The Dream in the Library
You live in a world where dreams can be recorded, shared, and even edited. One day, you find a dream in your library that you don’t remember dreaming. It hints at a hidden aspect of your life and a secret that involves the very foundation of your society. Write a story uncovering the truth behind this mysterious dream.
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 Sci-Fi prompts
- Dreams for SaleIn a future where dreams are recorded and sold as entertainment, a group of teenagers discovers a conspiracy. Their dreams reveal the truth about the…
- The Teen Who Spoke MachineWrite a story about a teenager who develops the ability to communicate with machines. Initially using the power for trivial gains, they soon uncover a…
- The Robot Only I Could WakeIn a distant future, society is divided by the technology people can afford. The rich have advanced AI that can predict their every need, while the…
- The Memory ThievesIn a future society where memories can be bought and sold, a group of teens discovers that significant historical events have been erased from…
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