Captain Glitterbeard's Map
Imagine you find a mysterious old map in your attic, drawn in crayon and signed by "Captain Glitterbeard." Write about your adventure as you follow the map across your neighborhood, uncovering whimsical treasures and meeting talking animals along the way.
Suggested length: An early reader: 1,000 to 2,500 words
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.
- Make the ending warm, safe and a little bit funny.
- Keep it to one problem and one place.
- Let the child solve the problem, not a grown-up.
Writing children's
Ages 0 to 8: books made to be read aloud, again and again.
Children's books run from board books and picture books for the youngest to early readers and chapter books for kids reading on their own. Every word counts, and the adults reading aloud are an audience too.
What readers expect
- Simple, rhythmic language
- A child's point of view
- Room for the illustrations
- A satisfying, often gentle ending
A tip before you start
You don't need an illustrator. Publishers pair picture book writers with artists, so leave room in your text for the pictures to tell part of the story.
More Early Reader prompts
- My Dog the Moonlight HeroEvery full moon, your pet dog turns into a superhero, fighting crimes and solving mysteries while everyone else sleeps. Write about what happens on…
- Cloud Envelopes at SchoolA mysterious rainbow-colored cloud floats over your school, dropping envelopes made of clouds into the playground. Each envelope contains a special…
- The Lost Backyard BirdImagine you find a talking bird in your backyard who has lost its way home. Write a story about the adventures you go through together to help find…
- Sammy's Missing AcornsA young squirrel named Sammy has forgotten where he hid his winter supply of acorns. Create a story about how Sammy, with the help of his forest…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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