When Halloween Meets Real Life: Writing Tricks, Treats, and Trouble Breathing

Halloween in YA stories usually means costumes, candy, and just the right amount of spooky chaos. Haunted houses, crushes at parties, the thrill of a night when the rules loosen just enough to let magic slip through. But what happens when real life—illness, family struggles, and all the complications we don’t talk about—shows up on a night that’s supposed to be carefree?

That’s the heart of my new short story, Tricks, Treats, and Trouble Breathing: A Halloween Short Story About Siblings, Secrets, and Spooky Chaos.

In this story, two siblings head out for what should be a simple night of trick-or-treating. But like so many holidays, expectations clash with reality. Secrets surface. Illness refuses to stay politely in the background. And what was supposed to be a night of fun turns into something messier, scarier, and more real than either of them anticipated.

I wrote this piece as part of my Unfiltered Lives series, which tells YA stories about resilience, chronic illness, and the unfiltered truth of growing up when life isn’t simple. From Filter to Borrowed Time to Stay Afloat, I’ve tried to show that resilience doesn’t always look like big victories—it often looks like getting through the everyday moments when the world won’t slow down for you.

For me, Halloween was the perfect backdrop. Holidays don’t pause for illness. They happen anyway, with all their traditions, chaos, and expectations. And sometimes, that’s where the most powerful stories live—at the crossroads of what we wish life could be and what it really is.

If you love YA stories with heart, humor, and a little chaos, I’d love for you to check it out.

📖 Tricks, Treats, and Trouble Breathing releases today on Amazon → https://amzn.to/42Q6iIL

Because sometimes the scariest thing on Halloween isn’t the monster under the bed—it’s the challenges we already live with every day.