Set your story at a large entertainment venue, after the show has ended, amongst the discarded plastic cups and confetti.

Posted in Adults on Jun 2, 2023

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✍️ 53 stories

“BS&T” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #201

“You know you are beautiful when you smile,” Max assured his wife as he draped his arm over her shoulder to pull her toward him in a side hug and kissed the top of her salt and peppered head arrayed with a wide, stretchy headband. He waved to the departing helicopter.“So I am not so beautiful now as I scowl at this mess?” Miriam knitted her brows together as she gazed out over acres and acres of trash-strewn devastation now simmering under the once shy summer sun. Gone were the lush green pastures, now only muddy manure pits remained dotted ...

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“The Dawn Stadium” by Anne Shillingsburg

Submitted to Contest #201

CW: police aggression, bad language “Where are you from?” is Jason’s favorite question at these business functions. With his height and his perfect charcoal suit, the dust of gray at the temples of his fifty-dollar haircut, “Mississippi” always catches them off guard and produces just the effect he wants. Now he’s not just a commanding presence. He has also overcome. He was never ashamed of where he was from, but when he said it on family vacations, people loved to answer “oh, do you guys wear shoes there?” which he found annoying. App...

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“Let's Get Lost” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #201

It’s funny how your priorities change as you move through life. In many respects, you learn to become self-reliant and choose your companions with greater care. I never regarded myself as a doggy person, but if not for my new best friend, I’d be lost in a field near Shepton Mallet. #My weekend at the festival started off in high spirits when a group of us from H.R. arrived at the main gates early on Saturday morning. We found our allocated parking space with ease and negotiated our way on foot to the Sticklinch campsite. We’d all read f...

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“Garbage at Communication” by Mortimer Ridgewood

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #201

Looking out across the sea of plastic chairs, I can already feel an impending ache in my arms. The Innovation Concert Hall is absolutely covered in confetti. Small, star-shaped pieces of shiny, colorful plastic gleam underneath the harsh venue lights, clinging to every surface. Of everything it could be, I think to myself, Why did it have to be confetti? It's not even paper. If it was paper, we could just dissolve it with water, but nope. That would be too convenient. My gaze shifts to the corner of the room, all the way on the other side ...

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“THOSE CRAZY K-KIDS” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #201

The stadium lights had all been extinguished, save a handful left on for the benefit of the cleanup crew. They were expected to arrive soon to begin the painstaking work of restoring the open field to its original condition prior to the evening’s concert.Just hours ago, the arena had held tens of thousands of K-Pop crazed fans, thrashing and moving as if one giant being, pulsating to the heavy electronic beat, screaming and clamoring to get as near their idols as possible.The only remnants of the frenzy that had been alive and kic...

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“A Night Spent with the Living” by Evelyn Griffith

Submitted to Contest #201

**This story contains one non-graphic depiction of sexual assault, and some themes of depression, please read at your own discretion**My father used to tell me stories about kind people, about how he'd lost his wallet in a major city and some wandering soul had brought it back, about accidentally walking into one of the worst neighborhoods in town, only to have a nice man escort him home. He told me about people ahead of him in line who bought his customary morning coffee, people who held doors open, people who grabbed the back of his coat a...

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“The Detritus of Utopia” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #201

“It’s official. Lesbians are filthy,” Tetchy Tommy said, shaking his head. He bent down and picked up an empty plastic cup, filled with cigarette butts and a slightly pink liquid substance. He shuddered at what that might be.“Wear some gloves, mate. Safety first,” Oliver said, surveying the massive amount of discarded Dixie cups, food wrappers, and gum that littered the arena.“Butterfly Boudoir. Wha kind uv name is that?” Tetchy Tommy scoffed.“A sexy name for a bunch of sexy women,” Oliver answered.“Bollocks. Nothin’ sexy about a bunch of ca...

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“The Show Must Go On” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #201

Cold. It’s so cold. I awake shivering, wondering how I got so cold. It is a wonder that I have slept in this state. How is that even possible? I sit up and I wrap my arms around me, holding some semblance of warmth in my beleaguered frame. This is wrong. This is all so very wrong. What happened to me? Did someone spike my drink? I don’t remember being here. I don’t even know where here is. How can I not know this place? I look around at the mess. The discarded paper cups and grease stained burger wrappings. Plastic cups t...

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“Once upon a stage” by David Drake

Submitted to Contest #201

Why are the lights on? Under my feet, I crunch cups, drug paraphernalia, discarded programs. I see the road crew start shouting orders at the newbies. The venue workers start gathering the chairs, both still usable and the ones no longer able to hold butts. It’s just disgraceful that the Band will be charged for damages because some of us that show them the respect they deserve showed our devotion in a different way. This is nuts. They always do “My almost grand kiss” for the encore before they left. What the hell is going on?!? I stomped ...

