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100 gothic fiction writing prompts

November 28, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

Here are 100 gothic fiction writing prompts that go bump in the night. Shadowy figures are lurking in crumbling mansions. Ominous family curses and disturbing secrets. Welcome to the macabre world of gothic fiction. With its atmospheric tales of horror and suspense, this haunting genre never seems to die.

And now, you can let your dark imagination run wild thanks to these 100 spine-tingling gothic fiction writing prompts. Inside, you’ll find story ideas involving haunted sanitariums, possessed dolls, vengeful spirits, bizarre experiments gone wrong, unsettling wax museums, and so much more.

Creative inspiration awaits on every chilling line, from creepy portraits and abandoned opera houses to agents of the occult and sinister doppelgangers. Not for the faint of heart, these prompts pull back the veil into spaces where the darkest dreams and nightmares dwell just out of sight.

Venture forth, if you dare. Let the ghosts and shadows guide your pen to weave deliciously dramatic tales to make readers shiver. Just be warned—once you immerse yourself in these macabre realms, you might never wish to return to the comforting glow of the light again. The spirits will eagerly await your next visit to their darkened domains.

An old mansion hides disturbing secrets and supernatural forces in the attic that slowly take control of a new homeowner.
A family curse causes a daughter to transform into a ghostly spirit every night, haunting the ancestral castle.
Gargoyles and stone figures seem to move when no one is watching in an ancient monastery turned hotel.
Mysterious scratching and cries can be heard within the walls of a creaky old plantation house at night.
An innocent mother is accused of witchcraft in 1600s Salem and condemned to death for her occult “crimes.”
A widow uncovers her dead husband’s strange double life after finding his hidden portrait stashed away in a forgotten attic.
A mental patient believes a possessed doll talks to her at night, urging her to commit violent acts.
Strange marks and blood keep appearing on a daughter after she becomes obsessed with communicating with spirits using an antique Ouija board.
A decaying sanitarium still bears unsettling traces of its horrific and bizarre medical practices on abandoned patients.
Villagers suffer violent sleepwalking fits that coincide with rumors of a vampire stalking the night.
A daughter tries to figure out if she’s going insane or truly haunted by the vengeful ghost of her dead mother.
A perilous staircase within an abbey spirals into unknown realms below.
A pallid masked ball conjures macabre visions of the past that hint at an unsolved murder.
A family becomes increasingly corrupted and haunted after moving into an ancestral home their new baby inherited.
Dogs around a village go mad after a meteor crash, savaging their masters at night.
Mysterious medicinal tinctures at an asylum seem to only make patients exhibit worsening fits of insanity.
A gravedigger realizes the corpse he just buried seems oddly still sentient and desperate to escape.
Villagers are plagued by a daemonic specter leaving behind inexplicable nocturnal phenomena like imprints of cloven hooves.
An innocent girl is abducted into a convent as punishment for her mother’s sins but discovers the nuns secretly practice witchcraft at night.
An accursed cask of Amontillado wine drives its victims murderously insane.
A troubled widow uncovers her home’s accursed foundations are strangely shifting every night.
A shadowy cabal seeks occult texts and artifacts for mysterious rituals from the catacombs below a corrupted monastery.
In the candlelit rooms of an abandoned Gothic manse, ghosts endlessly recreate a tragedy.
A prisoner is spirited away every night from his cell to a ghostly masked ball even as he awaits execution.
Sinister medieval torture devices are revived to torment victims of an obsessive cryptic society within a dungeon.
Glimpses of fatal visions in ornate mirrors drives the viewer slowly mad.
An eccentric gentleman scientist conducts deranged experiments bringing corpses to life with disastrous consequences.
A remote island filled with exotic flowers breeds an opiate-like scent that draws visitors only to never let them leave again.
A silver bell that rings unexpectedly in the night signals another soon-to-be victim marked for death by a vengeful spirit.
Eerie doppelgangers take the place of loved ones, deceiving everyone except one person who knows the truth.
A crumbling gothic tower imprisoned artists driven mad trying to capture visions of a beautiful muse who tragically perished.
An asylum patient speaks a dead language to mysterious entities living within the walls.
Sinister satanic rituals take place in the catacombs below a remote monastery.
An eccentric widow performs bizarre elaborate funerals for her dead pets left to wander restless on the grounds of her decaying estate.
Terrible secrets fester behind the boarded up windows of a foreboding Gothic manse sinking into a swamp.
A cursed ancient artifact causes a strange wasting plague to rapidly age victims until they become desiccated ghoulish remnants.
Phantasmagoric illusions plague a masked ball, showing omens of tragedy within the mirrors.
Witch hunters accuse women in a village of secret satanic pacts causing children to dance madly to macabre magical flutes only they seem to hear.
A miserable masked carnival performer transforms into a real grotesque creature when offstage after being born malformed.
An old wooden marionette begins subtly manipulating its puppeteer.
Mysterious locked rooms once used for occult rituals drive the curious to obsessively seek ways to see inside.
Winged vicious creatures stalk the elaborate stone halls of crumbling ancestral castle.
Unmarked graves in family cemeteries disturbingly sink every year even after exhumation.
A vampiric contagion spreads from rats boldly biting citizens in a shadowy slum.
A wretched foundling child suffers violent fits and harbors a cruel second soul those in the workhouse strangely indulge.
A portrait’s eyes seem to hauntingly follow you as if the spirit remains trapped within.
An intricate puzzle box found in the ashes of an old burned down asylum proves maddeningly impossible yet sinister to solve.
A masked stranger seems to mysteriously die multiple violent deaths before your eyes at the same masquerade ball over centuries.
A sleep experiment induces ghastly nightmares that continue to haunt waking victims.
A wax museum’s strikingly lifelike figures seem prone to subtly shifting when unobserved.
Mourning paintings morph the dead’s faces into cadaverous skulls if stared at too long.
Disturbing eerie echoes of macabre theater scenes continue to repeat within an abandoned Opera house attic even without players.
A widower’s pained artistic attempts at revival seem to succeeding at resurrecting his deceased wife into an uncanny creature.
A sentient schizophrenic house’s architecture keeps fantastically warping.
A broken antique kaleidoscope filled with tainted bone fragments shows macabre visions of death to owners.
An inhabitant of opiate dens seems to project their delirious dreams of a haunted palace.
Gargoyles mysteriously take the place of landlords thought to be away on extended trips.
Elaborate startling illusionist tricks at a theater inexplicably shift into real supernatural manifestations.
An ornate hand mirror shows the viewer’s face aging rapidly or glimpses their own gruesome death behind their shoulder.
Ghostly debutante dancers endlessly waltz together unable to stop until dawn breaks the spell binding them to the ballroom.
A widow uncovers her husband’s secret obsession with building uncannily perfect wind up automata replacements of recently deceased townspeople.
A physician teaches his unusual nervously sensitive ward to enter a trance to retreat from reality’s disturbing stimuli into the meticulously crafted rooms of a haunted mind palace.
Corpses of the recently deceased are stolen from cemeteries before materializing days later woven into elaborately posed configurations on church pews.
A troubled writer frequents the sprawling haunted ruins of an alchemist’s strange estate, inspiring her wildly imaginative yet disturbing stories seeming to manifest elements into reality the more she writes them.
A masked stranger haunts the private theater box night after night to bizarrely mentor an actress until she embodies her dead lover reborn onstage.
Ghostly echoes of macabre deaths plague a murderer forcing them toward the scene of their crimes for a reenactment on every anniversary.
Eerie music box melodies woven from metal pins and blood guide the imaginative inside a labyrinthine mechanical puzzle house.
A widow trapped in perpetual mourning painstakingly applies her dead daughter’s preserved face to lifelike doll effigies.
Disturbing unseen presences seem to forcibly puppeteer vulnerable drug addicts into recreating bizarre depraved theater shows.
An intricately decorated artifact using human bones and teeth seems to promise supernatural visions yet also extract sanity as payment.
A troubled detective frequents the bizarrely maze-like halls of his inherited family estate which seems to ominously shift and transform to mirror his fractured mind.
A strange idol causes bizarre uncanny doppelgangers to manifest when studying your mirrored reflection too closely by candlelight.
An ominous ancient grandfather clock always seems to countdown toward the hour of a person’s eventual mysterious death.
Eerie echoes from a deceased twin haunt a surviving sister while her parents seem obliviously content to pretend the deceased child never existed.
A troubled magician able to manifest realistic illusions finds the appearances slowly becoming autonomous entities no longer under their control.
A melancholy doll somehow houses the soul of a drowned child submerged from a past tragedy mysteriously able to animate itself.
A comatose woman’s nightmares seem to cross over into waking reality the longer she remains unable to wake up.
A grieving eccentric covertly captures apparitions on antique photographic plates by stealing close keepsakes from dead loved ones to haunt the images.
A drug addict watches a doppelganger slowly take over their life leaving them behind like a forgotten hollow shell.
An heiress who haunts a decaying mansion seems to enchant guests into staying longer each visit until they waste away becoming dusty relics imprisoned by her loneliness.
Death masks crafted from wax conceal a bizarre way for the wealthy secretly achieve eternal life by encasing souls.
An intricate puzzle box found in an asylum’s ashes proves disturbingly irresistible yet maddeningly impossible to solve.
Faded unnerving portraits hide being them twisted decaying corpse faces revealed by candlelight.
An artist’s miraculously revived daughter rapidly becomes a bizarre inhuman creature.
A grieving mother uses bodies of the recently deceased as bizarre life size macabre doll replacements for her dead daughter.
Unmarked patient graves in an asylum’s cemetery subtly sink deeper when no one watches.
A haunted portrait’s subject seems to possess those who gaze upon their beauty for too long.
An intricate anatomical theater hides disturbing occult ceremonies deep below.
A twisted sculptures garden filled with contorted stone bodies seems to come alive at night.
Ghostly debutante dancers haunt an abandoned dilapidated ballroom unable stop waltzing even as the room crumbles.
A magician’s transformative stage illusions become an addiction yet irreversibly distorts their appearance when not on stage.
A troubling ornate music box plays seemingly random eerie melodies that prove to sadly match the tune of imminent real life tragedies.
A grief stricken eccentric attempts increasingly deranged experiments to revive dead loved ones.
An intricate mechanical puzzle house ensnares victims inside its constantly shifting labyrinthine rooms and halls.
A haunted asylum’s disturbing experimental therapies leave victims in an eternally childlike regressed state even after death.
Unearthly cries emerge from the boarded up ruins of a decaying estate no one dares gets near at night.
An intricate mosaic floor patterns itself from the powdered cremation ashes of deceased institute residents.
Mourning paintings hauntingly transform to show the dead’s faces become cadaverous skulls if stared at too long.
An intricate clockwork automatons that perfectly resemble the newly dead seem to creepily enact aspects of their former living behaviors.
An intricate artful anatomy theater hides disturbing occult ceremonies deep below its secret trapdoors.

We hope you enjoyed this list of Gothic writing prompts. There are many other writing prompts on our site you may enjoy. If you have any questions or concerns please leave them in the comments below. Feel free to leave us any work you want to share that was inspired by these prompts.

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About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry. Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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36 Gothic Writing Prompts and Story Ideas

Calling all fans of flickering candles, stormy nights, and a good dose of the macabre!

Are you ready to unleash your inner Gothic writer?

Whether you’re a seasoned storyteller or just dipping your toes into the genre, this post is for you. We’re all about to dive deep into a world of creepy castles, haunting mysteries , and characters with secrets darker than a moonless night .

Let’s go.

Gothic Writing Prompts

The House of Whispers: A gothic mansion stands on the outskirts of a decaying village. Inside, whispers echo along the dusty corridors, carrying secrets and hints of lost inhabitants. When tragedy forces you to seek shelter within its walls, these whispers become your only guide, leading you deeper into a twisted past .
The Porcelain Children : In a grand, crumbling orphanage, porcelain dolls sit upon windowsills with unnerving, life -like eyes . Legend says one of the children from the orphanage went missing, and their soul was trapped within their favorite doll. As you investigate the truth of this tale, the dolls seem to watch your every move, and you can’t shake the feeling that one just blinked.
The Woman Behind the Veil: On a fog-drenched moor, a lone figure stands perpetually beside a forgotten grave. Clad in a long, black veil, she remains silent and unyielding, a specter rooted to the spot. Drawn into her silent mourning, you uncover a heartbreaking tale of love , loss, and the desperate lengths someone will go to defy death .
The Painted Garden : You awaken in a vibrant, beautiful garden – but something is horribly off. Each flower boasts impossibly rich colors, and the trees have twisted into grotesque shapes. The air crackles with an energy that hums in your bones, promising madness and something far more sinister lurking within the garden’s depths.
The Unseen Melody: The mournful notes of a phantom piano echo through a decaying manor. They draw you into darkened rooms filled with strange instruments and scores for music that seems impossible to play . As you become obsessed with the music, the line between reality and the spectral melody begins to blur.

