October Creative Challenges for Artists, Readers and Writers

Rev up your fall inspo

Fall is here, and the creative energy that melted away in the summer heat is back. It’s the perfect season to flex your artistic muscles and try new creative challenges!

There’s something special about autumn. Perhaps harvesting the year’s hard work inspires people. Or maybe the Harvest and Hunter’s moon sends us magical vibes. Could it just be that Halloween gets our creative juices flowing? If you’re looking for October art challenges, Halloween drawing prompts, or spooky writing prompts, you’re in the right place.

I wrote a version of this blog in 2023, but I’m updating it for 2025 with even more prompts and a new Spectoberquest social media challenge. With so many fun October art and writing challenges, there’s something here for every kind of creative.

Below is a curated list for some Halloween or spooky-themed art prompts that live on Instagram. If drawing isn’t your thing, why not create a short vignette, character study or short story?

Curated lists of prompts and challenges for Halloween

Whether you draw, paint, or write, these October challenges are perfect for stretching your creativity. You don’t have to do every prompt—just pick what fits your time and interests.

Note: I don’t include images of the prompts to encourage you to give creators direct views.

Intense Mode: The Full 31 Days of Prompts

#Drawlloween

There are two main Drawlloweens and the hashtags get are not distinct but there are different prompt lists:

The original Drawlloween by Brian Soria

According to the website this is “The original Drawlloween created by Brian Soria.” You can find the current and old calendars at his Drawlloween website or at his instagram account @phantasmasoria.

How to participate: use the prompt to create a piece of art in any style using any type of media. Use the hashtags: #Drawlloween and #drawlloween2025

Mab’s Drawlloween Club

My favorite is Mab’s Drawlloween Club by @mabgraves. Mab’s was the first drawing challenge I encountered and it was a lot of fun. I really enjoy Mab’s 2025 prompts. This year she has a few different modes (daily, every other day and weekly) so you can enjoy at your own pace without pressure.

How to participate: follow the prompts. Any media. Relevant hashtags: #mabsdrawloweenclub #mabsdrawloweenclub2025.

#LORETOBER

Babayaga, banshee or kitsune interest you? With almost 4k worth of posts over the years, Loretober has some legs. The 31 prompts for 2025’s #Loretober is about mythology and folklore around the world. A 2025 prompt list is found on @piratesarrrt account.

How to participate: any media, any style. Just use the prompts, #loretober or #loretober2025 and tag @piratesarrrt if you want to share with the challenge host.

I think this could be a great list to write little short stories or character sketches, too.

#KNIGHTTOBER

Knightober is created by @threeleaves_artwork. In the past, this artist created several different prompt lists over the years including a Magiktober and Witchtober.

Relaxed Mode: 16 Prompts or Less

Some challenges are smaller and more flexible. You can still produce amazing work without committing to a full 31-day challenge.

#Witchtober

There are a couple of #witchtober prompts lists to choose from. There are over 334K Instagram posts using #witchtober.

The 16 prompts by willowandroxas feels more manageable if you’re the type that likes to complete everything once you start.

DRAWTOBER

Drawtober is a community-based challenge with their own a Discord channel. (Discord link in theiraccount bio). This challenge has 6 prompts. This year’s theme is Dark Fairytale. They feature 10 artists per prompt so if you want to be featured, tag them in your work. Read their instructions for more detail.

LINDENTOBER (Relaxed Mode)

This challenge by Lindenshield.arts is structured like sunnylee_draw’s #witchtober challenge: 4 weeks with sub-prompts. This is mainly a painting challenge, but any style or media is fine.. Use the hashtags #lindentober #lindentober2025 to participate or follow.

For readers and writers:

#SPECTOBERQUEST2025

I designed this challenge to celebrate speculative fiction, magical realism, mythology, folklore, horror, and paranormal romance. Whether you’re a reader, writer, or creative, there’s something for you.

Authors: Share your books or projects.
Readers: Share your favorite spooky or autumn reads, or your personal story about the month.

This is a fun way to celebrate October, connect with creatives, and discover new stories, characters, and artwork.

Copy this image and use it for your prompts! Subscribe to my newsletter for freebies, sneak peeks from Rivershade, and more seasonal creative inspiration.

How to participate: No rules. Any media (including story or reel), any style. Write a short story, make some art, do a live post, reel. This challenge is really about sharing our favorite books and seasonal frights and delights.

Wrap-Up

If you want to participate in October creative challenges, pick the prompts that excite you most. You don’t have to do them all—autumn is about fun, creativity, and celebrating the spooky season!

I hope you use my prompts for the Spectoberquest challenge and jump in wherever your inspiration leads.