Time is certainly flying by more than usual these days. Halloween will be here before we know
it, and whether going to a party, accompanying children trick or treating or just passing out
candy – grownups love a costume. According to morningconsult.com, 31% of U.S. adults said
they planned to wear one for Halloween in 2021.
If you’re one of those people who is addicted to the ghoulish holiday and writing, how cool
would it be if you could dress for both? Say goodbye to the popular witch, cat and ghost
costumes and take a more “literal” look at your choices. Whether you are basing your outfit on
the type of writing at which you excel, a favorite book or even a cherished literary character,
the possibilities are endless.
Writing Genres
- Sports. This is a no-brainer. Dress up like your athletic idol – be it a college football
quarterback, an Olympic star or just your favorite kind of sport. How much would you
stand out in a gymnast’s garb? - Thriller/Horror. So many choices. When thinking characters, Carrie in the prom scene
comes to mind. Hannibal Lecter in his mask, and Jaws himself would be terrifying! - Children’s Prose. This might be challenging to pull off, but dressing as a creature from
“Where the Wild Things Are” would raise some eyebrows. A little less taxing could be a
Harry Potter personality. - Fashion. Choosing the style of Audrey Hepburn, Madonna (and her many iterations) and
Jackie O wouldn’t necessarily be a “novel” idea, but channeling Lady Gaga, David Bowie
or RuPaul would add a layer of freshness to your attire. - Tragedy or Comedy. The “Thalia and Melpomene” masks come to mind, or if you prefer,
“Sock and Buskin.” - Science Fiction/Fantasy. Anything related to Dragon Con, the epic multi-genre and pop
culture event that takes place annually in Atlanta, would apply. And if you attend that
convention, you can use your costume twice in one year. - Travel. Think about countries like Italy and states like Texas that are highly recognizable,
or try and stump your fellow Halloweeners by dressing like Cyprus or Kansas.
Writing Mediums
You can always dress like your publication of choice, be it a novel with one of those tacky
romance covers, a newspaper with a blaring headline or a famous magazine cover like National
Geographic with Sharbat Gula, the young Afghan girl with the green eyes. The Merck Manual
would apply if you are a textbook writer, and “The Joy of Cooking” makes sense if writing about
food is your thing. Donning a favorite recipe from grandma would also be a clever idea.
Favorite Authors and Literary Characters
Channeling individuals from “Game of Thrones,” “Lord of the Rings” and “The Great Gatsby” would offer up some stunning duds for the holiday. Better yet, you could enlist a friend, family member or significant other so you could pair up to dress like your favorite author and a character from his or her book. Think Edgar Allen Poe and the Raven or the beating organ in “The Telltale Heart.” Going as Margaret Mitchell and either Scarlett O’Hara or Rhett Butler would surely be a showstopper. Characters from plays and musicals count, too, so it’s okay to push the envelope by going as the phantom from “Phantom of the Opera,” Elphaba from “Wicked” or Romeo and Juliet. For that last one, you could also recruit your dog to dress one of the parts.
Odds and Ends
Decking out in a punctuation mark would be a cinch and easy for everyone to figure out.
Exclamation points and ampersands – and even your favorite letter(s) – spring to mind. You
could take another easy route and dress up like your writing implement of choice – a pen,
pencil, typewriter or keyboard. Lastly, wow your fellow costumers by choosing an outfit based
on any number of publishing house logos: the birds from Penguin Press or Puffin Books, the
Bear that represents Walker Books or the dragon of Mercia Books.
For more inspiration, check out some Halloween jokes and quotes. Also, do you know the 10 most common phobias?