Rising From the Slumber to Embrace Engage’s October Challenge
Harness the power of dreams to overcome your fears with Engage
Dear Engage family,
It’s the last day of September, and our monthly challenge “Fears Kill Dreams” is coming to an end too.
Nevertheless, we’re still looking forward to reading any last-minute stories you are willing to share with our community.
Our authors have opened up about their fears, confronted them, and inspired us to overcome anything holding us back in this age of infinite loneliness arising from the pandemic crisis.
While I wrote this piece, serendipity worked its magic, and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day started playing on the radio.
While listening to Billy Joe sing:
“As my memory rests, but never forgets what I lost, wake me up when September ends”
I get this feeling that we all need a wake-up call in our post-pandemic reality.
So why not keep the momentum going and flip the switch on our previous prompt, starting with a new challenge for October?
That’s our new motto for the coming month. October is the month of all spooks, and we’d like to read about the conflict between good vs. evil, light vs. dark, etc.
Write about any small thing that makes you happy. Write about where you want to be next year or in five years.
This is a broad prompt, so please let your creativity flow.
Please add the tag “Dreams Kill Fears.” We’ll set up a new tab to feature your stories on the homepage.
Let yourself be inspired by the stories we’ve shared under the “Fears Kill Dreams prompt.”
Challenge Stories
Fear What! — September Writing Prompt on Engage: ‘Fears Kill Dreams’
One’s Deepest Fear Should Be Jailed In The Basement
Then throw away the key and nail shut the door
Fears Kill Dreams
But They Won’t Kill My Daughter’s Dreams! (Sept. Prompt)
By Melody
My Fear and Its Remedy Share the Same Name
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen…” Brené Brown
By Natalie
Fears of a Single Introvert in her Sixties
Finding the balance between solitude and social connection…
The Fear Of Success Is Real
Doing things just for fun is allowed
When Fears Kill Dreams: Navigating the Bridge Between Anxiety and Ambition
Flipping the Tables on My Fear
Engage’s Challenge on ‘Fear Kills Dreams’ dredges up memories of a crushing moment in my early writing life
By Trisha Faye
Handpicked stories
The Sun Wolf
In a retelling of a wise Cherokee fable, Grandmother, the village peacemaker, has helped two adults resolve a fiery dispute.
Maximizing Tiny Pockets of Time
In a way that doesn’t exhaust me.
By Jenna Tidd
Her Future Self is Helping Her Through Early Challenges
A yearlong solo teaching adventure overseas begins now
By Joy DeSomber
I’m Only 75% Human
I knew something was wrong with me
My Fascination With Time is Because I Got Kicked Out of a Meeting For Being Late
You are not always operating on your time, but someone else’s time.
By Tom Handy
Closing thoughts
That’s all for now. I’ll leave you with the “Wake Me Up When September Ends” lyrics and melody. This feels like a great motto for a story, so maybe you can share your thoughts with us.
