BOO! It’s the spookiest time of the year. What better time indeed to pen some spooky, creepy, colorful stories than this period filled with great imagination, rich and magnificent lore, and spectacular creatures which lend to out-of-this-world situations?
Halloween has witnessed its popularity increasing globally, with many countries celebrating this momentous occasion.
And it’s a time not just for kids who love to dress up and go trick-or-treating — it’s a time that adults enjoy thoroughly as well, what with all the cool costumes, amazing decorations, and fun events that bring a ton of chills and even more thrills.
One of Halloween’s main attractions is its eclectic and utterly fascinating mix of ghosts, ghouls, and all things unusual, unexpected, and downright scary.
All Hallow’s Eve is such a superb, very visual holiday that can spark the imagination and make for many enthralling written works.
If you are looking to create some engrossing stories but are maybe in need of a little push to get things rolling, these Halloween journal prompts will help pave the way to what will certainly be some of your scariest written creations yet!
What Are Halloween Journal Prompts?
People with active and rich imaginations seek outlets to let their creativity flourish. You are inspired and find it fulfilling to share your thoughts, experiences, and imagined scenarios in writing.
However, sometimes it can be a struggle to come up with an original idea or to find the right words to get things started.
Many writers have gone through that challenging time when your creative juices are all revved up, but you need a gentle nudge to ignite the spark.
It’s especially frustrating when you want to write about something that is already so full of imagination and inspiration, like Halloween season, and yet somehow you are struggling with writer’s block. That’s where our Halloween journal prompts come in.
Halloween journal prompts are tailor-made to save the day when the season rolls around, and writer’s block threatens to keep you from writing some gloriously gory and riveting stories.
These are designed to help jumpstart your writing and get that creativity flowing.
Why Are Written Works About Halloween So Appealing?
Readers love devouring works that they can connect to. They gravitate towards the kinds of stories that elicit big reactions from those who read them. For writers, this is a big goal. You write in order to get a reaction from those who read your work.
Whatever the genre, writers desire to get their readers to feel; you want to incite emotion from them when they read what you have written.
This is precisely why Halloween stories abound. People find written works that are inspired by Halloween to be so appealing. Scary stories make readers feel. That feeling may be fear, yes. But it also can be so much more than just that.
Scary stories are layered with imagination and nuance. They are full of twists and turns. They transform the day-to-day into something grander and turn the mundane into something extraordinary and unique.
And perhaps the most amazing thing is that scary stories also show everyone that these unusual, creepy things can in fact be beaten. Fear can be overcome. Light triumphs over darkness.
These are what keep readers coming back and clamoring for more. And this is why writers love to write hair-raising, blood-curdling, scream-inducing tales that tickle the fancy like no other.
So whether you really love writing about this genre or you would like to get out your comfort zone and try your hand at horror-tinged tales, Halloween journal prompts are a very useful tool in setting you on the right track.
How To Use Halloween Journal Prompts?
Ready to write a spine-tingling story or snippet or two? Here’s how you can use Halloween journal prompts to your absolute advantage!
- Grab your writing tools! Get a journal, a notebook, or even scraps of paper that you have around that you can jot stuff in. Find yourself a good pen too — one that will glide on paper just the way you want it to. The right tools make all the difference in keeping you motivated.
- If you wish to keep your creative entries as a sort of memory keeper, or if you would like to keep track of your progress, make sure that you mark your entries with a date on top.
- Choose a prompt from our list! You may go through the list in order, pick whatever catches your eye at the moment, or you can even make it more exciting and challenging by placing the prompts in a bowl and picking one out each time you feel like writing. This way, you never know what to expect and your creativity will be fueled by the unexpected.
Halloween Journal Prompts For Adults
For those moments when all you need is one quick thought or idea to get your creativity up and running, these # Halloween journal prompts for adults are sure to fit the bill! Set your imagination free and run wild with these!
Some Halloween Themes To Help You Get Started:
- Haunted house
- Nightmares
- The moon
- Spells and chants
- Curses
- The supernatural realm
- Crypt or tomb
- Graveyard
- Coven of witches
- Cute or funny monsters
- Creepy crawlies
Halloween Images That Can Help Spark Your Imagination
- Spiderwebs
- A full moon
- Fangs
- Ghosts
- Pumpkins
- Mummy
- Vampire
- Werewolf
- Bat
- Witches
- Devil
- Cauldron
- Monsters
- Skeletons or skulls
- Gravestones
- Deserted house
- Ravens
- Old-fashioned clock or staircase
- Dusty old books
- Mirrors
Simple Halloween Journal Prompts
These short, basic journal prompts are great for beginners.
- The scary film that affected you the most
- Why are the phases of the moon so intriguing?
- The most memorable Halloween costume you have ever worn or seen.
- A scary novel or character that you just cannot forget
- A Halloween memory from your childhood that left a big mark
- Thinking of family members or loved ones who have passed over
- Your thoughts about broken mirrors, black cats, or spells and curses
- How do you feel whenever you are visiting a cemetery
- A time that you almost died or someone you love had a near-death experience
- The creepiest superstitions you have ever encountered
- The one thing that scared you the most when you were a kid
- Your chosen Halloween costumes through the years
- Your absolute favorite Halloween memory of all time
- The single most scary thing that you have ever experienced
- Something that you always look forward to when Halloween rolls around
- Do you believe in the concept of trick or treating?
- Have you ever been inside a haunted house? Describe what happened to you.
- What symbols or things remind you of All Hallow’s Eve?
- If you could converse with a spirit or ghost, who would you want to talk to, and what would you say?
- If you could get bitten by a vampire, would you want to, and which vampire would you pick to bite you?