The Forgotten Mirror: A tarnished mirror, its reflective surface swirling with shadows, beckons you with the promise of revealing hidden truths. Each reflection pulls you deeper into a tangled past filled with lost loves and betrayals. The longer you look, the more of yourself you lose to the shadowy depths of the mirror.
Shadows Beyond the Gates: Wrought-iron gates stand guard over an abandoned asylum. Locals say those who enter never return, their screams lost to the wind. Yet, at night, you glimpse strange, elongated shadows moving inside, hinting at the horrifying reason behind the asylum’s grim reputation.
The Devil’s Manuscript: You discover an ancient manuscript, its pages whispering promises of power and forbidden knowledge. Each word is written in blood, the pages crackling with dark magic . As you delve deeper into its secrets, the manuscript begins to change you, twisting your desires and revealing the darkness lurking within your soul.
The Village of the Damned: A remote village hides a terrible secret. The children, all with eerily similar features and chillingly blank eyes, hold a strange power over the adults. As a traveler passing through, it becomes clear you’re not welcome, and your attempts to escape draw the attention of these unsettling children.
The Endless Ballroom: Lost in a maze of hallways, you stumble upon a lavish ballroom frozen in time. Figures waltz in perpetual motion, their laughter hollow echoes in the grand room. You soon realize you’ve become a prisoner of this ghostly dance , and finding an escape may mean shattering the illusion that keeps it all going.

The Shadow Collector: An eccentric old man roams the city streets with a tarnished silver lantern. It’s said he collects people’s shadows, trapping them within the lantern’s flickering light. When your shadow disappears, you begin a desperate hunt for the collector, fearing what losing your shadow truly means.
The Weeping Portrait: Within a secluded art gallery, a single painting draws your attention – a woman whose tears seemingly drip from the canvas. Legend says the woman was painted alive, her despair infused with the oils. As you study the image, the woman’s gaze follows you, pleading, and you realize her spirit may be begging for release.
The Unquiet Forest : An ancient, whispering forest borders your town. Those who enter never return, their disappearances explained away as the wood’s hunger. But when your loved one is taken, you defy the warnings and venture into the tangled depths, where the trees themselves seem alive and intent on keeping their secrets.
The Carnival at Midnight: A traveling carnival with faded tents and rusted rides appears mysteriously overnight. The laughter rings hollow, promises of wonders seem tainted with a lurking menace. As you explore, you realize there’s no way out and the carnival itself is a living entity, feeding on the thrills and fears of its trapped patrons.
Bloodlines and Curses: Inheriting a crumbling estate uncovers a sealed room and a forgotten family history . Whispers of a generations-old curse begin to leak out, infecting your reality. Dreams turn macabre, shadows play tricks, and you fear that the blood you carry may be your undoing.

The Clockwork Heart: A renowned, but reclusive inventor resides in a mansion filled with ticking contraptions. He offers you a mechanical heart, a marvel promising to replace your ailing one. You agree, but soon discover the clockwork heart has an insatiable hunger – not for blood, but your deepest emotions .
The Cult of the Pale Moon : A mysterious cult promising eternal life operates in the shadows of a bustling city. Whispers tell of strange rituals beneath the pale moon. Drawn by the promise of defying death, you infiltrate their ranks only to discover the cult’s true purpose – and the terrible price they demand for their gift.
The Dollmaker’s Lament: An isolated dollmaker crafts unsettlingly realistic dolls, each imbued with a fragment of their creator’s fractured psyche. The dolls, filled with a longing for life, turn their eyes upon their maker. As you visit his remote workshop, the dolls begin to speak, demanding the one thing their creator cannot give.
The Seamstress Who Weaves Fate: In a forgotten corner of the city, an ancient seamstress works tirelessly, threads gleaming with an otherworldly light. It’s said she can stitch fortunes into the fabric of reality. Desperate to change your destiny, you seek her aid – but tampering with fate always comes at a steep cost.
Of Wax and Whispers: A museum houses a collection of eerily lifelike wax figures, each with secrets frozen in their eyes. At night, hushed whispers fill the exhibit, hinting at lives interrupted and spirits trapped within the waxen shells. As a night watchman, you must uncover the unsettling truth or join the figures in their silent vigil.

The Anatomy of a Nightmare : Unexplained nightmares plague you, filled with grotesque imagery and a sense of impending doom. When you begin to see elements of these nightmares seeping into your waking reality, you’re forced to confront the question: Are your nightmares bleeding into the real world, or is something in the real world invading your dreams?
The Ghost Train: A spectral steam engine streaks through the night, visible only to those marked for misfortune. When you glimpse the train hurtling toward you, carrying wraith-like passengers, you know your time is running out. Can you unpuzzle the train’s purpose and escape its deadly prophecy?
The Music Box of Lamentations: You inherit a delicate music box, its haunting melody filling you with inexplicable sorrow. The music holds power, bending reality subtly around its tune. You must discover the music box’s origin and break its melancholy spell before it consumes you entirely.
The City Beneath the City: Whispers tell of a labyrinthine city below the cobblestones, inhabited by those rejected by the world above. Driven by curiosity, you descend, only to find a society bound by strange rules, fueled by desperation, and holding dark secrets that will forever change your understanding of humanity.

The House That Hungered: A dilapidated old house possesses a malevolent consciousness. It lures occupants inside its creaking walls, seeking to consume their fears and regrets. When an unsuspecting family moves into the house, they must discover its terrible secrets and escape its grasp before they become yet another sacrifice.
The Keeper of the Lighthouse: On a desolate island stands a lonely lighthouse, its beacon a solitary eye against the crashing waves. The lighthouse keeper, a figure cloaked in sea mist and legend, has a supernatural connection to the storms. As a shipwrecked sailor, you must seek refuge in the lighthouse but tread cautiously, for the keeper guards both light and darkness.
The Taxidermist’s Collection: A skilled yet chillingly detached taxidermist fills their home with exquisitely preserved creatures. However, a rumor circulates that amongst the animals , there might lurk a human specimen, trapped in a perpetual state of lifeless beauty. As an investigator, you are drawn into this world of uncanny artistry and morbid fascination.
The Unopened Letters : In the attic of a forgotten mansion, you discover a bundle of yellowed letters, every envelope still sealed. They bear the names of past occupants, each of whom met a tragic end . As you begin to read , their voices rise from the pages, painting a chilling narrative of curses, betrayals, and secrets that should have stayed buried.
The Lake of Glass: Hidden deep in a mist-shrouded forest lies a lake whose surface is perfectly smooth, reflecting the twisted branches like a dark mirror. Legend says the lake shows visions of lost loves and alternate destinies. Driven by longing, you gaze into its depths, but the reflected world traps you, forcing you to confront the paths untaken.
Of Ink and Blood: A mysterious tome surfaces in an antiquarian bookstore, filled with unsettling illustrations and passages of an unknown language . As you decipher the text, it bleeds into your reality, unleashing grotesque entities from its pages. You must break the curse of the book before the boundary between worlds collapses entirely.

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21 Gothic Fiction Writing Prompts

By Rebecca Parpworth-Reynolds

In this post, we’ve included 21 Gothic fiction writing prompts to give you some ideas for your scary novel. Scroll down to read the prompts !

1. The Lighthouse Keeper

On a stormy night, a shipwreck survivor seeks refuge in an ancient lighthouse on a desolate island. Inside, they discover the journal of a former lighthouse keeper who mysteriously vanished, leaving behind chilling accounts of ghostly apparitions.

2. A Haunting Muse

A reclusive artist moves into a long-abandoned, Gothic-style mansion to find inspiration for their next masterpiece. However, as the paintings take form, they begin to reveal haunting visions of the mansion’s tragic past.

3. In Loving Memory

In a forgotten cemetery hidden behind an overgrown and abandoned church, a young woman discovers a mysterious tombstone with her own name on it. As she investigates further, she uncovers a family curse that has plagued her ancestors for generations and could soon claim her, too.

4. By Any Means Necessary

A renowned scientist becomes obsessed with the idea of conquering death and begins conducting forbidden experiments in his secluded laboratory. As he delves deeper into his research, he unleashes dark forces that threaten to consume him and challenge how far he will go to achieve his goals.

5. Anything for Love

A rich mogul loses his beloved wife to an illness. Instead of having her buried, he instead decides to try to bring her back to life at any cost, while maintaining the illusion that she is still alive to visitors. However, does this goal truly stem from his devotion or truths that he needs to conceal?

6. Sinister Reflections

A lonely boy, ignored by his affluent parents, begins speaking to the mirror in his room. When the reflection in the mirror starts talking back, what will it start to reveal about himself and reality?

7. Inspired by Real Events

An acclaimed writer seeks inspiration for their next gothic novel and accepts an invitation to stay in a supposedly haunted inn. As they spend the night, they begin to experience ghostly visitations and uncover the inn’s tragic past.

8. An Otherworldly Dilemma

An archaeologist unearths an ancient tomb containing an ornate, mysterious key. The key is said to unlock the gateway to a hidden realm inhabited by malevolent entities, and the archaeologist must decide whether to explore the otherworldly secrets or seal the tomb forever.

9. To Heal or To Harm

In a remote village, a doctor stumbles upon an ancient medical text with forbidden knowledge. Driven by the desire to heal the sick, they unwittingly unleash a malevolent force that feeds on human suffering. How far will they go to keep the malevolent force satisfied while still being able to save lives that would otherwise be lost without the tome’s help?

10. Dark Devotion

Deep within the heart of a dense forest, a group of explorers discovers an abandoned abbey. As they venture inside, they encounter unsettling signs that the abbey was once a site of dark rituals and unspeakable horrors, and may not be as abandoned as they first thought.

11. A Life in Pictures

A young woman wakes up in a lavish Victorian mansion with no memory of how she got there. As she explores her surroundings, she discovers paintings of herself depicting events she cannot remember, with each one more unsettling than the last.

12. For the Greater Good

A village appears to prosper despite the odds, even when other nearby settlements suffer from disease and poor harvests. A traveling missionary visits the village and learns that their success seems to come from a darker allegiance and that he is the next sacrifice.

13. We are the Freakshow

A carnival freakshow comes to a Victorian town. However, instead of the expected exhibits, the townspeople find that each of the “freaks” represents their deepest and darkest fears and secrets.

14. Shelter from the Storm

A weary traveler caught in a vicious storm enters a seemingly abandoned mansion in search of shelter. However, as soon as the doors creak open, he realizes that the house and its inhabitants have been eagerly expecting his arrival.

15. The Pursuit of Knowledge

In a search for knowledge, a budding academic works their way through dark and dusty library shelves. One particular tome draws their interest, although they soon find that in order to unlock the book’s information, heavy prices must be paid. How far will they go in the pursuit of knowledge?

16. The Clockwork Coup

An eccentric inventor working in a dilapidated warehouse creates lifelike clockwork dolls. As he brings them to life, they display emotions and a desire for freedom, leading to a chilling battle for control as he reassesses what makes someone truly human.

17. In Her Dreams

A young woman starts having vivid dreams of a mysterious manor. The dreams become so lifelike that she decides to visit the manor in reality, only to find that the line between dreams and real life is far more blurred than she could have imagined.

18. Encroaching Moonlight

A powerful curse plagues a quaint village, causing its inhabitants to transform into monstrous creatures every full moon. The townspeople must unravel the curse’s origin before they lose their humanity forever, especially as civilization and technology draw ever closer to their community.

19. The Greatest Show on Earth

A famed Victorian illusionist performs his greatest show yet in a grand theater where the line between illusion and reality becomes increasingly blurry. As audience members start to disappear during the show, it’s unclear whether it’s all part of the act or something far more sinister.

20. Not Just an Act

A Victorian fraudster poses as a medium in order to con grieving families out of their money for a chance to be able to commune with their loved ones, using elaborate tricks and props to fool them into thinking that they are there. However, they soon realize that the spirits are real, and out to seek vengeance for their living relatives.

21. A Sharp-Fanged Truth

A young woman has long romanticized the idea of vampires, reading every legend about them and secretly wishing that she was one. However, when she is turned by one of the creatures that she idolizes, she soon finds that the reality is far more unsettling than her dreams.

30 Words To Use In Gothic Fiction (Gothic Word Guide)

When I first encountered gothic fiction years ago, I was instantly bewitched by the dark allure and emotional intensity that it offered.

The genre, with its moody landscapes and complex characters, spoke to me.

However, it wasn’t until I started writing my own gothic tales that I realized the true power of language in crafting these narratives.

Here are words to use in Gothic Fiction :

30 Best Words to Use in Your Gothic Fiction

Cartoon of gothic woman in gothic town - Words to use in Gothic Fiction

Table of Contents

This guide is a collection of 30 powerful words to invigorate your gothic fiction writing and cast an eerie spell on your readers.

1. Desolate

One can hardly imagine gothic fiction without a sense of emptiness and abandonment.

“Desolate” perfectly captures this feeling. Use this word when you want to evoke feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The castle stood desolate on the foggy hill.
His desolate gaze added to the chilling atmosphere.
The desolate landscape spread out before her, devoid of life.

“Eerie” is a quintessential gothic word that implies something uncanny or weird that causes fear.

Use “eerie” to establish an unsettling and mysterious environment.

The eerie silence of the room sent chills down her spine.
An eerie light emanated from the tomb.
The forest had an eerie beauty, with its gnarled trees and misty air.

Use “morose” to describe a character’s gloomy or sullen mood.

This word is handy when you want to convey deep-seated sorrow or melancholy.

The morose figure of the butler haunted the long, shadowy corridors.
Her morose demeanor hinted at a tragic past.
He sat in his chair, morose and lost in thought.

“Lurid” pertains to something that is glaringly vivid, often in a crude or unpleasant way.

It’s perfect for describing vivid and shocking scenes or events.

The lurid details of the murder were too much for her to handle.
The lurid glare of the neon sign added an unsettling note to the scene.
His lurid imagination conjured monstrous creatures from the shadows.

5. Foreboding

“Foreboding” is a fearful apprehension or a sense that something bad is going to happen.

Use it to build tension and suspense in your narrative.

A sense of foreboding washed over her as she approached the house.
The dark clouds in the sky filled him with foreboding.
His foreboding dreams often came true.

“Macabre” signifies something that is disturbing because it’s associated with death or injury.

