Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 170 stories

“The Lost” by Celine Arnobit

Submitted to Contest #57

You don’t belong here.The sentence still rang in my mind like the sound of a penny thrown into an empty washing machine.I still thought of the way She had tossed me aside like I was nothing. The way Her words—sharp, cold knives that they were— cut right through me.How quickly I believed Her. How naturally I accepted Her words as truth— that I was unimportant. I wasn’t wanted here.That was two days ago. For two days I had been gazing out of the bars that lined the four walls of the jail cell. It was anyone’s worst nightmare.I’d heard stories ...

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“"Charlie's Homecoming" ” by Paula Dennison

Submitted to Contest #57

The headline read "Navajo Nation Judge Orders Widow to Return Body to Arizona." Jean Olson Whitehorse read the newspaper and her heart palpitated erratically because the article was about to exploit her life as it exists at this time. Charlie Whitehorse, Jean's husband passed yesterday and things have happened so quickly that Jean had little time to reckon with her feelings of grief. Charlie had been sick for a while and they had both thoroughly discussed and planned his funeral which would be in the tradition of her family; military honors,...

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“run away with me” by Sarah Firth

Submitted to Contest #57

“I’m not wearing white.” “You don’t have to wear white,” he told me. His head was on my chest, cheek to breast, nothing between us but skin and the sweat we worked up together. I was playing with his hair, combing my fingers through tangled black curls. “Maybe I won’t even wear a dress.” He kissed my nipple and said, “Maybe I will.” “Should I wear a suit?” “You should wear whatever you want, love.” “Am I even a bride if I don’t wear a white dress?” He lifted his head to look at me, digging his chin into my sternum. “That’...

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“A Family of Liars and Thieves” by Kayla Peart

Submitted to Contest #57

Lying is our way of life. As soon as I could talk, I was telling lies. It was encouraged. If you weren't lying and made a habit of it, you were ousted, or so they said. I played the game for as long as I could until I wanted to quit. That was when I lost it all. It started when I met Avel. His icy blue eyes caught my attention first. But, it was his kind smile and caring demeanor which made me rethink the way I've been living my life. Along with my memories of our first meeting, I'll never forget all the lies I spewed. "Looking for a...

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“Family Reunion” by Linda Brodsky

Submitted to Contest #57

Family Reunion By: Linda Brodsky You have got to call the brat and make it clear that nobody in this family, nobody, skips the annual family reunion. Sorry but this urgent. Fine. No. Scratch that. I’m not fine. I was fine. I was having a good day until a few minutes ago when I got the shock of my life. I am not being melodramatic. You didn’t hear those words spoken aloud. &n...

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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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“Shattered Tradition” by Anika G

Submitted to Contest #57

It is Shadow dragon tradition to choose a new monarch from the current ruler’s children based on the moon. The child that hatches on or nearest to the new moon is destined to become the new king or queen of their tribe. If an egg has twins within, or if multiple eggs hatch on the same night, then the siblings must compete in a series of trials to see which one the moon—and the Shadow dragon tribe—favors. The favored sibling is then prepared for crowning. Datura hatched when the moon seemed to have abandoned the sky, and as such, her mother r...

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“Sermons” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #57

She is like every last born of that family from this part of the country. In biafran land, indeed our culture. most last borns in a family were usually not grounded in spheres of life, simply because of over pampering, over- indigence. That was exactly the fate of this lady from my village. Her name is Nkechi. She was from relatively poor family. They were seven in that family four, girls and three boys. Their parents were famers like most families of forties. Her father worked in logging business till he had an accident that ended that care...

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“Guarding Cyremn” by Ephyunayne Arthur

Submitted to Contest #57

Guarding Cyremn I sat on top of a roof looking over the town of Cyremn as they anticipated the celebration of the day of the black sun. People were rushing up and down the narrow streets of cobblestone as the sun sunk deeper into the horizon. It was only a few hours till the festivities began, that was probably the reason for all the excitement. I could not say that I shared their excitement because I saw straight through it all. I knew what they didn't know and I had seen things they had never seen. When I was a child, my mother sat me down...

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“Time To Call It A Night” by Chris Manders

Submitted to Contest #57

It was Halloween again and the family was gathering at Darkwood Hall as usual. Everyone had come dressed for the occasion - as someone in the family who had met a not-so-nice demise in the dim, but not necessarily, too distant past. The Chingleys had lived at the Hall for generations, having celebrated Halloween for decades in the old way, long before the Americans commercialised it and passed the idea back to Britain in the early 1900s! “I think we should stop this Halloween lark,” Lucien scowled at the others assembled in the draw...

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“A Star In A World Of Hate” by Yin & Yang

Submitted to Contest #57

Hey, there. My name is Jane Gardener. All my life I have dreamed of bright lights and wooden floorboards. Of a sea of people mesmerized by dancing figures in intricate dresses and elaborate gestures, masks firmly in place. Charming, lilted voices trapping the audience in enchanted silence. All my life I have wanted to perform. To be on the stage. To be a dancing figure, shoes tapping away to a chorus of singing voices. All my life I have waited to be an actress. I’d saunter up to the middle of the stage in a fashionable gown, heels tapping c...

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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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“Shrine” by Mashi B

Submitted to Contest #57

They say parents make up all kinds of rules, just to keep their children safe. Don’t climb on the couch, don’t walk around with your muddy shoes on, close the closet door tight shut before going to bed… Normal stuff really, as if you or I needed to be reminded that. Some families, however, go as far as calling their rules “traditions”. See, breaking a rule is easy. You’ll get punished for it with your mother’s cooking being placed on the table louder than usual, or your father’s disappointed gaze, maybe auntie will tell you to clean the atti...

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“Bad Turkey” by Jessica Bell

Submitted to Contest #57

Every year it is the same stupid thing. Being a teenage boy in a happy-go-lucky family that goes ga ga for the holidays really sucks. Most of my time I want to be left alone with my video games, but once again it is that time of year. Mom is decorating the house, dad went and got a real Christmas tree, my sister is decorating the tree and here I am waiting for it to be over. What’s worse is that we have this super annoying aunt, who thinks that she can cook like a master chef and she always insists on cooking a turkey for Christmas. The bad ...

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Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 170 stories

“The Lost” by Celine Arnobit

“"Charlie's Homecoming" ” by Paula Dennison

“run away with me” by Sarah Firth

“A Family of Liars and Thieves” by Kayla Peart

“Family Reunion” by Linda Brodsky

“Clip” by Audrey Zimmer

“To fall from a thoroughbred” by Tony Yetton

“Shattered Tradition” by Anika G

“Sermons” by Philip Ebuluofor

“Guarding Cyremn” by Ephyunayne Arthur

“Time To Call It A Night” by Chris Manders

“A Star In A World Of Hate” by Yin & Yang

“honor” by Taylor Pastore

“Shrine” by Mashi B

“Bad Turkey” by Jessica Bell

🌟 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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