WRITING PROMPTS #457: A Midsummer Night’s Dream ☀️

[Isabella Peralta]

Write a short story and WIN $250!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream ☀️ What’s not to love about flower crowns, fresh strawberries, and endless sunlight? Recently, one of my Swedish friends told me about her favorite holiday: Midsummer Eve, a celebration of light, warmth, and the summer solstice. Back in the day, old farming communities in Northern Europe and beyond believed that the boundary between the human and supernatural world would blur on the longest day of the year. It was also believed that if you picked seven types of wildflowers and placed them under your pillow on Midsummer Eve, you’d dream about the person you’d marry. These days, people still pick flowers (because why not?), but more than anything, Midsummer is an excuse to come together with loved ones to officially welcome summer and — if you’re feeling brave — take a spin around the maypole.  With the days growing brighter and longer, let’s write some stories inspired by Midsummer and all it brings. Whether you dive into dreams, an enchanted world, or a place close to home, let the mystery and magic of this ancient celebration guide your imagination. Happy writing! Start or end your story with somebody stepping out into the sunshine. Write a story in which the natural and the mystical intertwine. Set your story at a party, festival, or local celebration. Write a story about someone reminiscing on something that happened many summers ago. Write a story inspired by the phrase "It was all just a dream." Compete for $250 and a spot in Prompted 💰 Reedsy challenges you to create a short story based on one of these prompts. The winner will be featured on Reedsy Prompts and receive $250 via PayPal! We’ll also consider your submission for a future issue of our lit mag, Prompted. (Grab a free digital copy of our past issues here!) The latest winner — and a special update! 🏆 Congrats to Alexander Valsamis! Their short story, "Threads Left Unread," is based on the prompt: Tell a story with a series of emails, calls, and/or text messages. You can read all 409 entries to the "Form, Fabulous Form! with WOW" edition of our contest here. Also, congrats to Jonathan Page, the winner of our first-ever live writing battle in collaboration with Story Wars! On Wednesday, Jonathan and five other writers from the "Spontaneous Creativity with Story Wars" edition of our contest competed for glory, fame, and $1,000! If you'd like to watch the six contestants come up with jaw-dropping stories in just five minutes, watch a replay of the live event here! The details 🔎 Here’s the fine print: choose one of our prompts from this week's contest. Write a short story between 1,000 and 3,000 words, submit it from your Reedsy Prompts profile, and pay the $5 entry fee before 11:59 p.m. EST on the 27th of June. See our Terms of Use and FAQ for other details. Pro tip: If you don’t want to submit to the contest, you can still post your story on your Prompts profile for free. Looking forward to reading your stories, Isabella, Prompts Lead @ Reedsy P.S. Are you interested in going behind the scenes of the Reedsy Prompts contest as a judge? Head here for more information.

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