Six Horror Writing Prompts to Jog Your Weird Imagination

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In which I tell you a lot about myself with horror writing prompts that are self serving. But still helpful!

Don't Get Jumpscared by Giant Lists

If you’ve ever experienced the maddening fury that is writer’s block, you’re probably familiar with prompts. There’s no shortage of thought starters out there: Massive lists of plot devices, homegrown character generators, story beginnings and endings, genre-specific challenges…the list is endless. And within those endless lists are, well, more endless lists. Some sources even provide hundreds of prompts per post. It’s great to have that variety, and there’s nothing wrong with shopping around for multiple prompts from different sources. It’s just that, damn, there are so many!

I often run into the same issue when I look for prompts, especially horror-specific ones. They’re either too specific, too structured, or too tonally inconsistent with what I’m trying to picture in my head. Here’s the gist of what I’ve seen:

• A vampire is lurking outside a victim’s house. Just as she’s about to strike, a ghost causes an unforeseen roadblock.

• Imagine you’re the last person on the planet — and suddenly, there’s a knock on your door.

• What if the Boogeyman was real?

Nothing wrong with those prompts, right? In fact, they could probably give many writers a running start towards the next viral BookTok sensation. Run with them if you’d like. Like your life depends on it!

But often, when I’m looking for a prompt, I’m looking for something that elicits a feeling — something that can help me form an environment in my head and craft the story inside of it. It’s also helpful if a prompt can explain why: Why you should go for a vampire as a central character, why people like “came back wrong” stories, or why you should go easy on cannibalism as your shock factor. 

That’s why I’ve put together a list of six horror writing prompts with all the information I find helpful at the beginning of my writing process. My prompts include:

• Plot in a nutshell: Single sentences summarizing the narrative of a story

• Setting considerations

• Audience considerations

• Genre compatibility

• Target word count lengths

• Why it works

My list certainly isn’t exhaustive, and you can pick, choose, ignore, and swap prompt details as you’d like to fit your own creative vision. So let’s talk about them!

Prompt 1: Lost at Sea

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Plot in a nutshell

A character on an ocean vessel loses touch with reality — or is there really something sinister lurking beneath the waves?

Setting

• House boat

• Cruise ship

• Military vessel

• Scientific ship

Audience

• Adult (20+) readers who are fans of Foe, Death in Her Hands, Ankomst, and Our Wives Under the Sea

• YA (>20) readers who are fans of It Looks Like Us, One of Us Is Lying, and Wilder Girls

• Readers who enjoy being engrossed in an immersive environment that's off-kilter, surprising, and dreadful

Genre

• Gothic horror

• YA horror

• Thriller/suspense

• Historical fiction

Word count

• 75,000 (or 250 pages)

Why it works

Whether you lean into the slow-burn gothic style of a lonely narrative, or try your hand at a thrilling mystery where anyone could be the villain, there’s a powerful opportunity here. Isolating environments like boats can quickly send characters into a downward spiral, which makes for fascinating horror stories. There’s also something instinctually frightening about the ocean: With its incomprehensible depths, undiscovered species, and lack of civilization for potentially thousands of miles, being stranded in the middle of the ocean can spark frightening behavior from characters who may or may not see danger beneath the surface. Consider how a twist ending can elevate the story here by leaning into the absurd — or coming completely out of left, uh, sea.

Prompt 2: If These Walls Could Talk

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Plot in a nutshell

Spin the classic haunted house story by making the house a sentient creature with goals, ambitions…and malevolent intentions.

Setting

• Suburban neighborhood

• Isolated cabin

• Exclusive mansion

• Rental property

Audience

• Adult (20+) fans of House of Leaves, The Good House, The Shining, and How to Sell a Haunted House

• Readers who are willing to engage with a literary theme and sit with a story long after they finish reading

Genre

• Thriller/suspense

• Supernatural fiction

Word count

• 95,000 (or 300+ pages)

Why it works

As much as I love haunted houses, I sometimes find myself predicting the same exposition over and over. Sure, murders are brutal and a perfectly acceptable reason for a haunting — and portals to hell in the basement also make sense on paper — but I’d argue that it’s more interesting to steer your plot away from these mechanisms and move into…new real estate. By making the actual structure of your domicile alive, you get to characterize a house, trace its journey from construction, examine its relationship with past tenants, and even slot in some commentary on socioeconomics, if you’re feeling sexy. Think about introducing an unexpected protagonist to the house. If you’re going for a rental property, think about a protagonist who was recently fired from a cushy, prestigious job. If you’re thinking of a lavish estate, consider using a protagonist from a working-class background. The dissonance can add some intrigue to an already compelling narrative.

Prompt 3: The Perfect Possession

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Plot in a nutshell

Tell a tale full of dread and suspense with a protagonist who seeks freedom from their possession…until they develop a bond with the entity.

