, I could not see any sign of her attacker. Her wounds were all over her body and all over her arms.
- After discovering that a spider was sleeping in her bed, a young girl named Amy screams and runs away, locking herself in the bathroom.
- A scientific team is doing research on electricity. They find a very strong cell that could create many things when it is exposed to electricity. Suddenly the electricity static comes alive. It gets angry and attacks the scientists.
- A little girl named Amber loves to play with her new imaginary friend. She calls him “Giant” and she makes up stories about him. She believes that he is her friend for real.
- Continue the following story: As it continued attacking, it even caused my teeth to start to melt off of my jaw. My skin would start to burn, and my hair would become brown.
- It’s Friday. The TV is on, and you are wide awake. As you lie there listening, you begin to feel tired. And just as your eyes begin to close, you hear a creak of the floorboards. Your eyes snap open. What you see scares the living hell out of you.
- You wake up one morning to find your entire body covered in blood. What do you do?
- How would you react if you were locked in a room and told you could never leave?
- What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? Can you explain this in great detail?
- Make a top ten list of the creepiest books or stories you have ever read.
- Describe the most gruesome and disgusting creature you can imagine.
- Write a horror story where there is a threat of animals getting out of the zoo.
- Continue the following starter: A red-eyed man of tall and dark build looms over a bus stop on a lonely, deserted country road, staring at me intently. I run like hell to get to the other side of the street, but it’s too late…
- A strange animal has been following you through your home. Have you been doing anything strange or dangerous that has made it freak out?
- Someone is leaving you messages in the dead of night. What’s the creepiest message you’ve received?
- Create a ghost story about a creature that watches and waits in the corners of dark, abandoned places.
- Jack and Jill went up the hill, but they never came back down. Will they ever make it to the bottom? Write a horror story based on this idea.
- The history of your town has a long dark secret that nobody wants to talk about. What is it?
- Reality show participants get kidnapped and sent on a dangerous mission, where they must learn how to blend with mutated creatures.
- In a small community in Japan, a supernatural force enters the community through a sewer. To beat it, the village must learn to work as a team and think like a beast.
- School kids don’t believe in ghosts until they’re suddenly being terrorised in their school at night.
- Someone is using a contaminated strain of bat DNA to create vampires in real life. And it’s up to a group of scientists to put an end to it.
- The dead walk, and all they want to do is get what they were promised. Will you figure it out?
- An aspiring rapper, who always dreamed of singing in front of an adoring crowd, becomes the target of a spell that makes him unable to sing, his most cherished talent. Will he survive the consequences of his initial desire to be a star?
- Continue this story: You look into the mirror and see a man in black standing in the corner…
- Imagine that you stumble upon a really creepy story in your local library and it leads you on a very strange and frightening journey.
- When night falls, people get teleported to an area far away, in a very different world! The only way to return home is by combining body parts with the different elements of the land.
- A small town gets taken over by a wicked witch, who’s on a mission to suck the souls of all the inhabitants.
- When someone posts an ad online about finding a soul and bringing it home for a price, things get really interesting.
- What would happen if human DNA was spliced with that of a deadly monster?
- A guy receives an advance warning from his friends in the afterlife to get ready for the afterlife, or something worse may happen…
- A girl gets a letter that someone wants to give her a present before they die, but the present comes with a very specific clause. What happens when she follows the instructions?
- As a local woman is trying to recover from the death of her husband, she discovers an old diary, in which she discovers something that happened in her past that has led to events that followed.
- It’s beginning to look like Christmas! But there’s more to Christmas than Santa and presents. A deadly secret is hidden away in a child’s bedroom. And with a massive killer about to make an appearance, it’s a race against time to track him down.
- A ship sets sail for the distant colony of the Empire, but its mission becomes a mission to find the source of evil.
- Using a sinister new machine, a small-town mayor is convinced to turn his town into a hell-like world.
- A group of four friends are lured into an abandoned house by a pack of wild dogs.
- Complete the following sentence in three different spooky ways: I went to a party and…
- The captain was anxious to get home, but the sea was so rough that his ship could not make it. Suddenly, from the fog, a giant black claw appeared. The giant black claw grabbed the ship and then brought the ship to the bottom of the ocean.
- A monster named Dybylu wakes up one morning, alone in her room. She can feel it in the air; her pet cat is afraid. She goes to look in the mirror and see’s a human staring back at her.
- A little boy is asked to help a spirit of a man who was murdered, but as he hears the story, it sounds weird and a bit confusing, and he begins to wonder if the story is even true.
