The Forbidden Book
Imagine a world where your social status and wealth depend on how many books you've read. The protagonist, a fifteen-year-old girl, stumbles upon a forbidden book that is said to grant immense power and knowledge to whoever understands its secrets. Against the wishes of her family and the laws of her land, she embarks on a quest to unravel its mysteries, gaining dangerous foes and dubious allies along her journey.
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 YA Fantasy and Adventure prompts
- The Nightmare in the Dream RealmIn a realm where dreams can be woven into reality, a young dreamweaver discovers a nightmare trying to infiltrate and corrupt the dream realm. Follow…
- The Meteor's GiftAfter a meteor shower, a group of high school friends find a crashed alien ship in their small town. With government agents and unknown creatures on…
- The Spirit Element TrialIn the kingdom of Eldoria, a group of teens are chosen every century to undergo the Trial of Elements. Each teen represents an element—earth, water…
- The Princess's Enchanted DiaryTwo best friends discover an ancient, enchanted diary that belongs to a long-lost princess who reveals secrets and spells on each page. As the friends…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.