The Scholarship and the Sketchbook
Envision a teenager who wins a prestigious scholarship to the school of her dreams, only to realize she's lost touch with her creative roots that inspired her to apply in the first place. Explore her struggle to rediscover her creativity while meeting the pressures of her new school environment.
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.
- Put a first in the story: a first job, kiss, loss or lie.
- Raise the stakes until the hero's identity is on the line.
- Give your hero a secret they're keeping from their best friend.
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
- The Last Summer Road TripCreate a story where the main character goes on a summer road trip with friends before they all head to different colleges. Along the way, they must…
- The Graduation Time CapsuleWrite about a group of high school friends who create a time capsule on their first day of freshman year and vow to open it on graduation day. Narrate…
- The Letter Before EighteenCreate a story where the main character, on the eve of their 18th birthday, receives a mysterious letter that reveals a family secret. Explore how…
- The Career TestImagine a world where your career is determined by a test taken at age 16. Write about a teen whose result is a job they'd never have chosen, and what…
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