50 Horror Story Ideas and Scary Writing Prompts

Feeling brave? Well, step right up to the literary house of horrors. We’ve got a smorgasbord of terror just waiting to tickle your dark fancy. 

Fifty fear-inducing prompts are lurking in the shadows, ready to jumpstart your next nightmare-on-paper. From whisper-quiet creeps to full-blown bloodbaths, we’ve got it all. So grab your favorite writing weapon, find a nice dark corner, and let’s dance with the devil, shall we? 

Fair warning: side effects may include insomnia, paranoia, and an irresistible urge to check under the bed. Enter at your own risk, and remember—in here, the monsters are all in your head.

Or are they?

Horror Writing Prompts

Horror goes for the jugular. It’s visceral, often graphic, and aims to shock and disturb. Think buckets of blood, unspeakable monsters, and that feeling in your gut that says, “I shouldn’t be watching this, but I can’t look away.”

These stories often involve supernatural elements like ghosts, monsters, or dark forces, but they can also be about more human dangers, like serial killers. Think of classic slasher movies or haunted house tales where something goes bump in the night, and you can’t help but peek around the corner in suspense.

Ready for some horror writing prompts? Here’s a list that’ll make your skin crawl and your imagination run wild:

• A young woman buys an antique mirror at a flea market. She soon notices that her reflection doesn’t always mimic her movements. Sometimes, it seems to be trying to communicate—or even step out of the glass.
• Every time you kill a spider in your new house, two more appear. Your walls are starting to move…
• You’re a sleep researcher studying night terrors. Your newest patient’s dreams start invading your own sleep.
• A group of friends rents an Airbnb for a weekend getaway, but the basement door is padlocked with warnings not to enter. Strange noises and voices come from below, and one by one, the friends start vanishing after midnight.
• A suburban book club unwittingly summons an ancient evil when they read passages aloud from a mysterious leather-bound tome.
• A child’s drawing of a “new friend” bears an uncanny resemblance to a figure from local folklore associated with missing children.
• After a strange meteor shower, people’s reflections start acting independently—and violently.
• You’re on a solo hike when you stumble upon a hidden village. As you explore, you realize none of the inhabitants cast shadows.
• A true crime podcaster moves into a house to investigate an old murder. The house seems to be “helping” with the investigation.
• Every night, you wake up with new, intricate scars. They’re slowly forming a map—but to where?

There ya go, a smorgasbord of spooky scenarios to sink your teeth into. Any of these tickle your terror bone? Or should we keep fishing in the lake of nightmare fuel?

Scary Story Ideas

Scary is horror’s slightly tamer cousin. They’re designed to make you feel frightened, but not always in a deep, emotional way. They might be about anything from a jump scare to a creepy situation that gives you the shivers. Scary stories can be quick and to the point, like a campfire tale meant to spook you for a moment rather than leave a lasting sense of dread.

In scary stories, it’s all about that build-up of dread and those jump-out-of-your-skin moments. Scary stories are the ones that make you want to pull the covers over your head but leave one eye peeking out.

Let’s dial it back a notch and cook up some scary stories that’ll give you the heebie-jeebies without sending you into therapy. Here’s a fresh batch of fright-lite for your campfire chronicles:

• You’re home alone and your dog keeps barking at the closet. When you open it, there’s nothing there. Then you notice tiny, wet footprints leading under the bed.
• A babysitter keeps getting prank calls asking if she’s checked on the children. Plot twist: she’s not babysitting tonight.
• Your GPS insists on rerouting you down increasingly deserted roads. The voice starts to sound… hungry.
• Every night, the last person to leave work hears a child giggling in the empty office. Tonight, you’re working late.
• You wake up to dozens of missed calls from Mom. The voicemails are just static and distant screaming.
• That creepy doll your aunt gave you keeps showing up in different rooms, no matter where you hide it.
• On a dare, you say “Bloody Mary” three times in the mirror. Nothing happens—until you go to bed and see her reflection behind you.
• Your new smart home device has started locking doors on its own and whispering your name at night.
• During a power outage, you see a face pressed against your window. You live on the 20th floor.
• You’re scrolling through your phone’s camera roll and find photos you don’t remember taking – of yourself sleeping.

There you have it—ten tales to tingle your spine without melting your brain. These are like horror’s gateway drug—just scary enough to get your heart racing, but not so terrifying you’ll need to sleep with the lights on… probably. 

Shall we creep on to the next stop on our fear tour?

Spooky Writing Prompts

Spooky stories are more about atmosphere than outright terror, relying on eerie vibes and things that go bump in the night. They’re like walking through a foggy graveyard at night—chilling, mysterious, and maybe a little eerie, but not necessarily terrifying. 

Spooky tales often have a ghostly or magical element to them and are more likely to give you goosebumps than nightmares. Think of Halloween stories with witches, ghosts, or things that go “bump” in the night but don’t actually harm anyone.

Here are ten spooky writing prompts, focusing on atmosphere, mystery, and eerie chills:

• The local cemetery has a gravestone that changes inscriptions. Tonight, it bears your name.
• On Halloween night, you explore an abandoned mansion and hear childlike laughter in the empty halls.
• Every night at midnight, a candle lights up in a vacant house. When you step inside, the candle goes out.
• You find an old photo album, and a blurry figure appears in each picture, getting closer with every shot.
• You take a shortcut through a forest and hear soft voices all around you, whispering secrets.
• An old music box in the attic of your new house plays by itself on full moon nights. The melody sounds… familiar.
• Footsteps echo outside your window at 3 a.m., but there are no footprints and no sign of anyone.
• In a deserted town, your car breaks down, and a shop sign reads, “Closed Until They Return.”
• A shadow on your wall doesn’t match anything in your room and slowly starts to move.
• The paintings in your house subtly change whenever you’re not looking directly at them.

