Sometimes the most challenging part of writing a short horror story isn’t the ending or the pacing, it’s getting started. That blank page can feel scarier than any monster. Horror story writing prompts are a powerful way to bypass hesitation, spark new ideas, and push your imagination into unexpected places.
Why Horror Story Writing Prompts Spark Creativity
Horror short story prompts work especially well because they give you just enough to ignite fear without boxing you in. They’re seeds, and it’s up to you to grow them into chilling tales.
The best thing about prompts is that they’re just the spark. The beginning. One hundred people can use the same prompt to create one hundred entirely unique stories with varied endings. So, don’t worry about being unoriginal or boring should you choose to use a writing prompt.
To help spark some terror in your writing, here are ten original, in-depth prompts designed to inspire your next piece of horror fiction. Use them as-is, twist them into something new, or combine several to create something uniquely terrifying. Each prompt comes with some follow-up questions to help you shape the story, not just start it.
1. The Reflection That Moves on Its Own
Every mirror in your house shows your reflection normally, except one. In that glass, your reflection blinks a second later than you do. What happens when it starts moving before you?
Many horror stories use reflections to scare and intrigue. Make yours fresh by giving the one mirror a haunting backstory. Attach some lore to it, give it personality. Was it cursed 100 years ago? Is something attached to it? Where did it come from? Make it the antagonist!
Why it works: Mirrors are everyday objects, and twisting something ordinary into something uncanny builds instant unease.
2. The Town With No Shadows
You arrive in a small town at sunset and realize nothing casts a shadow, not people, not buildings, not trees. Everyone seems OK with this. You’re the only one who notices.
Have the shadows been stolen? Is the town cursed? Why does no one notice – are they possessed, deluded, bewitched? There’s a lot to work with here.
Why it works: Shadows are natural. Removing them hints at something profoundly unnatural, creating tension through absence. The initial fear is instant and effortless.
3. The Phone That Knows Too Much
Your phone buzzes with a notification: “Don’t open the basement door.” You don’t have a basement. Ten minutes later, you hear a knock beneath the floorboards.
You can expand on this with more warnings from the phone, or leave it with the one to create a sense of mystery. You could also broaden the warnings to come from other devices, creating a sense of suffocation and inevitability. Is a person behind the warning? Or something else? Is it the universe itself sending warnings?
Why it works: Technology already tracks us. Pushing that familiarity into sinister territory makes it feel possible and, therefore, terrifying.
4. The Babysitter’s Last Job
You’re babysitting a child who insists someone is standing outside their bedroom window. The apartment is on the 10th floor of an apartment building.
This is a simple start, but you can do a great deal with it. Even the title can foreshadow your ending – why is it their last job? Are they sucked into an endless loop, another reality, or something else? What did the kid really see? Will the kid be a help or a hindrance to the babysitter?
Why it works: Children’s warnings often get dismissed in horror, but what if they’re right? The impossible setting adds instant dread.
5. The Hotel That Wasn’t There Yesterday
You’re driving a familiar route when you see a glowing sign for a hotel you’ve never noticed before. Exhausted, you decide to stay. In the morning, you wake up in the car, the building is gone, and no one else remembers it.
This creates instant mystery and dread that you can easily build on. Have your protagonist drive into town, and the hotel’s receptionist is working at a local diner. They claim they have no knowledge of any hotel. From here, let your imagination run. What is the hotel? Who is the receptionist, really? Why does it disappear? Why does your protagonist see it, and no one else?
Why it works: Sudden, unexplained changes in the environment create disorientation, perfect for writing short horror stories.
6. The Library That Remembers You
You visit a library in a new town and find a shelf filled with books about your life; detailed accounts of your past, present, and even pages of your future. You’re afraid to turn to the last chapter.
Play with the idea of knowing your future, and how it shapes actions in the present. Does the librarian know what the library is? Does anyone believe your protagonist? Why does the library do what it does? (Or, never answer this and let your readers guess). Perhaps they meet another person who had their future foretold by the library. What happened to them? Did they come from the future?
Why it works: This blends cosmic horror with personal dread, forcing characters to confront knowledge they shouldn’t have.
7. The House That Breathes
Late at night, you notice your walls expanding and contracting as if the house itself is breathing. Each inhale makes the lights flicker. Each exhale rattles the doors.
You can expand the backstory here any way you want – has the protagonist lived in the house long? Or did they just move in? What exactly is behind the bizarre happenings? Play with the repetition: inhale = lights flicker, exhale = doors rattle.
Why it works: Personifying a setting creates claustrophobia. Readers immediately wonder what will happen if the “breathing” stops.
8. The Passenger Who Won’t Leave
You’re driving home alone, but your rearview mirror keeps showing someone sitting in the backseat. When you check in person, it’s empty. Until the seatbelt clicks.
You can do anything with this: Who is in the backseat? Does the location your protagonist is driving through have anything to do with it? Why have they chosen this car? Is it random, or was your protagonist chosen for a reason?
Why it works: Cars are intimate spaces. Adding an unseen presence inside one instantly traps the character in fear. It’s easy to create a sense of mystery and inevitability in this setting.
9. The Carnival Prize You Shouldn’t Have Taken
At a carnival, you win a stuffed animal from a rigged game. That night, you wake to find its button eyes watching you. The next morning, its fur smells faintly of smoke.
This is a great premise for a psychological, slow-burning story with a spooky, cryptic ending that doesn’t answer every question! Where did the toy come from? What cursed the toy? What is the history of the carnival? Are the carnival employees involved, or not?
Why it works: Horror often works through slow reveals. Each detail about the toy escalates tension. Not answering every question about the toy will leave this story lingering in the mind of every reader.
10. The Stranger Who Knows Your Dreams
A stranger approaches you on the street and casually mentions details from your nightmares. They smile and say, “I’ll see you again tonight.”
First, you can set this one anywhere. This is horrifying if it happens near the protagonist’s home, and it’s even more mysterious if it occurs while traveling. How did the stranger find them? Who are they? How do they gain access to or see someone else’s dreams? Are they controlling the dream, or merely witnessing it?
Why it works: Dreams are private spaces. Invading them blurs the line between subconscious and reality. This one is absolutely ripe for building incredible suspense and tension.
Tips for Using These Horror Story Writing Prompts
- Write fast: Don’t overthink. Prompts are meant to kickstart creativity, not bog you down.
- Add your twist: If a prompt feels familiar, flip it. Change the setting, the character, or the point of view.
- Focus on fear: Ask, What would terrify me in this situation? Start there.
- Use them for practice: Even if a prompt doesn’t turn into a full story, it’s a great way to hone pacing, atmosphere, or character skills.
If you want a longer list of shorter, more basic prompts from all genres, check out this list from Reedsy. These prompts can be helpful for sparking a story or generating ideas to add to an ongoing narrative.
Common Mistakes With Horror Story Writing Prompts
- Treating them as rules instead of inspiration. Just because you chose a prompt doesn’t mean you have to stick with everything about it.
- Stopping too soon. Horror story writing prompts are most effective when you push past the obvious idea. These ideas are meant to spark you, not write the story for you.
- Forgetting character. Prompts are about situations, but the people inside them make the horror land. Don’t neglect character depth and development. Show their emotions, reactions, and characteristics.
Using Horror Story Writing Prompts: Final Thoughts
Horror story writing prompts are like opening a door into the dark; you don’t know what you’ll find, but you can be sure it will spark new ideas. Whether it’s a breathing house, a vanishing hotel, or a stranger who knows too much, each of these prompts can grow into a chilling tale.
If you’d like to see examples of prompts transformed into finished fiction, check out my collection Uncovered: The Story of Eva Courtland and Other Spooky Tales. Many of those stories began as small, haunting ideas; proof that a single spark can become something unforgettable. I’m no stranger to writer’s block, so some of these tales definitely came from a prompt I looked up for inspiration.
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