First in the Family
Describe a character who is the first in their family to attend college. Detail their struggles with balancing family expectations, new friendships, and finding their own path, culminating in a pivotal decision that defines their coming of age.
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 Coming-of-Age prompts
- Diaries from the WoodsIn a small town where everyone knows each other's secrets, a group of friends discovers an abandoned house in the woods containing diaries from the…
- The Town's Hidden MuralWrite a story about a group of teens who discover a hidden mural in their small town. The mural's mysterious symbols lead them on a quest to uncover…
- The Ceremony at SixteenImagine a world where at the age of sixteen, everyone must undergo a ceremony that determines their role in society. Your main character, defiant and…
- Leaving the HometownImagine a character who has always lived in a small town but dreams of exploring the world. Describe the moment they decide to leave, and the…
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