Illustration by Ana Hinojosa.

Illustration by Ana Hinojosa.

Fairy tales are the bones of almost every story we tell; they cross cultures and centuries to take on shapes that linger in our dreams and haunt our histories. Why not take the basic ingredients of stories rich and strange—witches and fairy godmothers, unkind fathers and angry mothers, lost princesses and self-saving Scheherazades, many-limbed goddesses and animal-headed people—and build a myth shaped just for you? Paint, draw, or photograph the landscape of your enchanted forest. Write a story or poem about the adventures of your misfit witch. In your homegrown “Little Red Riding Hood,” maybe it’s not the huntress who’s the savior; maybe it’s the wolf. The rules of your story are up to you.

Send us your tale—along with your first name, last initial, age, and location—to [email protected] with the subject line “Creative Prompt” by Monday, December 5 at 6 PM EST.

Last week we asked you to reflect on a moment that shook your perspective. Here’s what you found…

Sarah McCarry is the author of the novels All Our Pretty Songs, Dirty Wings, and About a Girl.