- If you had the option to be a vampire or a werewolf, which one would you want to be and why?
- If the town you lived in became a ghost town all of a sudden, what would you do?
- Your most horrible Halloween experience
- How do you feel when you see spiders crawling nearby
- Your course of action if you found out that your house was haunted
- If you ever got trapped inside a haunted house or in a vast corn maze, who would you call out to for help?
- If you had to if you really had to, discuss if you would rather eat live worms or live spiders.
- If you had a magic broomstick, where would you fly off to right now?
- The one person you would put a hex on if you were a witch
- The one spell you would cast if you had witch powers
- The thoughts that run through your mind when a black cat crosses your path
- What would your monster like and be like if you could create your own?
- You are granted three wishes. What would they be and why?
- The colors that evoke the mood of Halloween for you
- Make a poem using these words: Vampires, witches, werewolves, tri-brid, curse
- On a still, dark, cold All Hallow’s Eve, I’d…
- All about your greatest fear
In-Depth Journal Prompts For All Hallows Eve
Dig deep and let it all out.
Film fears. Movies are great escapist fare — and if you are looking to delve into realms unknown, the scary stuff is the way to go.
Horror flicks play on very common fears, from a mysterious figure under your bed to being chased down the street.
Write about what, for you, is the scariest movie. When did you watch it, and who did you watch it with (or were you alone)? Does it still scare you? What ‘common fear’ of yours does this movie play on?
Jack-O-Lantern Of All Trades. Jack-o-lanterns are a Halloween staple, right-o? Describe in detail, using words, the masterpiece you could create with a pumpkin if you were an artist.
Was it an iconic Halloween figure? Are you realizing that it may resemble someone you know? Why do you think did your imagination take you to this particular design for your pumpkin? If your creation could speak, what do you think it would say?
Masks, masquerades, and make-believe. Halloween is so appealing to many people because of the fact that it is the one night in the year that everyone can dress however they want, whether it be a monster or a favorite character, your scariest iteration, or the person you most admire.
But in real life, however, what are the masks that you sometimes wear? What characters or personas do you masquerade as subconsciously? Why do you use these?
What instances drive you to cover up your real self and your true emotions? Do you wish you could stop doing this, or do you believe this is necessary for you? Why?
A truly scary story. You know the classic intro, “Twas a dark and stormy night…”? Use it. Take it and let it begin your own Halloween-inspired tale. You can draw from your own experiences, beliefs, fears, or what-have-yous.
You can dig deep within yourself or draw from your wildest imaginations. You can opt for hilarity, drama, grief, or bone-chilling madness. Weave a solid scary story that is rich with your creativity.
Halloween memoirs. Halloween is the spookiest season of the year — and it is a year full of activities, stories, experiences, moments, and memories. Think back to your Halloweens throughout the years. Which for you was the most memorable?
Was it because you were happy? Because you were with your loved ones? Because you had a fantastical costume? Because you were scared beyond belief??? Remember it. Write it. Record the emotions that recalling this moment now stirs up in you too.
Halloween Journal Prompts For Haunting Tales
If you are in the mood to really go all out and craft incredible scary stories, here are some situations that can set the scene.
- “You wake up on Halloween morning to a nasty surprise—an early snow has dumped 2 inches of the white stuff. Even nastier? There is a set of footprints leading up your driveway and into your house. You live alone…”
- “Your wife wakes you up in the middle of the night to feed your baby, who is screaming in the next room. You start to get up but then remember that you don’t have any children…”
- “You wake up on Saturday morning to find you’re alone in your bed. You get up and head downstairs where your wife and kids are already having breakfast. When they see you, they all start screaming and your wife calls the police. None of your family knows who you are…”
- “You call an 800 number for technical support for a new piece of electronic equipment that you bought, and an associate named George helps you out. That night, your sleep is disturbed by the feeling that someone is watching you. Startled, you sit up in bed and see a silhouette in the moonlight. It’s George…”
- “Your grandmother dies and leaves you a treasure trove of family photos. While flipping through the albums one night, you come across a picture of her when she was about your age, standing in front of an old car with a group of her friends. Your girlfriend is one of them…”
- “You’re taking your son and his friends trick-or-treating in the next town. You and the four costumed boys pile into your car and head out. Halfway there, you look in the rearview mirror and find that you now have five passengers…”
- “You’ve heard the old house is haunted, but you don’t really believe it. You go there all the time, and the only people you ever see or hear are the live ones who come looking for a thrill. Strange that they never seem to notice you…”
- “You’re having dinner with your new girlfriend and her parents. Her mother serves a pot roast that tastes strange and is really tough to chew, but you’re polite and don’t mention it. After the meal, her father goes to the front door, engages the deadbolt, and turns back to the family. “I hope this one has better taste than Billy, honey,” he says to his daughter…”
- “You wake up from a nap and reach for your cell phone to find that you’ve been tagged in a Facebook photo. It’s a picture of you while were asleep in your living room chair a few minutes ago, and you live alone…”
- “Someone rings your doorbell just before you head to bed one night. You start to answer the door but then remember that you don’t have a doorbell…”
- “You’re having breakfast with your wife one morning when your cell phone buzzes on the counter across the room. You go to see who it is and find it’s a text from your wife—who is sitting at the table and whose phone is next to yours on the counter…”
- “You’re writing a story late at night and fall asleep in front of your computer. When you wake up, it’s still dark outside, and you find that your story is several pages longer than you remember … and it’s being written even as you watch…”
Halloween journal prompts are a stellar way to get you started with your Halloween-themed creative outputs. Choose among these many prompts listed above. Then just let loose and have a ton of scary, silly, imaginative fun.