Creative Writing Prompt Project: Prompt 11 – A Haunted Birthday

My birthday is right before Halloween. As a kid, I always had Halloween themed birthday parties, so today we’re going to write about a haunted birthday party.

Really this is about building a world: draw us into the creepy party by creating a surrogate character. A surrogate character is someone who steps in for the viewer — your Nick to Gatsby or your Companions to Doctor Who. They allow us to view the world through their lens, offering a commentary on what is happening around them.

Build the scene via that character and make sure to pay attention to showing us what’s happening instead of telling us. That’s hard when describing an odd world, so make sure your characters are using the environment rather than existing in it.

Enjoy! And say happy birthday to me over on Twitter @HackettKate!

Just a reminder… For these prompts, I personally place an emphasis on film or play writing — but anything goes. Use these to fuel any creative endeavor. Feel free to review the project here.

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