15 Spring Writing Prompts: Growth and the Outdoors for Middle Grade, Young Adult and Adult Audiences

Jerrica Black
Mar 11
4 min read

In both autumn and winter of last year I chose prompts that played nicely with genres to match the season. When I think of spring, it’s less genre and more theme and non-genre specific vibes that come to mind. Namely coming-of-age, growth, change… as well as building off seasonal content of course, like farm animals, gardening, and the countryside. These just don’t scream a genre for me!

I’ve decided instead to give each category a prompt that leans into an audience age: Middle Grade (MG), Young Adult (YA), and Adult (A). I hope this will be a fun switch up. Of course, I encourage you to eschew my age suggestions and use these spring writing prompts however you please; maybe even take it as an extra challenge to use MG for A.

Text reads: 15 Spring Writing Prompts. Prompts of Growth & the Outdoors. for muddle grade, young adult and adult audiences.
A mostly white bunny with one black ear is wearing large gold glasses and has its paws on an open book.

(I fear summer will have the same issue… beach book vibes? But maybe I’ll just pick three genres we haven’t really explored yet? Let me know if you have ideas or know what genres hit that summer vibe.)

Three Things

Whether literally, metaphorical, or simply a vibe, these three things must be included in your story. This is one of my favourite prompts to create and to use. Usually they receive photos to go along with them which I think can add or detract from the experience. This time, you get one image from each!

MG - Mud puddle, scent of cookies, lamb

YA - Umbrella, a bunny, a jean jacket

A - Floral tea, a duckling, new book scent

Three distinct photos, from left to right: a boot splashing in a muddy puddle; an overhead of tea and white flowers in a white tea cup on a white saucer. the spout of a white teapot above; a black and white bunny surrounded by green grass.

Start With This Sentence

No changes allowed (but there is a fill in the blank below!) You must begin with this sentence. You misuse the names, relationships, and POV that it sets up. This is a prompt that I love to work with but struggle to write because first sentences are so important. So it’s up to your to make these count!

MG - The field was covered with fresh dew.

YA - He loved the weekends in early spring when he helped his grandma prepare her garden plots.

A - It felt like a whole new version of coming-of-age when I hit my [pick a decade: 30s, 40s, 50s…].

A watering can pouring out onto large green leaves in a garden plot with evenly spaced, large, green leafed plants.

From Your World: A Walk Outside

It’s spring! Take a walk and use that as inspiration! You can leave the prompt there really, but I have some extra specifications below if you’re interested. Since I am asking you to leave your house, I want to remind you to be safe! For an accessible option (if your greenspaces aren’t accessible or you lack the spoons), I recommend using YouTube or a stock footage website as a virtual “away from home.” Or maybe ask a friend to send you some pictures and videos from their greenspaces!

MG - Go to a popular park and take inspiration from the children you see playing.

YA - Go to the nearest greenspace/ forested area and consider what shenanigans a teenager might get up to. Bonus points for going at night (if it‘s safe!) because we all know that’s when the real chaos happens.

A - Sit in a coffee shop or bar for an afternoon, use your time to people-watch and use that as inspiration for your story.

A bust children's playground focused on two children winging with slides in the background.

A Bright Vernal Setting

It doesn’t have to be the only setting, but this setting needs to be integral to your story. Or maybe it is the only setting! Consider what full story could possibly never leave. I tried to instill some spring vibes into these particular settings, but feel free to mess around with that of course!

MG - The backyard which has been turned into a treasure hunt for the kids while the adults enjoy tea.

YA - A soccer field covered in new green grass and large muddy puddles.

A - A cottage on a cliff overlooking the ocean with fields of wildflowers set out before it.

A dark house slightly covered by a green hill with yellow flowers. Its roof is covered in grass. Pale water and cloudy sky can be seen behind the house.

A Place To Grow From

One part conflict, one part character, these prompts are to inspire themes surrounding big life changes. Spring is all about starting anew, birth, growth. With every change, loss, death we must grieve and grow. That’s what these are about.

MG - Best friend moved away, consider if/how they’re keeping in touch and finding new friends

YA - Their first breakup. Why’d they break up and who initiated it? Who is their support system?

A - Lost their job. Additionally, consider a career switch

A macro photo focused on a precarious dewdrop at the tip of a blade of green grass. The background is out of focus with more green, a shadow and a light grey surface.

Whether warming up for your regular writing session, shaking loose the writer’s block or simply having a little fun, I hope these prompts provide a spark. I’d love to hear what ideas grow from these seeds, and if you want someone to take a substantive gander at your short story or take a line level comb through your short story or novel don’t be afraid to reach out!

Text reads: 15 Winter Writing Prompts. Holidays, snow and a little magic. The background is a close up of an ice over tree branch with a dusty rose to dull, dark blue gradient sky. To the right Jerrica sits writing in a notebook wearing a knit sweater and fuzzy scarf.

Jerrica is a writer and editor who inspires up-and-coming writers to create compelling fiction and creative nonfiction works while providing them with the confidence to do it themselves or ask for a helping hand when they need it. She enjoys speculative fiction, horror and gut-wrenching emotion with a side of food & drink and the cozier things in life.

Jerrica has A Way with Words