Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#99: Summer Solstice

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st is the ‘summer solstice’ — the longest day of the calendar year and, in astronomical terms, the beginning of summer. In my part of the world, this season evokes a plethora of scenes: sunbathing on river banks, al fresco dining with friends, and trips to the seaside, all punctuated by the heady scents of summertime — potent florals, sunscreen and food sizzling on the grill.

The solstice celebration has its roots in ancient Paganism — where people would gather at sites like Stonehenge and wear protective garlands of herbs and flowers to ward off the evil spirits who, according to Pagan folklore, walk the earth more freely at this time. From a spiritual standpoint, the solstice is all about embracing the sun and its awesome power. Whether you love basking in the sun or prefer to stay inside with the curtains drawn, I thought this week's prompts could be a way for us Reedsians to mark the advent of summer too. Happy writing!

This week's prompts

Begin your story with somebody watching the sunrise, or sunset.

Fluff – 275 stories

Write about the longest day of the year, or a day that never seems to end.

Summer – 99 stories

End your story with somebody stepping out into the sunshine.

Summer – 211 stories

Write a story about somebody reminiscing on an event that happened many summers ago.

Summer – 217 stories

Write a story about characters going on a summer road trip.

Summer – 104 stories

Stories

“White 501s” by Karen Lethlean

Submitted to Contest #99

White 501s Their surf boards hang out car’s rear window, just slightly. Like a signal they are headed up this coast to surf. An insignia marking this group as part of larger tribe. Sometimes exhaust fumes are a little hard to take, especially when this old car, they’ve named Henry, struggles up a big hill. To prevent Henry having an engine failure, boys stopped frequently, let his engine cool and kept themselves awake. Radio would work, mostly, since Troy rigged up a coat-hanger aerial, formed into girly hip shape. Occasionally catching i...

Read story

“The Meadow” by Sydney O Bryant

Submitted to Contest #99

Bliss. The exact meaning of the word is, according to conventional society, “perfect happiness”. However simple definitions could never capture the feeling Iris holds, and she does not live in conventional society. In the Meadow, the rules do not apply and she is exempt. She can use as many or as few words as she likes to describe how she feels when her bare feet sink into the delicious mud, the sensation of the tiny emerald fingers of grass tickling her toes. Tiny buds turn their heads to appreciate her, florescent petals. Butterflies spre...

Read story

“Blissful Summer” by George Davis

Submitted to Contest #99

Blissful Summer—George Davis It was the same summer I met Charlotte Haines. Charlotte was here vacationing for the summer with her maternal grandparents, Ivory and Lucille McGregor. As far as I was concerned, Charlotte Haines was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Understand, I did not date during high school. I spent all my time studying to become a good, no great, physician. Not one female classmate appealed to my senses. I was too busy being an egghead. I stood on my front porch that over...

Read story

“In Memory of Color” by Natalie Park

Submitted to Contest #99

I once saw the world brighter than all those around me. A walk along the shore was exhilarating — the colors, the vibrance! The turquoise blush of the waves, capped with ivory foam; the subtle shadows of the tossed white sand; each natural boulder glowing gently golden in the rising sun! All translated easily, seamlessly, into the language of my paintbrush: a wash of turquoise, an accent of cobalt, dabbles of swan’s feather white. Fluttering, short blue-grey brushstrokes for footprints in the sand. The sunrise was perhaps most difficult; but...

Read story

“Summer of Fun” by Moon Shine

Submitted to Contest #99

It was the night of the reunion of the two friends, it had been two months since their last visit, which was full of smiles and laughter. Unlike that time, this night the two faced each other with a serious expression on their faces. Each one on an opposite side of the hall, where several couples were dancing to a slow song, feeling the melody flow between them in the center. John was alone, with no one at his side, Pietro was accompanied by his fiancée, Vitoria. The woman watched the couples enchanted, waiting for the moment her future husb...

Read story

“Old Dreams” by Dominic Gnardihos

Submitted to Contest #99

I was in a dreamy state of mind. Almost dreaming. Overly warm. The sun had left its mark on me, though I did not ask for it. The heat moved between the top layers of my skin. My thoughts floated lazily through the darkness before colliding in slow motion with a dull flash in blue and white. It was then that I heard the tapping. A sudden fear jolted me halfway from my semi unconscious state and I grappled sluggishly with wakefulness for a few moments. I strained my eyes and was rewarded with a bit of moonlight lying around on the floor, left ...

Read story

“IS IT NOW IN THE PAST?” by Kehinde Jayeoba

Submitted to Contest #99

IS IT NOW IN THE PAST? Cleo opened her eyes and leap up from the bed as she remembers that it’s holiday and her school holiday will start today but that’s not the most exciting thing about this holiday but the fact that it will be her last as she will be graduating from secondary and proceed to the university very soon. She quickly entered the bathroom and brush her teeth then took a hot shower and left to pack her things, when she came out to the school park she saw her brother waiting for her already to take her home. She smiled happily an...

Read story

“Just an Old Friend” by Lauren Rice

Submitted to Contest #99

I set my bag down gently in the sand and bent over to grab a towel from it.The sound of the waves crashed in the near distance as the sun kissed my exposed neck. I unrolled the towel and spread it out, setting the bag on the bottom left corner to keep it from blowing away.“This is a great spot. The tide shouldn't come too close. We can build a fire right here.” James moved his hands in circular motions around the plot of beach he was referring to.“Great,” I replied. The 'spot' was about 20 feet from the boardwalk, one of the only spaces not ...

Read story

“The Perfect Storm” by Erin Smoak

Submitted to Contest #99

The best memories are the ones that even after you’ve forgotten the exact events, you still know exactly how they changed you. How they hurt you. Or how you hurt them. The memory is still a burden on your shoulders, regardless of how long ago it happened. It doesn’t have to be a burden. Not all the time. It can bring you a small sense of joy whenever your mind drifts to that time, maybe an escape if you need it. Sometimes people do. It’s easy, and it makes day to day life bearable. I still remember what it felt like to kiss h...

Read story

“The Autumn Grave Calls” by Mia Hunter

Submitted to Contest #99

'No matter who it belongs to, standing in front of a grave is a strange feeling. I don’t dislike it… but I cannot say I like it either. It’s cold, but it’s also real. It’s the only reality I am sure of. It will catch up to me as it caught on to this one here. ' Monologuing to himself, James placed a bouquet of white flowers in front of a tree. 'There once used to be a rock slate here, but with time, the name on it has withered away and maybe, the soul too. ' Roughly thirty years ago “Oh no I fell asleep!” James got up, pa...

Read story

“Our Camping Trip Of A Lifetime” by Scarlet Scribe

Submitted to Contest #99

July is just around the corner. This time of the year always reminds me of 1983. My husband and I were making plans for the camping trip of a life time. We were preparing for tent camping and rockhounding across twenty-one states to celebrate our anniversary. We had everything we needed except our tent, sleeping bags and other camping supplies we were buying just before our trip. August could not get here soon enough. The day finally came. We had everything we needed for our trip. There was even a new luggage rack on top of my AMC Gremlin....

Read story

“The Midwife” by Hannah Krzy

Submitted to Contest #99

The summer she turned eleven, her parents moved her bed from the loft to the back porch where she could catch any breeze. One morning the wind chime was silent, and the great heavy water urn was motionless on its chain. She slipped her bare feet to the worn boards of the porch and pushed her mosquito net aside to see the rain barrel at the corner of the porch, and beyond, in the backyard, the laundry lines and chicken coop. A pullet had laid her first egg two days before, and Mara was curious to see if she'd laid another. Lifting her blue ...

Read story

“How We Met” by Heather Duckett

Submitted to Contest #99

December nineteenth eighteen sixty three. Mary coddled her seven year old daughter Anna's frail body close to hers. Anna shivered and Mary wrapped the woolen blanket tighter around her daughter. As the war continued on sickness ravaged through her little north Carolina town. Taking the population down to almost nothing. No one would come to help so the towns people had to rely on prayer and sheer luck. Despite Mary's relentless prayers sickness entered her home. With her husband fighting in the war she was left to weather thi...

Read story

“A Summer Story; A Nations Sunrise” by Taylor Hunter

Submitted to Contest #99

The children ran around to sit in front of the olden, graying man, adults lazily found seats scattered around in ear-shot corners and the whole town settled delicately beside him as he opened his fragile jaw. His eyes were foggy and appeared to almost be cracking, but the depth in them spoke of wells of true knowledge. The old man’s power was in his stories, they had power and meaning, cadence and rhythm, they danced in the imaginations of the youth and activated the cerebral workings of adults, and they always seemed to have a truth that wa...

Read story

“A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #99

“Oh go on Gran, tell us again” they chorused, sounding like a lot of little monkeys chattering at the zoo. “Oh you don’t want to hear my stories again. Go outside and play”. “Pleeeese “they begged, their faces sticky and happy. “Ok then, which story?” I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be the one about the disastrous caravan trip. I had embellished and added to that story so many times I couldn’t remember what was true and what wasn’t! “You pick Gran” they replied. “Alright then, would you like to hear a different story, a new one?” “Yeesss” they a...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

909

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 25, 2021 EST

Won by Tom Vandel 🏆

Title: The Men and the Lake

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