This week: Summer Plans Edited by: Legerdemain  
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3. Letter from the Editor
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5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
This newsletter aims to highlight some of the current contests and activities on the site, help educate members on how to host contests and activities, and provide clues to submit quality entries to contests. Write to me if you'd like something in particular covered.
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Summer Plans
Summer is coming! At least to the northern hemisphere. I know a few of you are still getting flurries and here in FL, the summer rains have begun. So what does that have to do with WDC?
Contests! Some contests become quieter in the summertime, and what better advantage than fewer entries? Get your work written and entered, you have a greater chance of winning (if you follow the rules).
Hopefully, you'll have some relaxing time to write and develop some new stories and characters. Also, if you host fall or winter contests, this is a great time to revamp your page and get it ready. Personally, the holidays steal time and I don't get much done here at WDC.
So be prepared and Write On!
This month's question: What writing do you do in summer? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
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A new prompt will be posted every day in the forum at the bottom of this page at approximately 11:00 pm WDC time.
Every month, I will post two songs: One with a lyric prompt (start of the month) and one as a song prompt (middle of the month). Entries will be due at the end of the month for either prompt.
The goal of the contest is to use one of the titles in the prompt as the title of your story.
(So if ten people are playing, we could end up with several stories that all have the same title!)
Every month, I’ll post a thought-provoking question. You respond with your perspective, in the form of an essay, story, poem, or any creative format that best expresses your truth.
The point is simple, the task is easy: Authors on Writing.Com are looking for good, useful feedback... and of course, exposure within Writing.Com. You can do a good deed by reviewing any qualifying item* on Writing.Com and you might win! Enter as many times as you want to increase your odds of being selected as a prize winner!
Create your own advertisement.
When it comes to otherworldliness, this is one prolific genre.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
A new prompt will be posted every day in the forum at the bottom of this page at approximately 11:00 pm WDC time.
Every month, I will post two songs: One with a lyric prompt (start of the month) and one as a song prompt (middle of the month). Entries will be due at the end of the month for either prompt.
The goal of the contest is to use one of the titles in the prompt as the title of your story.
(So if ten people are playing, we could end up with several stories that all have the same title!)
Every month, I’ll post a thought-provoking question. You respond with your perspective, in the form of an essay, story, poem, or any creative format that best expresses your truth.
The point is simple, the task is easy: Authors on Writing.Com are looking for good, useful feedback... and of course, exposure within Writing.Com. You can do a good deed by reviewing any qualifying item* on Writing.Com and you might win! Enter as many times as you want to increase your odds of being selected as a prize winner!
Create your own advertisement.
When it comes to otherworldliness, this is one prolific genre.
Ask & Answer
This month's question: What writing do you do in summer? Send in your answer below! Editors love feedback!
Last month's "Contests & Activities Newsletter (May 7, 2025)" question: Where have you used a Dropnote?
Dawn Embers  : I love using the drop note at the end of an item to showcase details that the reader might want to know but that I don't want to rely on them knowing. Things like prompts, contests, forms (for poetry) and such are helpful. If anyone has notes it can help because a reader can still appreciate the item without the extra details.
Schnujo's Giving Away GPs  : I don't know if I can use code in here, but I'll try. I run the challenge, "The Contest Challenge" , (The Contest Challenge, in case the code doesn't turn into a link, but you can copy and paste the code to create the link elsewhere, then click it to check it out) and I have 15-20 different dropnotes, though admittedly most of them are for my "Previously Highlighted Contests (year)" section for people trying to catch up on the challenge. But I also have ones for the quick rules (for those who don't want details), the extended rules (for those who want details), tips and tricks, Can I...? (sort of a FAQ}, current competitors, winners, and more. My forum would be a complete and utter mess without dropnotes! I use them all over my challenge forum!
Rick Dean - Dinosaur  : You have perfect timing for an explanation of dropnotes. I've never used them but my newest story is set in 11th century Scandinavia and I was planning on creating a glossary to help the readers. That story is still set to private, as I only completed the first draft, but if that era interests you I linked another story set in that era above.
Soldier_Mike  : Actually, it's a rare item / entry of mine that doesn't contain a dropnote, precisely for the reasons you listed.
THANKFUL SONALI Magical Days!  : Usually to give the prompt, when I write for a contest.
Amethyst Angel 💐  : To keep word counts and contest notes tidy and out of sight at the bottom of the item, mostly. Sometimes I use them in reviews to demonstrate their usefulness. I don't run any forums or contests, so I don't have rules and fine print to hide.
🌖 HuntersMoon  : Usually I pick them up and use them if no one is looking... 30 second rule! 
Stik to My Own Beat  : Mostly to keep my journal/blog entries from getting excessively long for scrolling. I also use them to store extra fun tidbits (as seen in "Watch This Space!" )
Humble Poet PNG and less  : I used one for the first time, yesterday, when I posted a new short story to my port. I never knew how to use them and I had pretty much ignored them when I ran across them. Having finally started figuring them out, I see myriad uses for them. In answer to the original question, I used the dropnote to reduce my explanation of the story to a single line and make the reading of it optional for the reader.
The Puppet Master : Only if I have to for a contest.
Jellyfish : I don't think I have ever used one!
S 🤦 : I use dropnotes to put things like prompt, wordcount, the contest/activity being written for at the bottom so it does not harm the narrative flow, and people can look if they want to.
Brian K Compton : I don’t, because my iPad somehow doesn’t configure anymore with such a tool.
I did copy and paste from Tools, but started having trouble with that. Could be vision. C’est la vie
I should add, when I used them, it would hide a poem coda. I can’t stop writing, and while listening to music to write with, coda evolved… so use drop note to hide extra, response writing, if a person explores. Otherwise, long looking page. They’re all long now.
Mousethyme : I keep forgetting how to so I don't.
Thanks everyone, I appreciate your responses. L~
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Contests & Activities: June 04, 2025 Issue [#13166]
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