15 Autumn Writing Prompts: From Cozy to Terrifying

Jerrica Black
Sep 24
4 min read

As the days get shorter and the weather cools down, some long for a warm drink beside the fire, while others look forward to getting scared out of their skin with a horror flick.

Us writers? We’re thinking about stories that encompass all that Autumn has to offer from that delectable apple cider to a spooky murder mystery to a bloody slasher. Consider these 15 autumn writing prompts for your perusal and inspiration in your next short story, novel or simply getting the brain juices flowing with a warm-up writing sprint.

(I’ll be hosting a write-along over on YouTube using these prompts, if you’d like to join me, on October 8th at 1PM ET! Hit "notify me" to be, well, notified when we go live!)

Within you will find a variety of prompts covering five styles and tones from Cozy & Warm, through Cool & Suspenseful, up to Horrific Halloween. Of course, I encourage you to break the rules and write a terrifying tale using a cozy prompt or turn a horrifying one into something wholesome.

Jerrica peeks out from behind a notbook. She sits in front of a tree with changing leaves. Text reads: 15 Autumn Writing Prompts from cozy to terrifying.

An idiom, turn of phrase or words of wisdom prompt

Here’s some inspiration in the form of words of wisdom, whether a made up idiom or simply a warning to the wise. Who said it? What does it mean? Does it have a particular origin, or is it particular to this person and this circumstance?

Cozy & Warm - “Like a pumpkin on your head.”

Cool & Suspenseful - “Everyone wears a mask. It’s important to find out not only what’s beneath it but why they chose that mask.”

Horrific Halloween - “Be sure the horns you are grabbing are a bull’s and not the devil’s.”

A person sits in the middle of a road line with fall foliage. They have a jack-o-lantern on their head.

A scene prompt

This scene is where your writing begins. It doesn’t have to be the beginning of your story, it’s just inspiration for right now. What is missing from these descriptions? A romantic interest? Someone lurking in the shadows? A trickster entity?

Cozy & Warm - A character is sitting alone in a coffee shop. No laptop, no book, no nothing. They are holding a warm mug in both hands and watching people as they come and go.

Cool & Suspenseful - A blond(e), a brunet(te) and a red head dance around a bonfire under the full moon.

Horrific Halloween - A room filled with trinkets. A single word uttered from an unknown source. He thinks his friend is pulling a prank.

A person with a messy bun blows on a cup of coffee. They are wearing a large print plaid shawl. Their eyes are looking far to the right.

A three things prompt

One of my favourite styles of writing prompt: just three random things. You can put these into your story literally, or you can pull on their vibes and bring them in more metaphorically. Even though these may seem on the nose for the season, consider how you can spin them in another direction without losing all the autumn aesthetic.

Cozy & Warm - a steaming cup of tea, sunflower seeds, a fluffy black cat.

Cool & Suspenseful - a bushel of apples, something buried, whistling wind.

Horrific Halloween - Three teeth, the crunch of leaves, writing on a wall.

On the left is a rusty shovel stuck in a mound of dirt. In the center is a basket of a mix of red and green apples. On the left is a tree blowing in the wind with a wooden house and wind turbine in the background.

A dialogue prompt

A phrase that is uttered by one of your characters. Who says this to whom? What circumstances precede and follow this speech? I suggest not altering it for the purposes of prompts creating restrictions, but do as you must.

Cozy & Warm - “I definitely should have worn a sweater.”

Cool & Suspenseful - “I’m glad that was red wax and not, y’know, the other thing”

Horrific Halloween - “They say the heart is the only muscle that never tires; I'd like to test that theory. I’ll give you to the count of three… RUN!”

Four tierd rows of many red candles melted to their bases. The melted wax of those and previous candles remains in drips and puddles across the shelves and the ground.

A “line to begin or end with” prompt

That’s right, I’m switching it up a little bit. Usually I offer up the first line, but consider ending on this line. Maybe write both and see how different (or similar) the stories turn out. It’s an exercise in knowing where stories should begin and end.

Cozy & Warm - Sweater weather just doesn’t hit the same anymore.

Cool & Suspenseful - Today I will leave the house.

Horrific Halloween - Before long her distant figure blended into the rest of the forest.

Hopefully these prompts will help get your ideas flowing whether you’re using them as a quick warm up before diving into your WIP or looking for some inspiration for your next work of art. Remember to let me know what kinds of shenanigans you get up to, and if you want someone to take a substantive gander at your short story or take a line level comb through your longer piece don’t be afraid to reach out!

Jerrica sitting in front of fall foliage in an orange plaid flannel and a brown shirt. She's hold a blue notebook open in front of here and is laughing.

Jerrica is a writer and editor who inspires up-and-coming writers to create compelling fiction and creative nonfiction works while providing them with the confidence to do it themselves or ask for a helping hand when they need it. She enjoys speculative fiction, horror and gut-wrenching emotion with a side of food & drink and the cozier things in life.