The Silent Singing Garden
Create a story about a magical garden where the plants can sing and dance. One day, they go silent and it’s up to you, the gardener's helper, to solve the mystery and bring music back to the garden with the help of a wise old sunflower and a mischievous little worm.
Suggested length: An early reader: 1,000 to 2,500 words
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.
- Keep it to one problem and one place.
- Let the child solve the problem, not a grown-up.
- Name the feeling the character has, simply and honestly.
Writing children's
Ages 0 to 8: books made to be read aloud, again and again.
Children's books run from board books and picture books for the youngest to early readers and chapter books for kids reading on their own. Every word counts, and the adults reading aloud are an audience too.
What readers expect
- Simple, rhythmic language
- A child's point of view
- Room for the illustrations
- A satisfying, often gentle ending
A tip before you start
You don't need an illustrator. Publishers pair picture book writers with artists, so leave room in your text for the pictures to tell part of the story.
More Early Reader prompts
- The Schoolday Wish BackpackYou find an enchanted backpack that gives you anything you wish for, but only during school hours. Write about what you wish for and the adventures…
- A Storybook Friend Comes AliveYour favorite storybook character steps out of the book and into your room! Write about your day together and the fun activities you do with your new…
- The Mind-Reading GlassesPretend you find a pair of glasses that allows you to read the minds of animals. Share a story about a day spent with these glasses at a busy city…
- A Day at the Switched ZooImagine a magical zoo where the animals switch places with the visitors, and the visitors get to live like the animals for a day. Describe your day as…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
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