(Mini) Flash Essay Contest: The Perfect Day

Whether you're thinking about submitting to our Memoir Prize and aren't sure where to start, or you simply love a prompt, we've got just the thing. Enter for inspo, a chance to be published and more.

Illustration by Ellen Surrey/Narratively archive

The hardest part about writing can often be getting started. You might have a lot of ideas swirling around in your head that you want to get down on paper, but just sitting down in a chair and staring down that blank document can be brutal! So, we thought we’d make it easier on you and put together a mini flash essay contest for you to submit to. Think of it as a trial run of sorts, an amuse-bouche to whet your appetite for the main course… And if you’re not a fan of metaphors or planning to submit to our 2025 Memoir Prize contest but you like a writing prompt, well, this is for you, too 😉.

On that note, in just 300 words or less, recount a perfect day that has resonated with you. It could be an entire day from start to finish, a sliver of an afternoon, something you remember from childhood or an impactful Sunday from last month. We want to know what happened and why it has stuck with you. The winner will have their flash piece published on Narratively.com and will receive free year-long subscriptions to both sites, Narratively.com and Narratively Academy.

Submissions are due this Wednesday, November 12, 2025, and you will hear back from us later this month. Ready?

P.S. Looking for some inspiration? Check out the winner of the flash essay contest we ran this summer!