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

Posted in Character on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 53 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

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“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...

38 comments 38

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“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...

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

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 ...

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“Elegy for Echa” by A.G. Scott

To ascend this spire again, even as it burns,Might be to find you hanging from the rafters,Your exoskeleton etched with binding runesAs if preparing to hibernate.Or, turning from the portal, I might findMy presence watched through your evil eye,A shadow of an acolyte, a silhouetteMirthfully shifting shapes to meet your need.I ascend this spire at every witching hourAnd, where the Redeemer cut ...

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“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...

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“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...

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“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...

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“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...

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“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...

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“One of the boys” by Jaden Christopher

Connor always looked forward to boys’ weekend, even though he never completely felt like one of them. The other boys always picked beautiful and fun places to go, but there were always things that Connor loved and things he didn’t. For this year’s trip, Sean booked them a small sailing yacht. It was a beautiful day when they arrived to board the boat, and the next few days looked amazing as well. It was going to be a good weekend. Once on board, Connor unpacked and had just enough time for a couple of drinks before dinner. During the dinn...

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“Baker’s Dozen (Unlucky for Some)” by K.T. Jayne

The highest point of Laurie’s day was hearing the clunk of the latch as she pressed the front door shut. She’d wait until her husband pulled out of the driveway. She didn’t dare to close the door before then. He would make her pay for that later; seeming too eager to be shot of him. Today, that prized moment was yet to happen. Laurie hovered in the hallway, adjusting the turtle neck of her sweater, waiting for Nathan to finish fixing his tie in the mirror. She pictured herself garrotting him with his own Windsor knot; his face bloating an...

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“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...

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“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...

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“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...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 53 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 Jean

“Elegy for Echa” by A.G. Scott

“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

“One of the boys” by Jaden Christopher

“Baker’s Dozen (Unlucky for Some)” by K.T. Jayne

“Maggie” by Michael Regan

“The Guardian Angel ” by Margie Silbernagel

“Climbing the Ladder” by Susan Williams

🌟 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

224

Contest entries

106

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

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