The Mirror Through Time
A timid teenager discovers an antique mirror in her grandmother's attic that allows her to step into different historical eras. She becomes embroiled in a quest to retrieve an ancient magical artifact essential for preventing a catastrophic event visible only through the mirror's reflection.
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.
- End with a choice only this hero would make.
- Make the adults well-meaning but wrong.
- Use the way your hero texts to show who they are.
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 YA Fantasy and Adventure prompts
- The Dreambound OrphanIn a kingdom where dreams predict the future, a teenage orphan with the rare ability to manipulate dreams must protect a prince from dream-assassins.…
- The Unusual Talent MarkIn a world where everyone is born with a magical tattoo that reveals their greatest talent, a teenager realizes their tattoo is unlike anyone else's…
- The Pathway to ParagonAfter sneaking into the attic of his old family home, a teenage boy discovers a dusty, intricate map labeled "The Pathway to Paragon". With nothing…
- Heir to a Parallel ThroneAfter receiving a mysterious letter on their 16th birthday, a teenager discovers they are the heir to a throne in a parallel universe. Write about…
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