Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.

Posted in Character on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 119 stories

“Of Death and a Mistake” by Lizzy Burt

Submitted to Contest #57

I died last week. Apparently there was a little mix-up with someone else who died last week. My name is Richard Jacobson, and I died a pretty heroic death. I’m not trying to exaggerate or puff out my chest, I just think once you know my story you’ll agree. In the middle of the night I woke up to the sounds of a fire a couple blocks away from my apartment. The firefighters hadn’t shown up yet, and I overheard worried parents telling others there was a five year old boy still in the building. The fire wasn’t too bad, at least I thoug...

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“Spotlight” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #57

Fame: many claim to want it, a few would kill to get it, I just want it to stop. Every time the story comes up I want to crawl in a hole and disappear. There's no way I can live up to something I never did. Perhaps I should back up a little. This all started four years ago. I was sat at my laptop in a 24-hour diner, working late into the night. I had a tricky bit of code I was trying to coax into shape, and chose a booth near the back. The quiet, and the low lights, combined with a double-order of fries and non-stop coffee was the perfect s...

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“Alley, the Un-Werewolf” by Jeni Conrad

Submitted to Contest #57

“By the great moon, you’re her, aren’t you?” a voice purred at Alley, breaking up her brooding glare out the rainy window from her restaurant seat next to the window.With a sigh, Alley turned to look at her accuser. It was a younger pup, maybe in his late forties, and he was attractive with starry eyes and broad shoulders for days. But, then again, all the male werewolves seemed to be attractive. “Whoever you think I am, it’s not me.”“No, way. It’s totally you, Alley, the werewolf who has somehow been able to fight the moon’s curse. I’d reco...

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“Accliamed Imposter's” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #57

I never really gave much thought as to who may have taken credit for something they never achieved or invented. I guess you can say one of the reasons why is because of the confusion I was taught whether Christopher Columbus ever discovered America or former comedienne Phyllis Diller really had a husband named Killer or Geraldine Jones who was a fictional African American character, the most famous recurring persona of comedian Flip Wilson. Geraldine was played as a sassy liberated Southern woman who was coarsely flirty yet faithful to her (...

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“One-Way Mirror” by Kathryn D

Submitted to Contest #57

Murderer. That’s what everyone called me. I’d see my face on news stories every now and then, and in my own little town, people would scowl. Though the police had no evidence, it wasn’t enough to turn the disgust in their eyes. Abhorrence came across people’s faces every time I walked down the street. It shouldn’t have been like that. They shouldn’t have been so disgusted with me. I grabbed an ice cream container off the shelf to drop into my basket, and closed the foggy freezer door. An old woman watched me with narrowed eyes. She was ...

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“Just Like Jesus” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #57

Months have passed, yet the world still did not calm down. And how could it? A miracle had happened, something impossible, something so deeply profound and mysterious that it threw all our understanding of reality out the window. And more importantly, all our understanding of belief and ideology. On May the second, 2020, Jesus Christ had been reborn. Not in the sense of some parent naming their child that way, like naming a kid Facebook or other such idiocies, but the real deal. The man whom many claimed never existed, while others...

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“Four Years of Regret” by Atinuke Ibrahim

Submitted to Contest #57

Trigger warning: suicide It’s been four years. Today the 22nd of September marks it four years. I can’t believe it has been this long since they found the body of John, this long since I've gotten more than 3 hrs of sleep, this long that the secret has been kept. Nobody can find out and nobody will. Father always said life doesn’t give you riches when you see an opportunity, grab it. He repeated everyday till his death last year. ‘I’m happy to die knowing my son is successful.’ he said. You can search Jack Payne anywhere ...

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“Hide and Seek ” by Rachel Ryan

Submitted to Contest #57

Charles Brambury had lived on 621 East Oak Street for thirty-three years. Within the span of that time, he had fathered three marvelous children, changed his career once, and painted the kitchen three different shades of blue. Many joys, and much sadness, had transpired within those four walls; a half-lifetime (as he was still certain he would live another thirty years) of heartache and triumph and all of the mundane in-between that life is comprised of. He had worked primarily as a banker: a job that had offered security, a fairly comfortab...

