The Anatomy of A Spooky Tale: Breaking Down Scary (but Not Too Scary) Stories for Kids
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Spooky stories are a great way to get kids reading and, if you’re an educator, motivate students to write. Stephen King reminds us that: “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones,” and there is much truth to this assertion. There are reasons why we love spooky stuff, and teasing our basic fears is like unwittingly testing our resolve as to how we might respond to unanticipated, scary circumstances. Likewise, R.L. Stine’s comment about spooky stuff confirms that we all have “fear of the dark, fear of going down in the basement, fear of weird sounds, fear that somebody is waiting for you in your closet.” R.L. posits that these are the kinds of things that stay with us — no matter our age.
It’s also for these reasons that we love to read spooky stuff.
“Spooky” is an interesting genre, and so much fun to write. Writers should recognize that two basic functions apply in the process. The first is to frighten: to tease young readers and deliver delicious shivers, and to present the frightening possibility that something eerie lurks in the shadows. The second is to provide pathways to overcome that fear and be resolved in conquering the monster, the ghost, or the supernatural figure that is standing in the way, and bringing the story to a place of normality and comfort, allowing us to overcome our fear.
The purpose of a spooky tale for kids is not to terrorize but to encourage children’s imaginations, and in subtle ways, to help children practise coping with fear. Parents and caregivers need not fear that spooky stories will harm their child. In fact, Bruno Bettleheim, noted psychiatrist and author of The Uses of Enchantment, posits that: “[spooky] tales are essential for a child's psychological development because they stimulate imagination, provide hope, help clarify emotions, and offer reassurance by dealing with anxieties in a safe, unrealistic way.” He further reassures parents and caregivers that “the child intuitively comprehends that…these stories are not real.” It is about presenting young readers with stories that are thrilling, but not overwhelming. In the end, a good author of spooky stories should enjoy creating an opportunity for parents and children to enjoy a little harmless shiver together.
To best prepare writing for kids begins by breaking your story down into its key components: setting, characters, suspense, turn of events, and resolution. A good spooky story often thrives best in a compact world: a single setting, a small number of characters, and one simple problem. This keeps details manageable for children.
Hopefully, this article will give authors, caregivers, educators, and storytellers a clearer understanding of how to create and share stories that will help kids learn how to whistle in the dark and enjoy being just a little bit scared.
The Setting: Let the Spookiness Begin
In spooky tales for children, the setting invites curiosity, makes the hair on little ones’ necks rise, and is never overly grotesque or nightmarish. For example, in my story, Gerry Olliveri, a young bully decides to run away from home. He chooses to follow the path through a familiar forested area just as it is getting dark.
Jerry thought he’d take the path
Through Blackburn’s Forest Park,
A place where kids would often play,
But never after dark.
The story is mostly contained in that very compact setting — the neighbourhood forest. As Jerry exudes a false bravado, that very familiar location becomes the backdrop for a very spooky scenario. Soon, Jerry is accosted by a flying witch, and the forest only emphasizes his fear as he tries to escape the horror.
Likewise, In Trashcan Twilight, another softly spooky story for little kids, the plot unfolds in the backyard of a family home. Our main character, the babysitter, hears a noise in the backyard and decides to investigate. After all, it’s just a backyard, right?
At first I couldn’t locate
Nor identify the sound
So, I opened up the back porch door,
And looked upon the grounds
I wasn’t really worried
‘Cause the wind was blowing hard
Leaves and papers, twigs and bags
Were strewn across the yard.
But I knew that something wasn’t right
I felt it in my bones,
It was then I heard them, long and low,
A chorus of deep moans.
Instinctively, she runs back into the kitchen, and she observes the frightening scene of garbage cans flying over the hedge, engaging in a bewildering and bewitching song and dance. The setting, as simple as a backyard, provides the perfect backdrop for the story.
In any good children’s story, the setting should whisper to the reader that something is just not right.
In my series, In Blackburn Hamlet — Spooky Stories for Little Kids, the ordinariness of the settings inspires confidence. Still, the spooky things that happen in the little hamlet tell a terrifying tale that helps to undermine that confidence, just a little. It is about introducing an eeriness to the familiar, where it is both terrifying but believable. On the one hand, the familiar sets them at ease, but the twists challenge their consideration of their own safety in a familiar place.
The role of the setting, then, is to open the door to the unknown, to tease the imagination, and to have children questioning before they turn the next page. Importantly, though, it should never plunge them into horror that feels too real or unsafe for young children.
The Characters: Hey, I Know That Person!
Most often, the main characters in spooky tales are children. These characters often serve to mirror the reader and act as guides through the unknown. This allows young readers and listeners to imagine themselves in the story and relate to it, and to the other characters, as they often do.
