Sometimes, we all face a writer’s block. Whether you’re new to writing, or you’ve been doing it for a while, writer’s block is something we all have to face. Not to mention the procrastination of avoiding writing when you know you should be getting words on the page.
Now, I can’t help you with the procrastination – that is something you’ll have to overcome. I can, however, try to help you with the inability to come up with an idea of what to write.
I have used writing prompts to get back into the flow of writing. The short story that comes out of these aren’t always fantastic or my best, but they at least help get ideas flowing again.
If you feel like your writing has dug itself into a grave, then try out one of these horror writing prompts below to try and revive it!
Horror Writing Prompt #1
This one could be taken in any genre, but you could give the truth in the past something supernatural or scary. Maybe you were a twin and something crazy happened to your sibling? Or perhaps you were stolen from another family?
When I tried out this writing prompt, I went towards the alien/monster origins…
Check it out here – Short Story – The Truth.
Horror Writing Prompt #2
This one you could have fun with, as the object could be anything. When I decided to try this writing prompt out, I went with an evil, haunted egg timer.
Check it out here – Short Story: Unexpected Haunted Object.
Horror Writing Prompt #3
Again, this writing prompt could go into a variety of genres, but you could make it horror by inheriting something creepy. Perhaps the distant family member had a collection of human hands or teeth. Maybe they collected skulls of unknown origin.
In my case, I went with a collection of dolls. These dolls were not kind to anyone that owned them.
Check out my story here – Short Story: Great Aunt Millie’s Dolls.
Horror Writing Prompt #4
Mirrors tend to have a creepy aspect to them, so you could do a short story about mirrors in a variety of ways. You could change this horror prompt to reflect that. Instead of someone living in the mirror, maybe you’re trapped in a mirror world. Or perhaps something is able to move through dimensions by stepping through mirrors.
There are many writers that have used mirrors as an object to add a creepy or fantasy element to their story, so give it a try yourself!
Horror Writing Prompt #5
Like the others, this last one could be used by many genres as well. Perhaps a thriller – waking up covered in blood – although that could also be a monster theme. Or perhaps the person was drugged, and now the mystery is to find out why.
Which way would you take this writing prompt?
I hope these writing prompts are helpful to get you started! Let me know which one is your favourite, and how they go!
Do you use writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing?
K. D. Kulpa 