Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 170 stories

“This Story Starts With A Death” by Jada Leung

Submitted to Contest #57

There are no tears for the man in the casket. He lies in the dirt, swathed in velvet drapes. Lies with his eyes closed and his arms crossed, with his lips barely parted in what could be the brink of a laugh or a cry. Around him, twelve people stand in rows. Their heads are tilted to the soil, bowed to the earth. Everything returns to earth, one way or another. And no one knows this better than these twelve, standing around their fallen soldier. There they linger, looking on at the dirt as if maybe there was a solution to… to... Because none ...

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“Dinner Time” by Christine Hungerford

Submitted to Contest #57

The late teenage girl sat there, staring at the plate of stringed beans, mashed potatoes and serenaded T-bone steak still sizzling a little from the broiler pan hissing from the kitchen’s stovetop a few feet away. “Why are you staring at your food?” Her mother piped up, her wrist on the wooden table’s edge and poised to move so her fork would steal some lettuce leaves from her plate. “Because, Mom, I don’t want it.” The daughter sounded more like she was just slipping that out to answer because she really had something els...

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“Destined flame ” by Jasmine K

Submitted to Contest #57

“It’s almost time for the Orland’s winter ball isn’t it Dante?” Despite her bright tone, there was no warmth in his mother’s words and her dull, brown eyes were void of emotion, as usual. Turning away from her empty eyes, he faced his father, the lanky man looking unbothered in his cushioned black armchair. Seeing the light from the fireplace land on his father’s side profile, Dante couldn’t help but notice how similar they were, from his stark black hair to his reddish-brown terracotta skin and even the golden brown of his eyes. The more he...

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“Song of the Nightingale ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #57

Tonight would change Emily’s life forever. It was the annual Harvest Ball and tonight was to be the announcement of the engagement of Emily Edwin and Charles Dawson. This engagement had been arranged practically and harmoniously between both families since Emily and Charles had been children. It was the epitome of compliance, societal demands and regeneration of the family hierarchy for both of Chesire's most respected and admired families. The prestige of belonging to this nobility was envied and desired.The sky blue silk and lace gown was ...

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“Love Letter to a Tree” by Elizabeth Louis

Submitted to Contest #57

Standing tall, limbs so high off the ground, impossible to see from below, a legion of Sequoias are poised in eternal solute. Their rust-red skin is rough-yet soft, living- yet still, and incomprehensibly soothing in a way that takes me back. Closing my eyes, I can almost hear a song, soft vibrations, earth-deep. How many millenia have they bared witness to? Floods, earthquakes, fires, births, deaths- how many souls have they shared the earth with? If you had a face, you would have clear, hazel green eyes, sharp with knowledge and gra...

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“Not This One” by Matthew Turner

Submitted to Contest #57

The day had come and Jenna could tell. Mark was a mess. He wasn’t actively acting like it but she knew it was bugging him, sitting on his shoulders and no matter what she told him to dissuade him or convince him otherwise the idea was planted firmly in his head and he walked through the day like he was crossing a minefield. It was their tenth anniversary but Mark had been dreading it since they got married. Mark’s parents had split on the night of their tenth anniversary. Both sets of his grandparents had split up on the night of their ten...

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“The Foolish Painting” by Ellie Villaseñor

Submitted to Contest #57

She was painting in her room when suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it, she wasn’t surprise to see it was her mother. Her mother took one glance around the room and threw a bunch of matchsticks on her bed and left without saying another word.She was always used to this.But this time, instead of hiding it under her bed, she used it for burning all of the law and medicine books her parents gave her as birthday and Christmas presents. Why, she thought as she stifled her tears, why did I have to be born in a fam...

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“Ris a la Mande” by Josephine Andersen

Submitted to Contest #57

Ris a la MandeThis was the first Christmas when she would be doing things differently. Lorna sighed and thought how difficult it would be, to break it to her mother. Nikolai had been very firm , “Tell your mother that I want a different kind of Christmas this year and don’t let her bully you. You are too soft with her , always giving in to her every wish and whim.” Things had been difficult between them the past year or two. The marrying of two cultures was not always a picnic. Most of their quarrels stemmed from their different wa...