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“A Favor” by Morgan McHose

Submitted to Contest #57

“But I asked you,” Sissy scoffs. I suppress a sigh of frustration. Our verbal sparring always stagnates when she starts repeating herself. I take a quick breath and attempt to rephrase my stance for the hundredth time. “I understand that. But I’m responsible for agreeing to your terms. And now they expect me to do these press events, book signings, TV appearances! It’s too much.” The attention would bring them with it. I need to stay out of the public eye. Sissy rolls her eyes. “I’d be right there the whole time. If you forget something—” ...

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“The Unsigned Masterpiece” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #57

Born in 1880 in Long Island, Paul Jerome Barry discovered a passion for painting at an early age. As his parents were rather well to do and open-minded, they let him follow his inclination, and he Studied Fine Arts in 1902 at the Chase School in New York, under two renowned painters of the time, namely William M. Chase and Robert Henri. Robert Henri’s teachings and experience gave him the urge to go to France, where everything was happening at the time. He moved to Paris in 1903, at 23 years of age.Everything was new and wonderful to Paul, P...

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“King of Hearts” by Jaya Avendel

Submitted to Contest #57

The feasting was over and King Leo’s stomach full. He leaned back in his armchair near the hearth where the fire blazed to drive the fall chill out of the vast room. At his side a round table was filled with books and atop the pile sat his golden crown, carelessly discarded. At his other side, at the end of the round carpet between his chair and hers, Queen Helena dimpled at him over her embroidery hoop.Behind the couple, three boys tumbled on the floor, not quite hurting each other but grunting all the same as the rolled between the sofas a...

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“The Fame I Didn't Even Want” by Trinity Womack

Submitted to Contest #57

Most people wanted to be famous for their life-changing invention, or beautiful singing abilities. Or even for their popular book series. But I happened to be famous for none of these things. No, the kind of fame I had was one that made people crossed the street to avoid me or hold their children closer when I walked past. You may be wondering, why is that? What could you do to make people uncomfortable or even afraid of you? Well, to answer the question, I did absolutely nothing to deser...

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“The Spider That Caught The Fly” by Khadine A. Dorsett

Submitted to Contest #57

August 21st 2020: The PresentHe pulled out the heavy suitcase from beneath the old coffee table in the attic, immediately covering his nose as he felt the tingles of a sneeze in the making. The room was dusty, as was expected, as his parents had not ventured up there for years. It was a big day. In more ways than one. For the first time since he was admitted, Mason was going to visit his father at the nursing home. The timing too was fitting as the day marked nine years since his sister's passing.A few tugs and some unfastened clasps later, ...

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“Tabula Rasa” by Amy DeMatt

Submitted to Contest #57

My hands were trembling again, I noticed with despair. I wanted to be sitting on the porch, or at Theresa’s party, but instead I was glued to the computer, a large white rectangle before me waiting to be filled with words. It had gotten worse over the past week, and I was now on the equivalent of academic probation. I had been invited to a writer’s retreat, an escape from my tiny hometown of Glastonbury. I was living in a tiny but pleasant little house with a white picket fence and a field of daisies behind it. I should hav...

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“Martha's syndrome” by Nikhil Kurien

Submitted to Contest #57

MARTHA’S SYNDROME A belch from Martha was enough to jolt Suhara from her sleep. Suhara was admitted three weeks back after a fall which had fractured her hip bone and she was slowly recovering from repeated infections after her surgery. Both the ladies had become close by now in between their infections and sorrows. Suhara looked at Martha quite inquisitively as though asking what was that loud belching about. M...

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Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 119 stories

“Of Death and a Mistake” by Lizzy Burt

“Spotlight” by Sjan Evardsson

“Alley, the Un-Werewolf” by Jeni Conrad

“Accliamed Imposter's” by Blane Britt

“One-Way Mirror” by Kathryn D

“Just Like Jesus” by Harken Void

“Four Years of Regret” by Atinuke Ibrahim

“Hide and Seek ” by Rachel Ryan

“A Favor” by Morgan McHose

“The Unsigned Masterpiece” by Ali Anthony Bell

“King of Hearts” by Jaya Avendel

“The Fame I Didn't Even Want” by Trinity Womack

“The Spider That Caught The Fly” by Khadine A. Dorsett

“Tabula Rasa” by Amy DeMatt

“Martha's syndrome” by Nikhil Kurien

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a humorous story about the descendant of someone remembered for an insignificant act.

Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Write a story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

Write a story that starts with someone writing their will — one they know people won’t like.

Contest #57

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

676

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: