How to write a spooky story: tips for English language students

Sam Colley
placeholder
Reading time: 4 minutes

How to write a spooky story: tips and tricks for English language students

Halloween is the perfect time to let your imagination run wild and create a spooky story that will send shivers down your readers' spines. If you're a student learning English, or an ESL teacher hoping to inspire and enthuse your students, writing a Halloween-themed story can be a fun way to practice your English skills. In this blog, we'll guide you through the process of writing a spooky story step by step, from brainstorming ideas to polishing your final draft. Let's get started!

Tips for writing a spooky story
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree app can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Step 1: Brainstorming ideas

Before you start writing, take some time to brainstorm ideas for your story. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

  1. Think about classic Halloween themes: Ghosts, haunted houses, witches, vampires and zombies are all great starting points.
  2. Consider the setting: Where will your story take place? A dark forest, an abandoned mansion, or a creepy graveyard can all provide a spooky atmosphere.
  3. Create a protagonist: Who is your main character? Are they a brave hero, a curious child, or someone who accidentally stumbles into a terrifying situation?
  4. Develop a plot: What is the main conflict or problem in your story? How will your protagonist try to solve it? What obstacles will they face?


Step 2: Building your vocabulary

To make your story truly spooky, you'll need to use descriptive language that creates a sense of fear and suspense. Here are some useful words and phrases to include:

  • Adjectives: eerie, haunted, shadowy, sinister, chilling, ghastly, macabre, terrifying
  • Verbs: creak, howl, whisper, shiver, lurk, haunt, vanish, scream
  • Nouns: ghost, phantom, specter, darkness, fog, grave, curse, nightmare


Step 3: Structuring your story

A well-structured story will keep your readers engaged from beginning to end. Here's a simple structure to follow:

  1. Introduction: Introduce your main character and setting. Give a hint of the spooky events to come.
  2. Rising action: Build suspense by describing strange or frightening events that happen to your protagonist.
  3. Climax: The most intense and scary part of your story. This is where your protagonist faces the main conflict or danger.
  4. Falling action: Show the aftermath of the climax. How does your protagonist react? What happens next.
  5. Conclusion: Wrap up your story. Did your protagonist escape the danger? Is there a twist to the ending?

Step 4: Writing your first draft

Now that you have your ideas, vocabulary and structure, it's time to start writing. Don't worry about making it perfect on the first try. Just focus on getting your ideas down on paper. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • Use descriptive language: Paint a vivid picture in your readers' minds by using sensory details –sight, sound, smell, touch, taste.
  • Show, don't tell: Instead of saying "It was scary," describe what makes it scary e.g., "The old house creaked and groaned as if it were alive and a cold breeze sent shivers down my spine".
  • Keep the suspense: Reveal information slowly to keep your readers on edge. Use cliffhangers at the end of paragraphs or chapters to maintain tension.


Step 5: Revising and editing

Once you've written your first draft, take a break and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you revise and review:

  • Is the story clear and easy to follow?
  • Are the characters well-developed and believable?
  • Is the setting vividly described?
  • Does the plot build suspense and keep the reader engaged?
  • Are there any grammar or spelling mistakes?


Step 6: Sharing your story

After revising and editing your story, it's time to share it with others. You can read it aloud to friends or family, or even share it in your ESL class. Getting feedback from others can help you improve your writing and gain confidence.


Final thoughts

Writing a spooky story can be a thrilling and rewarding experience, especially for ESL students. By following these steps and using descriptive language, you can create a Halloween-themed story that will captivate your readers. So grab a pen, let your imagination run wild, and get ready to scare.
Happy Halloween and happy writing.

If you'd like to see some more hints and tips on how to improve your English language writing, why not take a look at our blogs on 'Creative writing exercises for English language learners' and 'Mastering English with fun and effective exercises'.

More blogs from app

  • A Parent reading to his two children from a book with all three of them laying on the floor

    How can teachers encourage parents to get kids reading at home?

    By Donatella Fitzgerald MBE

    “Sharing a story with your child is one of the most incredible things you can do for them.” – .

    Research shows that getting kids reading at home can increase their reading ability at school – and improve their overall well-being. Parents and guardians can make a big difference. But how can teachers encourage parents to get their children to read more at home? We explore some strategies you can use.

    Tell parents about the benefits

    Reading can give children a break from technology-centered activities. It can help them to relax and unwind; reading a book can make children laugh and feel happier! Through hearing stories, children are also exposed to a rich and broad vocabulary.

    “It is important for teachers to establish contact with parents as much as possible and give very clear guidelines on the benefits of reading, and how they can create a reading routine and help their children read at home,” says Kasia Janitz-De La Rue, Product Development Director at app.

    So, encourage parents to find time for a reading routine. Just before bedtime is a great time, as .

    Give parents practical ideas for reading strategies

    Encourage parents to read with and not to their child. It doesn’t matter how long they set aside to read – just 10 minutes of quality reading time can make a big difference.

    Here are a few tips concrete reading tips for teachers to share with parents:

    • Ask children lots of questions while reading.
    • Use encouragement and praise to keep children engaged. Saying things like “what fantastic ideas” or “you thought so carefully about that, what might happen now?"will keep their minds working.
    • Use their past experiences to talk about what’s being read. Things like “have you learnt about…at school?” or “do you remember when we watched…and found out about…?” are good conversation starters.
    • Tune in and listen to children, and be curious about their interests. “I didn’t know you knew so much about…” or “I love reading stories about…with you,” are good phrases to keep in mind.

    It’s also a great idea to share online resources with parents. You can also suggest that parents look up read-aloud YouTube videos featuring authors, teachers or librarians reading their favorite stories. This way, children can watch and listen as often as they like.

    Recommend graded readers

    Graded readers are books that use language in line with a child‘s learning level. They can help children build confidence, and help slowly expose them to authentic reading levels.

    Encourage parents to identify what genre their child is interested in and show them the readers available. Each time parents see their children move up a level, they’re sure to see their children’s love for reading grow.

    Suggest before, during, and after reading activities

    Before reading

    Parents can take turns with their children to predict what the story is about – or what will happen next. Here is an activity teachers may suggest they try:

    “Start with the cover of the book and the blurb on the back cover. Reveal the cover slowly to ask the child what they can see. Ask them to guess what is on the cover. Once they have seen the cover, ask them questions about the images on the cover – who, what, why, where and how?”

    While reading

    Remind parents to focus on their children’s reading comprehension by using strategies like prediction, questioning, clarifying, and summarising. Teachers can ask parents to:

    • check ideas and understanding as the child reads: ‘So, you think that….’ ‘Did you expect…to happen?’ ‘Why do you think that happened?’
    • use the pictures in the book to help with comprehension
    • describe what is happening and talk about the characters.

    After reading

    Don’t forget: parents can continue to explore the book’s topic once reading time is done! A few ideas to share with parents include:

    • organising a puppet show for family members and siblings after making puppets of the characters in the book
    • having children draw a picture of their favorite character or their favorite page in the story
    • encouraging children to express their opinion on the book.