Haunted Halloween 2011: Guest Post - Marissa Meyer + A Giveaway!

Easy Costumes for the Budget and Time Deprived
By Marissa Meyer

I love costuming. When I was a teenager, my friends and family and I would spend hours and hours creating elaborate costumes for anime conventions, Renaissance faires, and, of course, Halloween parties! Playing dress-up and make believe remains one of my favorite things to do… when I have the time for it.

But sometimes you just don’t have the time or funds to make a fancy and ornate costume. Sometimes you have to throw a costume together at the last minute, with whatever is already in your closet. Luckily, all it takes to do that is some inspiration and a little imagination.

Here are some quick and easy costume ideas for when that last-minute costume party invitation comes calling.

1. Green shirt + black jacket + any weapon = A Hunger Games Contestant

Tip: Try putting leaves in your hair or using makeup to add some cuts and bruises. If you have it, a silver bird pin or crossbow will elevate you to main protagonist status.

2. Bed sheet + rope + fork = The Little Mermaid

Tip: When in doubt, use more safety pins! And remember, you just gave up your voice to the Sea Witch, so this is a good time to practice your “body language.”

3. Emo clothes + sparkly makeup + red lipstick = A Vampire

Tip: Swing by a costume store to pick up some vampire teeth for the full effect, or you can try carrying around a red apple (but be prepared to be mistaken for Snow White’s evil queen).

4. Simple dress or skirt + apron + a fancy shoe = Cinderella

Tip: To really jazz up the costume, throw in a pumpkin to take the place of your after-midnight carriage. They can be found on most doorsteps this time of year.

5. Lounge clothes + glasses + a pencil + a coffee mug = A Writer

Tip: Bring a flask instead of a coffee mug and spend your time moaning about the unfairness of the publishing industry to instantly upgrade to a drunk and jaded writer. Ta-da!

And if you happen to have costume make-up and fake blood, you can take any costume one step further…

For example: A Zombie Writer!

Happy Costuming!

Marissa Meyer has never cosplayed a zombie, but she has been Sailor Moon, Princess Zelda, and many a pirate wench.

Her debut novel, CINDER, is the first in a four-book series and will be released on January 3rd, 2012 from Feiwel & Friends

Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Pre-order at: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

You can follow Marissa's escapades at:

Website | Twitter

Enter to win an ARC copy of Cinder!

Rules and how to enter:

You MUST be at least 13 years old to enter.

Only entries in the form will count.

Giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry!

Giveaway ends: October 15th, 2011

Don't forget to stop by and check out who Jessica is featuring today for Haunted Halloween!

REMINDER: *If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry.

Please ready full entry rules HERE.


Marissa, thanks so much for kicking off Haunted Halloween with some amazing costume ideas! It was great to have you here and I can't wait to read Cinder!

A HUGE thank you goes Fiewel & Friends for donating the

copy of Cinder for this giveaway.

*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.