Pick one of the Theme Songs.
Write a short story of 2000 or fewer words inspired by the theme song.
Be sure your story includes the following Magic Words: SULTRY, INFERNO, and FERVID.
Submit your story using the form below.
Win Big Prizes.

Yes, it's that easy.

On the Entry Form, choose one of these songs as the theme song for your story. You can listen to the songs by pressing the red play button .

Here Comes The Sun


Summer Nights


Summertime

Your story must include these three words: SULTRY, INFERNO, and FERVID

Highlight the words in your story. They need to appear in the story in a natural way, as part of dialogue, narrative, or description. Don't just list them at the top of your story.

The words are "magic" because you need to invoke them to enter the contest. They don't have to be magical in the story--they just have to appear.

First Place
Author receives 50,000 GPS and a merit badge
Story receives a blue awardicon

Second Place
Author receives 25,000 GPS and a merit badge
Story receives a red awardicon

Third Place
Author receives 12,500 GPS and a merit badge
Story receives a Green awardicon

The judges will select the merit badge, with most winners earning the short story badge. The best stories will earn the exclusive Max Excellence badge


Judges may elect to award Honorable Mentions, which may include up to 5000 GPS, a merit badge, and an awardicon for the story.

If there are fewer than six entries in the contest, only first and second place awards will be granted.

If there are fewer than four entries in the contest, the contest will be cancelled. Judges may opt to award Honorable Mention awards, including GPS and a merit badge.



Optional Obscure Magic Words Competition

As a special challenge, we've created a list of Obscure Magic Words. They are APYROUS (impervious to fire), FEBRILE (feverish), PYROSOPHY (knowledge of fire), ESTIVAL (pertaining to summer), APRICATE (bask in the sun), and CALEFACTION (the act of heating).

Contestants choosing to enter this second, optional contest will use all of the Magic Words and all of the Obscure Magic Words in their stories. We'll have an additional and separate motivation competition for the best story that that uses all of the Magic Words and all of the Obscure Magic Words. The author of the winning story in this category will earn 10,000 GPS and a motivation merit badge. If there is only one entry in this category, it will recive the award. The winner in this category is eligible for the other awards mentioned above. Contestants wanting to enter this competition should check the appropriate box on the entry form.

If you enter the motivation competition, please highlight all nine of the magical words in your submission.

The motivation competition requires a minimum of one entry that uses all of the magic words and obscure magic words and does not depend on the total number of entries to the main contest. We will make the award for the motivation contest even if only one contestant uses all nine magic words and the above minima are not met for the main contest.

A panel of experienced authors on Writing.Com will read and evaluate the entries. We will ask the judges to consider how effectively the theme song and the story work together, but otherwise will not give them specific criteria. Instead, we ask they use their best judgement in assessing each story.

Question: What's this Crosstimbers thing about?
Answer: You can learn about the "Crosstimbers Author Consortium"  by clicking on the link. If your question is about the "Crosstimbers"  Forest, then click the second link.

Question: How do I enter the contest?
Answer: Use the form at the bottom of the contest page "Shorts in July Contest" 

Question: Are there genre restrictions?
Answer: We'll read anything, but please be sure that your item is properly rated--see "Content Rating System (CRS)" . While we'll read it, we likely won't post stories to the contest involving non-consensual sex, including sex with minors, nor content that is demeaning to any group. If we feel we can't post your story, we'll let you know and give you a reason. However, any such decision is neither debatable nor subject to appeal.

Question: Can I submit my Aeolic saga written with verses using non-rhyming choriambic foots? It's awesome!!!
Answer: We're tempted to ask, "What's an example?" but that question is an example of a choriambic foot. Anyway, if it's a story that responds to the prompts, then, yes. But, probably it's a "no" to most poems.

		Thursday, August 1, 2024
Entry	(*)	Theme Song
Summer Nights  (E) Love basking in the summer heat (this is a fictional story written for a contest) #2322999 by Ben Haye II		Summer Nights
A Reunion at Sunset  (13+) A couple meet again after a ten-year separation. #2323145 by Bikerider		Summer Nights
STATIC Eyes of Summer  (13+) A bonfire on a hot July evening... #2323298 by Amethyst Angel 🍁🙏		Summertime
Waiting for Sunrise  (13+) A group of kids have a ghostly summer adventure. Will they help save this trapped spirit? #2323474 by PoeticPieces		Here Comes the Sun
STATIC Teenagers  (13+) In any Era, as sweet ~ A Grease/Victorian mashup #2324024 by H❀pe		Summer Nights
STATIC Finally, The Sun  (13+) A short story about attraction and its power to restore self-confidence. #2324299 by Choconut		Here Comes the Sun
Sun Shorts  (E) Writen for: Shorts In July Contest 2316362 #2324306 by dogpack saving 4premium		Here Comes the Sun
STATIC Summer in the City  (GC) Laura's first summer in New York (Language!) Shorts in July Contest MOTIVATION WINNER #2322840 by Olivia: it's NaNo-Time 22951	*	Here Comes the Sun
STATIC Summer Nights  (13+) Shorts in July Contest Entry July 2024 - Honorable Mention #2324255 by Lovina		Summer Nights
STATIC Here Comes the Sun  (18+) Space drama for Shorts in July Contest #2324418 by Write_Mikey_Write!		Here Comes the Sun

To enter the contest, return to the contest page at "Shorts in July Contest"