The Monster Under My Bed
Think of a friendly monster that lives under a bed. What does this monster look like and what is its daily routine? One night, the child who sleeps above decides to say hello. What happens next?
Suggested length: A board book: under 100 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.
- Keep it to one problem and one place.
- Let the child solve the problem, not a grown-up.
- Name the feeling the character has, simply and honestly.
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 Board Book prompts
- The Lost Fox CubWrite about a baby animal that gets lost in the forest and the different creatures it meets while trying to find its way back home. How do the other…
- A Baby's First Park DayWrite about a baby’s first day at the park. From the baby’s perspective, describe the wonder and excitement of seeing flowers, dogs, and other…
- Crayons After DarkThink of a story where all the colors in a crayon box come alive at night. What kind of adventures do they go on when no one is watching?
- The Sock's Missing MateWrite a story from the perspective of a sock who is on a quest to find its missing mate after they were separated in the laundry. Describe the…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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