Photography | Six | Mary’s December Prompt

Freestyle Six: December Prompt

December Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Freestyle Six”

Be free! Fly — you’ve got wings.

The December Challenge is “Freestyle Six” brought to you by me — Mary Chang

This month, we’re going back to the basics, and December is about simplicity. All submissions will be “freestyle.” This means your photo story can be about a topic of your choice.

The only requirement is that it must be six words. And absolutely no backstory! Six words, one photo. The story must connect to the photo in some way. That’s it. That’s why I’m calling it “Freestyle Six.” Ideally, your photo is fabulous, too — I’m looking for high-quality, unusual, vibrant photo stories.

Most of our writers submit 2-minute backstories to support their photographs with their submissions, so the real challenge here is only to submit a six-word story.

Can you do it?

Let your spirit soar — give yourself the freedom to make those six words fly!

Optional challenge: For anyone who would like to incorporate a different challenge into their “Freestyle Six,” feel free to make your photo about six things or a six-word sign that you’ve seen during your excursions or whatever you can find to represent the number six. This — my writers — I shall leave as a challenge for you to decide as to how to create your submission. I’m curious to see what our writers send in when they’re given “free range” for freestyle. Wow us if you dare.

Good luck, freestylers — I want to see you fly!

Guidelines, Formatting & How to Submit

Note: These apply to ALL stories in this publication. I know it may seem like a lot, but once you’ve submitted your first story to our pub, it’s easy to duplicate the formatting style!

Note: This challenge will run from December 1, until NOON, Pacific Standard Time, Thursday, December 21, 2023.

The December Conclusion will be published on Friday, December 22, 2023. After the conclusion, the publication will be closed for submissions from December 23 until the new year. Sandi Parsons will introduce the January Challenge on January 1, 2024. We will re-open for submissions on January 2, 2024.

Please do NOT send submissions between Dec 23, 2023, and Jan 1, 2024 — as they will be declined. Your editors need a December winter break — please respect our time away from the publication.

The Photo

1. The photo must be taken by yourself (ORIGINAL & UNPUBLISHED elsewhere), and please include a photo credit.
2. Only ONE PHOTO can be featured in your story, and it must be placed ABOVE the title and subtitle. Your photo must be the first thing our editors see when we review your submission.
3. The only person that can be featured in the photo is YOURSELF. If you’re in the photo, it can be taken by someone else (please include the photo credit.) Photos of people other than yourself are NOT ALLOWED. See this article for legal reasons why.

The Title, Subtitle & Tags

1. Title: Choose your own title.
2. For your subtitle: Please use December Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Freestyle Six” (like the subtitle used in this article.) Once you have written your subtitle, remember to highlight it and click on the small “T” to format it correctly.
3. Please Tag your story using this tag: Freestyle

The Six Word Photo Story

1. The photo must be connected to your story and concept of in some way. The connection should be made clear either in the photo, or six word story.
2. All six word stories must also abide by Medium’s rules.
3. The story must be six words only. Once you write your six word story, highlight it and click on the small “T” to format the six words. This is so your six words stand out; it’s a formatting guideline unique to this publication.
4. The 3 dots (like in this story) should appear directly below your six word story. If you don’t know how to do this, view the formatting guidelines.

How to Submit Your Story

1. Submit unpublished drafts only. Previously published stories (self-published or published elsewhere) will be unread and rejected.
2. To submit your unpublished draft: a) Click on the three dots at the top right corner of the screen b) Click “Add to publication” c) select “Six Word Photo Story Challenge” d) Click on “Select and continue.” e) Click “Submit.”

“Freestyle Six” is open for submissions from December 1 until NOON, Thursday, December 21, 2023, PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.

NOTE: Stories not formatted correctly, don’t follow rules, or that require edits will delay publication or may not be accepted. Formatting guidelines are unique to this publication. If you’d like to be added as a writer and submit to Six Word Photo Story Challenge publication, please read and follow the submission guidelines.

— Village hugs, from the editorial team, Sandi Parsons, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, and Mary Chang Story Writer — creator & editor of SWPSC. If you don’t want to miss any future Six Word Photo Story Challenges, please follow us, this publication, and subscribe to our stories by hitting the “green envelope” button next to our profiles.

About the writer

Mary Chang is a writer, creator, and editor of the Six Word Photo Story Challenge publication. She’s also a parent and fitness enthusiast who loves creating monthly challenges. Fueled by cartwheels, cold open water swimming, and the power of grit. Defying and embracing middle age.