So, feeling sufficiently spooked? Or should we keep channeling the spirits of storytelling past for more ethereal inspiration? Maybe it’s time to turn up the heat and dive into those psychological horrors that’ll really mess with your melon. 

Psychological Horror Story Ideas

Psychological Horror is like the quiet one in the corner who’s actually the most disturbing of them all. This is where things get deep. This bad boy gets inside your head, making you question reality, sanity, and whether that shadow in the corner just moved. 

Instead of relying on gore or monsters, psychological horror stories focus on mental fear—paranoia, anxiety, and confusion. The real horror is often what’s happening inside the characters’ heads. You’re left wondering what’s real and what isn’t, which can make it even scarier. 

These stories often explore themes of madness, obsession, and the fragility of the human mind, leaving you unsettled long after you’ve finished the story.

Ready to have your brain turned inside out?

• You start noticing small inconsistencies in your daily life—objects slightly out of place, conversations you don’t remember having. Is your memory failing, or is someone gaslighting you?
• Every night, you dream you’re someone else. Every morning, you wake up with new memories that aren’t yours. Which life is real?
• You discover your childhood imaginary friend was real—and they’re back, demanding payback for being “abandoned.”
• A mysterious app appears on your phone. It shows predictions of future events that always come true… then it starts showing your death.
• You wake up in what seems to be your normal life, but everyone insists you’ve been in a coma for years. Which reality do you trust?
• Your therapist has been secretly recording your sessions and selling them as a hit podcast. But the stories aren’t yours—they’re much, much worse.
• Every time you pass a specific stranger on the street, they smile at you knowingly, as if they’ve been watching you for years.
• Every time you fall asleep, you wake up in a different person’s body. You’re starting to forget who you really are.
• You realize your whole life has been a scripted TV show, but only you know it. How do you escape when everyone else is an actor?
• Your reflection starts giving you advice. It’s helpful at first, but its suggestions become increasingly disturbing and violent.

So, feeling a little unmoored from reality yet? Maybe checking over your shoulder to make sure your reflection isn’t watching you? Good—that means we’re on the right track. 

Remember, in psychological horror, the real monster is usually… you. Sweet dreams!

Short Horror Story Ideas

Alright, let’s cut to the chase and serve up some bite-sized terror. Short horror stories are like jump scares in text form—they hit you fast, leave you breathless, and stick with you long after you’ve finished reading. These puppies are perfect for those nights when you want a quick fright without committing to a full-blown horror novel.

Think of these as the horror equivalent of a shot of espresso: small, potent, and guaranteed to keep you up at night. Ready to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Let’s go:

• The last person on Earth sits alone in a room. There’s a knock at the door.
• You receive a text: “I’m outside your house.” It’s from your own number.
• Every night, the same nightmare. Every morning, a new unexplained scar.
• A mysterious Polaroid appears under your pillow each morning, showing you sleeping.
• You’re home alone. Alexa says, “I’ve called the police. Get out now.”
• The face in the window isn’t your reflection. It’s smiling.
• Your pet cat brings you a “gift.” It’s your missing wedding ring.
• A ouija board spells out your name. You’re alone in the room.
• The family portrait on the wall has changed. You’re no longer in it.
• A child’s laughter echoes from the basement. You don’t have kids.

These little nightmares are like potato chips; bet you can’t write just one. They’re short, sharp shocks to the system that’ll leave your readers checking under the bed and side-eyeing their mirrors.

Tips For Using Horror Story Starters

Are you getting into the spirit of things yet? You’ve got the seeds of terror in your hot little hands, but how do you nurture them into a forest of fear? Then let’s talk about how to take these creepy kernels and grow them into full-blown nightmares. Here’s the down-and-dirty guide to turning prompts into pulse-pounding horror stories:

• Embrace the “What if?” game. Take that starter and run with it. What if the creepy doll could talk? What if the ghost was actually trying to warn you? Let your imagination off the leash and see where it leads you.
• Know your scare style. Are you going for subtle creeps or full-on gore? Psychological mind-bends or supernatural spooks? Tailor the prompt to fit your preferred flavor of fear.
• Build the atmosphere. Horror is all about mood, baby. Use all five senses to drag your readers into your terrifying world. Make them smell the musty air, feel the clammy touch on their skin.
• Develop your characters. Even in horror, we need someone to root for (or against). Give your characters depth—it makes their inevitable doom all the more delicious.
• Decide: Are you going for a slow burn or a fast fright? Decide on your pacing. Some stories are best as a slow creep of dread, others as a rollercoaster of terror. Choose your tempo and stick to it.
• Twist it up. Nothing beats a good plot twist in horror. Take the expected and flip it on its head. Make your readers gasp – then scream.
• Remember, less is more. Sometimes, what you don’t show is scarier than what you do. Leave some things to the imagination—it’s usually darker than anything you could describe.
• End with a bang (or a whimper). Your ending can make or break your story. Go for the gut-punch finale or the lingering sense of unease. Just make sure it packs a punch.
• Read it out loud. Seriously. Nothing exposes weak spots in your terror tale like hearing it. If you’re not creeping yourself out, back to the drawing board.
• Have fun, you sicko. Remember, you’re here to entertain—yourself included. If you’re not having a blast conjuring up these creepy scenarios, neither will your readers.

Now, armed with these tips and those prompts, you’re ready to unleash holy horror. Just remember: with great power comes great responsibility. Try not to traumatize your readers too much, okay? 

On second thought, go ahead and traumatize ’em. That’s what they’re here for, right?