Time is certainly flying by more than usual these days – or at least faster than it did last year. Halloween will be here before we know it, and whether going to a costume party, accompanying children trick-or-treating, a best friend, or just passing out candy – grownups love a costume. According to morningconsult.com, 31% of U.S. adults said they planned to wear some sort of getup or Halloween makeup for the cherished holiday in 2021.
If you’re one of those people who is addicted to the spooky season and writing, how cool would it be if you could dress for both? Say goodbye to the popular witch, Beetlejuice, 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.
Creative Halloween Costume 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 at a Halloween party?
- Thriller/Horror. So many choices. When thinking characters, Carrie in the prom scene comes to mind. Hannibal Lecter in his mask, or the Joker’s trademark face paint are always iconic.
- 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 Harry Potter or Disney characters such as The Incredibles.
- Fashion. Choosing the style of Audrey Hepburn, Madonna (and her many iterations), or Barbie wouldn’t necessarily be a novel idea, but channeling Taylor Swift, David Bowie, or Beyoncé would add a layer of freshness to your attire. It would be remiss to not also mention the usage of sequins, black dresses, leggings, tights, or faux fur to accompany fashion-oriented costumes. Get your glue gun ready!
- Tragedy or Comedy. The Thalia and Melpomene masks come to mind or, if you prefer, sock and buskin. Try a couples costume to play off of these concepts.
- Cosplay. 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 will have a ready-made last-minute Halloween costume.
- Travel. Think about countries like Italy and states like Texas that are highly recognizable, or try and stump your fellow trick-or-treaters 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, or The Great Gatsby would offer up some creative costume ideas. 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. Bonus points if you 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?