Summer Solstice

Write a short story, between 500-1,500 words, inspired by this prompt.

The Prompt

For this challenge, we would like you to unlock the magic and mystery of the longest day of the year. The summer solstice holds significance both astronomically and culturally, representing a time of transition, celebration, natural beauty, and some unexplained phenomena. Use the prompt as your guide to build a world in which the revival of an ancient solstice ritual has a huge impact.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must:

The Prizes

For your piece to be eligible, it should follow the rules above and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on July 5, 2024 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Summer Solstice Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.