It’s an excellent choice when you want to add a sense of dread and horror to your story.

The macabre painting sent shivers down her spine.
He was fascinated by the macabre and collected oddities related to death.
She found the macabre spectacle of the graveyard strangely comforting.

A “specter” is a ghost or something widely feared as a possible unpleasant or dangerous occurrence.

This word can heighten the supernatural and chilling aspects of your narrative.

The specter of the old woman roamed the corridors at night.
The old mansion was said to be haunted by a malevolent specter.
The specter of poverty loomed over the impoverished village.

“Ominous” is used to suggest that something bad is going to happen.

It’s a handy tool for building tension and a sense of impending doom.

The ominous music grew louder as she approached the door.
The ominous storm clouds gathered on the horizon.
His ominous warning left her feeling uneasy.

9. Sepulchral

“Sepulchral” refers to something that is gloomy and dismal or pertaining to a tomb or interment.

It’s effective in creating a grim and somber atmosphere.

I really like this word.

The sepulchral silence in the chapel was deafening.
He was as solemn as a sepulchral statue.
The sepulchral city was a shadow of its former self.

10. Ghastly

“Ghastly” means something that is shockingly frightful or dreadful.

This word helps convey scenes of horror and terror.

The ghastly apparition appeared at midnight.
His ghastly pallor suggested he had seen a ghost.
The ghastly scene of the car crash was etched into her memory.

“Bleak” refers to a lack of warmth, life, or kindliness.

It’s perfect for portraying a dismal, gloomy, or hopeless situation.

The landscape was bleak and barren, with no sign of life.
His future seemed as bleak as the storm-ridden sky.
Her bleak expression mirrored the emptiness she felt inside.

12. Dolorous

“Dolorous” is indicative of great sorrow or distress.

Use it to describe a character’s emotional pain or a sad event.

His dolorous sigh echoed in the silent room.
The dolorous melody of the violin filled the air.
The news of her death brought a dolorous atmosphere to the household.

13. Sinister

“Sinister” suggests an ominous aspect which seems to threaten evil or disaster.

This word can help instill a sense of danger and suspense in your narrative.

The sinister figure in the corner was barely visible.
His sinister smile made her skin crawl.
The shadows danced a sinister Waltz on the wall.

14. Cryptic

“Cryptic” refers to something that is mysterious or obscure.

This word is useful in creating enigmatic characters or situations that add intrigue to your story.

His cryptic message left her puzzled.
The cryptic symbols on the wall were the only clue.
The old woman gave her a cryptic warning before disappearing into the crowd.

15. Charnel

“Charnel” is associated with death, specifically relating to the place where dead bodies or bones are placed.

It can be used to establish a grim and morbid atmosphere.

The charnel house was filled with the smell of decay.
The battlefield became a charnel ground after the fierce battle.
She recoiled at the sight of the charnel artifacts on display.

“Grim” refers to something that is harshly uninviting or unnerving in aspect.

This word can portray a harsh, severe, or stern reality.

The grim reality of his situation finally hit him.
The grim landscape was a testament to the desolation caused by the war.
Her grim determination was the only thing that kept her going.

17. Melancholy

“Melancholy” is a feeling of thoughtful or gentle sadness.

Use it to evoke a sense of sadness, reflection, or solemnity.

A wave of melancholy washed over her as she thought of home.
The melancholy tune of the piano filled the room.
His melancholy eyes reflected years of solitude.

18. Mysterious

“Mysterious” indicates something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.

It’s ideal for creating an air of mystery and suspense.

The mysterious woman in black always sat in the same corner.
The circumstances of his death remained unsolved and mysterious.
The mysterious artifact was said to possess immense power.

19. Cadaverous

“Cadaverous” pertains to looking thin, pale, and like a corpse.

Use it to describe characters who are unwell or to create a chilling effect.

His cadaverous complexion sent a shiver down her spine.
The cadaverous figure seemed to stare at her from the painting.
The cadaverous inmates were evidence of the harsh conditions in the prison.

20. Labyrinthine

“Labyrinthine” means complicated and irregular.

It’s perfect for describing complex mazes, whether literal or metaphorical.

The labyrinthine corridors of the old mansion were confusing.
His labyrinthine mind was full of twisted thoughts and ideas.
The labyrinthine bureaucracy of the organization frustrated her.

21. Terrifying

“Terrifyin” indicates that something causes extreme fear or dread.

Use it to create intense moments of horror or suspense in your story.

The terrifying creature emerged from the shadows.
She heard a terrifying sound from the basement.
The terrifying ordeal left him in a state of shock.

22. Apparition

An “apparition” is a ghost or ghostlike image of a person.

This word adds an element of the supernatural and can create a chilling effect.

The apparition appeared at the foot of her bed each night.
The ghostly apparition vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
He was haunted by the apparition of his deceased wife.

23. Phantasmagorical

“Phantasmagorical” pertains to a sequence of real or imaginary images like those seen in a dream.

This term is useful in describing vivid and bizarre sequences.

The phantasmagorical landscape seemed to shift and change with each step.
The phantasmagorical figures in his dreams were terrifyingly real.
The phantasmagorical art installation captivated and disturbed the viewers.

24. Cataclysmic

“Cataclysmic” signifies a sudden and violent event that causes substantial change.

Use it to emphasize major upheavals or disasters in your narrative.

The cataclysmic event left the city in ruins.
Her departure had a cataclysmic impact on his life.
The cataclysmic storm raged, showing no signs of letting up.

25. Abhorrent

“Abhorrent” means inspiring disgust or hatred.

It’s perfect for describing repugnant characters or situations.

The abhorrent behavior of the villain was a stark contrast to the hero’s virtue.
She found his views on women abhorrent.
The abhorrent conditions of the slums moved her to action.

26. Nocturnal

“Nocturnal” relates to or occurs in the night. It’s ideal for establishing the time frame and setting the stage for events that take place at night.

The nocturnal creatures came alive as the sun set.
The old man led a nocturnal existence, shunning the light of day.
The nocturnal landscape held an eerie beauty under the moonlight.

27. Haunted

“Haunted” means visited by a ghost or influenced by remembrances.

This term can enhance the supernatural elements of your story or symbolize a character’s troubled past.

The haunted mansion stood alone, its windows dark and lifeless.
She was haunted by the mistakes of her past.
His haunted eyes told a story of loss and regret.

28. Abysmal

“Abysmal” refers to something extremely bad or appalling.

This word can be used to express deep despair or the extreme degree of something negative.

The abysmal darkness of the cave was terrifying.
Her mood was abysmal after the unfortunate incident.
The abysmal conditions of the camp were heartbreaking.

29. Malevolent

“Malevolent” means having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person.

It’s an excellent choice for describing malicious characters or ill-intentions.

The malevolent spirit sought to harm anyone who entered the house.
His malevolent grin made her heart race.
She could sense a malevolent presence in the room.

30. Diabolical

“Diabolical” signifies something that belongs to or is characteristic of the Devil.

This word can amplify the evil aspects of a character or situation.

The diabolical ritual was meant to summon a demon.
His diabolical laughter echoed in the silent night.
The villain’s diabolical plan was thwarted by the hero.

Here is a video I made about words to use in Gothic Fiction:

Gothic Words Summary Chart (Word Bank)

To help you write epic Gothic Fiction, I put together this summary chart of all 30 words in this guide:

I hope you find this chart helpful.

It should provide a good overview of each word’s usage in a gothic fiction context. Remember, context is crucial, and these words can take on different nuances depending on how they are used.

Final Thoughts: Words To Use in Gothic Fiction

This guide is in no way comprehensive: there are nearly endless words to use when writing Gothic Fiction.

Although I hope these words help trigger your creativity as you craft your stories.

150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story

The most important thing about writing is finding a good idea . You have to have a great idea to write a story. You have to be able to see the whole picture before you can start to write it. Sometimes, you might need help with that. Story starters are a great way to get the story rolling. You can use them to kick off a story, start a character in a story or even start a scene in a story.

When you start writing a story, you need to have a hook. A hook can be a character or a plot device. It can also be a setting, something like “A young man came into a bar with a horse.” or a setting like “It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.” The first sentence of a story is often the hook. It can also be a premise or a situation, such as, “A strange old man in a black cloak was sitting on the train platform.”

Story starters are a way to quickly get the story going. They give the reader a place to start reading your story. Some story starters are obvious, and some are not. The best story starters are the ones that give the reader a glimpse into the story. They can be a part of a story or a part of a scene. They can be a way to show the reader the mood of a story. If you want to start a story, you can use a simple sentence. You can also use a question or an inspirational quote. In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of the Finish The Story game .

If you want more story starters, check out this video on some creative story starter sentences to use in your stories:

150+ Creative Story Starters

Here is a list of good sentences to start a story with:

I’ve read about a million stories about princesses but never thought I could ever be one.
There was once a man who was very old, but he was wise. He lived for a very long time, and he was very happy.
What is the difference between a man and a cat? A cat has nine lives.
In the middle of the night, a boy is running through the woods.
It is the end of the world.
He knew he was not allowed to look into the eyes of the princess, but he couldn’t help himself.
The year is 1893. A young boy was running away from home.
What if the Forest was actually a magical portal to another dimension, the Forest was a portal to the Otherworld?
In the Forest, you will find a vast number of magical beings of all sorts.
It was the middle of the night, and the forest was quiet. No bugs or animals disturbed the silence. There were no birds, no chirping.
If you wish to stay in the Forest, you will need to follow these rules: No one shall leave the Forest. No one shall enter. No one shall take anything from the Forest.
“It was a terrible day,” said the old man in a raspy voice.
A cat is flying through the air, higher and higher, when it happens, and the cat doesn’t know how it got there, how it got to be in the sky.
I was lying in the woods, and I was daydreaming.
The Earth is a world of wonders.
The fairy is the most amazing creature I have ever met.
A young girl was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of a river when she noticed a magical tree growing in the water.
My dancing rat is dressed in a jacket, a tie and glasses, which make him look like a person.
In the darkness of the night, I am alone, but I know that I am not.
Owls are the oldest, and most intelligent, of all birds.
My name is Reyna, and I am a fox.
The woman was drowning.
One day, he was walking in the forest.
It was a dark and stormy night…
There was a young girl who could not sleep…
A boy in a black cape rode on a white horse…
A crazy old man in a black cloak was sitting in the middle of the street…
The sun was setting on a beautiful summer day…
The dog was restless…”
There was a young boy in a brown coat…
I met a young man in the woods…
In the middle of a dark forest…
The young girl was at home with her family…
There was a young man who was sitting on a …
A young man came into a bar with a horse…
I have had a lot of bad dreams…
He was a man who wanted to be king…
It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.
I know what you’re thinking. But no, I don’t want to be a vegetarian. The worst part is I don’t like the taste.
She looked at the boy and decided to ask him why he wasn’t eating. She didn’t want to look mean, but she was going to ask him anyway.
The song played on the radio, as Samual wiped away his tears.
This was the part when everything was about to go downhill. But it didn’t…
“Why make life harder for yourself?” asked Claire, as she bit into her apple.
She made a promise to herself that she would never do it.
I was able to escape.
I was reading a book when the accident happened.
“I can’t stand up for people who lie and cheat.” I cried.
You look at me and I feel beautiful.
I know what I want to be when I grow up.
We didn’t have much money. But we knew how to throw a good party.
The wind blew on the silent streets of London.
What do you get when you cross an angry bee and my sister?
The flight was slow and bumpy. I was half asleep when the captain announced we were going down.
At the far end of the city was a river that was overgrown with weeds.
It was a quiet night in the middle of a busy week.
One afternoon, I was eating a sandwich in the park when I spotted a stranger.
In the late afternoon, a few students sat on the lawn reading.
The fireflies were dancing in the twilight as the sunset.
In the early evening, the children played in the park.
The sun was setting and the moon was rising.
A crowd gathered in the square as the band played.
The top of the water tower shone in the moonlight.
The light in the living room was on, but the light in the kitchen was off.
When I was a little boy, I used to make up stories about the adventures of these amazing animals, creatures, and so on.
All of the sudden, I realized I was standing in the middle of an open field surrounded by nothing but wildflowers, and the only thing I remembered about it was that I’d never seen a tree before.
It’s the kind of thing that’s only happened to me once before in my life, but it’s so cool to see it.
They gave him a little wave as they drove away.
The car had left the parking lot, and a few hours later we arrived home.
They were going to play a game of bingo.
He’d made up his mind to do it. He’d have to tell her soon, though. He was waiting for a moment when they were alone and he could say it without feeling like an idiot. But when that moment came, he couldn’t think of anything to say.
Jamie always wanted to own a plane, but his parents were a little tight on the budget. So he’d been saving up to buy one of his own.
The night was getting colder, and the wind was blowing in from the west.
The doctor stared down at the small, withered corpse.
She’d never been in the woods before, but she wasn’t afraid.
The kids were having a great time in the playground.
The police caught the thieves red-handed.
The world needs a hero more than ever.
Mother always said, “Be good and nice things will happen…”
There is a difference between what you see and what you think you see.
The sun was low in the sky and the air was warm.
“It’s time to go home,” she said, “I’m getting a headache.”
It was a cold winter’s day, and the snow had come early.
I found a wounded bird in my garden.
“You should have seen the look on my face.”
He opened the door and stepped back.
My father used to say, “All good things come to an end.”
The problem with fast cars is that they break so easily.
“What do you think of this one?” asked Mindy.
“If I asked you to do something, would you do it?” asked Jacob.
I was surprised to see her on the bus.
I was never the most popular one in my class.
We had a bad fight that day.
The coffee machine had stopped working, so I went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.
It was a muggy night, and the air-conditioning unit was so loud it hurt my ears.
I had a sleepless night because I couldn’t get my head to turn off.
I woke up at dawn and heard a horrible noise.
I was so tired I didn’t know if I’d be able to sleep that night.
I put on the light and looked at myself in the mirror.
I decided to go in, but the door was locked.
A man in a red sweater stood staring at a little kitten as if it was on fire.
“It’s so beautiful,” he said, “I’m going to take a picture.”
“I think we’re lost,” he said, “It’s all your fault.”
It’s hard to imagine what a better life might be like
He was a tall, lanky man, with a long face, a nose like a pin, and a thin, sandy moustache.
He had a face like a lion’s and an eye like a hawk’s.
The man was so broad and strong that it was as if a mountain had been folded up and carried in his belly.
I opened the door. I didn’t see her, but I knew she was there.
I walked down the street. I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
I arrived at my parents’ home at 8:00 AM.
The nurse had been very helpful.
On the table was an array of desserts.
I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk.
A car horn honked, startling me.
The kitchen was full of pots and pans.
There are too many things to remember.
The world was my oyster. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
“My grandfather was a World War II veteran. He was a decorated hero who’d earned himself a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
Beneath the menacing, skeletal shadow of the mountain, a hermit sat on his ledge. His gnarled hands folded on his gnarled knees. His eyes stared blankly into the fog.
I heard a story about a dragon, who was said to be the size of a house, that lived on the top of the tallest mountain in the world.
I was told a story about a man who found a golden treasure, which was buried in this very park.
He stood alone in the middle of a dark and silent room, his head cocked to one side, the brown locks of his hair, which were parted in the middle, falling down over his eyes.
Growing up, I was the black sheep of the family. I had my father’s eyes, but my mother’s smile.
Once upon a time, there was a woman named Miss Muffett, and she lived in a big house with many rooms.
When I was a child, my mother told me that the water looked so bright because the sun was shining on it. I did not understand what she meant at the time.
The man in the boat took the water bottle and drank from it as he paddled away.
The man looked at the child with a mixture of pity and contempt.
An old man and his grandson sat in their garden. The old man told his grandson to dig a hole.
An old woman was taking a walk on the beach. The tide was high and she had to wade through the water to get to the other side.
She looked up at the clock and saw that it was five minutes past seven.
The man looked up from the map he was studying. “How’s it going, mate?”
I was in my room on the third floor, staring out of the window.
A dark silhouette of a woman stood in the doorway.
The church bells began to ring.
The moon rose above the horizon.
A bright light shone over the road.
The night sky began to glow.
I could hear my mother cooking in the kitchen.
The fog began to roll in.
He came in late to the class and sat at the back.
A young boy picked up a penny and put it in his pocket.
He went to the bathroom and looked at his face in the mirror.
It was the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness. We once had everything and now we have nothing.
A young man died yesterday, and no one knows why.
The boy was a little boy. He was not yet a man. He lived in a house in a big city.
They had just returned from the theatre when the phone rang.
I walked up to the front of the store and noticed the neon sign was out.
I always wondered what happened to Mary.
I stopped to say hello and then walked on.
The boy’s mother didn’t want him to play outside…
The lights suddenly went out…
After 10 years in prison, he was finally out.
The raindrops pelted the window, which was set high up on the wall, and I could see it was a clear day outside.
My friend and I had just finished a large pizza, and we were about to open our second.
I love the smell of the ocean, but it never smells as good as it does when the waves are crashing.
They just stood there, staring at each other.
A party was in full swing until the music stopped.

For more ideas on how to start your story, check out these first-line writing prompts . Did you find this list of creative story starters 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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gothic creative writing sentence starters

Ten Awesome Gothic First Sentences

There’s nothing quite like setting the mood and atmosphere of your novel from the very first line. Here are my favorite ten gothic horror first sentences, from classics to contemporaries, that hooked me right away. It’s a great little exercise to use when reading over your own manuscript. Does your first sentence hook the reader? Does it give the reader a hint of what’s in store for them?

And, most importantly, does it make you want to read on?

1. “You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings.” – Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

2. “The basement hallways in King’s College of Medical Research were dark, even in the daytime.” – The Madman’s Daughter, by Megan Shepard

3. “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.”- The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe

4. “I stepped inside the railroad car, and three dozen pairs of eyes peered my way.”- In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters

5. “Mr. Utterson the lawyer was a man of a rugged countenance that was never lighted by a smile; cold, scanty and embarrassed in discourse; backward in sentiment; lean, long, dusty, dreary and yet somehow lovable.”- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson

6. “The charcoal sky spits cold rain as we rumble to a stop at a crossroad.”- Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin

7. “The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.”- The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

8. “The boy was late.” – The Beautiful and the Cursed, by Page Morgan

9. “Jonathan Harker’s Journal

3 May. Bistritz.—Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late.”- Dracula, by Bram Stoker

10. “Dead!” a woman screamed. “It’s the dead!”- Something Strange and Deadly, by Susan Dennard

Wanna compare our favorite books? Find me on Goodreads by clicking H E R E

4 thoughts on “Ten Awesome Gothic First Sentences”

Great choices! And love the skeleton pic too. 🙂

Thank you times two! 🙂

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50 Spooky Writing Prompts and Horror Story Ideas

If you’re looking for scary story prompts or horror writing ideas, you’ve come to the right place! These are great Halloween writing prompts, and some of these could also be used as suspense story prompts or dark fantasy story ideas.

These are all from my book 5 ,000 Writing Prompts: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More . The book has 100 additional spooky writing prompts and horror story ideas, as well as master plots and idea starters for all kinds of writing.

If you are easily scared and have an over-active imagination, just skip this one. And anyway, just remember it’s all nonsense that I made up while I was exercising on the treadmill or sitting in bed.

Some of these are skeletal (ha) plot ideas, while others are images or suggestions. And if you’d like a spooky soundtrack to inspire you, be sure to check out my scary music playlist for writers ! Be sure to pin or bookmark the post for future reference. After all, when autumn rolls around, you might find yourself looking for Halloween writing prompts!

A musician practices. When she finishes a piece, she hears someone clapping for her, although she lives alone.
Frightening events in a small town lead its citizens to dig up the grave of a deceased inhabitant.
Someone gets on the elevator by himself and is never seen by his friends or family again.
The Furies—the vengeance deities of classic mythology—are back in business again.
A collector buys an unpublished manuscript by an obscure writer that describes a terrible historical event a year before it occurred. The collector learns the writer wrote many unpublished stories…
Creating a hybrid of a human and this particular animal turns out to be a bad idea.
A person has the ability to make other people very ill.
The dead walk out of the sea.
An individual begins seeing and hearing from someone who looks just like her – and learns she had a twin who died at birth.
A killer places an advertisement for a willing victim and finds one.
A basement contains jars filled with unusual specimens.
A person finds new photos of herself on her cell phone that she didn’t take.
The spirit of a brutalized slave or prisoner of war wants revenge on his tormentor’s descendants.
A couple vacationing in a remote area begins having the same nightmares.
All of the circus performers were killed in the train wreck.
The television switches to another station of its own accord and plays footage of something horrible that happened long before the technology existed to record it.
A spouse or sibling dies. He or she begins to take over the body of the surviving spouse or sibling.
Weekend adventurers explore a cave and can’t find their way out again. Then they encounter something terrible…
Authorities go through the cluttered apartment of a deceased man who lived alone with no known friends or relatives for decades and find something disturbing.
A group of teenagers trolls everyone else in an online group by telling made-up stories about terrible things they’ve done. Things then get out of hand.
It’s bad luck in the theatre to call the Shakespeare play Macbeth by name, but someone in the company keeps doing it anyway… and the superstition proves true.
Every exhibit in this carnival sideshow is fake. Except this one thing.
An individual develops a terror of water – drinking it, touching it, or even being near it. There’s actually a good reason why.
The grandfather clock starts running backwards.
People in this neighborhood begin having freak accidents that involve normal appliances and machinery, such as blenders, weed whackers, and garage doors.
The cure for a new deadly epidemic is almost scarier than the disease.
He locked the doors and shuttered the windows; it came in through the roof.
A woman is happy when her dead loved one comes back to life… but he’s changed.
This centuries-old beauty secret is effective but horrifying.
A killer toys with his victims by orchestrating a series of false hopes for them.
She wakes up in the middle of the night and runs out to a certain tree.
Tourists on a ghost tour, along with their guide, fall into the hands of an evil presence.
A young woman is impregnated by her handsome new boyfriend, who turns out to be something other than human.
The empty swing is swinging.
A bride on her honeymoon discovers she’s not her new husband’s first wife… not even close.
Long ago, when he was a baby, a man’s parents made an unwise deal in order to bring him back from the dead.
Members of a family or people in a town begin sleepwalking and doing strange things in their sleep.
A young man confesses to a killing that hasn’t happened. The murder he describes takes place while he’s in custody.
Grisly events happen after the arrival of a hypnotist in Victorian London.
An author’s fictional villain stalks him.
Fraternity hazing goes way too far.
It always happens when he’s alone in the car.
A patient in a mental hospital encounters a malevolent ghost, but nobody believes her.
A mother’s young child may or may not be a changeling.
Swarms of insects appear in various places in a town, always followed by an untimely death.
The ghost at the movie theater wants everyone to watch one particular snippet of film.
A child’s imaginary friend starts to cause real trouble.
When putting together a slide show for a wedding or funeral, someone notices that for decades, the same man, dressed in the same fashion, has been appearing in the background of photographs taken in public places.
A politician, religious leader, or celebrity exerts mind control over the will of his or her followers.
The fairy godmother isn’t the good kind of fairy.

Okay, I creeped myself out a little with these spooky writing prompts! If you’re writing a novel and want a step-by-step guide to planning, writing, and editing, be sure to check out my book 5,000 Writing Prompts .

5,000 WRITING PROMPTS: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More | BRYN DONOVAN |

Do you have questions or suggestions about horror story ideas? We’d love to hear them in the comments section! And don’t miss future posts about writing. Follow my blog, if you aren’t already — there’s a place you can sign up below. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

a notebook, scissors, pens, paper clips and other school supplies

Great prompts for the coming season and for those who write about the supernatural all year round. A friend of mine and myself send photos to each other as prompts and most of the time, mine stories lean toward the macabre, supernatural or fantasy. I love it! Many of these set my thoughts in motion (the gears are turning). Thanks!

Cheryl, that’s so cool that you and your friend send image prompts to each other! So glad you liked these. Thanks for the nice comments!

Those are delightful ideas and I thank you for them. Did you hear, by the way, about the writer of bizarre tales whose stories were typed using the blood font.The one that leaves an occasional trail of blood down the background image of the screen. Isn’t technology a delightful addition to this lexicon?

Hi Robert! Holy smokes, I had not heard of that use of text. That’s amazing! Thanks so much for commenting, and for the kind words!

I really like the first one: A musician practices. When she finishes a piece, she hears someone clapping for her, although she lives alone.

My character plays the violin and she’s blind, so imagining something like that happening is kind of scary.

Oh geez, Cinthia, that would be scary. That one was my favorite one, by the way. Thanks for commenting!

The reasons why crime features so heavily in media coverage are many and varied. In practical terms crime stories are often easy to cover, relative to other issues. Police make appeals for witnesses, ‘tip off’ journalists (sometimes in ethically problematic ways), court hearings are easy to access and scheduled long in advance.

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nice stories……..give me the creeps

Haha, thank you so much Jayitha!

Thanks so much really helped me.I have to write a short story for english so thanks!

So glad it helped, Neveah! Hope your story turned out (or turns out) great!

who are you?

That was amazing, I am 11 years old and I looked up writing prompts for fun but now I want to write a whole story! Thank you!

Thank u for these ideas. Good suggestions. I am actually writing a horror/thriller story right now and I’m almost done with it. It may be my first story to publish. At least I hope so. I hope that if it does get published, people may like it. I try to make my stories as unique as possible compared to the fantastic horror books already written.

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Great article…So, I have a very sketchy idea (comments welcomed).Newly married couple, husband starts having night terrors about being trapped/lost in a cave (the type extreme potholers go down). He suffers from claustrophobia, specifically potholing. The terrors become more and more violent until one day/night he wakes up inside a shaft, wedged between the walls by his broad shoulders…can’t go forward, can’t go backwards. That’s as far as I’ve got. Apart from skipping to a potential sad ending. You may have guessed that this is a fear of mine!!!

That is unbelievably terrifying!!

ps. You may also guess that I am attempting to write my FIRST book!!!

Thank you Ember Jay

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can you have more scary stories and pin them on pinterest? If you want my email for anything its [email protected] . Thanks

lisette isabelle

Isn’t the last one the plot of Shrek 2?????

yessss broooo

Broooo thats my fav movie!!!!!

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I like #4 The Furies—the vengeance deities of classic mythology—are back in business again. I’m currently writing a story about a demon and a school girl the story is call Her name was Misaki

This sounds like a a great story!

I used the first one to get me started on brainstorming, and I warped the idea into a feature screenplay that was very fun to write. Thanks for the awesome help!!!

Yeah boiiiiii

I was sitting by the window watching the snow slowly and silently fall. Suddenly, outside, a snap of a branch and a stutter of leaves, a sad old man leaves his house over the road. I watch him as he slowly strolls down the driveway with his brown old wooden stick. Is this a good story starter?

