160 Horror Story Writing Tips to craft the best horror stories! (2023)

December 14, 2022September 20, 2022 vonswarm

Horror writing inspires writers who want to write scary stories to fuel their creativity.

Advice prompts are a great way to get ideas for your next story in the best possible way!

This article features amazing horror writing tips from different genres to get you started.

So start your story today!

It's time for writers to unleash their inner demons for an evening of fun and creativity.

Note: The following instructions will help you to write horror novels. They are not meant to tease or intimidate, but they can help you develop your style and create your own stories.

Let's start!

Psycho horror writing suggestions

Have you ever tried to write a psychological horror story but found it didn't come out right?

It's hard to put yourself in a truly horrible environment. What if you could figure out how to write psychological horror in a way that's easy to understand and understand?

Here are some psychological horror writing prompts that will send shivers down your spine:

1. Write about a time when you were in an uncomfortable situation, like at work or at home with your family. Describe how you felt and what went through your mind. Write how the case made you think and how it changed over time. How did that experience change your life? How do those experiences still affect your life today?

2. Write about an experience where someone close to you did something really unexpected or painful for you. Describe what happened, why you felt hurt and how it changed over time. What other ways are there that people can make us feel this way? How do these experiences affect our lives today?

3. You need a way to show you care. We all need a way to express gratitude and love, sometimes firmly and gently. With so many ways to connect and message in this age of technology, it's time for something different. You enter the world of black magic.

4. Friends are the people who make us laugh, understand when no one else does, and support us in times of need. What if you have a best friend who isn't human but an evil spirit?

5. What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? How it was? How did that make you feel?

6. What is the most upsetting thing that has ever happened to you? What made it so disturbing? If there is a reason for this, try to think about why it might be problematic for readers as well.

7. Are you intimidated by things that other people don't seem to notice or don't care about? If yes, how are these things? How do you feel when they perform in real life?

8. Think about how horrible something would be if someone intentionally tried to do it - like someone intentionally trying to scare someone by doing something horrible/creepy/upsetting/upsetting.

9. Write an article about a character who is unaware of his own behavior and actions until something unusual happens.

10. Write about a typical character with a strange habit or behavior that sets him apart from those around him.

11. Write about a character who is really good at something, like music, sports, or art, but he doesn't know it because he's too busy working all day until some genius enlightens him about the talents he has.

12. Imagine you are walking through the forest when this strange creature suddenly follows you and tries to get your attention! How are you?

13. The room is dark and cold. You are in a psychiatric hospital, but you don't know where.

14. You hear a noise in the corner of the room and see a man standing there. The man has long hair and wears a long coat.

15. He looks at you for a moment, then slowly backs away into the shadows.

16. You are in a psychiatric hospital. The room is dark and you are freezing. You see a man standing in the corner of the room. He has long hair and wears a long coat.

17. You hear a noise behind you and turn to see a man standing in the corner. He wears a long robe that covers his feet. His hair is long and covers his eyes, which are puffy and red like he hasn't slept in days.

19. You're lying on a comfortable leather couch in your office, your feet up on the coffee table. You are waiting for a meeting with a potential employer.

20. You are sitting in your living room when someone knocks on the door. You get up, go to the door and open it to see your best friend.

21. There are three people in a cold room. One is wearing a business suit, one is wearing old rags, and one is completely naked. Three more people enter the room. A little girl points to the man who is wearing rags and laughing maniacally. "Who is it?" she asks her father.

22. Do you ever feel like there's more to you than meets the eye?

23. Do you ever feel like someone is watching you when no one else is?

24. Have you ever felt that something is missing in your life, but you can't figure out what?

25. The Monster Within: A woman has a recurring nightmare of untold evil always after her. Upon awakening, she finds scratches on her back.

26. The woman has a recurring nightmare of an unspeakable evil always behind her. Upon awakening, she finds scratches on her back. What does that mean? Is it real or just a dream? How does it affect women? How do we deal with our fears in life and what happens when they are brought into reality (or vice versa)?

27. Uninvited Visitor: A little girl's doll is getting scarier by the day.

28. You find an old VHS tape at a thrift store. It's titled The Family Murders and you decide to watch it as it might be interesting to see how people were murdered 50 years ago. But if you play the game, you'll find footage of your own family being murdered!

29. A man wakes up to find himself in his bed with no memory of how he got there. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices something on the ground, and when he turns around, he discovers that his wife's body has been split in half at the waist.

30. An old-fashioned circus brings its show to town, but the residents soon discover that its secrets are being used for entertainment.

