Stephen King is a master of terror, so it's only right that on the scariest day of the year we pay homage to him with some truly creepy Halloween costumes [1]. Whether you want to go full-fledged nightmare (a blood-soaked Carrie), or you'd rather keep things toned down (everyone in The Green Mile), there's a costume for you. What's even better is that a lot of them are simple and easy to make, so you can probably just throw a little fake blood on clothes you have already and be on your way. Even if you're not a huge King fan, who knows — by the end of the night, you might find yourself with a little more in common with Annie Wilkes than you thought (wink, wink).
Carrie From Carrie
- What to wear: A long blond wig, a long, light-pink dress [5], a tiara, and a pink corsage on your wrist. Carry a bouquet of flowers, and then drench yourself in fake blood.
- How to act: Nervous and awkward at first, and then ragingly angry. Delight your friends further by staring at things intently, and saying, "Just watch, it'll move. Keep watching. I swear it's gonna move."
Pennywise From It
- What to wear: Paint your face all white, and then put on a clown nose and bright-red lipstick, and draw on thin eyebrows with black eyeliner. Next, put on a red wig [6], white gloves, and a colorful clown suit. Don't forget to give yourself gnarly-looking yellow teeth (you can always wear fangs, too), and carry around some balloons to lure children in.
- How to act: Creepy beyond belief.
Charlene "Charlie" McGee From Firestarter
- What to wear: A shoulder-length blond wig parted down the middle, a denim button-down shirt, and a corduroy jacket. Pin a few fake flames to your jacket, pants, and even in your hair to make sure everyone knows you're a split second away from lighting them up.
- How to act: Fiery.
Roland Deschain From The Dark Tower
- What to wear: Dark boots and pants, a light-colored button-down underneath a dark vest and a long brown coat, and a red handkerchief tied around your neck. Rock a brown cowboy hat, and holsters with Roland's signature weapons (two guns).
- How to act: Very practical and slightly detached, but ready to help anyone out at a moment's notice.
Randall Flagg, aka The Man in Black From The Dark Tower
- What to wear: All black (surprise, surprise). Get a wig, long coat, pants, and a shirt in the same shade, and carry around a deck of tarot cards.
- How to act: As evil as possible.
Cujo From Cujo
- What to wear: A brown furry vest [8], a pair of dog ears, and a dog nose, except with your face smeared in blood.
- How to act: Absolutely mental. You're a rabid dog, so feel free to bark at strangers (they'll love it, we promise).
Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding From The Shawshank Redemption
- What to wear: A gray newsboy cap [9], a white t-shirt, and a gray button-down shirt over it with the numbers "30265" stitched on the pocket. Finish off the look with jeans, boots, and a baseball glove.
- How to act: Confident and good-natured, but a little bit defeated.
Kurt Barlow From Salem’s Lot
- What to wear: After you've painted your face and hands light blue and gotten a set of fangs, all you'll need is a long black cloak.
- How to act: Try to suck your friend's blood all night, and shy away from anyone wearing a crucifix.
Danny Glick From Salem’s Lot
- What to wear: A white set of matching pajamas, with your face and hands painted light blue, with a set of baby fangs.
- How to act: Like your annoying little brother, only dead.
Annie Wilkes From Misery
- What to wear: A shoulder-length brown wig parted in the center, with a long-sleeved green shirt under a gray overall dress [10]. Make sure you don't leave the house without your trusty sledgehammer!
- How to act: Deranged. Talk about your favorite author nonstop throughout the night.
Dead Cat From Pet Sematary
- What to wear: Paint your face gray and rock a pair of cat ears, a cat nose, and whiskers, except with blood staining your mouth.
- How to act: Meow a lot.
John Coffey From The Green Mile
- What to wear: A white t-shirt with frayed sleeves under a pair of denim overalls.
- How to act: Incredibly kind and empathetic. If anyone at your Halloween [11] party says they feel sick, offer to help them out.
The Kids From Stand by Me
- What to wear: All of the boys have camping gear slung over their shoulders (canteens, sleeping bags, etc.), and are wearing jeans or khakis. If you're going as Teddy, wear dog tags and thick, black glasses, and for Vern, put on a striped polo and a big smile.
- How to act: A little naïve, and ready for an adventure.
Ace Merrill From Stand by Me
- What to wear: A bleach-blond wig, and a black t-shirt and black jeans under a colorful, short-sleeved shirt. Ace doesn't leave his house without a pack of cigarettes and his switchblade, by the way.
- How to act: Like a huge bully.
Wendy Torrance From The Shining
- What to wear: In addition to wearing a perpetual scream on your face, put on a brown wig (with bangs) and a long-sleeved green shirt under a brown, corduroy overall dress. Then, wear some brown tights and tall brown boots, and tote around a baseball bat.
- How to act: Start screaming and then just never stop.
The Grady Twins From The Shining
- What to wear: After you pull your hair back to one side in a barrette, put on a high-necked blue dress [12] with a white belt tied around your middle, as well as white knee socks and black Mary Jane shoes [13].
- How to act: Really into murder. Speak in unison.
Jack Torrance From The Shining
- What to wear: Pair a red plaid shirt under a red corduroy jacket with jeans, and carry an ax. To take your costume to the next level, either make it look like your clothes and face are covered in frost (Jack's garden maze look), or attach a piece of cardboard to your chest [14] to make it look like you're peeking out of a door.
- How to act: Out of your damn mind.