The Seniors' Farewell Ritual
Develop a story about a high school where every year, the senior class performs a secret farewell ritual that no underclassman knows about. When a curious junior uncovers part of this secret, they’re torn between revealing it to the school or preserving the tradition.
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 YA Drama prompts
- Letters from a Secret FriendImagine a teen who starts receiving anonymous letters that contain advice to navigate difficult situations at school. As they try to uncover the…
- Beyond the Final WhistleThe lead character is a high school athlete who suffers a career-ending injury. Explore their journey of self-discovery through different forms of…
- Rival Musicians in HarmonyCraft a story about two rival teen musicians who must collaborate on a school project. Detail their initial conflicts, gradual respect for each…
- The Filmmaker's Class ProjectImagine a teenager who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. For their final school project, they decide to document the stories of their classmates, only…
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