Upcoming Readers Write Deadlines

Readers Write is a feature in The Sun where readers share their personal writing on a given topic—a unique fixture of the magazine since the section’s inception in 1978. Send us your true story on an upcoming topic, and if we publish it you’ll receive a complimentary one-year subscription.

Not sure what to write? See below for some prompts to spark an idea. Writing style isn’t as important as thoughtfulness and sincerity, and topics are intentionally broad to give room for expression and interpretation.

Uniforms: Entries due December 1
Ever had to dress a certain way for work—in a company T-shirt, scrubs, a judge’s robe? Have you donned fatigues or dress blues as a member of the military? Maybe the sight of someone in official duds turns you on—or maybe it fills you with apprehension. Tell us about your most memorable experience wearing your sports-team jersey, marching-band uniform, or Scout sash. Dress up your story however you like, but remember we only publish true accounts in Readers Write.

Shaving: Entries due January 1, 2024
Maybe your mom taught you how. Maybe your dad. Maybe no one did, and you’ve got the cuts to prove it. Tell us about an experience shaving, or choosing not to: for a job interview, for an intimate affair, or for a time you tried to reinvent yourself. Get your piece to us in the nick of time, and remember we only publish true stories in Readers Write.

Fuel: Entries due February 1, 2024
Perhaps yours is a massive thermos of coffee first thing in the morning, or a bottle of those barely regulated pills they sell at truck stops. Or possibly you’re so used to running on empty you wouldn’t know how to operate on a full tank. Have you ever been stranded on the side of the road, waiting for someone to show up with a gallon of gasoline? Send us your story—just make sure it’s a true one—and we’ll consider it for this upcoming Readers Write.