For those of us in the northern hemisphere, June 21st marks the 2025 summer solstice—the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer. What better way to expand your creative writing skills than by drawing inspiration from the changing seasons? Whether you want to try your hand at creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry, here are some prompts to get you started:

 

1. Creative nonfiction: Ambushed by smell

 

Alongside warm weather and sunny skies, summer brings its own unique scents. When I think of summer, I imagine the chlorine of pool water and the sulfur of fireworks. What comes to your mind? 

 

Scent is tied closely to memory in our brains, so smells can be powerful prompts for reflective essays. The authors of Tell it Slant: Writing and Shaping Creative Nonfiction ask, 

 

Have you ever been ‘ambushed’ by a smell you didn’t expect? For example, have you opened a box of clothing from a deceased relative and had the smell of that person’s house flood over you? Or, have you walked into a friend’s house and smelled a meal exactly like one you remember from childhood? (Miller & Paola, p. 13)

Take a moment to reflect on the scents of your summer and the memories they evoke. Have you ever been ambushed by smell?

 

2. Fiction: Six-word story

 

The most famous six-word story was penned by Ernest Hemingway. You may have heard it before:

 

For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. 

Written in the form of a newspaper ad, this tiny story evokes an entire narrative. Today, six-word stories are a popular form of microfiction. Wired Magazine even hosts a monthly six-word science fiction contest.

 

Try your hand at a six-word story inspired by the summer solstice. 

 

3. Poetry: Idyll

 

Idylls are brief poems centered on the natural world. They evoke nostalgia by emphasizing small, everyday moments. Writing one is the perfect way to reflect on the changing seasons and the past year. 

 

Idylls have a long history, going all the way back to the ancient Greek poet Theocritus (born c. 300 BCE). While many Greek poets wrote about warfare, Theocritus focused on simple pleasures and the beauty of the natural world. Following Theocritus’s example, poets throughout the centuries have written idylls. 

 

Check out a few famous idylls to get your creative juices flowing: 

Now try writing your own!