Setting

• Daily life in a city

• College campus

• Dense forest with low population

Audience

• Adult (20+) fans of Come Closer, A Head Full of Ghosts, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and The Exorcist

• Readers who can handle a loss of bodily autonomy and some violent actions described in detail

Genre

• Psychological horror

• Thriller/suspense

• Satire

Word count

• 60,000 (or ~120 pages)

Why it works

The possession trope is pretty saturated. But here’s the good news: A lot of possession-centered stories follow the same beats with only surface-level variations between the narratives. That means there’s an opportunity to carve a unique space here. Possession stories typically move from life-as-usual -> possession -> descent into madness -> exorcism attempt -> success or failure. But what if there was no descent into madness? Or what if there was no exorcism attempt? Consider how the presence of a demonic entity might actually be welcome for a person who’s down on their luck and what havoc they could wreak as they come to terms with their possession. Also consider having an adult male protagonist — little girls who are the devil…well, it’s been done a lot.

Prompt 4: Came Back Wrong

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Plot in a nutshell

A character returns from an extended absence — but something’s not quite right about the way they act, talk, and look.

Setting

• House/apartment

• Performing arts theater

• Isolated mountain town

• Restaurant kitchen

Audience

• Adult (20+) fans of The Return, Pet Sematary, Crossroads, and What Moves the Dead

• Adult fans of The Dinner, Gone Girl, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle

• Readers who enjoy cerebral horror, unreliable narrators, and commentary on mental health

Genre

• Psychological horror

• Thriller/suspense

• Literary fiction

Word count

• 75,000 (or 250 pages)

• 500-2,000 (for a short story)

Why it works

Ah, my favorite type of horror story. I love how these stories can be emotional hard-hitters or whirlwind thrillers — and still captivate me every single time. The best ones are grounded in a sense of reality, routine, and predictability, which makes unfamiliar behaviors stand out even more. Consider having a protagonist who was close with the affected character and explore how their fractured relationship impacts their psyche. Another twist could be using an unreliable narrator, so you never know just how different the affected character truly is. (Think the 2014 film Goodnight Mommy). If you dive into this prompt, I beg you to let me read it. I love this kind of thing.

Prompt 5: It Came from the Sky

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Plot in a nutshell

Aliens are wreaking havoc on a character’s life — but is it really aliens, or all in their imagination?

Setting

• Small countryside town

• Hospital

• Office building

• College campus

Audience

• Adult (20+) fans of Annihilation, War of the Worlds, and Who Goes There?

• YA (>20) fans of conspiracy-driven stories with a central group of unique personalities working in harmony

Genre

• Science fiction

• YA horror

Word count

• 60,000 (or ~120 pages)

Why it works

Alien stories are great because they, like most monster-focused horror, have so much variety. You can go for the classic abduction story, try your hand at a massive-scale invasion story, or zero in on a tight plot about misfit teens banding together to ward off the Earth’s certain destruction. A subgenre of the alien horror story that I love is the Dark Skies (2013) area. It’s a subdued, dreadful, nail-biting approach that makes every waking and sleeping moment feel like a nightmare. Consider how uncovering an alien invasion, witnessing aliens on a daily basis, or being abducted — and then not being believed — can affect a character, and what decisions they’ll make as they try to avoid the inevitable. Who can they trust? Can they even trust themselves?

Prompt 6: Not My Favorite Mascot!

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Plot in a nutshell

A beloved children’s icon is out for blood — but one character’s determined to put an end to a vicious cycle.

Setting

• Theme park

• Childhood home

• Film set

• Arcade

Audience

• YA (>20) readers who are fans of FNAF, Clown in a Cornfield, and Coraline

• Adult (20+) readers who are fan of Mister Magic and the Candle Cove TV series

• Readers who are hungry for bright colors, nostalgia, and the dissonance of a recognizable character committing heinous crimes

Genre

• Thriller/suspense

• YA horror

• Mystery

• Satire

Word count

• 75,000 (or 250 pages)

Why it works

Love it or hate it, mascot horror is a beloved category of horror that appeals to young and adult audiences alike. Several tropes, like kindergartens and restaurants, are already overused and saturating the market. But finding a new angle on mascot horror can give you a unique in — and intrigue a voracious audience hungry for this genre. Consider how an adult audience might interact with their old favorite children’s media. Alternatively, consider how you can use the genre to make commentary on some societal construct, like monetized imagination in Bendy and the Ink Machine, or the exploitation of child actors, like Amanda the Adventurer. (These games are a great reference point for breaking out of the novel format, by the way).

It's Write Outside!

However you choose to write your next horror novel, I hope these prompts gave you a good starting point. You’re free to use these prompts as much as you’d like with no credit needed. I humbly ask that if your work is inspired by these, you give me a tag, comment, or tweet once you’ve shared your writing with the world. 

Don’t forget to check out all of the books, movies, and games that I talked about here by visiting their links. Support some writers and creators like yourself!

What other types of stories do you love? Would you recommend any other books in these categories? Drop me a comment or tweet me @kassiebohannon to let me know what you think.