Some people really love tropes, but others don’t. Here’s a list of common tropes found in stories about Halloween, to include or to steer clear of.

1. The monsters are normally the villains
2. Black cats are seen as bad luck
3. Witches are ugly
4. Standard monsters: witches, ghosts, skeletons, vampires, etc.
5. Setting is typically a small town on the East Coast
6. A new neighbor who acts strangely/strange noises come from their house
7. Parents are completely absent or don’t care (this goes for the YA genre in general)
8. Everyone knows the one house that gives out king-size candy bars
9. Every single house is decked out in Halloween decorations
10. Jump scares happen when it’s dark out
11. The older kids steal candy from younger kids
12.  Parents never believe their children