The Spell No One Knew
Write a story about a school where students are secretly wizards in training. One student, who always thought they were just average, suddenly performs a spell no one has seen before. Explore the mystery of their newfound power and its consequences.
Suggested length: A picture book: 300 to 800 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.
- Let the child solve the problem, not a grown-up.
- Name the feeling the character has, simply and honestly.
- Read it out loud as you write. If it doesn't sound good, change it.
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 Kids prompts
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- The Attic GameThe main character finds an old, dusty board game in the attic that turns out to be magical. When they start playing it with their siblings, they are…
- Lemonade Stand RivalsCreate a tale about two rival lemonade stands on the same block, run by groups of inventive kids. They use wacky and inventive marketing tricks to…
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