Mind-Reading Siblings
Imagine a scenario where two siblings discover they have inherited the ability to read minds. Explore how they deal with this new reality, the ethical dilemmas they face, and how it affects their relationships with friends, family, and each other as they try to keep this secret safe.
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 Friendship and Relationship prompts
- The Birthday DiaryAfter receiving an anonymous diary in the mail on their sixteenth birthday, a teenager becomes obsessed with finding out who sent it and why. Each…
- The Cave's Storm ProphecyIn a small coastal town, a group of teenagers discovers a hidden cave with ancient murals that predict the future. Write about how they deal with the…
- The Blogger Behind the SecretsIn a bustling high school filled with cliques and rivalries, an anonymous blogger starts posting secrets about the popular crowd. As tensions rise, a…
- A Friend's Defining MomentA teen with the ability to glimpse people's most defining moments in life with a simple touch, struggles with the burden and blessing of their gift.…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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