Earth's Intergalactic Dish
Imagine you've been chosen to represent Earth in an intergalactic cooking contest. Describe the dish you would prepare and how you try to communicate and cook alongside aliens who don't understand any human languages.
Suggested length: A middle grade story: 2,000 to 5,000 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.
- Use one silly sound word kids will want to say.
- Use a repeated line young readers can join in on.
- Make the ending warm, safe and a little bit funny.
Writing middle grade books
Ages 8 to 12: friendship, family and figuring out who you are.
Middle grade novels are written for readers around 8 to 12, with heroes usually 10 to 13. The stakes are huge to the characters, the focus stays on their world, and any romance stops at a crush.
What readers expect
- A hero aged about 10 to 13
- Family, friends and school
- Humor and heart
- Hope, even in hard stories
A tip before you start
Kids read up. Make your hero as old as your oldest readers, or a little older.
More Middle Grade prompts
- The Drawn PetYou wake up to discover that every time you draw something, it comes to life. Excited, you start by drawing your dream pet. Describe your adventures…
- The Children’s Holiday SurpriseImagine you've invented a new holiday that celebrates children. What is it called, and what are some of the traditions or activities that happen on…
- The Pencil Theme ParkWhatever they draw with it turns into reality. Write about a day in the life of a child who designs a theme park with their pencil.
- The Library PortalWrite a story about a group of kids who find a hidden portal in their school library that takes them to different worlds found in the books they read.
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
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