Happy Grown-up Halloween
Has the holiday lost some of its magic since we were kids? Sure. What could possibly compete with a pillowcase full of candy that you were allowed to keep in your room, and eat at will? And, for us, the scariest threat were the big neighborhood kids who might – at any point – knock you down and steal your candy. That kept you on your toes.
Scary movies, like Halloween, and Friday the 13th or Texas Chainsaw Massacre weren’t going to give us nightmares – or cool costume ideas – for another decade.
And wait… my kids can’t believe what we wore as costumes! Our family favorites were a frog, or a devil costume if you wanted store-bought, or “gypsy” or “hobo” if you were making your own. (I know, 100% not PC. Even a little mean… but it’s what we wore and what we called them.) Hobo was more comfortable and easier to wear trick or treating. Gypsy meant you got to borrow mom’s jewelry, which was certainly fun. We had six kids in my family, a solid half of us would be in one costume or the other, each year.
Okay, okay, so what are the joys of grown-up Halloween?
- trick or treaters, of course
- costume parties
- Pumpkin carving!
- My kids’ costumes – bec Millennials celebrate Halloween with character costumes well into their 30’s
- Whatever candy, mulled wine or other treats you’re still allowed on your vegan, gluten-free, low-carb diabetic, dietetic reality, these days
For us, creative ones, Halloween likely brings up happy memories, with limited excitement for today’s options. So, I’m going to do something to stir the pot of creative juices and give you ten Halloween writing prompts!
Ten Halloween Writing Prompts
- What was your worst Halloween ever?
- Some trick-or-treaters ring your doorbell. You grab the candy bowl and and answer the door. One kid is truly terrifying. What about them gives you the creeps?
- It’s a full moon on Halloween. You have to host your boss and his wife for a dinner party. What surprising information do you learn? How do you use this it going forward?
- Your doorbell rings on Halloween – when you answer the door it’s the town Football Team, not in costume. What do you do? What do they do?
- Your best last-minute costume
- The most ridiculous group costume you’ve ever seen – how were they received?
- Do you sneak eat your kids’ candy? Why or why not?
- The candy swap, back at your house after trick or treating – What were the good deals? What was a “rook”? How did the negotiations go?
- Have you ever worn a costume that no one else could tell what it was all night? What was that like?
- Have you ever seen a ghost? Or felt a ghost walk through you?
Post your Halloween stories in the Write Without the Fight FB (or should I say Meta) group. Ask to join if you’re not already participating in the writing fun.