Reader Beware: 45+ Chilling "Be Careful What You Wish For" Goosebumps Fanfiction Prompts
Welcome, fearless writers and nostalgic fans. Do you remember that feeling? Hiding under the covers with a flashlight, turning the page to reveal a new horror, a ghastly ghoul, or a cursed camera. R.L. Stine’s *Goosebumps* series gave us a generation of delicious frights, but perhaps no theme is more terrifyingly timeless than the one found in *Be Careful What You Wish For*. The idea that your deepest desire could become your greatest nightmare is the perfect cauldron for brewing up some spooky fanfiction.
That’s where we come in. Whether your protagonist stumbles upon a dusty amulet, a strange old woman in a forgotten shop, or a mysterious smartphone app that grants requests, the wish is what sets the terror in motion. Here is a comprehensive list of story prompts, framed as the wishes themselves, to kickstart your next tale of twisted fates and ghoulish consequences.
Wishes for Unrivaled Popularity
Every kid wants to be liked, but in the world of *Goosebumps*, popularity comes at a petrifying price. These wishes twist the desire for social status into a social nightmare.
1. "I wish I was the most popular kid in school." (The consequence: Everyone in school now follows you, literally, shuffling behind you in a silent, unblinking mob.)
2. "I wish my crush, [Name], would finally notice me." (The consequence: They become obsessed, staring at you through your window at night and never, ever leaving you alone.)
3. "I wish I would get an invitation to the coolest party of the year." (The consequence: You do. But the other guests are vampires, and you're the main course.)
4. "I wish everyone would forget the embarrassing thing I did at the assembly." (The consequence: Everyone forgets you exist entirely. You've become a ghost in your own life.)
5. "I wish everyone thought my jokes were hilarious." (The consequence: People can't stop laughing at anything you say, even when you’re trying to warn them of danger.)
6. "I wish the school bully would want to be my best friend." (The consequence: They protect you by doing monstrous things to anyone who even slightly bothers you.)
7. "I wish I had the coolest clothes and everyone was jealous of me." (The consequence: The clothes start wearing *you*, forcing you into dangerous situations to show off.)
8. "I wish I was the star of the school play." (The consequence: You get the lead role in a forgotten play that is actually a ritual to summon something ancient and hungry.)
Wishes to Escape Everyday Annoyances
From homework to chores to pesky siblings, life is full of little frustrations. But what happens when a wish to escape them goes horribly wrong?
1. "I wish my annoying little brother/sister would just disappear for a while." (The consequence: They vanish, and you are the only one who remembers they ever existed.)
2. "I wish my homework would just do itself." (The consequence: It does, but in a strange, spidery handwriting. It starts writing threats and revealing dark secrets about your teachers.)
3. "I wish I never had to do chores again." (The consequence: The house comes alive to clean itself, and it views you, a messy human, as the biggest problem to be "cleaned.")
4. "I wish my dog would stop barking at nothing." (The consequence: The dog is now silent, but the invisible monster it was barking at is getting closer.)
5. "I wish this boring class would just end." (The consequence: You are suddenly thrown into a future where the class is long over, but you've aged 50 years.)
6. "I wish I didn't have to eat my vegetables." (The consequence: The broccoli and carrots in your fridge animate into a small, angry vegetable army.)
7. "I wish summer vacation would last forever." (The consequence: You are trapped in a time loop, reliving the same hot, boring Tuesday for eternity.)
8. "I wish my parents would stop nagging me." (The consequence: Their mouths disappear, and they can only communicate with you through frantic, terrified gestures.)
Wishes for Jaw-Dropping Talents & Skills
Who wouldn't wish for a shortcut to greatness? These wishes grant incredible abilities that quickly become a curse.
1. "I wish I was the best player on the basketball team." (The consequence: Your hands permanently feel like basketballs—leathery and textured—and you can't stop dribbling everything you touch.)
2. "I wish I could play the piano like a professional." (The consequence: Your hands play on their own, drawn to a haunted melody that summons spirits whenever it's played.)
3. "I wish I could understand what animals are saying." (The consequence: You can, but all you hear are their terrifying thoughts about how much they hate humans.)
4. "I wish I was a master at video games." (The consequence: The monsters and villains from your games start bleeding into the real world, and they're looking for you.)
5. "I wish I could run faster than anyone." (The consequence: You can't stop running. If you slow down, shadowy figures in the distance get closer.)
6. "I wish I could draw anything and have it look real." (The consequence: The monstrous things you doodle in your notebook crawl off the page at night.)
7. "I wish I could ace every test without studying." (The consequence: The answers appear in your mind, but they are whispered by a ghostly voice that now demands you do things for it in return.)
Wishes Made in a Moment of Anger
A moment of rage, a whispered curse. These wishes are born from fury and have frighteningly literal consequences.
1. (Screamed at a bully) "I wish you would just go rot!" (The consequence: The next day, the bully slowly begins to decay, like old fruit, and everyone thinks you're to blame.)
2. (Muttered about a strict teacher) "I wish they would just chill out for once." (The consequence: The teacher's body temperature begins to drop, and a layer of frost forms on their skin.)
3. (Yelled at your parents) "I wish you would just leave me alone!" (The consequence: You become completely invisible and inaudible to them. You're a ghost in your own house.)
4. "I wish that kid who broke my bike would get a taste of their own medicine." (The consequence: You wake up to find your own legs are twisted and broken like the bike's frame.)
5. "I wish this stupid town wasn't so boring." (The consequence: The town becomes a horrifying carnival of monsters, and you are the main attraction.)
6. "I wish my rival would just disappear off the face of the earth." (The consequence: They do, but you are now haunted by their terrifying, spectral reflection in every mirror you see.)
7. "I wish this thunderstorm would just GO AWAY!" (The consequence: The sky goes unnaturally silent and still, with a sickly yellow color. Something much worse than a storm is coming.)
Wishes to Alter Your Reality
These are the big ones—the wishes that don't just change a life, but change the very fabric of the world, creating a brand new, terrifying reality.
1. "I wish it was Halloween every day." (The consequence: The masks people put on for the first day can no longer be taken off, and they begin acting like the monsters they're dressed as.)
2. "I wish my favorite book series was real." (The consequence: The heroic protagonist comes to life... but so does the unspeakably evil main villain.)
3. "I wish I lived in that perfect, old house on the hill." (The consequence: You and your family are transported there, but the house is alive and has no intention of ever letting you leave.)
4. "I wish all the old black and white horror movies were in color." (The consequence: The monsters from those movies are now in color, too, and can step out of the screen into our world.)
5. "I wish my creepy ventriloquist dummy was a real boy." (The consequence: It is, but it wants to turn you into a dummy to take your place.)
6. "I wish I could go back in time and fix my biggest mistake." (The consequence: You succeed, but your "fix" creates a new, far more terrifying present.)
7. "I wish my toys would come to life and play with me." (The consequence: They do, but their idea of "play" involves sinister games of hide-and-seek where the stakes are life and death.)
8. "I wish my reflection in the mirror was my friend." (The consequence: It is, but it's a better, smarter, more popular version of you that is slowly working to trap you in the mirror and take your place.)
### Make the Wish Your Own
There you have it—a crypt-full of cursed wishes to get your story started. The real magic (and horror!) happens when you personalize it. Who is your main character? What ancient object grants them their wish? What are the specific, chilling details that will give your readers... well, you know. Now go on, pick your favorite poison, and write a story that would make R.L. Stine proud. Just be careful what you write for... you might just scare yourself.