- In a playground near an orphanage, there are many playgrounds where kids play. The best playground is found next to an abandoned asylum.
- A drifter named Mick goes to a farm with his friend Sam, and the owner of the farm is a creepy scientist. Mick climbs a barn ladder and sees a strange cat in there…
- A sweet girl named Annie and her sister, Charley, are having an adventure in their neighbourhood. Suddenly, Annie spots a strange black cape creature lurking in the distance. It was the most feared and horrible creature Annie has ever seen.
- The main character goes to an island that no one has visited before. He is enjoying his vacation, but one night he finds out that his home is being invaded by creatures who want to steal his soul.
- A witch known as ‘Spookie’ causes horrible hallucinations to victims of her nightmares. Her victims can’t scream or cry or run. All they can do is panic.
- A girl named Paige finds a stick that attracts a mysterious creature that will play a sick joke on her.
- One day, a girl named Robin started having problems in school. Her parents, who are very smart and caring, see something is very wrong with Robin so they take her to the doctor. The doctor makes her go through a lot of tests, and everything is okay except for one last thing. Robin has black blood running through her veins.
- A teenage girl named Sarah who is obsessed with her appearance starts turning into an old, ugly witch every time she looks into a mirror.
- When bees start dying suddenly out of nowhere, the lead detective in a bee colony must find the culprit.
- A strange jigsaw puzzle holds a horrific secret… In it, a grinning demon holds a girl’s head in its giant mouth.
- A little boy sees a drawing of him in a forbidden book he had found. He is then transported to a never-ending forest, lost forever…
- An adult is being haunted by their younger self.
- A reporter goes into the woods where there was a fierce animal attack. In this attack, five women and a little boy were killed. He decides to search for evidence on who this killer creature might be…
- A man lives by himself in a flat in London. A mysterious person starts sending him letters which talk about how scary things will happen if he doesn’t leave his flat.
- A 7 year old girl is having a sleepover at her friend’s house. Her friend’s mom leaves them alone, but they soon find out that she was poisoned, and that a ghost has taken over her body.
- The first animal the kids see is a snake that eats people’s brains. It sneaks around in people’s kitchens.
- The story starts off with a character telling the readers about the night he and his parents got stuck in a revolving door. The night would haunt him for the rest of his life.
- A long time ago there was a man named Tommy, who was lost in a forest. Tommy thought he heard a ghost calling him. Tommy went in the direction of the noise and found a scary-looking house that has windows that never opened. Tommy finds out that the house belongs to a witch and that if he opens the windows, the witch will turn Tommy into a puppet.
- This is a story about a little boy and his dog. The little boy goes to a big park, and he sees a dog that is alone. He walks over to the dog, but it just barks and then runs away. The next day Tommy starts turning into a human-sized dog.
Fear no more! Just use this list of horror writing prompts to start writing your own fantastic horror story! Use any of these scary prompt ideas to take the story from your mind to your computer screen.
Looking for more creepy horror prompts? Check out this list of Halloween writing prompts , as well as this scary Halloween picture prompts .
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the 5 elements of a horror story.
Every good horror story contains the following five elements: Character, Setting, Action, Horror and Resolution. You can’t write a good horror without these elements.
How do you write in creepy writing?
To write in creepy writing, you need to immerse yourself in the world of horror. You think to think exactly like your main character or antagonist. Imagine yourself as a ghost, a demon, a monster, or a murderer. You can be a ghost who haunts people in their dreams or a monster who stalks them in the real world. Use extreme details to describe scenes of horror with gory and disgusting elements.
How do you get inspiration for horror?
Most horror stories are based on fear. Think about the things that scare you or haunt you in your nightmares. You can also get inspiration from watching scary movies or reading about scary stories. Finally, horror stories can also be inspired by real-life situations. For example, a girl who is bullied decides to take revenge on her bullies in a gruesome way. Of course, you can also use this list of horror writing prompts to inspire you too!
What are common horror themes?
Horror themes can be based on personal experiences, fears, or nightmares. Here are some common horror themes to explore:
- Stalker: Someone who stalks you in your dreams or in the real world.
- Monsters: Someone or something who appears to be human, but isn’t.
- Revenge: Someone who is still haunted by a past event, and needs to seek revenge to overcome it.
- Secrets: A deadly secret that could shake the lives of anyone involved.
- Psychopaths: People who just kill or hurt others for the fun of it.
Did you find this list of over 110 horror writing prompts useful? Let us know in the comments below.
Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.
