How to Make Halloween Writing Fun and Structured

 

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the school year.

The excitement in the air, the costumes, the candy… and of course, the spooky stories students can’t wait to write! 👻

But here’s the problem:

When I first started teaching, I would hand out a Halloween writing prompt and say, “Go write a spooky story!”

And you can probably guess what happened next.

Some kids stared at a blank page. Others wrote one sentence:
"It was scary. The end." 

By the time I read through that stack of half-finished stories, my teacher heart sank.

I knew my students wanted to write — they just didn’t have the tools or structure to make it happen.

The Problem: Too Many Ideas, Not Enough Structure

Halloween is exciting, but sometimes too exciting.
Students have a million spooky ideas swirling around in their heads, but without clear steps, those ideas get jumbled or fizzle out.

I realized my students needed two things to be successful:

1. Inspiration to get their spooky stories started.
2. Structure to help them finish strong with a polished piece of writing.

The Solution: Start Simple 

That’s why I created the FREE Spooky House Story Starter Activity!

It gives your students a jumping-off point so they aren’t stuck staring at a blank page.

This freebie includes:

• 10 spooky house prompts to spark imagination
• A descriptive word bank to help students add eerie details

The best part? It’s quick, easy to prep, and fun for students.
You can use it for a one-day writing activity, a bell ringer, or even as an emergency sub plan.

Grab your FREE Spooky House Story Starter Pack here. 

Then...Take It to the Next Level!

While this freebie gets students excited to write, what happens when you want to take them beyond a rough draft?

That’s where my Halloween Narrative Writing Unit comes in.
It’s a complete, step-by-step system that helps students move from spooky idea → polished final draft with confidence.

Here’s what’s inside:

• 9 graphic organizers to scaffold each step of the writing process
• A spooky soundtrack with images to set the mood 
• An editable rubric for easy grading
• A sample story to show students what success looks like

The result? Every student feels successful, and you get a ready-to-go Halloween writing experience that’s actually fun to teach.

Let’s make this October one your students will never forget — and one where every student feels like a real writer. 

Pin This Post for Later:

Don’t spend hours searching for that great idea you found.  Just pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can quickly and easily come back when you are ready.  You’ll be glad you did!