October Writing Prompts: Shadows & Spooky Stories

Katie Zeliger
Oct 3, 2025
2 min read

🎃 Shadows & Spooky Stories

October invites mystery and imagination—long nights, strange shadows, and the thrill of the unknown. But not all October writing has to be scary. These prompts will help you lean into both the eerie and the enchanting, in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

✨ Fiction Prompts

Your character receives a Halloween invitation—but the address doesn’t exist on any map.
A small town has a tradition of carving pumpkins to ward off evil. This year, no one carved one.
Write from the perspective of a ghost who doesn’t realize they’ve died.

✨ Nonfiction Prompts

Write about a fear you had as a child. How do you see it differently now?
Reflect on the role of costume and identity—what’s the most memorable costume you’ve ever worn?
Journal about a time you felt “haunted” by a decision or memory.

✨ Poetry Prompts

Write a poem in which the moon is a character with a secret.
Use the imagery of autumn leaves falling to explore the passage of time.
Create a five-line poem that could be mistaken for a spell.

📝 Mini Challenge: Face a Fear in Writing

This month, write the scene you’ve been avoiding—the one that feels too vulnerable, too strange, or too ambitious. Even if you don’t show it to anyone, practicing courage on the page builds courage in your craft.

October practically begs for spooky storytelling. Whether you lean into shadows or light, let this month push you beyond the familiar.