Write a story about a character learning to stand up for themselves.

Posted in Character on Oct 25, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 50 stories

“Tetherball” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

Much like deciding to work as a summer camp counselor, playing tetherball with nine-year-old boys is exhausting, pointless, and stupid. After my easy serve, one of the bucktoothed brats miraculously hits the ball back. The ball is actually an old volleyball, hung like a church thief on a dirty rope affixed to the top of a rusty pole. I am not paying attention because I despise these children, so the leather ball smacks me in the side of the face. My sunglasses shatter.Their braying, sputtering laughter does not...

42 comments 42

Read story

“A Scandal in the Lapland Art Contest” by Chris Morris

- This story is dedicated to diligent and honest judges everywhere -- Have a Christmas cookie on me 🍪 -🎅🎅🎅The Lapland Art Contest is special, because just like Christmas, it only comes once a week.Sorry! I haven’t even introduced myself. How rude! My name is Twinkly Snifflenose, and I’m an elf. It’s hard work being one of Santa’s elves. Really hard work. You humans always see...

39 comments 39

Read story

“Never Bribe a Bully” by Damian Frank

I remember the rustling crunch of dried leaves beneath my feet as I walked to school in the autumn of 1994. Their spectrum of color ranged from the lightest banana yellow to blood red and cracked dry mud brown. The air was brisk but comfortable and the smell… fresh with a dash of decaying plant life. As a sure sign of the coming winter, trees released what seemed to be a never-ending barrage of leaves, which floated to the ground as gracefully as a ballerina’s dance. The effect was like that of a rain shower, only dry. It took fifty minu...

18 comments 18

Read story

“Don't Turn off the Light” by Bonnie Mack

When the glow at her fingertips finally guttered and went out, he told her it meant she had found peace. But, peace hurt more than she expected. He held her against him in the dark. He was warm and unyielding with arms like a cradle, or a cage. “You hurt me, Selene,” he said. “I love you, despite that.” She felt cold and guilty and turned her face away, towards the window where the moon ...

7 comments 7

Read story

“You Will Never Fight Alone” by Graham Kinross

Wading in the gore of a dead dragon’s skull, Danielle Longbow lifted her sword. The green glow of the blade was the only light. Her thigh, torn open during the fight, was haemorrhaging blood. A bone inside her left arm had fractured or broken. She was ready to pass out. The knight looked at the immortal, Obag Sleagh. Sleagh had been nothing but a voice in her head as she duelled the dragon. He was pris...

17 comments 17

Read story

“Who Said Life Was Fair” by Wendy Hayes

Who Said Life Was Fair A loud persistent voice was beginning to penetrate my brain fog. “Brookfield Police, Annie, are you alright?” I shook my head trying to clear it. Someone banged loudly on the door. The fuzziness was going but I could not find my voice. I could now hear talking outside my front door and I tried to rise. That was when I discovered I was no longer in be...

10 comments 10

Read story

“More Than Just Another Wedding” by Charlotte Morse

Contains references of physical abuse.Contains mild sexual references.She’d never attended an Anne Summers party before, never even entered one of the shops. She would have found it way too embarrassing to be seen entering or exiting or, worse still, be caught perusing rows of lacy underwear, leather whips and vibrators. But here she was at Jo’s hen party, with three days of freedom, watching the Anne Summers rep unveil a vast array of sex toys, crutch-less panties and incredibly revealing lingerie, and Suzy vowed...

22 comments 22

Read story

“The Rag” by Ellison Edmond Everett

I picked up the dirty, wet rag. It had originally been white at the beginning of the year, but now it was a graying, tattered thing. I was shaking inside, but I tried to avoid eye contact with the table full of boys. They were obnoxious. They sensed fear. They went for it."The rag! That rag! The rag!" They turned it into a song and had a three-part harmony going.On the outside, I looked like a girl robotically cleaning a table while about five boys lost their minds trying to get my att...

5 comments 5

Read story

“I’d like my toaster back.” by Kat. L Haywood

Apartment wanted. 35-year-old male. Freelance journalist. Friendly, quiet, often away for work. No pets. Great references. Available to move now. Can pay in advance. When Bed, Bath, and Beyond killed me off like a daytime drama actress with cluster B personality traits, Ken moved in. Three suitcases, two plastic tubs, and a desk lamp went...

