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

“Mapping the Future” by Bernie Thel

Submitted to Contest #247

Fila sat on the wide wooden steps of the large white-washed farmhouse, a worn map of the Southern United States resting in her lap. She watched as day broke over fields of dry bark and lint, all that remained of the Alabama cotton crop planted six months ago and harvested just last week. It had been a decent crop, but not enough to convince Fila’s mother to stay and keep working the farm alone. The fields, desolate in the half light of early morning, mirrored Fila’s own mood of bleak acceptance. The land was no longer theirs, having been sol...

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“The Muddy Stick” by Joan Wright

Submitted to Contest #247

Roscoe burst through the doggie door, leaving muddy footprints across the brand-new hardwood floor. He was dragging a long muddy stick which left muddy prints of its own. "BOB, screamed Margo ,Call your dog!!! Roscoe wagged his tail as he placed his new treasure at Margo's feet."The patio door slowly slid open. Bob stuck his head in."Whats the problem? Oh shit, there's mud all over the new floor!""That's the problem. Your dog brought half the mud in the yard into our house along with a huge muddy stick. Could you please take him outside and ...

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“Step One” by Lukundo Choonga

Submitted to Contest #247

Rea hoped for the silence to be killed by chirping, or croaking, or any indication that there was another breathing being out there. But save for the sound of soil crunching under her feet, there was nothing. She could still see the entrance; she could just leave. She could sell her family a story about how enlightening her trip was, and how it changed her. Her dad would definitely buy it.***In a last-ditch effort to show her family that she was trying, Rea had booked a slot on an anger management retreat. The idea of a few days in a seclude...

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“Movement of Milan” by Nagaella Province

Submitted to Contest #247

THE MOVEMENT OF MILAN Nagaella Province WARNING- mention of divorce “Milan Acosta?” Professor Campbell called out. “Here.” I responded. “Come to my desk please.” I’m screwed. I got up out of my desk and walked to Professor Cambell, already aware of what she was going to lecture me about. “Ms. Acosta,” She handed me last week’s exam that had a big red F on the right corner, “This is your 3rd F in a row.” “I see that.” I honestly didn’t k...

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“A flow of water and sound ” by Diego Pineda

Submitted to Contest #247

The diagnosis was definitive: Glioblastoma multiforme. Of course, setting aside the headaches, Chris had suspected that things wouldn't turn out as expected ever since that afternoon when he first heard the buzzing in the shower. It hadn't been a normal buzz, that was clear, and he wasn't even sure if he could classify it as a buzz proper, just as he couldn't say if it was a good or bad buzz. Either way, the sound was a warning, and ever since then, he wondered if what he felt was right. In fact, he often found himself wondering if, after th...

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“Welcome to the Jungle, Small Town Girl” by Nicole Tichon

Submitted to Contest #247

Welcome to the Jungle, Small Town Girl On my first night in Tigman Village I barked like a wild dog. Delirious from 36 hours of travel, and desperate for a drink of drinkable water, I stumbled into streets that were poorly marked, if at all. The volunteer headquarters had shut down hours ago. I skipped dinner because I wasn’t ready for people at that hour. Truthfully, I hadn’t been ready for people for 18 months. I wouldn’t be for another 24. And anyway it was just another thing on a long list of things I couldn’t find. All the little carts...

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“Everywhere and nowhere” by Callie Messer

Submitted to Contest #247

Aden - 1508 A.D. The boards of the ship creak under my feet as I walk across the main deck. The old wood has sailed through hundreds of battles, but this will be its last. Water floods in as if there’s a hurricane surrounding us, sweeping away a few of my men. Their bodies bend and break as they hit the side railing, falling over the edge like small offerings to the ocean. My eyes don’t leave the window of the Captain’s Quarters as my body pushes forward. Screams ring out like a battle cry as men are ripped to shreds around me. Tentacles, a...

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“River of Knowledge ” by Laura Craig

Submitted to Contest #247

River of Knowledge Wet, cold, tired, and hungry. These feeling I could name. They were solvable and temporary. The emotions swirling inside were less tamable. Embarrassed was just the base line. I was in way over my head, and being surrounded by other people only added to my misery. I’m not sure anything would have been different; it might have been a lot worst had I been alone. But I was used to being alone. It was how I preferred these times. Alas, the population for this adventure far exceeded solo, and I found myself struggling wi...

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“The Great Unknown- Personal Exploration” by Joe Voelker

Submitted to Contest #247

September 22, 1927, The day of birth- mine. This day April 22, 2024 I write, the decade now evaporated into thin air it seems, the past! Now not only faced with the great unknown, but living the great unknown. Transitioning from the beauty of ownership, home ownership, to a facility of safety, demands of aging, exploring the unknown where the everyday of life rest in the hands of others—aids, nurses, administrators, the very good fueling, the body, now explorations of life. &nb...

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“But, No One Goes There” by Deb Popson

Submitted to Contest #247

The ocean breeze is strong today. The King Tide waves crash, a phenomenon that is costing coastline as the sea gobbles up beach acreage. Even the birds are buffeted by the wind as they pick their way across the sand searching for their morning meal. They are blown to and fro, their feathers spiking in the airflow like a punk rocker’s mohawk. The sun is up, but still low in the sky. Its rays light the surf with golden beams - a golden road to heaven. Although a bit chilly yet in these early hours, the sun will bake the groun...

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“The Bubble” by Brittany Mackeown

Submitted to Contest #247

Our moon colony had grown in the past few years, expanding past the main hub, which everyone but tourists from Earth called The Bubble. The Bubble was the size of a small city with roughly 250,000 permanent residents, a far cry from when my parents had moved my older brother and me up here. The growth meant more transplants from Earth arriving on a slick galactic cruise liner with their expensive SSRIs and antipsychotics. Which should have meant that Rafael’s epileptic medication would be easier to find, but sellers were on the low beca...

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“5 Stars Infiltration: A Crazy Duo's Diamond Heist” by Mymy Khan

Submitted to Contest #247

The eccentric duo, known as "Crazy One" and "Crazy Two," found themselves amidst a torrential downpour on an otherwise quiet Sunday evening in the captivating locale of Cancún. Their unlikely pairing comprised an Italian man and a Canadian woman, united by a daring mission: infiltrating the opulent hotel via a clandestine route concealed along the coastline. As they made their way along the beach, nature's fury was unleashed upon them, with the ocean tumultuously roiling and the rain descending in a deluge. Undeterred, the Italian discarded ...

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“Anointed” by Steven Joyce

Submitted to Contest #247

Larry clicked on his flip-flops clumsily as he approached the beach town’s 1970s community center. His feet were too pale and soft for this: decades spent in socks, protected by footwear, suddenly called upon to be exposed to the elements. He was uncomfortable having his big and middle toe split by the chafing nylon sandal strap. But in every picture he’d seen of people doing yoga, they all had bare feet, so he had to soldier on. &nbsp...

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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

“Mapping the Future” by Bernie Thel

“The Muddy Stick” by Joan Wright

“Step One” by Lukundo Choonga

“Movement of Milan” by Nagaella Province

“A flow of water and sound ” by Diego Pineda

“Welcome to the Jungle, Small Town Girl” by Nicole Tichon

“Everywhere and nowhere” by Callie Messer

“River of Knowledge ” by Laura Craig

“The Great Unknown- Personal Exploration” by Joe Voelker

“But, No One Goes There” by Deb Popson

“The Bubble” by Brittany Mackeown

“5 Stars Infiltration: A Crazy Duo's Diamond Heist” by Mymy Khan

“Anointed” by Steven Joyce

🌟 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: