Writing Prompt: Halloween Night

dev-dorrance — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:00:57 +0000

Halloween, like every major holiday, garners a lot of differing opinions. There are some people who spend October watching horror movies, picking out five different costume options, and complaining that they’ve already started putting Christmas decorations in stores. There are others who simply drink their pumpkin spice lattes, go to the pumpkin patch, and pass out Halloween candy- leaving the spooky side of Halloween to the wayside. There are others still who virtually ignore the holiday, turning off their lights when the trick-or-treaters come out to play and refusing to wear a costume even on the rare occasion that they do attend a Halloween party.

Halloween night can be a fun setting to explore your characters, get to know them in new ways, and even throw them outside of their comfort zone. For example, perhaps your character is the type that likes the dark and scary side of the holiday, always ready with fake blood capsules and fangs to play pranks on friends. Imagine this person is asked to attend their nephew’s Halloween party this year. Will they be able to tone down the spookiness and give their nephew a fun party? Or will they scare a bunch of children with their costume and bloody Mary spooky stories?

How a character feels about the holiday can also show off different aspects of their personality. If they obsessively love the holiday, why is that? Are they a macabre person, fascinated by the haunted nature of the holiday? Or do they have a particularly fond memory from their childhood associated with Halloween celebrations?

It also allows you to play around with more specific aspects of character, which allows them to feel more fleshed out and real. What is your character’s favorite scary movie? Favorite Halloween tradition? Favorite Halloween candy or snack? Favorite Halloween decoration in their house? What kind of costume (if any) do they like to wear?

Writing Prompt: Write a scene or short story about how your character spends their Halloween night. Use the day and setting to reveal aspects of your character by showing how they act surrounding the holiday, how they like to spend it, and why. Let this Halloween celebration push them a bit out of their comfort zone and show the reader why that is and how your character handles it.

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Literary Halloween Costumes

dev-dorrance — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:03:46 +0000

You may think of it as simply the time to break out your favorite Stephen King novel or even the best night to delve deeper and darker into the horror masterpiece you’re working on, but to everyone else, it’s a national holiday that involves pumpkins, spooky decorations, and costumes galore. That’s right, it’s Halloween! To those writers who do partake in the holiday festivities, this is one of the most cherished nights of the year. Think about it: you can quite literally become one of your favorite characters for a night. You can adopt their clothing, mannerisms, and even words without one judging glance in your direction. Seize the day, fellow writers! This opportunity only comes around once a year! To help you take advantage, here are suggestions for some classic literary costumes:

1) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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One of the classics we all had to read in high school, all you need really need is a giant A to pin to your chest and you’re good to go!

2) Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Source: Instagram

A classic couple’s costume comes from one of the greatest romances of all time, Pride and Prejudice. Getting dressed up as your favorite romance couple, Elizabeth and Darcy, is fun and also simple. You’ll love role-playing as this classic romantic duo- most ardently.

3) Coraline by Neil Gaiman

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Not only is the book a classic, but the 2009 movie adaptation truly brought this character to life. Spend your Halloween in the bright colored outfit of this dark protagonist!

4)The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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One of the easiest costumes on the list by far comes from the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic The Great Gatsby! If you’re looking for a great couples costume, all he’ll need is a suit and all you’ll need is a flapper dress and presto- Daisy and Jay!

5) Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

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A classic brought to life through the hit show on HBO, there’s truly no limit to the number of different characters and costumes you could put together from this series. Don’t be afraid to get creative with it.

6) Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Source: Living Hours

Whether you decide to go with a member of the trio or go a little more out there and dress up as a Veela from Beauxbatons Academy, this is another series with endless costumes to choose from. Just pick your favorite and Accio!

7) The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Source: Oatmeal Lace Design

From page to screen as well, this book is among the top ten list of a wide variety of readers. You could go with this very simply made couples costume or even if you’re going to a party with friends, you could dress as the classic trio- Fezzik, Inigo, and Vizzini. Inconceivable!

8) Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Recently revived by the award-winning Hulu show, this simple costume is a great choice for a group of book-loving girlfriends.

9) A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

There haven’t been many costume adaptations of these three quite yet, but the recent successful film will no doubt change that this year. These costumes are more complex, but for a group of crafty girlfriends, it’s a great way to celebrate a classic YA book.

10) Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

So many Shakespeare characters to choose from, but Romeo and Juliet are likely the most recognizable of the bunch. If you aren’t doing Halloween as a couple, though, may we recommend carrying a skeleton around and going for the Hamlet angle instead?

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Writing Prompt: Halloween Night

Literary Halloween Costumes