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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2024
Submitted to Contest #277
“Hey, Jay, get in here and help me.” A young man with a slight British accent shouted from inside the bus through the open doors of the old Blue Bird. “The sooner we clear out our stuff from this ol’Bird and move into the new bus, the quicker we can hit the road.”On the outside, Jay shot a glance at the gleaming machine to his right as he stood beside the faded yellow school bus with the blue logo above the door. “The new tour bus is a fine piece of machinery, I must admit. And I’m glad we are successful enough to ride in style, but…” He sto...
Submitted to Contest #276
The idea behind the first pancake rule is that it’s okay if the first one doesn’t turn out. It’s a do-over. The first one is the practice round for getting the cooking conditions just right. The adjustments you make will lead to perfect pancakes afterwards. It’s a strategy that encourages learning through practice, feedback, and continuous improvement. As a tool to aid in developing skills and expertise for any business, the first pancake rule can be useful. Encouragement to improve, forgiveness of failed attempts, support and advice on what...
Submitted to Contest #272
The sideways rays of the sun painted a soft glow over the land, a familiar scene for this time of year. The deserted dock was a common sight during winter, and today was no exception. A lone figure walked toward the end of the pier and stepped into a small rowboat. Glancing skyward, the man in the dory silently pleaded with the sun for its guiding light to navigate the perilous channel.In the summer, this channel was teaming with seagoing vessels, large and small. Sailors and yachtsmen came from all directions inland to vacation here in this...
Submitted to Contest #271
“Masks on, girls.” Corrine said to the small group of women she had brought to the grand hall in the Lotte New York Palace. “It’s twenty after seven. Let the evening begin.”Corrine watched her employees file out of the Women’s Lounge with a scrutinizing eye. “Remember,” she advised, “spread out and mingle. Work it. We got this.”A pep talk with encouraging words lit a spark. Through the propped open double doors, one by one the girls, dressed in slinky, form fitting dresses of varied color and length, sashayed, each scoping the sparse crowd o...
Submitted to Contest #270
If the universe had a kitchen, it would be open night and day. In it there would be a book of recipes. The list of ingredients would be endless. Dark matter, cosmic rays, and celestial dust. There’d be a recipe for everything. Big recipes for the planets and small ones to make hurricanes and rainbows. The stars that twinkle in the sky are the sprinkles atop a vast chocolate cupcake. Swirling like cinnamon rolled into pastry dough are the galaxies. At the beginning of the book, you can find the universe’s recipe for generating gravity. At the...
Submitted to Contest #269
Clarise stood in front of the fogged up bathroom mirror aligning her face in the circle she had wiped clear with her towel. Staring back at her were two dull blue pools of swirling emotion, not the eyes she expected to see. Drifting her focus down past her mouth, her hand came up to confirm that the thin sagging skin on the neck in the reflection was hers.“That can’t be my neck.” She murmured as she turned away.She reached for her bath towel to hang it up, but burried her face in it and let out an exasperated cry. The passing of time left it...
Submitted to Contest #268
I have often wondered if I’d have been better off with a different name. Bronson Steele. Sounds like the name of a double agent in a spy novel. A daring, chivalrous, sword wielding hero who faces the enemy and rescues the people from doom. My parents may have believed in the power of a name, hoping I’d live up to it. I must admit I've let them down.Thrill seekers to the max, my parents lived up to their names. The Steeles, Rowan and Jade. Outdoorsy. Adventurous. They were the couple who did every extreme adventure that came their way. Skydiv...
Submitted to Contest #267
(Contains cross-dressing themed material)Lyla stood in front of the full-length mirror, analyzing her dress for the third time since she started dressing. The chiffon fabric was a swirl of blues, greens, and yellows that reminded her of a meadow in the spring. Her husband, Malcolm, felt she should wear a dress tonight. This was the only one she owned that was light enough for the environment. She had yet to update her cool weather wardrobe to suit their new climate in the desert. Though she was much more relaxed in jeans and a blouse with a ...
Submitted to Contest #266
Nestled in the charming town of Willow Glen, Jack, a young man, made his home among the endless fields of lavender and rolling hills. Jack’s likable personality and charming sense of humor attracted the residents of Willow Glen to him, including the ladies, which lead to dramatic romantic entanglements. He was a good catch. He genuinely wanted a serious relationship. To love too much was his fate. His heart was as fickle as the breeze.“I don’t want to be fickle. I want to settle down with one woman.” Jack lifted his eyes skyward beseechingly...
The sweet creamy scent of vanilla buttercream that dances in the air of a culinary school’s bakery department comforts me. Raised within a family that owns and runs a flourishing full-service bakery, I simply have to shut my eyes and memories of my grandpa, father, and any assortment of uncles, aunts, and cousins flood my mind. The Constantine family live and breathe for bread, cookies, rolls, cakes, danish and pastries. Working side by side with my elders, I dreamed of the day I would lead our bakery into the next generation. I didn’t just ...
Submitted to Contest #265
The Osprey, the pride of the fleet of six vessels in the Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruise line, was a majestic sight as it departed from the dock, its gleaming white hull gliding through the serene waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The sun hung high in the mid-day sky, sending warming rays upon the heads and shoulders of the passengers on the observation deck.Families and friends gathered in groups on this public tour, sitting at the tables or standing at the railings. A sprinkling of conversations spiked with laughter spread through the crowd, and the...
Driving over the mountain passes between the state of Arizona and her childhood home in Idaho, the dramatic shift in landscape captivated Berlyn. From the arid deserts with cactus and sage to the lush pine forests, the sights couldn’t be more divergent. Two days of travel brought her to the wide-open grain fields of the Idaho prairies, where the warm welcome should have awaited her. Berlyn felt an undeniable pull toward her past as she drove northward and the memories crept in. Growing up on the family farm in mid-western Idaho had been for ...
Submitted to Contest #264
October 7th, 2023 McCall, Idaho, Payette National Forest Deep in the wilderness, on the canyon’s edge, in the most unlikely of places, stood a small gathering of friends and family. They had made the trek to this special location with some offerings of complaint, but all with love in their hearts. They gathered on the ridge above the aspen stand to witness the marriage of their loved ones, Daisy and Ray.“They wouldn’t do this for just anyone, Daisy.” Ray had said as they led the procession up the trail.“It was the best way to be closest to m...
Submitted to Contest #263
In the dimly lit halls of Belfry Psychiatric Hospital in Salem, Oregon, the air was heavy with a mixture of pain and unrelenting moaning of the sufferers within. Mildred Ratched, a dedicated nurse, had spent the better part of a decade caring for the lost souls that inhabited this place. Like a breath of fresh air, Mildred would breeze into the rooms administering medications. Delivering meals with a smile, she would often take the time to sit with patients while they ate. She would listen to them tell the tales of their tragic lives and off...
Marie had always found comfort in her solitude. As a child, she often opted out of social events, and when it was unavoidable, she retreated to a corner with a book. Able to lose herself in the characters, she could pretend to be as daring as Meg in Little Women, or as courageous as Maya in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. The outside world—loud, chaotic, unpredictable—was, for Marie, a danger zone. Marie’s parents recognized their daughter’s discomfort and supported her the best way they knew how. They protected her and shielded her and mad...
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