31. A boy who can't speak is sent to an all-boys Catholic boarding school, where strange things happen to those around him.

32. A little girl hears a monster outside her window every night, but no one believes her except for a friend who promises to protect her from anything that might be out there.

33. A boy is possessed by an evil spirit.

Creative suggestions for writing horror movies

Here are some creative horror writing suggestions. Have a good time!

34. Write a horror story inspired by a dream you had.

35. Write a horror story that takes place on a plane or train.

36. Write a horror story that affects children or teenagers.

37. Write a horror story about animals.

38. Write a horror story about the end of the world or something similar about it.

40. What is the most effective way to communicate with a spirit?

41. Do you wish you could see your own death in advance?

42. What's the best way to deal with a ghost who wants revenge on someone?

43. How to avoid being haunted by a ghost?

44. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen?

45. What's the scariest story you can tell about yourself?

46. If you could see ghosts, what would you do with them?

47. Write a horror story where the only character is a cat.

48. Write a horror story where the only character is an empty soda can.

49. Write a horror story where the only character is a coin.

50. Write a horror story where the only character is a piece of paper.

51. Write a horror story where the only character is a mouse.

52. Write a horror story in the voice of a 13 year old girl.

53. Write a horror story in which the characters use every musical instrument in their fight against evil.

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54. Write a horror story about the dark side of human nature, where people are cruel to each other and don't care who they hurt or how they hurt them.

55. Write a horror story about a group of friends who go on vacation together, but something goes terribly wrong when they return from vacation.

Horror story with a twist

The best horror stories are always the ones that surprise us. It keeps us on our toes and makes us wonder what will happen next. We can't dismiss them because they are so endearing even if we don't want to be.

Here are some horror story writing suggestions that will help you articulate stories with a twist:

58. The girl is a great friend, but it's not what it seems. She has a secret she wants to share but can't because she can't tell you. Can you find out what it is?

59. A girl who thought her mother was sleeping with her when it was really a ghost.

60. A girl wakes up in a dark room and finds a man in front of her. He tells her he's there to help, but she doesn't understand why he's in her room and he tells her she needs to go back to sleep and relax. She tries to escape from him, but he grabs and holds her.

61. A woman is walking down the street late at night when she sees a young boy walking towards her. He asks for help, saying that his family has been killed by robbers who have kidnapped him and are holding him hostage in their home. The woman agrees to take him home for protection until the police arrive and arrest the criminals who committed this horrible act.

62. A man wakes up from a nightmare to find himself naked on a beach with no memory of how he got there or where he is. He's walking towards the water when he hears someone calling his name - and then he sees two women walking towards him, guns drawn! They say they'll kill him if he doesn't tell them everything about his life - but first they want him to show something interesting about himself!

63. It's Halloween and you're in the final stages of your life. You are waiting for the inevitable moment when you will be taken to a better place, where you can finally rest and not worry about anything. But instead, something completely unexpected happens: you get a call from your daughter.

64. She's been home for a few days, but she hasn't been herself - she keeps having problems with her friends and watching scary things on the internet. It's time for you to go home now. Your daughter needs you.

65. You've been thinking about this moment for some time: that your daughter will never know how much she means to you; how much she needs you now; how much she loves and misses you every day even though she doesn't show it because she's too scared or embarrassed or whatever makes people do things they shouldn't do when they're scared or embarrassed or embarrassed.

66. A girl goes to the cinema to see a new romantic comedy, but when she gets there she discovers that it is a real horror movie.

67. To survive, one man must play coward with a serial killer.

68. A woman finds out the hard way that her boyfriend isn't quite the gentleman she thought he was when he tells her he loves her, then turns around and kills her in cold blood before taking all of her belongings (including her car) and go away.

69. You are on vacation with your family in a car and the engine dies. His dad drives, so he can't start it himself. How are you?

70. You're at a party when the lights start to flicker and then go off completely. There's no electricity in the house so everyone goes home - but you want to stay longer because there's a band playing that your friend told you about. How do you get their attention without being seen?

71. You're home alone when someone knocks on the door, but when you open it there's no one. What are you doing next?

72. It was a typical day. I woke up, got ready for school and went down to make breakfast. I told my mom I was going to the grocery store and she said, "Go ahead."

73. I went to the store, bought my things and went home. But as soon as I walked through the door, something was wrong. The house looked different. It smelled different. It was colder than usual - and that's important because my house was always outside, even when it was 80 degrees outside!

74. I ran upstairs and saw that all the windows in my house were left open at the same time! My mom wasn't home so I called her but no one answered so I left a message saying someone had opened all our windows. At the same time, we went out last night and wanted her to call me ASAP because they couldn't sleep with all those open windows making noise outside until she called us back about it.

Short ideas for horror stories

Here are some quick horror writing suggestions that will spark your imagination.

75. A child's ghost is haunting their house. How are you? how do you react

76. A family of four is on vacation, but one of them is missing. The other three must find out what happened to their friend and try to find him before it's too late.

77. You are trapped in a haunted house from which there is no way out. Can you survive Will the spirits know you're here or will they think you're another one of their victims?

78. A group of friends are heading to a cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway, but when they arrive they discover that one of their friends has been murdered there before. Can they figure out who did this and stop something like this from happening again?

79. A girl decides to go camping alone in her parents' trailer while they are at work - but she never makes it home! When she wakes up in the morning, she realizes that something is wrong: the camp is covered in blood... and there's a dead body next to her! What happened? Who is this person and where can he find help if he needs it?

80. A woman is haunted by her dead husband.

81. A man is haunted by his murdered wife.

82. A man is haunted by his dead brother.

83. A woman is haunted by her dead daughter.

84. A couple walks through a forest when they hear a group playing music. The husband is curious about the music, but the wife insists they keep walking. They arrive at the edge of the forest and as they enter a meadow, they see a huge tree trunk with several branches reaching towards the sky. Humanoid figures hanging from the components. As the pair approaches the tree, one of the figures drops from a unit and attacks them!

85. A newlywed couple is visiting their in-laws for dinner when they discover something strange: all of their children have disappeared! The father looks for them in the city while the wife stays at home with the newborn child; Strange things are happening in the house. When she worries that her husband has forgotten her and left her alone with their child, she takes matters into her own hands. She sets out to find him - only to discover he's been kidnapped by a fugitive who claims to know where all his missing children are buried!

86. A boy and his best friend, a dog, are sent to live with his aunt after his parents are killed in a car accident. The only problem is that the aunt is a witch and uses her powers to make the boy do all kinds of horrible things.

87. A girl gets trapped in an elevator with a creepy old man and his cat. She tries to escape, but the man locks her in and refuses to let her out until she helps him solve the crossword!

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88. An old woman is haunted by the spirit of her dead grandmother, who tells her that she must find three murdered women so that they can help her exact revenge on all who wronged her over the years.

89. A man is in the shower and suddenly the water runs out! He is sitting on the floor waiting for his wife to come home and fix it. But when she gets home, she's been murdered! He tries calling 911 but keeps getting disconnected.
90. A woman is sitting at her desk when suddenly a black figure appears above her and grabs her neck. She turns around but is gone - no one there!

91. A woman walks down a deserted street late at night when two figures appear out of nowhere and chase her. She runs as fast as she can, but they are faster than her! She tries to hide behind a dumpster - but it's too late; One of them reaches her and grabs her leg!

92. A man picks up the phone to take a call from his boss - but he sees that the call button has been replaced by an eye with a red line! He tries to ignore it and keep talking about work, but then he notices two eyes on his screen: a red line and a green line.

Gothic story ideas with a twist

Here are some gothic horror writing prompts with a twist.

93. A twisted tale of romance and horror set in a castle built on top of a mountain.

94. A wealthy family inherited a large castle with over 200 rooms. The family history is well known: descendants of a long line of successful merchants, they went through difficult times when the father decided to leave the business to his son. The family's fortunes rose again when their daughter married an incredibly wealthy man who went on to own several companies and factories. The couple have three children - two sons and a daughter - all of whom are the same age.

95. A handsome, athletic young man enjoys spending time with his friends playing sports; However, he also has a secret passion for reading old books about ancient castles and talking about how cool it would be if there was an abandoned castle somewhere nearby that he could explore without getting caught by his parents or teachers if he cared because no one else knew about it. it anyway. However, something happens that day that changes everything for him forever.

96. A young girl is cursed to be a vampire, but she must find a way to break the curse before it's too late.

99. You hear a loud scream from under your bed.

100. You read a story about missing children only to see them all standing in front of you.

101. Your mom looks scared when you ask why there's such a strange noise coming from the garage.

103. Write about a mysterious woman who crosses the avenue at 3 am every day.

104. Write about the body you found in your bathroom.

105. A girl has to drink human blood even if she's not a vampire. She knows that she is possessed by an evil spirit that forces her to do all these things by force.

106. The sole survivor of a horrific train wreck now has multiple personalities of the people who died in the train crash.

Requests for crime writing

Below are some mystery and horror writing prompts.

111. Write a crime story where the detective is a horse. Write a crime story where the detective can't talk.

115. Write a crime story about an animal that is allergic to something (like cats) and needs to solve crimes to keep from being eaten by the neighbors of their cat allergy victim.

116. Write a crime story about a girl who hides in her closet and can hear voices others cannot hear.

117. Write a mystery story about an animal cursed with invisibility that must solve crimes so it cannot be seen by those who would otherwise know if it were visible.

118. Write a mystery story about a boy who discovers he can talk to the dead

Prompts for writing ghost stories

Here are some prompts for writing horror stories with some ghost stories to add. This will add some twists to the story. A ghost story is about an experience you've had, but it's not necessarily a true story. You can use it as a prompt to write about your experience with ghosts or ghosts.

120. You heard a voice in your head telling you to get down because something terrible would happen if you didn't get there right away.

121. A man is driving on the highway when he sees a car pull up in front of him. He swerves, narrowly missing the other vehicle, but hits something else - a wall. He gets out of the car and looks around to see what's going on. He finds nothing but an empty field. The next day, he checks again and finds that someone has put up a sign that says, "Welcome to your new home."

122. A ghost story, the stuff of legends.

123. The story of a man who was so afraid of ghosts that he couldn't sleep at night without a sleeping pill, even though he had no reason to be afraid.

124. A man who has heard strange noises in his house cannot figure out where they are coming from.

125. A man who has heard voices since he was young, but when he tells them to leave him alone, they start talking louder and louder until they're right in his ear (and not just talking - they're screaming).

126. A girl finds a strange note on her side table. The note read: "Welcome to the new world of evil spirits."

127. His estranged aunt comes to visit after 20 years. His intentions are as dangerous as they can be.

128. You see a little man nibbling on a chocolate bar as you enter the kitchen. Once you pat him on the back, his scary face is too much for you. You pass out. When you wake up now, you are in an unfamiliar place.

129. You and your group of friends are going to hike to a hill station. As you wander, you'll be surrounded by strange creatures with daggers in hand.

130. Write a dark story when you find out your parents aren't human, but evil spirits who robbed you of your real parents.

132. A good-hearted lady is deceived by an evil spirit and driven to kill her own husband.

133. Your horror movie writing prompts might revolve around the most popular genres of dolls possessed by evil spirits.

134. Very unusual events have been reported around you in the past year. Everyone concludes that you are the problem.

135. Your dog is possessed by the spirit of your late grandmother.

136. You buy a new house and the shrill voices of the night keep you awake.

137. You see an old woman in her yard. She has a witch's face with her toes curled back.

138. You find a voodoo doll along with your picture under your mother's bed.

139. Evil spirits possess your cat.

140. Write about a suicide attempt controlled by evil spirits.

142. Write about driving a car where your car crashes into a man who suddenly disappears.

143. Your grandfather lies to you about who your real parents are. Your grandfather is a ghost.

144. The china doll on her side table starts talking.

145. Write about a man who spoke to the dead in the cemetery.

147. His college is open and unexpected guests (evil spirits in the form of cats) arrive.

148. A terrified woman backs away in horror from the scary-faced man in her bedroom doorway.

Halloween Writing Suggestions

Below are some horror writing prompts you can use for Halloween.

149. It's Friday the 13th and Halloween night. Everyone is dressed in costumes, except for someone who is actually a ghost. complete the story
150. His parents leave him alone on Halloween night. You hear a knock on the door. Except it's not for trick or treating. The person had a real knife in his hand. Explain what happens next.
151. You get a new neighbor who is scary. Describe your strange habits.
152. You have a china doll that suddenly turns heads.
153. You are locked in your house and the windows cannot be broken. You find yourself trapped. What happened next?
154. You walk through a cemetery alone at night. Explain the noises you heard that night.

157. The Pumpkin King: The Story of a Man Who Wanted to Be King, But Realized He Could Only Be KingHalloween.

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158. The Ghost of Halloween Past: A story about a man who can see ghosts and how he encountered a ghost from his past on Halloween.

159. Jack O'Lantern: A story about a man who loves pumpkins but doesn't like the way they look - so he dresses up like one and goes trick-or-treating with his friends.

160. dr Frankenstein's Monster: A story about a scientist who creates a half-human, half-monster abomination, but doesn't realize how scary it is (until he starts killing people).

We hope you enjoyed the scary story ideas above. You can get inspired by watching a horror movie in the middle of the night. Think of a movie plot twist and use it as inspiration for your next horror story.