Fun Short Story Prompts for Teens

Many teenagers really hate to write, but this really shouldn’t be the case at all! Writing is a great way to release emotion and inner turmoil, and it can also serve as a wonderful outlet for creativity and discovery as well. While research papers are no doubt a bummer for teens to write, you can get teens excited about writing short stories. Besides the fact that they are, by definition, short, teens will love letting loose with their writing and getting a little wild and crazy. One of the best ways to encourage teens to have fun with their short stories is by getting them started with some fun short story prompts.

Here are some great short story prompts that the kids are sure to love:

• Pretend you are your favorite cartoon character from when you are little, but that you are caught in the “real world.” How did you get here? What happens while you are here? How will you get back home?
• Think about the lyrics of your favorite song. Step inside those lyrics and write a short, fictional story about the life, person, setting, etc, in that song.
• Think about the absolute best day of your life so far. Write a short story about that day, but add a few fictional elements that make that day truly bizarre and outlandish.
• If you could meet any two imaginary characters, who would they be and what would happen? Write about this encounter in a short, fictional story.
• Imagine your life twenty years from now. What will the world be like? What will you be doing? Write a “day in the life” story that takes place twenty years in the future, taking you from when you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night.

These are just a few of the hundreds of fun short story prompts that you can put to use for your kids. Use these, or make up a few of your own!

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