Letters from the Boarding School
In an elite boarding school, students start receiving anonymous letters that reveal their deepest secrets and fears. The protagonist, determined to unmask the sender, enters a world of intrigue and conspiracy, only to realize the sender might be closer than they thought.
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.
- Write in close first person, as if it's happening right now.
- 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.
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 Mystery and Thriller prompts
- Letters in the Antique DeskDuring a summer job at a quirky antique shop, your character discovers a hidden drawer in an old desk filled with unsent letters addressing a serious…
- The Diary in the WallWhile exploring an abandoned house on a dare, a group of teenagers find a locked diary in a hidden compartment. Curious, they find the key and start…
- The Missing Football StarThe night of the high school's big football game, the star player mysteriously disappears. One shy student who knows a secret about the player’s past…
- The Magician's Missing AudienceAt the annual summer carnival, the main attraction is a legendary magician rumored to possess real magical powers. One teen notices that after each…
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