Thanks for getting my imagination running. I needed that. J

Aw, thanks. Thanks for reading, John!

heyo…. I’m 13 years old and i want to write a horror story…..this is helpful!!! I want to be an author when i grow up…whats it like being an author???!!! i have so many ideas , too many that i actually have no idea what to write this gave me some good ideas too thanks. oh, and i love your eyes they are so pretty.

Hey there! I’m so glad you liked the list! It sounds like you have an amazing imagination. Being a writer has challenges, but it’s fantastic making up whole characters, stories, and worlds…and when readers love your stories, too, that’s a great feeling. I hope you have great success as an author. Thanks for the compliment, too!

idea 48 is probably the ex boyfriend of the girl getting married and getting revenge on the husband hehe

I love all these prompts! They give just enough detail but also leave a great amount of imagination! I am doing a spooky story contest and now I have a wonderful idea! thank you so much! -Charlotte

Love this list! I plan on entering a short story contest, and this is very helpful! I lean more towards lengthy fantasy (particularly magic or medieval related) stories, so coming up with ideas for a scary short story is not exactly easy. I now have a solid idea combining bits and pieces of a few prompts (for example: #13 and #16) plus combining my own twists. So thank you!!

Thank you so much I really needed this for English

My story Wrote by 11 yrs old girl (no name, sry) The Mystery Of The Unexpected Ghost: As my grandfather lies on his deathbed, he told me of a terrible crime he committed many years ago and got away with. He also told me that his freedom was the result of a spell someone performed and that I should expect a visit from a ghost. “He will come out from the shadows,” are his last words. Hi, my name is Naomi. I am 21 years old and I love to read ghost stories especially Mr Midnight. I love spooky things like ghost but I do not wish to meet one, until one day, an unexpected man came and it changed my friend, Ruby’s and my life, FOREVER. It all started when I woke up one morning, “Hey! Want to hang out today? Let’s start working on our club, Daring Devils!” I called my friend, Ruby, over the phone. “Sure! I have no plans anyways…” Ruby answered. “Yay! Come over now!” I hung the phone and waited for Ruby to come. Moments later, “Ring… Ring…” The doorbell rang. I thought, ‘Yay it’s Ruby!’ When I opened the door, I saw Ruby and pulled her to my room. Then, I got super serious and asked her for cases to solve. “Nah, I have none, you?” Ruby said. I replied, “Actually, I do have one, but I think ghosts aren’t real…” “Wait, this case is about ghosts? Woo hoo! This just got a little more exciting!” Ruby exclaimed as she waited patiently for me to tell her the case. “Ok, so, before my grandfather died, he told me that I should expect a visit from a ghost.” I responded. “What, that’s not fun!” Ruby complained. I continued, “But that’s not all, after that, my grandfather told me that the ghost will come out from the shadows.” After hearing what I had said, Ruby’s face lit up and imitated a ghost, “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO… So this is a mystery! Did your grandfather tell you when will the ghost appear?” “No…” I replied. “O…K… So we must predict when the ghost is coming…” Ruby said, trying to think when the ghost will come. I thought really hard that I thought my brain was going to explode and I suddenly said, “At night! Ghosts always appear at night!” “Ok, then, I’ll meet you at night, got to go, bye!” Ruby replied as she ran home. I sat patiently on my bed and waited for Ruby to come at night. I kept trying to sleep but thinking about the ghost kept me awake. “Ring… Ring…” the doorbell rang. I ran to the door, drag Ruby to my room and exclaimed, “Yay! This is going to be so fun!” Ruby answered, “Naomi, I’ll not get too excited if I were you…” “What, you scared of ghosts, I don’t even believe in them!” I responded. “Naomi! The ghost might be listening! Stop making fun!” Ruby warned me. “Whatever!” I blurted. Little did I know that the ghost was spying on us, listening to every word I said. “Let’s get started on the case!” I exclaimed as I turn on my computer and typed, ‘Ghosts that can perform spells.’ “Enter!” I said as I pressed enter. Once I pressed enter, lots of information from the internet popped up on the screen. I slowly browsed through each website. “Not this, not this and not this either! At this rate, we’ll never find out about that ghost” I whimpered, feeling hopeless. “Search, ‘Visit from a ghost who performs spells’.” Ruby replied immediately. I typed, ‘Visit from a ghost who performs spells.’ “Enter.” I uttered. Suddenly, there was only one website. I click on the website and it says: The Chancer * His real name is unknown. He is believed to be the ghost of a boy who never had a second chance. This ghosts helps humans in life. He gives chances to those who have a kind heart. If this ghosts visits you, you are lucky. But… if you do not have a kind heart, you will die! If you want to risk your life, then call him… Say, “Chance, chance, give me a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance.” If you did not call him but he came to you, means someone you knew had called him before… Beware of your surroundings, he will come out from the shadows. If you do not want him to come near you, say, “Chance, chance, I don’t need a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone but me, I’m done…” If you are expecting him to come, he will say, “Second chance, second chance, second, second, second chance… What would you like for your second chance? Tell me now, tell me now…” * (BOHH) “Gosh! Naomi, quick! Take a picture of it!” Ruby shook me. “Chill! ‘Kay, ‘kay!” I grumbled. I quickly took my phone and took a picture of it. “Anyways, what’s BOHH?” Ruby questioned me. “WHAT! You don’t know!? It means Blood On His Hands. He has taken a life. You should read Mr Midnight!” I responded. “So if you are not kind hearted and you called the ghost or if someone you know has called the ghost, you will die?” Ruby asked. “Yup!” I replied. “But I don’t need a second chance, do I?” I wondered. “I guess…” Ruby murmured. Unexpectedly, the lights suddenly off. “Second chance, second chance, second, second, second chance… What would you like for your second chance? Tell me now, tell me now…” said an unknown voice. “Who are you?” Ruby hollered. “I am The Chancer, would you like to have a second chance?” The voice said. “Uh… uh…” I stammered. I quickly turn on my phone and looked at the picture I took. I took a deep breath and said, “Chance, chance, I don’t need a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone but me, I’m done…” Once those words left my mouth, I heard a loud scream and the lights suddenly turned back on. “What just happened?” Ruby asked. “Am I dreaming? Pinch me, Naomi!” Ruby said. I pinched Ruby as hard as I could to get my revenge for her pinching me in the past. “Ouch! Stop!” Ruby screamed. “So, I’m not dreaming…” She said under her breath. Weeks past as I tried to forget the memories that haunt me. After a year, I called Ruby and asked, “Have you forgotten about The Chancer?” Ruby stammered, “I…I…I…I…” I asked impatiently, “So did you forget ‘bout it?” Ruby stammered again, “Ok, Naomi, I have to tell you this, don’t… freak… out, ‘kay?” “What is it?” I asked her curiously. “The Chancer… The Chancer has visited me…” Ruby answered me with a frightened look. “WHAT DID YOU SAID?!” I asked. “How many times must I repeat? The Chancer visited me!” Ruby shouted. “Oh! I understand everything now! If someone you know saw The Chancer, he will go to someone you know or someone you are really close with, or even you! I get it now!” I explained to Ruby. Then, I asked curiously, “But, what did you do when you saw The Chancer?” “Uh… Naomi, I forgotten what to say when The Chancer come, so I said I want a second chance!” Ruby replied me, feeling frightened. “What!” I hollered. “What is your second chance?” I asked. “My second chance is to be pretty!” Ruby answered, curling her hair and blushing at the same time. “But, you know that, err….” I said. “I know what?” Ruby asked. “You know that a second chance means, A SECOND LIFE, right?” I told her. “Oh no! I’m going to die? Please tell me I’m dreaming! Pinch me, please!” Ruby shouted. I pinched her cheek as hard as I could and she shouted. “Yup, definitely not dreaming!” Ruby said, as she touched her cheek. “HOW?!” Ruby shouted in horror. “Don’t ask me! Ask yourself!” I answered her with a furious look. “What am I supposed to do at this stage?” Ruby complained. “We’ll see… Let’s observe what will happen next…” I answered, feeling worried for Ruby. “We can have a sleepover at your house, YAY!” Ruby squealed. “Ugh…” I grumbled. “It’s midnight!” I said. “Be ready for what’s going to happen next!” I continued. Suddenly, Ruby was glowing. After a few moments later, she disappeared! Feeling afraid, I tried to sleep, but as expected, I could not. It was dawn and my eyes were still wide open. Unexpectedly, I heard someone screamed, “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH” I shut my eyes and covered my ears. When I opened my eyes, I saw a very beautiful girl in front of me. “Get away from me!” I screamed. “Naomi, it’s me, Ruby!” she said. “Liar, then tell me something only Ruby and I know!” I screamed, feeling afraid. “There is someone called The Chancer and he came to visit me and you.” She continued. “Oh gosh, Ruby!” I hugged her and cried. “What happened to your face? You somehow became, prettier!” I asked curiously. “Oh… About that, err… The Chancer said it is only temporary. He said if I did not use this chance correctly, I will have consequences. But if I use it properly, I can keep it forever.” Ruby explained. “You sure? This doesn’t feel right.” I said, thinking about why The Chancer would let her keep it if she used it properly. “Stop talking nonsense… Do you always act like this?” Ruby talked with a little bit of sassiness. “We need to change your name to something prettier…” I suggested. “I agree. I kind of want to be named Naomi…” Ruby said. “Let me think of a prettier name than mine. Hmmm… How about Alexi?” I suggested. “That is so nice! Ok…” Ruby Alexi replied. The next day, I went to school with Ruby Alexi. When we entered, many people were staring at Alexi with their mouths wide open, even the prettiest girl in our school, Cindy. “Hey girl, what’s your name?” Cindy asked with A LOT of sassiness. “Ru… Alexi” Alexi said. “Why you hanging around with this nerd… What was her name again? Oh yes, Naomi.” Cindy said, pointing at me. “You are the real nerd! Stop being so mean you ugly girl and don’t act like you are so pretty, because you are NOT!” Alexi screamed at the top of her lungs. “OMG… I can’t believe such a pretty girl like you to be so mean,” Cindy flipped her hair and sashayed away. After Cindy left, a lot of guys started crowding around Alexi, asking her stuff like, “Are you single?” and “Want to hang out with me?” When Alexi saw them, she started flipping and curling her hair. “Psst… Remember to use your second chance properly. Stop flipping and curling your hair and get away from this crowd,” I reminded her. “Oh sorry people, I got to go… See you guys later!” Alexi told them and sashayed away. “Ugh…” I whispered under my breath. Many days past and Alexi acts the same every day. Until one day, something odd happened to her. She stopped doing the stuff she normally do. When we walked back home together from school, I asked her, “What happened to you?” “Something is about to happen… Something bad! I know it… The Chancer is going to remove my chance! Am I going to DIE?!” She answered, feeling afraid. “No you are not! Can you stay over at my house for today? I need to observe you…” I asked her. “Ok…” She immediately agreed and plastered a fake smile across her face. We reached my house and we waited until it was night time. “What now?” Alexi asked. “We’ll see,” I replied, staring at her. “This is getting awkward… I’m going back,” Alexi said, walking away from me. When she was walking, she suddenly fainted and disappeared, AGAIN! “Ugh… Not again!” I complained. This time, I thought she was dead as she did not appear for the past few weeks and her parents said she did not return. One night, when I was about to turn off the light, the light off itself. When I was about to scream, someone covered my mouth and I immediately fainted. When I woke up, I was tied up. I took a closer look at where I was and noticed it was a cemetery. “Mmmm!” I tried to scream but my mouth was taped. Suddenly, The Chancer appeared. “I mean no harm… I just have to warn you something,” he said. “Ruby… She… Is dead!” He continued. “It’s Alexi!” I reminded him. “You can’t call her Alexi!” he warned me. “Why?” I asked. “Just don’t.” he replied. “But why is she dead?” I asked. “I tried to warn her about something but The Devi got her!” He explained. “Who is The Devi?” I asked curiously. “She is my sister, or should I say, she was my sister. She has changed. She used to be a kind girl but now, I’m not really sure what has happened to her.” He said, staring at a grave. “Her grave, is at this cemetery. It is over there,” he said, pointing at the grave he was staring at previously. I looked closer at the name at it said, “RIP DEV ‘LOVE FOR ALL, HATRED FOR NONE’ MAY GOD BLESS MY FAMILY” “Oh, so that’s her grave. But, why would she kill Ruby? I mean what did Ruby did? And, how do you know Ruby is dead?” I asked curiously. “You will know soon… I must get going!” The Chancer disappeared after saying that. When he left, I started feeling dizzy and lied on the floor. Moments past and I woke up after dreaming of Ruby. I immediately went to my computer, went to the internet and typed, ‘The Devi’. When I press enter, there was lots of websites popped up. I clicked on the first website and it says: The Devi * Her real name is Dev. She is believed to be the ghost of a girl who was murdered. Some say she was murdered because of her doing something ridiculous. The story goes, when she was born, she was ugly. When she grew up, she realised that other girls were prettier than her. So she went to this ghost and asked the ghost to make her prettier, but unfortunately, the ghost killed her. The Devi kills people who asked The Chancer to be pretty for their second chance. Some survived her as The Devi thinks that they are not very pretty. If you survived her, you will be unlucky for the rest of your life! But if you are lucky enough, you will be lucky for the rest of your life. Beware of what you asked from The Chancer! If The Devi wants to meet you, you will glow and suddenly disappear. If you disappear once, you will definitely survive from her. If you disappear twice, it depends if The Devi wants you dead or alive. If you disappear thrice, you will definitely die from her! * (BOHH) The Chancer, click here “Oh no… So did Ruby died or what?!” I asked myself confusedly. I took out my phone and took a picture of it. Suddenly, I heard the same voice, “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” ‘Ruby! Are you there?” I asked. Ruby appeared again. I saw a lot of blood and scars on her body. “Oh my… What happened to you?” I asked her. “Hel… Hel… Help… Me… I-I-I a… am…” After saying that, Ruby fainted. After a few days, Ruby finally woke up. “What… What happened?” she asked curiously. “You disappeared as The Devi caught you.” I explained. “Who is The Devi? I only remember there was this extremely pretty girl talking to me.” Ruby asked, scratching her head. “What did she said to you?!” I asked her, waiting for her answer. “I only remember part of what she said. She said, ‘You will disappear again and it’s up to me to decide whether you should live or die… Hmm… I guess you can…’ Then I forgot what she said.” Ruby said, trying to remember what The Devi had said. “She would either said die or live.” I told Ruby. “How would you know?” Ruby asked. I took out my phone and showed her the picture about The Devi I took before Ruby appeared. Ruby read and screamed, “AAAAAAAHH! Oh no! She said I will disappear again, means I will definitely die!” “We might not know if the internet is true…” I said. “Yeah, you are right,” Ruby said. “I guess we have to wait until I disappear again…” Ruby continued. “No… I have a plan, but I’m not sure if it would work. But we might now know unless we give it a try!” I said. “So, what’s the plan?” Ruby asked. “Ok, we have to make Dev come out.” I said. “Err…” Ruby said, feeling confused. “We have to say something to piss her off.” I explained. “Like?” Ruby asked. “Just try to think… Let’s do it now.” I answered. “Hey Dev! Are you really that ugly? If you are, come out!” I shouted. “Err… Oh yeah, come on out unless you are afraid!’ Ruby shouted. Suddenly, Ruby was glowing. I hold her hand and we disappeared together. “Where are we?” I moaned. “Oh no! Naomi! Hel…” I heard Ruby said. I looked around and realised that I was in a cemetery, AGAIN! “Ruby?” I hollered. I looked around and spotted Ruby lying at a grave that said, “RIP DEV ‘LOVE FOR ALL, HATRED FOR NONE’ MAY GOD BLESS MY FAMILY” “Uh oh…” I whispered. I ran towards her and carried her up. Suddenly, The Devi appeared. “Wow, you guys are the first who dares to say cruel things to me, other than my brother and… and… wow!” she said. “Err…” Ruby and I said, feeling confused. “I saw that you, Naomi, searched about me on the website. You did not believed the internet and that is very smart of you… It is all a lie. Let me tell you my real story. So my real name is Dev. I was murdered by The Chancer, my brother, also known as Chace. He murdered me because I had something he did not have, popularity. The story goes, when I was born, I was extremely beautiful. A lot of boys always hang out with me but he was not popular. Chace was extremely jealous of me, so he killed me one day.” “Then…” I gasped. “Chace is evil! Oh my!” I screamed. Immediately, Chace appeared and slid Dev’s throat with his knife. “You betrayed me! You evil little creature, you will never get a second chance to live your popular life!” Chace screamed. “Look what we have here… Two girls. Well, Ruby, you want to be pretty right? Then you shall die too!” Chace continued, taking a sword about to kill Ruby. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” I screamed. I shut my eyes, thinking of how helpless I am right now. “Don’t you worry and thank you for being so kind to me…” I heard someone whispered to me. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Dev jumping in front of Ruby and defend her from the sword. A lot of things happened in a blink of an eye. Dev was sliced into half, Ruby fainted and Chace screamed, “DEV!” Chace ran towards Dev and sob. “I’m so sorry.” He said to Dev. “Oh no! Dev is dead!” I screamed and ran towards Chace and Dev. “Why did you kill her!? You are crazy!” I screamed at Chace. “I’m sorry.” He said with tears dripping off his face. “Since young, I have this illness. I will turn into someone crazy when I am jealous. But now, when I’m a ghost, I will turn into someone crazy when I give someone a second chance to be prettier.” He explained. “Then just remove the chance you gave Ruby!” I suggested. “Oh yeah! You are right!” he said with his eyes lit up, twinkling with delight. “Second chance, come to me, come to me and you shall die.” He said. After saying that, Ruby was glowing and her face turned to her own face. “Yes! It worked! Ruby, you are back!” I screamed. I took a look at Dev and she was also back to her normal self. Dev cried and thanked me then face Chace and apologise, “I’m sorry, I did not know…” “It’s alright!” Chase said. After that, life was back to normal and now, everyone is wondering where Alexi went, even Cindy. Before I sleep, Dev and Chase would always come and visit me and you will never guess what happens when they visit me…

