Write about a character pretending to be someone they’re not.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 43 stories

“Dating Games” by Ryan Pond

Submitted to Contest #107

“Dating; go out with (someone in whom one is romantically or sexually interested).” “Thanks Google, but none of that describes this,” Josh said as he let out a sigh and sat down on the edge of his bed to pull on his shoes. “How did I let Zack talk me into this?” he said as he pulled the shoe on and tied the laces in a neat little bow. He moved across the room to the bathroom while he closed the buttons down the front of his shirt. The countertop around the sink was covered in an array of skin, hair, and facial care products. Josh stared...

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“First Crush” by Sarah Duffey

Submitted to Contest #107

There are some people who are just impossible to shake. Amber checked her schedule and felt herself shrink when she saw his name in the 12:30 time slot. Steven. He had signed up Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for tutoring. Despite the nearly two weeks he’d spent with Amber in the computer lab, Steven had made meager progress. She had told a classmate about him, and this classmate called him a creep, a weirdo, gross. He’d originally shown up to get help with his English paper, though this classmate speculated that he was there exclusi...

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“A Taste of Freedom” by Paige Mitchell

Submitted to Contest #107

Royal appearance to be made at the Annual Celebration of The Harvest to take place this Saturday - Including her Royal Highness Princess Genevieve – protocol is to be followed accordingly. Amelia was startled as she finished reading the flyer posted up in the middle of the main square of her village. Princess Genevieve had only been seen a handful of times by the villagers, it was rumoured that the royal family frowned on the young princess leaving the palace. Rumours had indeed spread throughout all the villages in the nation that...

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“My Name is Billy Irons.” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #107

A man is sitting at the bar of a locally popular night spot. He has barely touched his first beer. He is thinking, ‘Well, it’s Friday night at my favourite pub, and I am sitting alone at the bar. I would like to meet some woman, and start something, even if it is only for a little conversation. But how do I impress someone quickly. I am, admittedly, quite ordinary in looks, job and generally in conversation. My best words are written, not spoken. I need a new strategy. Here comes someone. She’s comi...

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“The Witches Familiar” by Kiara Gorton

Submitted to Contest #107

The eyeballs in a jar were staring at her. She just knew they were. It was making it hard to concentrate. “Pst, Pheobe. Your potion is boiling over.” The urgent whisper came from Charlie, the red-haired golden child sitting at the desk beside Pheobes’. “Oh shivers!” Pheobe looked around in a panic. The items on her desk all seemed to blur together, nothing looked at all useful. A black streak darted across Pheobes’ peripheral vision and up onto her desk. Eldon, her cat, helpfully jumped up on the table with a wood...

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“She envied my being me!” by Leny Revermann

Submitted to Contest #107

Growing up a tomboy I didn't know that it would be an engaging matter to become popular that a girl in my class used my name, my photo, and all my favorite things to do her dream, she stole my identity to meet boys! I was in the middle of the busy week preparing for an exam when I was told someone was looking for me. I grew up in the Philippines, attending one of the prominent private high schools, but very religious, and have strict rules and uniforms. I hated the strict rules of my school, but my parents believed it would help me developed...

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“The Big Little Lie” by Germaine Welch

Submitted to Contest #107

The Big Little Lie Dear Reader: Here are a few facts you need before you read this story. I had just turned four when WWII was declared. My father was Gerard Burchard descendant from an old German family. Meige (the I is long) Burchard was my mother. Because of their commitments to the Navy, I have no memories of my parents until I am almost eight years old. During the war years I lived in Bremeerton, Washington with Meige’s mother, Eva, a small, spirited Irish woman. My ...

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“Cues” by Helen Single

Submitted to Contest #107

The faint reek of cigarette smoke tickles my nose as I push into my hometown’s dingiest dive bar for the third time this week. My mouth waters as the aroma of cheap, greasy fries and fatty meat cuts through the dank mix of sweat and liquor breath. I drag my gaze across the room to find nothing of particular interest; two grizzled men sit at the bar mumbling to each other as a couple of college kids play a very unconvincing game of pool in the corner. I flash a crooked smile at the bartender and hop into my usual seat by the wall. He rolls hi...

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“Now Manuel can play” by Lisa Greghi

Submitted to Contest #107

“Manuel spilt a whole bowl of soup today! I try to educate him but for now, I guess he is too little to pick up on my reproaches. What I was one-year-old I bet I didn’t listen to my parents either! - laughter emoji, laughter emoji. Has your child ever done this? I try to remain calm and teach him instead of carelessly screaming at him, he will understand, he will grow up. I really hope he didn’t burn himself too much, that soup was so hot! – despair emoji. I would love to know if you had a similar experience with your child. How did y...

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“The Table” by ♡ Tana ♡

Submitted to Contest #107

We sit here together around this table that your father built before you were born, and we eat the rich olive bread from the wooden plate at the center of the table; thirteen hands sharing bread, and I wonder at the intimacy of it, especially now when we all feel as distant as strangers. I keep trying to catch your eye, but you keep your head down and eat very little, and if there were not so many others around us I would maybe reach out to take your hand, or to ask you what is wrong that I cannot soothe. The wine is spicy and auburn, ...

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“Hurricane Lives” by Darby Walker

Submitted to Contest #107

He worked at a Japanese restaurant, in Arizona, which felt ironic given how far from any ocean it was and how the food served was almost exclusively seafood. Most days he worked both the lunch and dinner shifts and in between the two the restaurant was closed for two hours, from 3:00 o'clock to 5:00 o'clock. This always left him an uneven amount if time, uneven in that it was too long to stay and wait for it to re-open, but not long enough to walk all the way home and back. He could have, but the time it would’ve taken to make both trips wou...

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“Imposter Syndrome” by Sarah Bird

Submitted to Contest #107

“And your sleep?” the voice crackles through my headset after a pregnant pause due to the time delay. “Your sleep was disturbed by nightmares a few weeks ago. How are you sleeping now?” “Better,” I answer truthfully. “Exactly eight hours last night.” “Good, good,” the man says. “And how are you feeling about your habitat now? You indicated anxiety about your habitat. Some worries and concerns. Do you want to explore that today?” Paranoia, he means. “I am feeling much more settled, thank you. It was difficult to adjust at first but I am much ...

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“SNAKE EYES” by Chet McHenry

Submitted to Contest #107

Clinton raised another forkful of his omelet to his mouth. He stopped chewing for a moment to say, “I tell you, there’s no other place like Vegas in the world.” Sarah smiled. “So you’ve said. Have you been to other places?”Clinton washed down the last bit of his Western omelet with a long sip of coffee. He wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin and set it near his empty plate. “Japan, Monte Carlo, Monaco-now that place is where the real money is. It just seemed everyone there, all dr...

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“Pretending To Be Myself” by ErikAnne Davis

Submitted to Contest #107

I have been waking up everyday pretending to be me for nearly four decades.It was an evening in August of 1984 that the world blinked. I was standing at the screen door, an oldies song was playing on the radio, the setting sun making a silhouette of the houses and woods across the street. The scent of late summer barbecue drifting by mixing with that hint on the breeze that it would soon be autumn. My family was sitting out on the front porch talking with neighbors and listening to the schools marching band practice as the custodians made ce...

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“Escapism” by Quinn Ford

Submitted to Contest #107

Rie sat as she always did at the secluded corner of the small cafe she frequented, usually on Thursday and Fridays, bathed in the dull orange glow of the hall light. She had been there for nearly three hours, and her awkwardly small table was already littered with the same number of large iced long blacks and tattered napkins. She’d been coming here for two years now to study, and each time she passed down the hallway lined with stuffed bookshelves she felt smug about what an incredibly good find this place was. Her spot was almost never ...

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Write about a character pretending to be someone they’re not.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 43 stories

“Dating Games” by Ryan Pond

“First Crush” by Sarah Duffey

“A Taste of Freedom” by Paige Mitchell

“My Name is Billy Irons.” by John Steckley

“The Witches Familiar” by Kiara Gorton

“She envied my being me!” by Leny Revermann

“The Big Little Lie” by Germaine Welch

“Cues” by Helen Single

“Now Manuel can play” by Lisa Greghi

“The Table” by ♡ Tana ♡

“Hurricane Lives” by Darby Walker

“Imposter Syndrome” by Sarah Bird

“SNAKE EYES” by Chet McHenry

“Pretending To Be Myself” by ErikAnne Davis

“Escapism” by Quinn Ford

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a white lie which spirals out of control.

Write about a game of ‘truth or dare’ that goes horribly wrong.

Write a story where a character finds out the truth about something they thought they’d known their whole life.

Write about a character who tells a lie which turns out to be true - or a truth which turns out to be a lie.

Contest #107

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

150

Contest entries

204

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: