✍️ Five Writing Prompts for August

This month, we’re pressing pause on our monthly contest while we recharge our creative batteries.

But, don’t fear! We’re sharing five writing prompts—one for each Sunday in August. Consider these invitations to follow your curiosity and get new words on the page.

We hope one of these opens a door to some creative surprise.

Write about a few stolen moments in a favorite exhibit.

2. The Birds Have Been Trying to Tell You Something
Today, you understand.

3. A Town That Celebrates A Strange Holiday
Tell us how it’s observed and why.

4. Every Window Faces a Different Year
Choose one and look through.

5. The Last Orchard
Who tends it, and what grows there that cannot grow anywhere else?

Explore in the genre of your choosing! We’ll return in September with a brand-new monthly contest and a fresh set of weekly prompts.

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Explore what’s happening at LWS this month: live conversations with Lily King and Toby Mundy, workshops on crafting 10-minute plays, architecting your novel, and building a sustainable self-publishing career, Agent & Editor Hours, and more. Read the full August lineup here.

Join us Monday, August 3rd for our free goal setting workshop for writers. We’ll help you clarify what matters most and set meaningful writing goals for the month ahead. RSVP here.

Love Writers’ Hour—our daily silent writing sprints? We’re looking to welcome a few new volunteer hosts to our global team. If you’re a warm, dependable writer who enjoys building creative community, we’d love to hear from you. Applications are open until Friday, August 14. 👉 Learn more about the role and apply here.

We are thrilled to share the contest results for June 2026.

• First Place: The Secret Keeper by Alice Stephens

• Second Place: In Search of the Missing Door by David Box

• Third Place: Slip Through by Nicole Barnes

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated. It’s a pleasure to share these pieces with you, and we can’t wait to see what you create in the next contest!

Thank you so much for being part of this community.

We hope these prompts keep you company through August, and that we’ll see you back in September.

Until then, happy writing!

—The Writers’ Hour Magazine Editors