Although James did not believe in ghosts, it was hard to dismiss the appearance and Disappearance of the girl in a white chiffon dress.

As my brother lay helplessly on his deathbed, I would only recall the memories of him talking about the tree of death. His last words were ‘beware of the undergrowth’.

Days and weeks passed since the tragic accident until I had enough of keeping the secret all to myself. From that point onward I knew both my life and Ella’s life would change…

It all started in the morning when I was deciding on which book from the series ‘GHOST OF MURDER’ I should read again. Then before I could tell what I was doing, I was moving automatically towards the telephone. Unknowingly, I started dialling the numbers 07345967781, it then came to my head that I was dialling the phone number of my friend Ella. Within seconds, the phone was received and that was when I started blabbering about the new club we started, called Devils Dare. Just like I expected she agreed enthusiastically.

Soon after Ella came, fully packed with all the necessities for the club. “Ugh…” I complained it was so annoying when Ella does not understand what I wanted to say. Then I started ambling towards her and started to mumble under my breathe” GHOSTS”! Then out of the blue “AAAAHHHHhhh”! screamed Ella in her usual high-pitched voice. Grabbing her by the wrist we fledged to my room.

There, Ella started complaining about how her wrist is broken and that its paining horribly. “What a cry-baby she is”. I said under my breathe ignoring and trying focus on what I called her here for. Ella stop, I did not mean to scare you. And do you remember my brother…. “Yeah of course I do”. Ella said in a very intense voice. Well before he died, he told me about a tree near Midview meadow was the tree of death. “WOW!!!!” whispered Ella.

Within a blink of an eye I saw Ella opening her laptop and was typing (exceptionally fast) about deaths occurring near the tree. My face then drained out of colour. I felt dumbfounded that I did not think of that earlier. We then only found one website which had the title DEATH…. the ghost of eternal darkness. It then occurred once we started reading the second paragraph, that each time someone dies at that very spot, they have a leaf fall on them and that is when they will evaporate into thin air.

Stunned by the news, we were really wanting to see if it was true. However, just before my very eyes Ella was being taken away from me by the shadows. Suddenly RING…. RING! OH! PHEW, I was dreaming.”. At one point, I had thought that all this a real dream until I realised that it was true, Ella had been taken! Running around in my room just like a headless-chicken I was really frightened until it came to me that my brothers last words were ‘beware of the undergrowth’.

It came to my mind that the undergrowth are the ghosts guarding the tree from the kind and letting the leaves on the ones who have a cold heart. Hurrying up to the tree I went to the very spot where the very people named on the website died. However, I never realised there was a test to pass. Although there was just one question (and that to the question being quite easy I quickly answered it).

As I slowly walked, there was a loud thud, which had made the ground make a little sound of pain. Running towards the core of the loud sound, I found Ella tied up with a misty rope. Fear took over me and without thinking, I noticed that I was at the exact spot where the ghost called death killed its victims. Hoping a leaf would not fall on me, I closed my eyes and wished. Though I unfortunately failed and I evaporated into thin air…

Within seconds I understood Deaths intelligence of luring me to be one of the victims. Abruptly, I found myself floating, I was a ghost!

“OH please, ghosts aren’t real and are never going to be”. James stammered. Who would believe in that. Though little did he know that he would be seeing the exact person at that exact place. Alas, the day arrived he then went with all his bravery to the Midview meadow and to his astonishment saw the last victim of the ghost Death. The next day back at school he started telling everyone about the disappearance and appearances of a ghost he had read, and he saw about. Though no one would ever believe him…

Title: The Stalker “Ring…” the bell rang. “Class dismissed!” Mrs. Ng said. “Amelia! Amelia! Wait for me, let’s walk home together.” Ari shouted. Amelia agreed and they walked home together. On their way home, “Creak…” Amelia turned behind and saw nothing but heard the wind blowing in the air. “BOOM!” When they heard the loud noise, they shouted and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. When they thought they were safe, Amelia stopped running and said, “What a relief! I could hear the loud boom just right beside my ears!” Ari panted and said, “Let’s just walk home and forget that just happened.” Amelia agreed and they continued walking home. Just when they were about to reach home, there was an unknown voice that whispered into Ari and Amelia’s ears. The voice said, “I’ll set you free when I get what I want.” Amelia shouted, “Reveal yourself!” So, the stalker revealed himself. He had spiky hair, tattoo all over his body, long claws as finger nails, a weird smile on his face and a scar on his eye. “My name is Klaus!” “Oh My Gosh!” Ari said it shockingly. Feeling afraid, Amelia whispered to Ari, “Let’s run away!” Ari nodded his head and they ran away. Before they could even move, Klaus use a metal pole and knocked them down. Klaus brought them to an abandoned house, tied their hands with ropes and taped their mouth with duct tape. When Amelia woke up, she mumbled, “Mmmm…. Mmmmm!” When Ari heard Amelia mumbling, she woke up. When Klaus saw Amelia and Ari woke up, he said, “Finally, you’re both awake. I’ve been waiting for an hour!” When he saw both of them were trying to talk, he removed the duct tape on their mouth. “Hey! What do you want?” Amelia shouted. Klaus said, “Money, obviously. Everyone wants money!” “Fine! Take it, release us and go!” Ari said. Klaus asked, “You sure?” “Yeah!” Ari replied. When Klaus was about to take the money, a siren sounded. Klaus shouted, “You called the police?” Amelia giggled and said, “Yeah, I called the police!” After hearing what Amelia had said, Klaus ran as fast as a cheetah. Ari asked Amelia, “Did you really called the police?” Amelia laughed and replied, “No, silly! That was my alarm! I am prepared for anything… Come on, let’s walk home!” s the saying goes, ‘Once bitten, twice shy’, Amelia taught Ari to be prepared for anything.

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3 Key Sentences for Establishing a Gothic Setting: A Guide for Writers

The genre of Gothic literature has always been known for its dark and eerie settings. These settings, which are often described as gloomy and mysterious, play a significant role in creating a sense of tension and foreboding in the reader’s mind. As a writer, creating a Gothic setting can be challenging, but it is an important aspect of the genre. In this guide, we will discuss three key sentences that will help you establish a Gothic setting in your writing. The first sentence that is essential in creating a Gothic setting is the introduction of the physical environment. This includes describing the weather, the time of day, and the landscape. The setting should be described in a way that evokes a feeling of unease or dread. For example, you could describe the setting as \the sunless sky, shrouded in a thick mist that hung over the desolate moor like a funeral shroud.\ This kind of description immediately sets the tone for a Gothic setting and prepares the reader for what is to come. Setting plays a crucial role in Gothic literature, as it establishes the atmosphere and tone of the story. It creates a sense of foreboding and unease, immersing readers in the dark and mysterious world of the story. Gothic settings are typically dark, gloomy, and isolated, reflecting the inner turmoil and psychological state of the characters. The purpose of this article is to provide writers with three key sentences that can help establish a Gothic setting in their stories. By following these guidelines, writers can create a vivid and immersive world that captures the essence of Gothic literature.

Sentence 1: Description of the Physical Environment

The physical environment plays a crucial role in setting the mood and atmosphere of a gothic story. It is the foundation upon which the narrative is constructed, and it helps to create a sense of dread and foreboding in the reader’s mind. The description of the physical environment should be vivid and evocative, using rich, sensory language to paint a picture of the world the characters inhabit. The writer should focus on the details that will help to create a sense of unease in the reader, such as the darkness of the night, the howling of the wind, or the creaking of old, wooden floorboards. To create an effective gothic setting, the writer must pay attention to the smallest details of the physical environment. The setting should be described in such a way that it becomes a character in its own right, with its own personality and history. For example, a dilapidated mansion may be described as having a sinister, almost malevolent presence, with its crumbling walls and overgrown gardens. The writer should use sensory details to create an immersive experience for the reader, such as the smell of damp and decay, the taste of ash in the air, or the feel of cobwebs brushing against the skin. By doing so, the writer can transport the reader to a world that is both familiar and alien, a world that is both terrifying and alluring. The physical environment of a gothic setting, such as a castle or haunted house, is a key element in establishing a dark and eerie atmosphere. The architecture is often grand and imposing, with towering spires and turrets that seem to reach towards the sky. The walls are thick and imposing, with narrow windows that let in only a dim and eerie light. The interior is filled with dark and shadowy corners, with winding staircases and secret passages that lead to unknown depths. The furniture is often ornate and antique, with heavy curtains and tapestries that lend an air of mystery and foreboding. The overall effect is one of oppressive gloom and an overwhelming sense of unease, making it the perfect backdrop for a gothic tale of horror and suspense. Gothic settings have been a staple in literature for centuries, with famous works featuring dark and foreboding environments that add to the overall eerie atmosphere of the story. Examples of gothic settings can be found in Mary Shelley’s \Frankenstein,\ with its desolate and isolated laboratory where Victor Frankenstein brings his creature to life. Similarly, Charlotte Bronte’s \Jane Eyre\ features the eerie Thornfield Hall, a sprawling estate shrouded in mystery and secrets. In \Dracula\ by Bram Stoker, the imposing and ancient castle of Count Dracula serves as a gothic setting, with its dark and ominous architecture reflecting the evil lurking within. These examples demonstrate how a gothic setting can add depth and atmosphere to a story, immersing readers in a world that is both haunting and captivating. Creating a believable and eerie physical environment in a Gothic setting requires writers to tap into sensory details. The use of vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound can help bring the setting to life and make it seem more real to readers. For instance, describing the dampness of a stone-walled castle or the smell of rotting wood in an abandoned mansion can create a sense of unease and foreboding. Furthermore, incorporating details like creaking floorboards, howling winds, and flickering candlelight can add to the unsettling atmosphere of the environment. By utilizing sensory details, writers can transport readers to a world of darkness and mystery, leaving them with a lingering sense of dread long after they have finished reading.

