The Letter in the Old Book
Write a story where the main character discovers an old, handwritten letter in a secondhand book. The letter reveals a secret that connects the character's family to a historical event. Explore how this discovery changes their understanding of their heritage and impacts their relationships.
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.
- Give your hero a secret they're keeping from their best friend.
- Let your hero make a big mistake for a reason the reader understands.
- End with a choice only this hero would make.
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 Friendship and Relationship prompts
- Their Last Summer TogetherDescribe a summer that changes everything for two teens from different social circles who form an unlikely friendship. Explore themes of loyalty…
- The Middle Child's Talent ShowImagine you are the middle child in a family of geniuses. Struggling to find your own special talent, you decide to enter the school’s talent show.…
- The Stranger’s BackpackIn your story, a school trip to a foreign country leads to an accidental swap of a student's backpack with a stranger's. This mix-up pulls the student…
- Mind-Reading SiblingsImagine a scenario where two siblings discover they have inherited the ability to read minds. Explore how they deal with this new reality, the ethical…
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