Photography, Site or Sight | Sandi’s October Prompt

Site or Sight: October Prompt

October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Site or Sight”

A site I longed to see.

I’ve always been fascinated with the stuff left behind from previous civilizations. When Jarryn was seven, the WA Museum hosted a special Pompeii exhibition. We watched a film about the last day in Pompeii, then walked around the exhibits.

There was an interactive map at the end— state-of-the-art twenty years ago!— when you clicked, you could see the site as archeologists believed it looked like before Vesuvius erupted. Another click would display the site as it looked like now.

On the map, I clicked on the top of a hill, and the ruins of Pompeii were displayed on the screen. I stood looking for several minutes. At that moment, I believed it was as close to Pompeii as I would ever get. I was a single parent with limited funds, and my lungs were more than a little wonky. Overseas travel wasn’t something I let myself dream about.

Ten years later, I stood atop the same hill I’d clicked on the map.

There was so much more of the site to see in real life.

The October Challenge is “Site or Sight” brought to you by me — Sandi Parsons

The concept is to take a photo that somehow captures the meaning of “Site or Sight” in some way, whether it’s abstract or concrete, figurative or literal, physical or mental. The possibilities are endless — we’re looking for submissions with different perspectives, unusual stories, and brilliant photographs.

Please read about the Definition, Purpose & Rules of the “Site or Sight” Challenge below.

Possible Definitions of How to Use “Site or Sight” in Your Six Word Photo Story

Site, sight, and cite are homophones — they have the same pronunciation but mean different things. Homophones often cause confusion, and sometimes people use the wrong one.

Sight is the most common of the three. It means things we see and is also the short version of “eyesight.” Site is a place. Cite refers to something (often another person’s writing) that supports our idea. NOTE: I will be super impressed if you find a photo that represents “cite,” even though I haven’t included it in the title of this challenge.

1. “Site or Sight” can refer to something emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical. Do you wake up to a spectacular view? Are you a medium with “the sight”? Have something that’s become abundantly apparent to you with hindsight? Have you visited a historic site? Or is there a site where you have fond memories? A favorite picnic site? Or perhaps the site where your first kiss occurred.
2. “Site or Sight” can refer to something material. Have you got a treasured possession you love to feast your eyes upon? Or a trinket you brought from a specific site? (I have a black crystal rock I purchased at Pompeii — I’m positive it wasn’t from there — it’s just tourist junk. But it really impresses the kidlets when I tell them that’s where I got it from!)
3. “Site or Sight” can refer to something in nature, the universe, or the life cycle. Is there a sight that takes your breath away? Have you got a fascination for endangered animals and the sites where they live?
4. “Site or Sight” can refer to food or drink. Did you have a meal overlooking a spectacular sight? Love eating something that only grows in one specific site?
5. “Site or Sight” is YOU and your perspective. It’s something that represents the meaning of “the sight homophones” in some way or form, from your individual viewpoint — that connects to your photo and story.

NOTE: This challenge is Site OR Sight. Pick one (or both) and have fun, visit some sites, stop and enjoy the sights, and play with language in your Six Word Photo Stories.

What’s your “Site or Sight” story?

The Purpose of “Site or Sight”

1. The “Site or Sight” Challenge is an intuitive self-challenge to explore the sight homophones — maybe it’s internal or external or both.
2. The “Site or Sight” Challenge is an investigative challenge to observe and figure out what things in your life can capture the “meaning of the sight homophones” through photography, contemplation, and six words.
3. The “Site or Sight” Challenge is designed for YOU and your perspective.

Can you take a photo that represents “Site or Sight” and tell a story about it in six words?

“Site or Sight” Challenge Rules

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 October 1 until NOON, Pacific Standard Time, October 31, 2023.

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.

The Title, Subtitle & Tags

1. Title: Choose your own title.
2. For your subtitle: Please use October Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Site or Sight” (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: Monthly Challenge

The Six Word Photo Story

1. The photo must be connected to your story and concept of “Site or Sight” in some way. The connection to Site or Sight” should be made clear either in the photo, six word story, or (optional) backstory.
2. All six word stories and optional backstories must also abide by Medium’s rules. Note: Any stories that the editors may view as disrespectful, inappropriate, or that fall into a grey area will be reviewed at the discretion of the editors and may be rejected.
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.

The Backstory (OPTIONAL) & 2-Minute Maximum Read per story!

1. IF you include a backstory, it can be 1–2 minutes.
2. The 3 dots (like in this story) should appear directly below your backstory.
3. The entire reading time of your story must be no longer than 2 minutes! This includes the photo, six word story, any tags, links, or promotion of yourself or other stories. It will be unread and rejected if your submission comes in as a 3-minute read or more.

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.”
3. WHAT NOT TO DO! When submitting your unpublished draft, DO NOT CLICK “Publish” first. If you click “Publish” first — your story will be automatically self-published to your own profile page, and we will NOT accept it if you then attempt to submit your self-published story to our publication.

“Site or Sight” is open for submissions from October 1 until NOON, October 31, 2023, PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.

If you have any questions about the rules or need further clarification about the Monthly Challenge, please leave a comment on this story. For formatting step-by-step instructions (these are unique to this publication), see Formatting Your Six Word Photo Story.

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.

It’s time to explore the meaning of “Site or Sight”

Grab those cameras or dig into your archives — you may be empowered and surprised to see what you come up with. Embrace the power of “Site or Sight.”

Freestyle stories

You also have the option to write a six-word photo story featuring a photo and topic of your choosing — as long as the photo and story are connected in some way. The story doesn’t need to be related to the monthly challenge prompt. For your subtitle: Please use your own subtitle followed by the word: Freestyle, OR use Six Word Photo Story: Freestyle. Please tag your story using this tag: Freestyle.

Submissions are always open for Freestyle stories.

— 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

Sandi Parsons lives and breathes stories as a reader, writer, and storyteller. She lives with her favorite husband and two problem puppies.

She loves visiting historical sites to take in breathtaking sights but dislikes writing about them because researching and citing correctly is boring.