Sentence 2: Use of Weather and Time of Day

The use of weather and time of day is a crucial element in establishing a gothic setting. This technique sets the tone and mood of the story, creating a foreboding atmosphere that is characteristic of the gothic genre. Dark and stormy nights, dense fog, and howling winds are just some examples of the weather conditions that can be used to create a sense of unease and dread. These weather patterns are often used to mirror the emotional state of the characters, heightening the tension and suspense of the story. Similarly, the time of day can also be used to establish a gothic setting. The darkness of night is often associated with danger and mystery, while the light of day can reveal hidden secrets and expose the horrors that lurk in the shadows. By using the time of day to set the scene, writers can create a sense of anticipation and dread that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Whether it’s the eerie silence of the midnight hour or the creeping shadows cast by the setting sun, the time of day is a powerful tool for establishing a gothic setting and creating a sense of unease that will keep readers hooked until the very end. The weather and time of day play a crucial role in establishing a gothic setting as they help to create a mood and atmosphere that is essential to the genre. Dark, stormy nights and misty, foggy mornings immediately evoke a sense of foreboding and unease, while bright, sunny days can be used to create a false sense of security that can be shattered at any moment. The time of day can also be used to great effect, with the deepening shadows of dusk and the emptiness of late night streets adding to the sense of isolation and dread that is often found in gothic literature. By using weather and time of day in this way, writers can create a setting that is not only visually striking but also emotionally evocative, drawing readers further into the story and immersing them in its dark and mysterious world. In Gothic literature, weather and time of day are often used to create an eerie and foreboding atmosphere. For instance, in Mary Shelley’s \Frankenstein,\ the stormy weather that surrounds Victor Frankenstein’s laboratory as he creates his monster adds to the sense of horror and dread. Similarly, in Bram Stoker’s \Dracula,\ the Count is only able to leave his castle at night, making the dark hours even more sinister. These techniques are used to establish a sense of unease in the reader and to create a setting that is both unsettling and memorable. By using vivid descriptions of weather and time, Gothic writers are able to transport their readers to a world that is both familiar and terrifying. One effective way for writers to add tension and build an eerie atmosphere in their gothic settings is by using weather and time of day to create a sense of foreboding. For instance, describing the sky as dark and stormy or the wind howling through the trees can evoke feelings of dread and fear. Additionally, incorporating the time of day, such as the dead of night or the early morning hours, can intensify the sense of isolation and danger in the setting. By utilizing these elements, writers can transport readers into a gothic world filled with haunting imagery and unsettling emotions. The use of supernatural elements is a key component of Gothic literature, as it adds an element of mystery and terror to the story. These supernatural elements can take the form of ghosts, vampires, and other creatures of the night, as well as supernatural events such as curses and hauntings. By incorporating these elements into the narrative, Gothic writers are able to create an eerie and unsettling atmosphere that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The use of supernatural elements also serves to explore deeper themes such as the nature of good and evil, the power of the unknown, and the thin line between reality and imagination. For writers looking to establish a Gothic setting, the inclusion of supernatural elements is a powerful tool that can be used to great effect. Supernatural elements have been a staple in gothic literature since its inception. From ghosts and haunted houses to vampires and werewolves, these elements serve to create an eerie and foreboding atmosphere that is essential to the genre. For example, Bram Stoker’s \Dracula\ features a vampire who can transform into a bat and control the minds of others, while Edgar Allan Poe’s \The Fall of the House of Usher\ includes a haunted mansion that seems to have a life of its own. These supernatural elements add an extra layer of mystery and terror to gothic stories, making them all the more unsettling and memorable. Writers can introduce supernatural elements in their gothic settings in a way that is believable and adds to the overall atmosphere by using descriptive language and vivid imagery. By incorporating elements such as ghosts, vampires, and witches, writers can create a sense of mystery and intrigue that captivates the reader’s imagination. It’s essential to establish a consistent tone and atmosphere that the supernatural elements fit seamlessly into, rather than feeling forced or out of place. By grounding these elements in a sense of historical or cultural significance, writers can weave them into the fabric of their story, creating a world that feels both familiar and otherworldly. Ultimately, the key to introducing supernatural elements in a gothic setting is to do so in a way that enhances the overall atmosphere, rather than detracting from it. Establishing a gothic setting is crucial for creating a dark and eerie atmosphere that will capture the reader’s imagination. The three key sentences for creating such a setting include the use of descriptive language to convey the haunting and mysterious nature of the surroundings. Secondly, it’s important to include details about the architecture and landscape that evoke a sense of dread and foreboding. Finally, the inclusion of supernatural elements, such as ghosts or eerie sounds, can heighten the fear factor and contribute to the overall ambiance of the story. By combining these three elements, writers can effectively create a gothic setting that will transport readers to a world of darkness and terror. As a writer, it is essential to experiment with different techniques to create your own unique gothic settings that stand out from the crowd. By playing with sensory details, symbolism, and language, you can create an atmospheric and immersive world that draws your readers into the story. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries and explore the darker aspects of human nature, as this is what makes gothic literature so captivating. Whether you’re writing a horror novel or a romantic gothic tale, incorporating these key sentences into your setting will help you create a vivid and unforgettable world that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats.

In conclusion, establishing a Gothic setting is an essential aspect of Gothic literature and requires careful consideration by writers. By incorporating the three key sentences of description, atmosphere, and sensory details, writers can create a vivid and immersive environment for their readers. The use of vivid language, symbolism, and foreshadowing can also enhance the Gothic setting and create a sense of foreboding and unease. Ultimately, a well-crafted Gothic setting can transport readers to a world of mystery, darkness, and intrigue, leaving them spellbound and eager for more. As such, writers must strive to master the art of Gothic setting, as it is a crucial element in creating a truly unforgettable Gothic tale.

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Here are Some Really Good Sentence Starters for Creative Writing

So, your head is chock-a-block with ideas, and yet you're struggling to begin your story. No cause for worry, as it happens to most of us. Instead, read this Penlighten post - it has some amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

So, your head is chock-a-block with ideas, and yet you’re struggling to begin your story. No cause for worry, as it happens to most of us. Instead, read this Penlighten post – it has some amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Master storyteller that he is, Stephen King was gracious enough to admit that a writer tends to dread the moment when he actually begins writing any piece―this can be a bit of a make-or-break kind of a situation. A flying start tends to set the tone of the work, all positive, of course, whereas an unsure start only leads to the doomed path of redrafts.

You may have the entire concept of your story or essay in mind, but when it comes to the actual act of putting pen to paper, the enthusiasm tends to deflate a little. A rather strange phenomenon, this, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that most writers, at some point, have encountered this experience.

To our fellow budding writers, we’re offering a helping hand by providing a few sample starts to get that creativity rolling, followed by a little inspiration from the stalwarts of the business.

Sample Sentence Starters for Fiction

Fiction writing is a boundless category, and each author has his preferred style of beginning a story or a novel. It is obvious that the beginning of a story depends on the overall plot, but there are times when you can use all the inspiration you need to get the start you were looking for. Therefore, we’ve included 5 ideas you can use in your starter, along with 3 examples for each.

Describe the weather

► The warm Californian sunshine hit her face as she stepped outside for the first time as a free woman.

► It had been raining nonstop for the past six days.

► The night sky was exceptionally clear tonight.

Introduce a character

► Daniel hated reunions and all the fake camaraderie.

► Edie Brent’s gruesome murder made it to the front page of the New York Times.

► Alison loved to keep secrets.

Talk about the city

► The streets of London come alive during the Holidays.

► Springtime is the best time to be in New York.

► Rio de Janeiro was where his dreams were.

Add a little suspense

► Walking home in the dead of the night was not new to Carol, but tonight felt different.

► The key clicked in the lock as Alan opened the door to his apartment. Everything seemed to be in place, and yet, something wasn’t right.

► It was 3 a. m. and there was no sign of Tim. He always called to tell if he was getting late. Why hadn’t he called?

And some drama

► How do you react when you’re told that you have a mere hours left to live?

► Prom queen and head cheerleader, Jessica always loved to be the center of attention.

► “Get the hell out of my life!”, screamed Karen at the top of her lungs.

Sentence Starters for Formal Essays

Middle school and high school students have to draft varied writing assignments, including persuasive essays, arguments, and narratives. In case of essays, particularly, the kind of start you make depends entirely on the topic at hand. However, formal essays or presentations need to begin in a certain manner. We’ve listed a few examples here:

► (The topic) has fostered a debate on …

► There is growing support for the notion that …

► The data gathered in the study strongly suggests that …

► The focus of discussion in this paper is …

► The premise of (the topic) seems to be based on …

► Latest research corroborates the view that …

Learn from the Greats

Who doesn’t seek inspiration from the masters of the field? Agreed, we all do. Therefore, we’ve brought you a list of the first sentences of some of the most iconic novels ever written.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four

Call me Ishmael. ― J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. ― J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love. ― Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

These sample sentence starters ought to have helped you get over your dry spell. Getting the right start is crucial when it comes to creative writing, and you need to give it your all to bring it up to standard.

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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School – 2024

April 15, 2024

creative writing prompts for high school and middle school teens

Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays . In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy life practice for many high schoolers. Not sure where to start? Continue reading for 100 creative writing prompts for middle school and high school students. These middle/high school writing prompts offer inspiration for getting started with writing in a number of genres and styles.

Click here to view the 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing .

What are Creative Writing Prompts?

Similar to how an academic essay prompt provides a jumping-off point for forming and organizing an argument, creative writing prompts are points of initiation for writing a story, poem, or creative essay. Prompts can be useful for writers of all ages, helping many to get past writer’s block and just start (often one of the most difficult parts of a writing process).

Writing prompts come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they are phrases used to begin sentences. Other times they are questions, more like academic essay prompts Writing prompts can also involve objects such as photographs, or activities such as walking. Below, you will find high school writing prompts that use memories, objects, senses (smell/taste/touch), abstract ideas , and even songs as jumping-off points for creative writing. These prompts can be used to write in a variety of forms, from short stories to creative essays, to poems.

How to use Creative Writing Prompts

Before we get started with the list, are a few tips when using creative writing prompts:

Experiment with different formats : Prose is great, but there’s no need to limit yourself to full sentences, at least at first. A piece of creative writing can begin with a poem, or a dialogue, or even a list. You can always bring it back to prose later if needed.

Interpret the prompt broadly : The point of a creative writing prompt is not to answer it “correctly” or “precisely.” You might begin with the prompt, but then your ideas could take you in a completely different direction. The words in the prompt also don’t need to open your poem or essay, but could appear somewhere in the middle.

Switch up/pile up the prompts : Try using two or three prompts and combine them, or weave between them. Perhaps choose a main prompt, and a different “sub-prompt.” For example, your main prompt might be “write about being in transit from one place to another,” and within that prompt, you might use the prompt to “describe a physical sensation,” and/or one the dialogue prompts. This could be a fun way to find complexity as you write.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Students (Continued)

Write first, edit later : While you’re first getting started with a prompt, leave the typos and bad grammar. Obsessing over details can take away from your flow of thoughts. You will inevitably make many fixes when you go back through to edit.

Write consistently : It often becomes easier to write when it’s a practice , rather than a once-in-a-while kind of activity. For some, it’s useful to write daily. Others find time to write every few days, or every weekend. Sometimes, a word-count goal can help (100 words a day, 2,000 words a month, etc.). If you set a goal, make sure it’s realistic. Start small and build from there, rather than starting with an unachievable goal and quickly giving up.

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Teens

Here are some prompts for getting started with your creative writing. These are organized by method, rather than genre, so they can inspire writing in a variety of forms. Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, and enjoy!

Prompts using memories

Begin each sentence or group of sentences with the phrase, “I remember…”
Describe a family ritual.
Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
Pick a pathway you take on a regular basis (to school, or to a friend’s house). Describe five landmarks that you remember from this pathway.
Write about your house or apartment using a memory from each room.
Write an imaginary history of the previous people who lived in your house or apartment.
Write about an ancestor based on stories you’ve heard from relatives.
What’s your earliest memory?
Who was your first friend?
Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen since childhood.
Write about yourself now from the perspective of yourself twenty, or eighty, years from now.
Write about the best month of the year.
Write about the worst day of the year.
Rant about something that has always annoyed you.
Write about the hottest or coldest day you can remember.
Visualize a fleeting moment in your life and as though it’s a photograph, and time yourself 5 minutes to write every detail you can remember about the scene.
Draw out a timeline of your life so far. Then choose three years to write about, as though you were writing for a history book.
Write about a historical event in the first person, as though you remember it.
Write about a memory of being in transit from one place to another.

Objects and photographs as creative writing prompts

Describe the first object you see in the room. What importance does it have in your life? What memories do you have with this object? What might it symbolize?
Pick up an object, and spend some time holding it/examining it. Write about how it looks, feels, and smells. Write about the material that it’s made from.
Choose a favorite family photograph. What could someone know just by looking at the photograph? What’s secretly happening in the photograph?
Choose a photograph and tell the story of this photograph from the perspective of someone or something in it.
Write about a color by describing three objects that are that color.
Tell the story of a piece of trash.
Tell the story of a pair of shoes.
Tell the story of your oldest piece of clothing.

