Come and play with The A3 Review (you know you want to!) and write something for our November contest on the theme of Playhouse. Deadline is 26th November.

Here’s some ideas to get you playing and writing: Playhouses are places where ‘make believe’ happens. Imagine situations where a garden playhouse is a place of sanctuary, or safety, or even danger. What happens in playhouses when adults are no longer around?

Write a surreal piece about a playhouse that’s very different when you crawl inside. Think about treehouses, dens, forts and castles made in the woods, on wasteground, fields, railway sidings and rubbish dumps.

What kind of animals or creatures might take over an abandoned playhouse? Take the idea of children ‘playing house’ to explore a deeper, darker theme of children imitating adults. Or a warring couple having to ‘play house’ while friends or relatives visit.

Write about the mid-life-crisis playhouse, or the playhouse you miss, the doll’s house you never had. Write about playhouses you remember, indoors and out.

View our Submittable page for details about how to enter. The deadline is 26 November 2016, so just a few more days to play around with your words!

Each month we choose two winning pieces for publication (The A3 Review is published twice a year). All winning entries receive Writing Maps and contributor copies, while three overall winners for each issue receive cash prizes.

You can get more inspiration by following The A3 Review on Twitter @TheA3Review and sign up for our newsletter here.

Meanwhile, If you’re looking for detailed, knowledgeable and forward-looking feedback on your short fiction, editors KM Elkes and Shaun Levin are offering an affordable critique service for writers. To find out more go here.