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“Moment of truth” by Munyaradzi Goredema

Submitted to Contest #57

Sweating, nervous and part unsure of himself, Mike hung up the phone. The specter of being disowned hung over him like a dark cloud. He was left to wonder if his mother meant it or not. Hysterical she might have been, but she did not normally mince her words. And no matter how deep her love for her first born, her one and only son-he knew she meant every word she said. Before it became the sole mission of his life, creative art was a mere past-time. Paintings, sculptures and drawings had been objects to admire, rather than the personal ob...

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“love knows no rules ” by AMER ACIL

Submitted to Contest #57

When i saw her at the first time i forgot everything , every issue and anxious breath i ever took and got lost into her wet black hair with the rain waiting for the bus with a broken umbrella and a book completly ruined from the rain in a dramatic stormy day , i felt like the time stopped for a while and the only think that was running on my mind is that she is forbiden for me and she would be for generations because of our wierd family tradition that i don't know yet my position at , but when the time came back i realised that every rule ha...

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“Family Traditions” by Amie Bontrager

Submitted to Contest #57

Dear Diary, Every family has a tradition. But not everyone follows those traditions. Sometimes you get a, how should I say this? A more independent kid. Hey there. My name’s Emily Green. I come from a long, long… long... long, line of farmers. I grew up in the country, and, on the outside, I’m your stereotypical country girl; long braid, freckly face, light tan. I have cowboy boots and a wide-brimmed hat, and I wear jeans and plaid shirts. But, believe it or not, I don’t want to be a farmer or a ranch hand. I want to be a g...

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“SELF CENTERED” by Ramanujam Narayan

Submitted to Contest #57

SELF CENTERED It was mid summer. The weather was cloudy, hot and sultry. I was returning home late at night from Amar Mahal after visiting a friend. I noticed the time was past 11.30 pm. As I approached Eastern Express-Agra highway, I saw a crowd of people standing near a public carrier. Out of couriosity, I asked a passerby "kya hua bhai, ithna bead Khun hai". He said " Arre Saab, ek admi us larry ke nechye kuchal gaya hai". I just nodded and proceeded further home. On second thought, I turned back and went to the accident site, got min...

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“Clip” by Audrey Zimmer

Submitted to Contest #57

The smell of Butter Vanilla and Cinnamon hit me like a wave of a home once lost as I wheeled Mrs. Ardelean inside the doors of the Caffé del Trono. The little old woman was frail and small, but she still insisted on coming with me every day. I shoved the silver wheelchair through the double doors and parked it by a table. I went back to the doors and locked them behind me. I calculated how long I had before opening and set the alarm on my phone. Mrs. Ardelean motioned for me to push her to her station. I had set up a room for her to...

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“To fall from a thoroughbred” by Tony Yetton

Submitted to Contest #57

To fall from a thoroughbred To say that I broke a long-standing family tradition may be perceived as slight distortion of the truth. However, my family is inextricably linked to the horse racing and gambling industry and, whilst I can ride a horse very well and know how to bet, I had absolutely no interest in making a career in the Equine industry, the Racing Game, the Gambling bug, otherwise known as “The sport of Kings”! Please, allow me to explain: My grandfather on my dad’s side of the family was a Frenchman whose primary occupati...

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“honor” by Taylor Pastore

Submitted to Contest #57

The honor came with power in my family. Without a grasp on the world around you, you were weak and powerless. And without power, there was no honor. From a young age, I learned that the Robespierre family never cried and never loosened their iron thumb on the world. The modern world would not function properly without our law and order, our influence, and control. With that, a huge responsibility was laid on my shoulders as a child, being the first male born in the family. I had three older sisters who were prepared for marriage since they c...

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Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 170 stories

“This Story Starts With A Death” by Jada Leung

“Dinner Time” by Christine Hungerford

“Destined flame ” by Jasmine K

“Song of the Nightingale ” by Cynthia Grove

“Love Letter to a Tree” by Elizabeth Louis

“Not This One” by Matthew Turner

“The Foolish Painting” by Ellie Villaseñor

“Ris a la Mande” by Josephine Andersen

“Moment of truth” by Munyaradzi Goredema

“love knows no rules ” by AMER ACIL

“Family Traditions” by Amie Bontrager

“SELF CENTERED” by Ramanujam Narayan

“Clip” by Audrey Zimmer

“To fall from a thoroughbred” by Tony Yetton

“honor” by Taylor Pastore

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a humorous story about the descendant of someone remembered for an insignificant act.

Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.

Write a story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

Write a story that starts with someone writing their will — one they know people won’t like.

Contest #57

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

676

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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