30 Scary Story Starters for Middle School

Welcome. We have a frighteningly wonderful list of scary story starters for middle school students (and high schoolers, too) for you and your kids. Yes! These ideas are full of suspense and chills and sure to thrill even the most reluctant of writers. So, you see, it’s no trick, these scary ideas are a sweet treat. Take a look now and enjoy!

Scary Ideas Make for Great Ghost Stories

Shortly after the school year begins and the calendar turns to October, it’s time to start celebrating spooks and frights in your classroom.

While many middle school students have moved on from the years of classroom parties, it’s still fun to get a little creative and a little scary with your lesson plans.

Encouraging your students to write a scary story for an assignment in your class is a great way to introduce the horror genre to them while also focusing on their creative writing skills.

These are just a few ways to get your students thinking creatively during this eerie time of the year.

Writing is a powerful way for kids to grow more aware of themselves. In these new scary story writing prompts for kids, your class will make great use of their imaginations and creative spirits.

Ok, let’s get to that list of scary story starters for middle school (and high school) students now. Enjoy!

30 Scary Story Starters for Middle School
(and High School Writers, too!)

It was a dark and cold night in October. I was walking down a moonlight path when…
I knew I wanted to be my favorite horror character for Halloween, but I didn’t expect the costume to come to life…
I was working on my homework after school when I heard a loud and startling sound…
I walked into the classroom one day, only to be greeted by the ghost of my favorite historical figure…
Everyone always talks about the old house at the end of the street, but I couldn’t believe what happened when I went inside…
My friends and I were having a sleepover when spooky things started happening every few minutes…
I was walking home from school when I ran into a black cat. I knew I was in for a day of scary sights…
We took a field trip to a local museum, but my friends and I got left behind. We were stuck there for the night. The spookiest moment was when….
I went into the science lab, only to discover a mad scientist concocting a secret potion…
I decided the Jack-o-Lantern should have a spooky face this year, but I didn’t expect it to come to life…
My friends and I went on a hayride to enjoy the autumn leaves. We didn’t know we were really headed down a haunted trail…
On Halloween night, I ran into a real witch. She cast a spooky spell on me…
It was Friday the 13th. I had never been a superstitious person before, but…
My next-door neighbor has always been a mysterious figure. She began to reveal her secrets on Halloween night…
I had always heard that the classroom down at the end of the hall was haunted. I never believed it, until I experienced it for myself…
I never expected to find a witch cauldron in the cafeteria. It was bubbling with a green, gooey liquid…
My mom was driving me home from my afternoon practice when we saw a hitchhiker on the side of the road…
My friends and I decided to sneak into the abandoned asylum just outside of town. We wish we never would have gone inside…
The babysitter showed up one evening, and we expected to have a fun night playing games. We never expected it to be the scariest night of our lives…
I went to the movies to watch the latest horror flick, but that wasn’t the scariest part…
My friends and I decided to explore a haunted house. When we arrived, we met a ghost, a witch, and a skeleton…
We went to the playground after school, but the swing on the swingset kept swinging on its own…
I decided to go into the fortune teller’s tent at the fair. I left feeling uneasy about the things she told me…
I told my friends a scary story but never expected the events to start happening to us…
I woke up in the middle of the night and could feel a strange presence in my bedroom…
Your family is driving along a dark country road together. All of a sudden, you realize you are being followed…
I stumbled upon a witch, and she told me I had three wishes. I didn’t know if I could trust her…
Something was chasing me, and I couldn’t stop running. All of a sudden, I tripped…
I had taken a picture with my camera, but when I looked at the photograph I found a strange floating object in the background…
Your principal has scheduled a magician to come to school for an assembly, but his magic isn’t all fun and games…

I hope you enjoyed this list of scary story starters for middle school and high school students.

Have your writers take these ideas, develop a plot and create a scary story with a twist that thrills their readers. Some brainstorming may be needed and the main character developed. Perhaps a zombie, werewolf, a spider, or some vampires.. eek!

It is my hope that with creatures and plot twists and more, your writers can create a scary short story in no time. (Or a long one if you prefer).

159 More Fun Halloween Writing Inspiration & Resources

Bonus!

Before your students start diving into a plot twist, they are going to need to know how to write one and intertwine it into their existing storyline.

These three tips will help students of all ages with writing an engaging and interesting plot twist. These ideas may be used for a short scary story but are probably better used for longer writings (or even that novel your best writing student has in her head!).

Scary Story with a Plot Twist Ideas — 3 Great Tips

When using the scary story starters for middle school students listed above, perhaps you’ll want to use the following tips with your writers, too.

Write an important character out of the story. One of the most surprising things for a reader is finding out that the character, person, or animal that they thought was the main character is not actually an important part of the story. Tip: Try laying a subtle hint or two early on that this may happen.
About halfway through the piece, use a character who has only played a minor, insignificant role and make them do something that changes the course of the story. This type of plot twist may have your fans reflecting on — or rereading your — work to find out what they missed early on in the story.
Startle your readers with an impromptu plot twist at the end. One of the best ways to do this is to finish your story with a cliffhanger. This will leave the readers feeling surprised, as they thought the story was going to wrap up with a tidy conclusion. This type of plot twist can pave the way for a sequel.

Remember, twists are unexpected, strange things that happen in the story that takes the reader by surprise. Play with this idea and in no time you’ll have some exciting new directions to take your scary story’s plotline.

Ok, I hope you found our list of scary story starters for middle school fun and inspiring.

Until next time, keep on writing!

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Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator