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Narratively Academy, a place for publishing and helping writers, invited me to do something different, and of course I said yes! I think it's fun to play with prompts, which you will read about below. I hope you enjoy! |
Mini Flash Essay Contest: Describe a Time You Had to Make a Hard Sacrifice
This month, a very special guest star, Liza Donnelly, is bringing us a contest prompt straight from a New Yorker cartoon she created. We can’t wait to read your flash piece based on it!
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Did you ever really want something (or even just kind of want it), but feel like you were in a situation that made getting that thing rather difficult? Rather than bemoan it, we’re asking you to write about it — in a flash essay contest that will be judged by cartoonist Liza Donnelly!
So, tell us about a time you passed up something you wanted because of your circumstances.
What will you win? If Liza Donnelly chooses your essay as the winner, she will create a new cartoon to illustrate your piece — which we will post on both Narratively and Liza’s Seeing Things. We will also gift the winner the original drawing. 😉🎨🎉
Who is judging your cartoon? Liza Donnelly, if you don’t already know, is a writer, director and cartoonist for The New Yorker, and a contributor to The New York Times. Donnelly is the author of 18 books, and is the director and producer of Women Laughing, a documentary that will be streamed on the New Yorker website in the fall of 2026. She is a member of Cartooning for Peace, Pen America and France Cartoons.
More info on the prompt? Did you ever want to date someone but felt like you had a little too much going on to be present? Or have you ever been totally ready for a pet…but your new partner happens to be allergic? Perhaps your dream record label came knocking but you were still riding out a three-record contract with your old label? Help us interpret Liza’s popular comic, “I’d invite you in, but my life’s a mess” and turn it into a flash essay. The prompt again: Tell us about a time you passed up something you really wanted because of your circumstances. We want to hear from you!
Detail recap: In 300 words or less, for the chance to have your piece published on Narratively and Liza Donnelly’s Seeing Things, to have Liza herself draw an illustration to go with your story, and to get to take that drawing home (!), tell us about your experience.
Submissions are due by Sunday night, October 4, and you can expect to hear back from us soon after with the results. Looking forward to reading your entries!
Need essay inspiration?
Check out the winners of our past flash essay contests here.
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