The Spirit Element Trial
In 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, fire, air, and spirit. This year, a reluctant young girl from a small village is chosen as the Spirit Element, believed to be the weakest link, and must prove her worth to everyone, including herself, as the trials push each of them to their limits.
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 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…
- The Teen Who Held the PlanetsEvery 300 years, the celestial dance of the planets grants extraordinary powers to a single, unsuspecting teenager on Earth. This time, it’s a…
- The Path Through the FogIn a kingdom cursed to be forever obscure beneath fog, a young adventurer stumbles upon a forgotten path that promises to lead them to the Sun…
- The Outsider's Royal TrialEvery generation, a competition is held in a fantastical realm where the youth compete to become the next ruler. This time, a young outsider with no…
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.