Senses and observations as creative writing prompts

Describe a sound you hear in the room or outside. Choose the first sound you notice. What are its qualities? It’s rhythms? What other sounds does it remind you of?
Describe a physical sensation you feel right now, in as much detail as possible.
Listen to a conversation and write down a phrase that you hear someone say. Start a free-write with this phrase.
Write about a food by describing its qualities, but don’t say what it is.
Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.
Narrate your day through tastes you tasted.
Narrate your day through sounds you heard.
Narrate your day through physical sensations you felt.
Describe in detail the physical process of doing an action you consider simple or mundane, like walking or lying down or chopping vegetables.
Write about the sensation of doing an action you consider physically demanding or tiring, like running or lifting heavy boxes.
Describe something that gives you goosebumps.
Write a story that involves drinking a cold glass of water on a hot day.
Write a story that involves entering a warm house from a cold snowy day.
Describe someone’s facial features in as much detail as possible.

Songs, books, and other art

Choose a song quote, write it down, and free-write from there.
Choose a song, and write a story in which that song is playing in the car.
Choose a song, and write to the rhythm of that song.
Choose a character from a book, and describe an event in your life from the perspective of that character.
Go to a library and write down 10 book titles that catch your eye. Free-write for 5 minutes beginning with each one.
Go to a library and open to random book pages, and write down 5 sentences that catch your attention. Use those sentences as prompts and free-write for 5-minutes with each.
Choose a piece of abstract artwork. Jot down 10 words that come to mind from the painting or drawing, and free-write for 2 minutes based on each word.
Find a picture of a dramatic Renaissance painting online. Tell a story about what’s going on in the painting that has nothing to do with what the artist intended.
Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?
Narrate a complicated book or film plot using only short sentences.
Read a short poem. Then write a poem that could be a “sister” or “cousin” of that poem.

Abstract ideas as creative writing prompts

Write about an experience that demonstrates an abstract idea, such as “love” or “home” or “freedom” or “loss” without ever using the word itself.
Write a list of ways to say “hello” without actually saying “hello.”
Write a list of ways to say “I love you” without actually saying “I love you.”
Do you believe in ghosts? Describe a ghost.
Invent a mode of time travel.
Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a miserable outlook.
Free-write beginning with “my religion is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with organized religion as you’d like).
Free-write beginning with “my gender is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with common ideas of gender as you’d like).
Write about a person or character that is “good” and one that is “evil.” Then write about the “evil” in the good character and the “good” in the evil character.
Write like you’re telling a secret.
Describe a moment of beauty you witnessed. What makes something beautiful?

Prompts for playing with narrative and character

Begin writing with the phrase, “It all started when…”
Tell a story from the middle of the most dramatic part.
Write a story that begins with the ending.
Begin a story but give it 5 possible endings.
Write a list of ways to dramatically quit a terrible job.
Write about a character breaking a social rule or ritual (i.e., walking backwards, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, wearing a ballgown to the grocery store). What are the ramifications?
You are sent to the principal’s office. Justify your bad behavior.
Re-write a well-known fairytale but set it in your school.
Write your own version of the TV show trope where someone gets stuck in an elevator with a stranger, or a secret love interest, or a nemesis.
Imagine a day where you said everything you were thinking, and write about it.
Write about a scenario in which you have too much of a good thing.
Write about a scenario in which money can buy happiness.
Invent a bank or museum heist.
Invent a superhero, including an origin story.
Write using the form of the scientific method (question, hypothesis, test, analyze data conclusion).
Write using the form of a recipe.

Middle School & High School Creative writing prompts for playing with fact vs. fiction

Write something you know for sure is true, and then, “but maybe it isn’t.” Then explain why that thing may not be true.
Write a statement and contradict that statement. Then do it again.
Draft an email with an outlandish excuse as to why you didn’t do your homework or why you need an extension.
Write about your morning routine, and make it sound extravagant/luxurious (even if it isn’t).
You’ve just won an award for doing a very mundane and simple task. Write your acceptance speech.
Write about a non-athletic event as though it were a sports game.
Write about the most complicated way to complete a simple task.
Write a brief history of your life, and exaggerate everything.
Write about your day, but lie about some things.
Tell the story of your birth.
Choose a historical event and write an alternative outcome.
Write about a day in the life of a famous person in history.
Read an instructional manual, and change three instructions to include some kind of magical or otherwise impossible element.

Prompts for starting with dialogue

Write a texting conversation between two friends who haven’t spoken in years.
Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.
Watch two people on the street having a conversation, and imagine the conversation they’re having. Write it down.
Write an overheard conversation behind a closed door that you shouldn’t be listening to.
Write a conversation between two characters arguing about contradicting memories of what happened.
You have a difficult decision to make. Write a conversation about it with yourself.
Write a conversation with a total lack of communication.
Write a job interview gone badly.

Final Thoughts – Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School

Hopefully you have found several of these creative writing prompts helpful. Remember that when writing creatively, especially on your own, you can mix, match, and change prompts. For more on writing for high school students, check out the following articles:

College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics
150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
Good Transition Words for Essays
High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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Spooky/Gothic/Horror - Creative writing - Story openings

Subject: Creative writing

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

24 June 2018

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51 Super Story Starter Sentences. Story Starter Sentences to Ignite Your Mind— We've made it easy for you to start your next story. You see, we put together a wonderfully fun and creative list of 51 story starter sentences. Hopefully, these ideas will give you the inspiration you need to get started on your next creative writing project.
36 Gothic Writing Prompts and Story Ideas
Gothic Writing Prompts. The House of Whispers: A gothic mansion stands on the outskirts of a decaying village. Inside, whispers echo along the dusty corridors, carrying secrets and hints of lost inhabitants. When tragedy forces you to seek shelter within its walls, these whispers become your only guide, leading you deeper into a twisted past.
Image based gothic themed creative writing task with sentence starters
Image based gothic themed creative writing task with sentence starters. Subject: English. Age range: 11-14. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. docx, 67.26 KB. For any year group to inspire gothic themed creative writing, but I used this with my Year 8s and 9s after studying Susan Hill's 'Woman in Black.'.
21 Gothic Fiction Writing Prompts
In this post, we've included 21 Gothic fiction writing prompts to give you some ideas for your scary novel. Scroll down to read the prompts! 1. The Lighthouse Keeper. On a stormy night, a shipwreck survivor seeks refuge in an ancient lighthouse on a desolate island. Inside, they discover the journal of a former lighthouse keeper who ...
30 Words To Use In Gothic Fiction (Gothic Word Guide)
Table of Contents. This guide is a collection of 30 powerful words to invigorate your gothic fiction writing and cast an eerie spell on your readers. 1. Desolate. One can hardly imagine gothic fiction without a sense of emptiness and abandonment. "Desolate" perfectly captures this feeling. Use this word when you want to evoke feelings of ...
101 Sentence Prompts To Spark Your Creative Writing
Sentence Prompts. 1. The Beginning of Adventure: "The ice cream truck's jingle was suddenly drowned out by the roar of thunder, changing the course of the little girl's day." 2. A Mysterious Morning: "He woke up with icy fingers clutching his shoulder, only to find an empty room." 3.
Ideas for Writing Gothic Short Stories
Elements of Gothic Fiction. There are at least six basic elements to keep in mind when writing Gothic short stories. Any of them can be a great starting point. 1. The Setting. Generally, Gothic fiction is set in a house or castle that's more than what it seems. It is its own character altogether.
5 Tips on How To Write a Gothic Novel
1. Pick your time and place carefully. In gothic novels, the setting acts almost as a character in its own right. Early gothic writers set their books in the medieval period and abroad, because an unfamiliar setting allowed their readers to believe in the impossible. Authors have been doing similar things ever since.
150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story
In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of the Finish The Story game. Click the 'Random' button to get a random story starter. Random. If you want more story starters, check out this video on some creative story starter sentences to use ...
Ten Awesome Gothic First Sentences
The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. 8. "The boy was late.". - The Beautiful and the Cursed, by Page Morgan. 9. "Jonathan Harker's Journal. 3 May. Bistritz.—Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but train was an hour late."-. Dracula, by Bram Stoker.
Gothic-Inspired Creative Writing Assignments
Here are THREE Gothic-inspired writing assignments… great for anytime of year, but especially October! "Diary of a Madman". This writing assignment takes inspiration from the spooky stories entitled "Diary of a Madman"— three ways— by Gogol, Guy de Maupassant, and Lu Xun. In all three versions of the story, there is a disturbed ...
Creating an Eerie Atmosphere: How to Write in a Gothic Setting
Language and Tone. Language and tone are crucial elements in creating an eerie atmosphere in a Gothic setting. The language used should be descriptive and vivid, painting a picture of the dark and foreboding environment. The use of sensory details is essential in creating an immersive experience for the reader.
Dare to Dive into These 33 Dark Writing Prompts
Why Use Dark Writing Prompts with Budding Writers. You see, this form of writing not only stimulates a person's creative writing abilities but also stretches their cognitive faculties, enabling young minds to delve into unexplored topics and become masters of the storytelling craft. In addition, dark writing topics foster a sense of empathy ...
50 Spooky Writing Prompts and Horror Story Ideas
These are all from my book 5 ,000 Writing Prompts: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More. The book has 100 additional spooky writing prompts and horror story ideas, as well as master plots and idea starters for all kinds of writing. If you are easily scared and have an over-active imagination, just skip this one.
Gothic Story Openings and Gothic Writing Techniques (4 lessons, ready
This resource takes students through some of the techniques used in Gothic writing (e.g. pathetic fallacy, descriptions of monsters) and uses notable Gothic texts to model. It also demonstrates how to hook a reader by inviting students to analyse a series of Gothic openings, and to write their own. Creative Commons "Attribution".
3 Key Sentences for Establishing a Gothic Setting: A ...
Sentence 1: Description of the Physical Environment. The physical environment plays a crucial role in setting the mood and atmosphere of a gothic story. It is the foundation upon which the narrative is constructed, and it helps to create a sense of dread and foreboding in the reader's mind. The description of the physical environment should ...
Gothic Starter: Descriptive Writing
Gothic Starter: Descriptive Writing. Included is a starter I have used in both observation and interview lessons (successfully) previously. A simple paired activity which uses images as stimulus for creative writing. There is some support and challenge for the task which follows and is ideal to lead into an assessed or extended piece of writing.
657 Top "Gothic Sentence Starters" Teaching Resources curated ...
PEEL Paragraph Sentence Starters Word Mat 24 reviews. OREO Persuasive Writing Frames 7 reviews. Explore more than 657 "Gothic Sentence Starters" resources for teachers, parents and pupils. Instant access to inspirational lesson plans, schemes of work, assessment, interactive activities, resource packs, PowerPoints, teaching ideas at Twinkl!
Here are Some Really Good Sentence Starters for Creative Writing
Sentence Starters for Formal Essays. Middle school and high school students have to draft varied writing assignments, including persuasive essays, arguments, and narratives. In case of essays, particularly, the kind of start you make depends entirely on the topic at hand. However, formal essays or presentations need to begin in a certain manner.
100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School
Sarah Mininsohn. With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter's School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan's Writing ...
596 Top "Gothic Sentence Starters" Teaching Resources curated ...
Instantly access Twinkl's printable and digital K-12 teaching resources, including worksheets, eBooks, games, PowerPoints, Google Slides, and more!
Spooky/Gothic/Horror
Subject: Creative writing. Age range: 11-14. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. docx, 15.38 KB. A variety of story openers to aid students when writing a spooky story. Can be printed out in A3 and stuck around the room. Creative Commons "Sharealike".

100 gothic fiction writing prompts

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36 Gothic Writing Prompts and Story Ideas

Gothic Writing Prompts

21 Gothic Fiction Writing Prompts

1. The Lighthouse Keeper

2. A Haunting Muse

3. In Loving Memory

4. By Any Means Necessary

5. Anything for Love

6. Sinister Reflections

7. Inspired by Real Events

8. An Otherworldly Dilemma

9. To Heal or To Harm

10. Dark Devotion

11. A Life in Pictures

12. For the Greater Good

13. We are the Freakshow

14. Shelter from the Storm

15. The Pursuit of Knowledge

16. The Clockwork Coup

17. In Her Dreams

18. Encroaching Moonlight

19. The Greatest Show on Earth

20. Not Just an Act

21. A Sharp-Fanged Truth

30 Words To Use In Gothic Fiction (Gothic Word Guide)

30 Best Words to Use in Your Gothic Fiction

1. Desolate

5. Foreboding

9. Sepulchral

10. Ghastly

12. Dolorous

13. Sinister

14. Cryptic

15. Charnel

17. Melancholy

18. Mysterious

19. Cadaverous

20. Labyrinthine

21. Terrifying

22. Apparition

23. Phantasmagorical

24. Cataclysmic

25. Abhorrent

26. Nocturnal

27. Haunted

28. Abysmal

29. Malevolent

30. Diabolical

Gothic Words Summary Chart (Word Bank)

Final Thoughts: Words To Use in Gothic Fiction

150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story

150+ Creative Story Starters

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Ten Awesome Gothic First Sentences

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3 Key Sentences for Establishing a Gothic Setting: A Guide for Writers

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Sample Sentence Starters for Fiction

Describe the weather

Introduce a character

Talk about the city

Add a little suspense

And some drama

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