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“After the Final Curtain” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #201

After the Final Curtain“The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.” - Audrey HepburnThere’s an interesting thing about magnets. (Aside from how the heck they work in the first place.) Held one way, they repel. Flip one, and they cling together. That’s odd.----------Unless you happen to be destined to grow to be 6’8” tall and run and jump like a gazelle, the odds are you won’t like your job, as in it’s a fun thing to do. It might be tolerable, pay the bills, give you a sense of pride in your work, a...

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“K-Popped: Murder in the Mosh Pit” by Ellen Neuborne

Submitted to Contest #201

“ ‘Morning Diane. The time sheets are on your desk. There’re bagels in the break room. And there’s a dead body in Orchestra F.” Diane dropped her purse on her desk. “Really? A dead body” Her voice rose, like she’d just won a prize. Patricia shrugged off her uniform jacket and grabbed her car keys as she headed for the door. “Thought you’d be more excited about the bagels,” she said. “They’re not New York bagels.” “You New Yorkers are snobs.” “About bagels? Guilty.” Diane was on Year Three of living in Las Vegas. She’d adjusted to...

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“The butterfly in the practice room” by Arya Farewell

Submitted to Contest #201

My voice was covered by the explosion of crimson and golden fireworks, and the clamour of the hundreds of ecstatic fans. I drowned in an overwhelming feeling of joy. I turned to my bandmates and I could see their eyes gleaming, even though sweat was dripping from their faces. Every moment of hard work was worth it. We are a boy band of five members. Moon, me, Yujin, Minsu, Sol, and the youngest, Haru. We were closing up the last concert of our first ever tour, and we all felt very proud. I turned to look at Haru. Oh, he seemed a bit uneasy. ...

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“Discarded Dreams ” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #201

Discarded Dreams “Hey Betty, another night in the books; Patti was on fire, huh?” “Sadly, I don’t know: I’m just getting here. Economies 321 may hinder my early graduation. If I don’t pass it, I won’t be able to get into Julliard next semester.” “There you go, Julliard or bust. Don’t you know God gave you that voice, your determination, and a praying grandma for a reason? Julliard or not, you’re going to make it, girl! But these cups, candy wrappers, and programs need our help before 8 AM.” “I know; see you at the time clock.”I put on my hea...

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“Soul and Stone.” by Eneas Dante

Submitted to Contest #201

The Roger's Art Centre, at the heart of New York, now looked deserted as darkness slowly wrapped the arena. Members of the technical team could be seen moving their equipment off the dimly lit stage. Some fans could still be seen loitering around, possibly reminiscing about the concert. Eternity V, a popular Kpop band, had just given a performance for the ages. The rest of the arena looked messy as if a battle had been fought there with plastic cups and confetti as weapons. Volunteers could be seen bravely cleaning the place up.&...

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“Fighting!!” by Kayla Ayers

Submitted to Contest #201

The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” had never been more appropriate for her than in this moment, the music continuing to play while the group on stage waved and said their goodbyes. Their smiling faces were just as bright as the stage lights. Bits of confetti still fluttered in the air like snow as the group made their way back to the center of the stage, where a screen slowly lowered. But they kept waving, even when only their feet were visible, crouching behind the screen to keep waving at their fans. Sure, it had been ...

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Set your story at a large entertainment venue, after the show has ended, amongst the discarded plastic cups and confetti.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 53 stories

“BS&T” by Mary Bendickson

“The Dawn Stadium” by Anne Shillingsburg

“Let's Get Lost” by Howard Halsall

“Garbage at Communication” by Mortimer Ridgewood

“THOSE CRAZY K-KIDS” by Susan Catucci

“A Night Spent with the Living” by Evelyn Griffith

“The Detritus of Utopia” by Delbert Griffith

“The Show Must Go On” by Jed Cope

“Once upon a stage” by David Drake

“After the Final Curtain” by Murray Burns

“K-Popped: Murder in the Mosh Pit” by Ellen Neuborne

“The butterfly in the practice room” by Arya Farewell

“Discarded Dreams ” by Kimberly Walker

“Soul and Stone.” by Eneas Dante

“Fighting!!” by Kayla Ayers

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story from the point of view of a “sasaeng” (an obsessive fan).

Write a story about someone who has put “Blood Sweat & Tears” into getting where they are — only to question whether it was worth it.

Write a story inspired by SHINee’s “Ring Ding Dong”, where someone can’t get a song out of their head no matter how hard they try.

Write about someone who has always done something as part of a group, and is now starting to set out solo, or vice versa.

Contest #201

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

170

Contest entries

94

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: