Center your story around a character’s personal exploration, whether it's trying a new hobby, visiting an unfamiliar place, or learning something completely new.

Posted in Character on Apr 19, 2024

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✍️ 88 stories

“I Don’t Belong Where the Good People Are” by Sauntering Vagabond

Submitted to Contest #247

I Don’t Belong Where the Good People AreBy Robert Benn I think I understand now why The Doctor keeps the Tardis broken. Making the plan destroys the mystery. Knowing what to expect! Well then why go if you know what’s there? People, I watch them from overpriced cafes sometimes, my favorite is St. Mark’s square. I like the children chasing the birds. I feel hopeful in their astonishment and glee. ...

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“To Walk” by Glen Wiley

Submitted to Contest #247

Bill stepped into his cube, but before he could set down his coffee and get settled, Sam barked, "Bill! Happy Monday man! One more week and we launch!" "Good morning, Sam.", Bill sighed, "Can it wait until I get some caffeine in my system?" Sam's enthusiasm could be a bit much sometimes. "I'd really like to get settled before we start talking; give me a few minutes." After so many years working together, Bill knew Sam wouldn't be slowed down, so he sipped his coffee and looked over his glasses at Sam, giving him quiet permission. Bill wrappe...

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“unfamiliar exploration within a familiar environment” by Fletcher Fox

Submitted to Contest #247

Can the concept of graduate school be considered a place? It certainly is unfamiliar, both like and unlike the actual locations the education takes place - or, rather, would be taking place, if I was actually doing real tasks beyond ‘exploring my options’. It shouldn't, really, be unfamiliar - I'm by no means a first-generation student. I grew up on stories of my mom's master’s degree from Columbia University. Only she was studying a completely different field from what I want to study. She was a speech language pathologist, and I aim ...

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“The Lucky Stars Club” by Maura Morgan

Submitted to Contest #247

The Lucky Stars Club A Short Story By Maura Morgan I held hands with my wife Rachel in the offstage darkness while the host, Kelly Davis, shared her monologue with millions of people watching Tell Me a Secret. I planned to speak publicly about Georgie and Duncan for the first time since my acquittal. In the most high-profile court case in ten years since a former president was brought to trial, testimony from Rachel and me had been sealed because it was inflammatory and downright unbelievable. The judge removed reporters from the courtr...

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“The One Who Hurts You Most” by Katariina Ruuska

Submitted to Contest #247

It’s not them, it’s youYou can pass the blame and cry boo-hooNothing good will it doFor the one who hurts you most is always you Blair thought about her 14-year-old niece’s poem now that the flashing of the cameras stung her retinas, reminding her of the topic of the poem — hurt. She’d read it and felt proud. Sure, it was a little rough around the edges, certainly no Emily Dickinson, but there was a refreshing sense of accountability to it, maturity, wisdom. She’d promised her niece she’d frame it, but it was still sitting on her dining tabl...

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“Finding ‘yourself’!” by Andrew Venn

Submitted to Contest #247

’One minute I was okay’, but five minutes later I would be trying to stay alive!A very sudden and unexpected brain haemorrhage very nearly ended my ‘relatively young’ life! After surviving, and completing 10 1/2 months in hospital, I required many therapies to try to restore ‘some normality’! This was a challenge and I, instead of ‘looking at it’ negatively, decided to attempt a reasonable recovery with humour, instead of ‘doom and gloom’! I was 24 years of age when I suffered this brain haemorrhage, caused by high blood pressure that rupt...

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“The Last Match's Flame” by OLIVIA WITTS

Submitted to Contest #247

[NONGRAPHIC MENTIONS OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING] Plick. Plick.Plick. “Is it too late to go back for my phone?” “Shh!” Hiss. The underground tunnel dimly lit with the small match flame, just barely illuminating the moss-covered walls and toxic-smelling sewage trickling along the cracked cement floor. Plick. “Gross, that one landed on my head!” a young girl whined. “Shh!” She went quiet, but rubbed the top of her head in discomfort. Another girl, just slightly older, wrapped an arm around her and pulled...

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“From Solo Vacation to Friends’ Trip” by Sara Potter

Submitted to Contest #247

Elizabeth sighed and settled into her seat on the airplane. She put her book in the side compartment of her pod, alongside the bottle of water and the overnight kit provided by the airline. I can get used to flying business class, she thought. Just then, the flight attendant came up the aisle and offered her a glass of either champagne, orange juice, or water. She took a glass of champagne. “Thank you.”As she sipped her champagne, another flight attendant handed her a menu displaying the dinner food and wine options. It just keeps getting be...

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“exploration” by Noa Tako

Submitted to Contest #247

This story is an exploration. It is an exploration into fear, and doubt, and hope. Into heartbreak and healing, and heartbreak again, and healing again, over and over until you can’t take it anymore and you’re screaming because you just want to live your life again without having to try so hard. Because you are trying so hard, all the time, to pretend that you are not trying so hard. No one tells you how exhausting heartbreak is. They warn you of the shock and the denial and the pain and the anger, yes, and those are all felt too. But when t...

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“Away from home” by Clare Horwood

Submitted to Contest #247

As she pulled the faded blue curtains back from her bedroom window looking out at the familiar garden with its roses, hydrangeas and too many weeds for her mother's liking, she felt an unfamiliar type of sickness rise up in her stomach. It was September Thursday 17th , 1962 ,the day she was to start boarding school. Her brother had gone the year before at the age of seven which had made her very jealous. Now it was her turn .Charlotte was ten years old, a shy girl with short straight hair, reasonably bright, but not sporty at all. What she r...

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“Everyone Has a Story” by Glenys Yaffe

Submitted to Contest #247

EVERYONE HAS A STORY Carly wishes she could stop her hands trembling as she opens the brochure and reads the title of the workshop: “Everyone Has a Story”. She’d never have chosen to do something like this; there’s a knot in her stomach at the thought of taking part in a workshop of any kind, with a bunch of strangers. After all, what is there about her life that’s even remotely interesting? Why would there be anything about her that others would want to hear? Now, stari...

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“Story of an Author” by Sophie Parmaby

Submitted to Contest #247

Dear Julia, When you were younger, you asked me why I became an author. I’m not sure you remember this, as you were still so young, but the question took me aback. At the time, I gave you a half-assed answer, enough to satisfy your curiosity but not enough to satisfy mine. It has been years since I’ve seen you for reasons I won’t explain presently, but I wanted to write you this letter to finally and properly answer your question before my time has come. For many, thirteen is an age plagued with inner turmoil. Many young teenagers expe...

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“Souvenirs of Space” by Zoë Page

Submitted to Contest #247

It’s been so long without really any contact, without any sight of her face, that my heart could’ve been aching for a lover staying on the moon, and not one beneath the same stars I look up to. I only really feel that Caroline is back when she enters the familiar orbit of my arms, and her head fits comfortably in the crook of my neck, the final piece to my puzzle. She feels the same, but her hair smells foreign – a new conditioner, most likely, bought somewhere that she went, but I entertain myself with thoughts of souvenirs of space brought...

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“That Look” by Emily Grace

Submitted to Contest #247

That Look. You know exactly what you’re doing to me. Giving me that look. I’m starting to know it all too well now. What gives you the right? I am powerless. I despise this. More than I’ve ever despised anything. And there hasn’t been a real shortage of things that I’ve despised in my life. But you. This. Tops them all. You look at me like that and I have nothing. No leaping to new sarcasm heights in a single bound. No inner comedian doing a pop-up show. No poetic burst of coffee shop brilliance. Zilch. Nada. Brought to stat...

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“Pole Therapy” by Tera Clow

Submitted to Contest #247

If you had told me three months ago that I would be spending four plus nights a week pole dancing, I wouldn’t have believed you. But if you had told me, back then, that my life was about to implode, I wouldn’t have believed that either. Per usual, I came to the studio straight from work. After peeling off my scrubs, I toss them into my designated locker, replacing them with one of my favorite ensembles. Some of the girls like the lacier stuff. Complete with sparkles, ribbons, maybe even some garters. But me? I prefer all black. T...

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Center your story around a character’s personal exploration, whether it's trying a new hobby, visiting an unfamiliar place, or learning something completely new.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 88 stories

“I Don’t Belong Where the Good People Are” by Sauntering Vagabond

“To Walk” by Glen Wiley

“unfamiliar exploration within a familiar environment” by Fletcher Fox

“The Lucky Stars Club” by Maura Morgan

“The One Who Hurts You Most” by Katariina Ruuska

“Finding ‘yourself’!” by Andrew Venn

“The Last Match's Flame” by OLIVIA WITTS

“From Solo Vacation to Friends’ Trip” by Sara Potter

“exploration” by Noa Tako

“Away from home” by Clare Horwood

“Everyone Has a Story” by Glenys Yaffe

“Story of an Author” by Sophie Parmaby

“Souvenirs of Space” by Zoë Page

“That Look” by Emily Grace

“Pole Therapy” by Tera Clow

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in the form of diary entries, written by an explorer as they make their way through what they thought was an untouched location.

Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.

Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity.

Write a narrative about a group of scientists exploring the deepest parts of the ocean.

Contest #247

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

258

Contest entries

102

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: