The Summer Camp Map
A group of teenagers at a summer camp discover an old, hidden map inside a forgotten cabin. As they follow the map's mysterious path, they encounter strange, supernatural occurrences. Write their adventure and the secrets they unveil.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Give your hero a secret they're keeping from their best friend.
- Let your hero make a big mistake for a reason the reader understands.
- End with a choice only this hero would make.
Writing young adult books
Ages 12 to 18: firsts, identity and everything at stake.
Young adult fiction is written for teens, with protagonists usually 14 to 18. Every genre lives here, from fantasy to thrillers to romance. What makes it YA is the voice: immediate, intense and inside a teenager's head.
What readers expect
- A teen protagonist
- An immediate, close voice
- Identity and independence
- Big feelings, taken seriously
A tip before you start
Write from inside a teen's head, not from an adult looking back. That immediacy is what separates YA from an adult book with a young hero.
More Teen and YA prompts
- Sixteen and Out of TimeIn a world where everyone receives a unique power on their 16th birthday, your character wakes up to find that they can manipulate time. Write about…
- The Feeling UndergroundImagine a futuristic society where emotions are considered a disease and teens are trained to suppress them. Your character, who feels emotions…
- Dreams That Speak to AnimalsWrite a story where the main character discovers they can communicate with animals, but there's a twist: they can only talk to them in their dreams.…
- The School Secret SocietyYour character discovers an ancient diary hidden in their school's library that hints at a centuries-old secret society that still operates within the…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.