Writers may use siblings who move into a haunted house, classmates who discover cursed objects, or friends who stumble upon a monster’s lair. These child protagonists, like the reader, are often reluctant heroes. They are ordinary kids who sometimes argue, make mistakes, or let their curiosity get the better of them. Most of them don’t aim to be heroes, and their bravery is tested. This is highly relatable to young readers, as each of them must inevitably face their own fear in life.
Supporting characters often serve as foils or companions. These characters present traits and characteristics that are relatable to the reader. In the case of the spooky story, it represents how children process fear, unique to themselves. Readers find commonality in these traits and see them in their friends and peers.
Of course, we can’t forget the “scary” characters like ghosts, monsters, skeletons. In children’s tales, these figures often turn out to be misunderstood, sometimes inspiring a cautious empathy in the reader.
It is often the case that the function of characters in spooky tales is twofold: they reflect children’s own experiences with fear, but they also model for children the path to overcome their fear — to be brave.
Suspense: Make Them Shiver!
Suspense is the underpinning of any good, spooky tale. Whereas we can draw out suspense to near-unbearable levels for adults, for children, it must be carefully regulated. It is imperative to build anticipation, not panic. We want to scare them, not create a scenario where they might need therapy.
Sensory details are the hallmarks of suspense. A creak on the staircase, a locked door, the sound of footsteps on the dark street behind you, or a sudden power outage. We’re all used to being startled at a movie when something visually jumps out at us. A good author uses suspense to charge the reader with fear, but not without first building that suspense slowly and deliciously.
Cliffhangers work! In my novel, The Popchuck’s Ghost, the end of chapter 10 of the reads:
“…the door slammed into his
backside, propelling him
forward…dropping his flashlight…he
fell into a deep, dark hole!
A hole in an outhouse!”
Who’s not going to want to know what happens next?
The art of suspense in children’s spooky stories is to provide just enough fear to be thrilling, but to present it in a balanced way that reassures kids that the problem can be solved.
The Turn of Events: A Terrorizing Twist
What makes a spooky tale memorable is often the turn of events in an otherwise normal plot — the twist in the story — that sudden revelation that challenges what the reader thought they knew. For kids, the twist should surprise and delight rather than traumatize.
In most cases, the twist should tingle the spine, but then reassure. The sound in the hallway? Oh, it’s just a kitten knocking over a vase. The footsteps in the dark? Just a mother walking softly. The shadow on the wall? Just an exaggerated image of a much smaller dog. These lighthearted reversals leave children laughing more than trembling, and each builds suspense.
Twists in children’s spooky tales are essential because they remind kids that appearances can deceive. As well, it inspires critical thinking in kids to consider the world around them and deem that what appears safe may actually be hiding a mystery, and what looks scary may not be, after all.
The Resolution: Thank Goodness, We’re Safe!
No matter how unnerving a story becomes, the ending of most children’s books usually returns to a place of safety. There is a progression of resolution to a spooky story that varies in intensity among spooky tales for young kids, middle-graders, YAs, and adults, but in many children’s stories, resolutions often come with humour and lingering relief.
In Trashcan Twilight, the young babysitter realizes, after experiencing the trashcans dancing in the night, that the trashcans simply want to meet with friends and enjoy each other’s company. Sometimes the resolution restores normalcy, as when children return home safely after a scary adventure.
This is almost the case for Jerry Olliveri, who discovers, at last, that he’s safely back home in bed with his mom, comforting him by his bedside. Yet, unlike most children’s authors, I tease that comfort and press the message for Jerry. Stop bullying, or else! Cautionary tales are particularly intentional in their underlying message.
Another form of resolution is the transformation of the “scary” character of the story. A once-frightening figure becomes an ally or friend. The hero learns something about that character that renders them empathetic. In most cases, a transformation may lead the main character to realize their own bravery. These endings mitigate fear and empower children with a sense of mastery.
Developmental psychologists note that this cycle — fear, suspense, climax, and safe resolution — mirrors the way children practise dealing with difficult emotions. The resolution, then, is not an afterthought but the most important part of the anatomy of a spooky tale, particularly for young readers. It provides comfort, reassurance, and closure.
Writing spooky stories should be a careful balance of fear, anxiety, excitement, and resolution that tempers the terrifying and anchors the child after a wild ride. At their hearts, spooky tales serve as both entertainment and emotional practice, allowing children to explore the unknown while remaining safe.
Setting, characters, suspense, turn of events, and resolution are the elements of an effective spooky story. Crafting these stories raises children’s goosebumps, but they shouldn’t create nightmares. Spooky stories allow children to learn resilience, engage creatively, and enjoy being just a little bit scared. After all, spooky stories reveal something essential about childhood: fear and fun can walk hand in hand. And sometimes the best way to face the dark is by reading a good story!
Paul Toffanello is a retired director of education and an accomplished author who has written a trilogy for junior level students called The Popchuck Chronicles, and In Blackburn Hamlet, a softly spooky illustrated series of stories for emerging readers. Paul has presented his novels to students in over 700 schools across the world, sharing his story and inspiring them to read.
