YWP’s hub of inspiration: All our challenges are here!
Challenges
Weekly
Visual Art
Deadline
Mirage
You’ve wandered off-trail on a hike out into the desert and lost your way. Up ahead, in the baking heat, it’s surely a mirage, but … Create the shimmering, heavenlike oasis you would like to come upon.
Writing
Deadline
Jam
Write about someone – passenger or driver – stuck in an hours-long traffic jam. Where are they? Do they get up, get out, explore? Get into trouble?
Writing
Deadline
Op-ed
Write an opinion piece based on a current news story. Take a side and make a persuasive argument. Try to keep it tight, writing only 3-4 paragraphs.
Great Artists
Visual Art
Petrit Halilaj
Petrit Halilaj's dramatic sculptures relay stories of Kosovo based on the school desk doodles of generations of children, including those who lived through years of war.
Visual Art
Mark Bradford
From hair stylist in his mom's beauty salon in Los Angeles to world-renowned artist, Mark Bradford explores issues of class, race, and gender through his art.
Visual Art
David Hockney
This British-born artist's work was profoundly influenced by the aesthetic and intense light of his adopted Los Angeles home.
Great Poets
Writing
Mary Oliver
Clear, evocative, simply beautiful – words that describe this poet's work.
Writing
Danez Smith
Their poetry is intersectional, inclusive, and powerful.
Writing
Langston Hughes
Get to know this poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.
Opinion & Commentary
Writing
Deadline
Summertime
Vermont Writers: Seven Days and its magazine Kids VT are looking for poems or short stories with a summer theme to publish in an upcoming issue.
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Writing
Create a Challenge
Help YWP create inspiring challenges for writing or visual art. Think about what makes an interesting prompt and share your idea with us!
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Writing
Cellphones
Some schools across the U.S. are banning cellphones, not just limiting their use. State legislatures, including Vermont, Kansas, and Oklahoma, are considering "phone-free schools" legislation. How would a cellphone ban at school affect your life?
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