How to Haunt a House
Write a scene that takes place inside a haunted house.
As part of my goal to read as many scary books as possible this fall, I just finished Mexican Gothic by Siliva Moreno-Garcia.
Without giving too much away, the reason why I loved this book so much is because it is a haunted house story that really digs deep into how the house is haunted.
While I also loved The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and the first season of American Horror Story, which is set inside a haunted house, both stories left me with questions about how a house is able to infiltrate the psyche of its characters and why spirits are doomed to linger in a house forever. Mexican Gothic addresses all of this.
Creative writing prompt: Write a scene that takes place inside a haunted house. How did the house become haunted? What do your characters decide to do about it?
Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.
About Cassandra Lipp
Cassandra Lipp is managing editor of Writer's Digest. She is the author of Queen City Records, which tells the stories behind the indie record shops of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Her work has appeared in Greener Pastures, The Belladonna, Little Old Lady, Points in Case, and Ohio's Best Emerging Poets 2019. Follow her on Twitter @Cassie000000.
