Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about a highly-strung character learning to slow down, or someone pursuing a quieter way of life.

Posted in Character on May 31, 2024

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.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 56 stories

“As Easy as Lighting Wet Wood with a Candle” by Daniel Rogers

Submitted to Contest #253

"I won't have it," Lady Nimmo said with her hands on her hips. "There has to be another way." The mighty victor over shadow elves and dragons sought an edge in this argument but found none."But there isn't," Trungen said without emotion. "I will hammer the cork into place. You three will sail to the fleet.""I won't leave you behind, and I'm not leaving the stumpers." Battle scenes flashed through her mind. Dragons shooting fire-bolts. Stumpers on fire. A shadow elf slicing her father's face with a knife."The stumpers and I will be fine.""Wit...

18 comments 18
Read story

“Rest for the Wicked ” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #253

It’s taken me fifty years to appreciate being alone, but it doesn’t do to mention it in public. I was always a social drinker and never enjoyed imbibing by myself. The doctor suggested, Naltrexone, but said, ‘The best remedy is to stop drinking. Period’. ‘That’s not easy, Doc’. ‘Enjoy some quality time,’ he said. ‘Go on holiday or get a hobby.’    Alas, my hobby was the problem. They prescribed Naltrexone at the clinic, but after I got the all-clear, I ditched the last tablets. The side effects were fairly unpredicta...

47 comments 47
Read story

“Stillwater” by Marty B

Submitted to Contest #253

I believe reality is relative, especially when what you see from behind a screen is designed, produced, and created by someone else. Our visitors come searching for the real world, a place where the sun shines, and they can touch the reality around them. We were going to give it to him, though he won't like what he’s going to get. Sally and I sat in our usual spot, the weight of the slow summer afternoon heavy on our shoulders, almost forgetting we had a job to do, when he finally stepped off the train.  Lo...

26 comments 26
Read story

“Saturday the 14th” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #253

The two surviving counsellors ran in opposite directions, screaming into the woods.Jacob Mara’s shoulders sagged. Each year, he got a bit more rotted. And each year, these camp counsellors got faster. Or did they stay the same, and he was getting slower? Now, there was a scary thought: would one day come when he couldn’t catch any of them? He adjusted his hockey mask, which had stayed with him through thick and thin, through life and death. And then he crashed through the undergrowth after his quarry.The topless blonde in a thong split left,...

14 comments 14
Read story

“ Disconnect to Reconnect” by Charity Cummings

Submitted to Contest #253

Allie Walker stood on the porch of her cozy beachside cottage, a gentle breeze playing with her hair as she watched the waves roll in. It had been six months since her transformative digital detox in the Outer Banks, and life had taken on a new rhythm—one of simplicity, balance, and quietude. But just as Allie had found her peace, a new challenge emerged on the horizon. Her old friend, Sarah, had called earlier that day with urgent news: their childhood home, a quaint bed and breakfast nestled in the rolling hills of Vermont, was in danger o...

22 comments 22
Read story

“Secret of the Andante Hand ” by Patrick H

Submitted to Contest #253

The Secret of the Andante Hand It had been one hell of a night at the department store of Teri Davenport, a woman of about 40ish who is oftentimes mistaken for someone much younger. That night, three of her employees called out leaving her to manage the store pretty much by herself.  The big bosses would deal with the absenteeism of course, but it usually came too late to be of any use.  She usually had to pick up the slack.   "Sell, sell, sell!",.she muttered as she set about the process of closing the store for the ni...

10 comments 10
Read story

“Burning Skies” by Julia Zhipa Philippova

Submitted to Contest #253

- That's it! Do you get me? We gotta go back, - the man yelled.- No. I gotta be there.- You'll die there. How do you not get it? Everything we're doing is so messed up. We're done. Hear me? Done. - His voice was drowned out by the chaos. The crowd around them was screaming and running away. We were stuck in this war zone. I knew there was only one way to end it, - leave. Right now. Stop acting like yourself, pretend that nothing is happening around, just start over. But it was my life. I have been working my whole life to become a famous war...

12 comments 12
Read story

“I Only Have a Minute” by Beverly Goldberg

Submitted to Contest #253

I realized the time and jumped up from my chair next to Mom’s bed in the nursing home, almost knocking it over, and said, “My God, look at the time. I’m going to be late.” Then I slipped on my coat, and turned back to place a quick kiss on my mother’s forehead before running out the door. I heard my mother’s quiet, “Of course, Emily, running late…” as her eyes closed.Reaching the airport just on time for the 10:30 shuttle to DC, I grabbed the first empty seat and smiled at the stewardess, who smiled back saying, “You really cut it ...

12 comments 12
Read story

“The Witch” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #253

The WitchShe was the only one getting off the four-thirty-seven. The light was behind her as she walked toward the tiny station house. Her white cotton dress with the large sunflower print danced around her long legs. The sunlight broke into a million rainbows as the breeze played with her ginger hair.The train only stops twice a day in these parts. The ten-fifty-two going east and the four-thirty-seven going west. Being station master is not a full-time job. I merely close the feed store twice a day. Everybody knows.The advantage of the job...

10 comments 10
Read story

“The academic - The artist ” by Lucia Wei

Submitted to Contest #253

“Drip drip” my eyes unfocused as my head started to spin “Drip drip” The work I'd been slaving over for hours was being painted a lovely red colour from the red ink dripping from my nose “Drip drip” I was tired my hours of work being covered with that beautiful, shiny red blood, I could care less about that ruined work the fuzziness at the back of my head taking over, my eyes focusing on the continuous drips of bright luscious blood falling in almost slow motion one by one drip by drip. All of a sudden my mom barged into my room, the do...

2 comments 2
Read story

“The Giving and Receiving of Gifts” by Carol Stewart

Submitted to Contest #253

Mrs Enid Galbraith, born in the reign of Victoria, and more than a decade before the old queen’s death, was, much like her hens at this time of year, no spring chicken herself, but if they could withstand the frost, she was ‘bloody shair’ she could. Her legs, though swollen, hadn’t failed her yet, and her back, though bent, still had strength, and if her arms could bear ‘the weight o’ twae tin pails, yin filled wi’ sand, yin wi’ witter’, and she could make it down to the coop past those rickety steps with ‘twae pund o’ feed in her apron powk...

8 comments 8
Read story

“The Last Cast” by David Ader

Submitted to Contest #253

When Charlie Calisher was shoved into early retirement he made a promise to himself; he’d fish until he got bored. Boredom was not the goal. Boredom was a worry, an admonishment, a sentence that he was beside the point. He’d been at it since May and was still not bored. He’d had exceptionally good days when he’d land 23 fish, hooked, and lose, another seven, and extraordinarily bad days like when he caught nothing but a chill after slipping on a slimy moss-covered boulder, filling his waders with icy river water, and losing his rod, a $950 T...

4 comments 4
Read story

“A Day at the Beach” by Angie Lucas

Submitted to Contest #253

“What should we do today, Milo?” Dorothy smiles brightly at her six-year-old son, running her hand over his soft wavy hair affectionately. He lets her, as he is curled up by her side on the couch, but she wonders for how long. She knows she spoils him, indulges him whenever she can, but who can blame her? It’s hard enough to be a single mother, and Milo’s wide brown eyes and dimpled smile make him impossible to resist. He turns to her now with a hopeful look that melts her heart. “The beach?” he asks. School has just let out for the sum...

5 comments 5
Read story

“A quieter Kind of Life” by John McPhee

Submitted to Contest #253

By John McPhee“Well, here’s to no more daily deadlines, you lazy bum,”Dave said as he clinked his beer bottle against mine.“Daily?” I scoffed. “Try hourly, my friend. Ever since weput the paper online, practically every story has to be updated constantly throughout the day. “Man, I always hated that part of the job.”I took a swig of beer and continued. “It’s always ‘get that story online’ and then it’s ‘where’s that update’ like three times a day.Remember when old George gave me shit that time on my update about a fatal house fire, I wrote t...

8 comments 8
Read story

“My Yellow Fellow” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #253

My husband, Daryl, and his peculiar behavior had been a growing concern, and these feelings I had about him lingered, refusing to dissipate. Unexplainable incidents disrupted our daily routine, leaving me perplexed and disoriented.I had a headache. No, it was a muscle ache. It was both. It was neither. He was the cause of it. And you know what? I would get nowhere if I tried to figure out why he changed.“You don’t cook your spaghetti anymore!” I accused him one night.“We eat out too much,” was his reply.“No, we don’t! Name the last time.”Dar...

3 comments 3
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story over the course of a few minutes; no flashbacks, no flashforwards.

Narrative – 95 stories

Start your story with a character canceling their plans.

Angst – 26 stories

Write a story that contains the line, "I wish we could stay here forever."

Dialogue – 91 stories

Write about a character who has the ability to pause the passage of time.

Fantasy – 74 stories

Contest #253

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Slow Down

$250

Prize money

342

Contest entries

119

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 07, 2024 EST

Won by Maria Adamkiewicz 🏆

Title: One thousand and three wishes

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!

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