7 comments 7

Read story

“Maggie” by Michael Regan

[WARNING: Contains very offensive language, but it was necessary for the story.]January 23, 1976Jo Thomas was on the couch watching the CBS news out of Seattle. His wife came out from the kitchen where she had been drying the last of the dinner dishes. “Anything on the TV about him?” she asked.“Cronkite gave a short memorial at the end of the newscast, then they played a bit of ‘Old Man River’”“He hated that son...

9 comments 9

Read story

“The Guardian Angel ” by Margie Silbernagel

He thought it would have been over by now. The comments whispered under breaths. The comments expressed unnaturally loudly. The way their voices went up an octave whenever they talked to him. Peter’s mom said that kids just needed to grow up. That they didn’t understand him, but it would get better. He wondered when. He was old enough to know that what they were doing was wrong, so how come they didn't know it? His...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Incongruent” by Art Of Wolfgang Von Zenn

Sensitive Content Warning: contains strong language, mentions sexual violence, talks of suicide, and mental health issues. Am I making the right choice? Last year I became homeless, and after a month of sleeping on my best friend's couch, I had worn out my welcome. I've been in the shelter ever since. My parents didn't approve of my decision. The shelter provided me with...

6 comments 6

Read story

“Climbing the Ladder” by Susan Williams

Content warning: Mild foul language Climbing the Ladder Darcy Miller turned eighteen last Thursday. There was no party, no cake, and no family or friends. There was no gift for her, except that she could claim her rank amongst the millions of kids who had aged out of the foster system. She was seven years, three months and s...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The Purple Triangle” by Gigi Gibson

Anya sat in the dark at her little wooden kitchen table and carefully tore a page from her small Bible. She folded the page into a thin strip, rolled it up tightly into a cylinder, inserted it into a drinking straw, and cut off the excess. Tomorrow, she thought, I’ll bring this to Yuri. “Okay, Iwo, let’s go to bed now. Tomorrow you have to do an important job.” Iwo plodde...

4 comments 4

Read story

“when fear takes over” by Mars Thorn

rose I am Rose Allen i have been on this earth for 14 years i like to sleep i like to pretend I'm not here. i get bullied a lot i don't know why ,i like to imagine what things would be like if i was prettier. I used to care about things but now i only really care about my insecurities. i stare into the mirror in my room being only noticing my pimples and scars i came out of the psychiatric ward 2 months a...

1 comment 1

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Sad – 43 stories

Write a story about two characters who have been fighting for so long, they can’t remember what started it.

Sad – 28 stories

Write a story that includes the line “I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.”

High School – 61 stories

Write about a character who settles disputes for a living (a judge, mediator, school counselor, etc).

Middle School – 37 stories

Contest #153

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Fighting Talk

$250

Prize money

219

Contest entries

105

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 08, 2022 EST

Won by L. E. Scott 🏆

Title: Broken

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Tired of MS Word?

Join the revolution and write your book in a tool designed for authors. 🙌

Includes FREE typesetting to print-ready PDF & EPUB files, track changes and collaborative editing.

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write a story about a character learning to stand up for themselves.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 50 stories

“Tetherball” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

“A Scandal in the Lapland Art Contest” by Chris Morris

“Never Bribe a Bully” by Damian Frank

“Don't Turn off the Light” by Bonnie Mack

“You Will Never Fight Alone” by Graham Kinross

“Who Said Life Was Fair” by Wendy Hayes

“More Than Just Another Wedding” by Charlotte Morse

“The Rag” by Ellison Edmond Everett

“I’d like my toaster back.” by Kat. L Haywood

“Maggie” by Michael Regan

“The Guardian Angel ” by Margie Silbernagel

“Incongruent” by Art Of Wolfgang Von Zenn

“Climbing the Ladder” by Susan Williams

“The Purple Triangle” by Gigi Gibson

“when fear takes over” by Mars Thorn

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Write a story about two characters who have been fighting for so long, they can’t remember what started it.

Write a story that includes the line “I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.”

Write about a character who settles disputes for a living (a judge, mediator, school counselor, etc).

Contest #153

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

219

Contest entries

105

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: