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The best summer writing prompts
Fun at the beach, an awe-inspiring trip in nature, exploring and camping on long, sunny days — summer is many perople's favorite season for good reason. The possibilities seem endless, and there are therefore an endless number of summer stories to tell. Luckily for you, we've got plenty of ideas for thosewith our summer writing prompts.
Whether your characters are enjoying the final days of a golden summer with friends before returning to school, hanging out at the neighborhood pool, or about to travel on the vacation of a lifetime filled with sun, sea, and sand — and perhaps a summer romance — there's adventure around every corner.
Here are our top ten summer writing prompts:
- End your story with somebody stepping out into the sunshine.
- Write about characters going on a summer road trip.
- Write a story about somebody reminiscing on an event that happened many summers ago.
- Write a story about a family summer vacation to Europe that… does not go to plan.
- Write a story about a summer fling.
- Write a story about another day in a heatwave.
- Write about a community that worships Mother Nature.
- Set your story in the woods or on a campground.
- Write about the longest day of the year, or a day that never seems to end.
- Write a story that begins with someone's popsicle melting.
Looking for more tips for your writing? Check out the free resource below:
- How to Master the 'Show, Don't Tell' Rule (free course) — Summer is a season of the senses — the stickiness of ice cream, the crashing of waves, heat radiating off the sidewalk, and the smoky smell of bbq. And that means you're going to want to get your descriptions spot on. To brush up your skills, try out our free course.
Want more help learning how to write a summer short story? Check out How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest, for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.