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BEST HORROR WRITING PROMPTS
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Re-write frankenstein from the perspective of the monster that dr. frankenstein created., you wake up one day to discover that you've been transported inside of a novel... and it's a horror novel., a troop of clowns is performing in your city this weekend... and on the day of, some strange things start happening., write a horror story that subverts the cursed artifact trope., "hi, this is the irs.".
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- A mysterious benefactor will pay $100,000 to anyone willing to stay in a haunted house overnight.
The walls of the house are dripping with something. What is it?
Start your story with a character saying "i wouldn't go in there if i were you.", set your story in a deep, dark wood., the phone won't stop ringing, but it's not plugged into the wall., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.
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Start your story with a character encountering a black cat.
Write a story about a character who can’t tell what’s real and what’s not., end your story with total oblivion..
- Write about a character who doesn’t want to go to sleep.
Start your story with someone finding an object labeled with their name.
Write about a character whose intuition is always right — until one day it isn’t., start your story with an unusual sound being heard., write about a character who uses a night where everyone’s in costume as cover for something sinister., start your story with the words “everything was ready for the ritual.”, start your story with a vehicle pulling over for a hitchhiker., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.
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The best horror writing prompts
A locked door, a creaking house, a shadow under the bed — horror can come from anywhere. It’s all about being able to tap into your own fear. But you know what’s even more scary to writers than screams, blood and gore? The terror of a blank page. That’s where our horror writing prompts come in.
Our prompts are here to give you inspiration, whatever type of horror story you’re writing. Whether your looming threats are demons, ghosts, monsters, witches, zombies, or simply something unknown lurking in the darkness, we’ve got the right ideas to spark your imagination and fuel your nightmares.
With that in mind, here are our top ten horror writing prompts:
- Start your story with a character looking out of a window in the middle of the night.
- An apparent coincidence occurs. Write a story about a character who suspects paranormal, spiritual, or criminal causes.
- Write a story set in a city where the power suddenly goes out, leaving everyone in darkness.
- Write a story that involves a reflection in a mirror.
- Start your story with the arrival of a strange visitor in a small town.
- The phone won't stop ringing, but it's not plugged into the wall.
- You hear the crash of plates and a bloodcurdling scream coming from the kitchen.
- It’s 3 am and you don’t know where your children are.
Looking for more help to get your horror writing started? We've got you covered. Check out some of our free resources, handpicked to help you write a story that goes bump in the night.
- How to Master the 'Show, Don't Tell' Rule (free course) — To write a story full of suspense and mystery, you need to get the atmosphere right. Use our Show, Don't Tell course to master immersive storytelling, and make your readers feel like they're right there.
- Character profile template (free resource) — Whether your protagonist is a scaredy cat or misguidedly bold (do they not realize this is a horror story?), you'll want to know exactly what makes them tick. That's how you scare them! Use our character profile to create three dimensional characters, whether they're man, woman, child, or ghoul.
- How to Write a Horror Story: 7 Tips for Writing Horror (blog post ) — Our horror writing bible. No matter what kind of story you're working on, you'll find the answers here.
Want more help learning how to write a short horror story? Check out 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 weekly 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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Explore more writing prompt ideas:
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101 Terrifying Horror Story Prompts · 1. A girl goes missing in the woods, and her parents find only a decrepit and scary doll left behind. · 2.
1. A scary doll comes to life. · 2. A scene from a nightmare comes true the next day. · 3. Days go by, and your parents don't come home. · 4. You
25 Horror Screenplay Ideas · A woman is haunted by the ghost of her dead sister, who is trying to kill her. · A group of friends goes on a camping
Scary Story Ideas • Still from 'Taken' · Who is the cop? · Who is the daughter? · Who is the suspected serial killer? · How did the cop learn about
Babysitter Alone in Big House: The naive babysitter trope is oft-repeated because it works. · Manipulative Vampires: · Ghost-Haunted House:
50 Horror Story Characters to Inspire you · Clown · Little old lady · Troubled teenager · A person with no eyes · Police officer · Nurse · Woman with dramatically
You can also get inspiration from watching scary movies or reading about scary stories. Finally, horror stories can also be inspired by real-
Featured Horror Stories · The reflection of a monster. · You wanna hear that story of how my dog died? · Camp Lake Terror · Creative writing: personification || the
3360+ Horror Short Stories to read · “Maniacal, Manipulative, Psychotic ” by Lindsay Flo · “Adelaide's Cemetery ” by Lucy Joyce · “Someone Has Died” by Lonnie
Start your story with a character looking out of a window in the middle of the night. · An apparent coincidence occurs. · Write a story set in a city where the