Setting
The setting of your tale can be traditionally spooky, creepy, or mysterious—an
abandoned house or cemetery or subway at night. It can also be an ordinary
place at first glance—a classroom, a church, a bowling alley, but with the suggestion that something is not quite right. This can add to the sense of creepiness,
suggesting that ghosts can appear anywhere.
Characters
Create many likable characters so that your ghost has some context. Focusing
too much on the ghost as the main character may not interest your readers. You
want readers to be intrigued by the ghost but not overexposed to it. Show your
characters through what they do, what they say, how they feel, what they look like,
and how other characters react to them.
Mystery
The problem in the story must have a mysterious element to it. The problem
could be that the characters are trying to figure out what the ghost wants, or they
are figuring out how to get rid of the ghost. Readers will want to travel with the
characters on the journey to solve the mystery. The mystery can also be something missing, a murder, or an unsolved problem from the past.
Emotion
In a ghost story you want your readers to have the emotion of fear. The characters in your story should be experiencing it so your reader can too. Show, don’t
tell about, the emotions of your characters mainly from their actions.
Plot
Your ghost story needs an engaging plot. It needs a beginning, middle, and an
end that will make your reader not want to put your story down.
Adapted from:
www.ehow.com/how_2123971_write-ghost story.html#ixzz1381I8KMg and
ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Write-a-Great-Ghost-Story&id=112208

Use a graphic organizer to help you get started.