Write a story that starts with a character-revealing something unusual about themselves.

Posted in Character on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 142 stories

“Cheese Cube Curse” by Rosine M

Submitted to Contest #44

I knew you fell in love with me when we made eye contact while I held twenty cheddar cheese cubes in my mouth. As the only person who could do that rather odd skill at the college party, I held the honorary “Champion of Cheese Cubes” title, which I could tell thoroughly impressed you by the way your pulpy ears bounced and your chubby tongue wiggled out of your mouth similar to the likes of the Pepto Bismol tongue of Herbert, my Leopard Gecko. Of course, I really like Herbert, so, quite frankly, you should be flattered. You’re welcome for the...

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“Three Bowls” by Foxtrot Campbell

Submitted to Contest #44

All I eat is cereal. Not just one kind of cereal though, I’m not a monster. Every day I start the morning with a sensible bowl of Muesli and every day I finish the day with a bowl piled high with glowing, delicious, honey sweet Golden Nuggets. You see, cereal is reliable. It is easy. It stays with you. With every bowl I know what I’m going to get. I eat from the same 3 bowls every day and use 3 matching silver spoons for each bowl. A simple, steadfast regime. My morning bowl is yellow, with blue birds flying around the rim, wings outstretche...

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“With a Flick of the Wrist” by Ashley Palma

Submitted to Contest #44

Can you believe that I can’t tell time? It’s not for lack of trying. It must be a block, some kind of mental block that’s just keeping me from understanding. I look at the hands, the little hand and the big. I look at the numbers (but sometimes there are no numbers! Sometimes there are just those frustrating little lines, or even worse roman numerals!) I stare at those numbers, I will those numbers to speak to me to tell me what time is it! But instead of recognition, instead of me saying “Ah! It’s 10 past 7!” instead of me saying “Oh ...

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“The Llama's Driver” by Sean Desautelle

Submitted to Contest #44

There’s a llama in the back seat of my Kia. His name is Alexandre and he’s television’s most famous llama. Quite possibly the world’s most famous llama, which in my five years working for him, I have learned is actually quite a tough competition. Yes, that’s right. I work for this llama. I’m his driver. It all started when a friend of my mother’s, Rebecca Snow, heard of an open casting call for llamas in New Jersey and drove Alexandre from their farm in Connecticut all the way down. And, as Rebecca likes to say, the rest is history.A ve...

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“Power of the mind” by Nina Hadzi

Submitted to Contest #44

"Good morning Evelyn. How are you doing today?""Hello Dr. I wouldn't be here if the answer to that was positive would I?""And here I was thinking we were friends. Since we're jumping straight into it..tell me. Why did you ask to come in today? It's not our usual scheduled date. Did something happen with Rick?""No no! Rick is fine, he's out of town actually. Work stuff.""Then what is troubling you?""I really wanna tell you, but you'll probably think I'm crazy. You always thought so.""I have never thought that Evelyn. You know you can share ev...

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“MAX” by Gerard Watson

Submitted to Contest #44

Mrs. Evans watched as Max, the cat slinked out of the darkness and hopped onto Mr. Evan's favorite recliner. He circled twice, and then curled up in the corner of the armchair and stared at her. After giving her a short meow, he nestled against the chair arm and the cushion. Mrs. Evans chuckled as she thought. "I've never seen you sit in Mr. Evans's chair unless you were in his lap." Max hissed. "Don't let look at me like that, Max. I had to get rid of him." Mrs. Evans glanced down at her knitting, avoiding his piercing striking yello...

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“Midnight Shadows” by Katelyn Prine

Submitted to Contest #44

Schizophrenia. That's what the doctors prescribed. Side effects include hallucinations, illogical thoughts, and, apparently, strange behavior although I don’t believe I have any of those. “My thoughts are perfectly logical,” I mumbled to myself as I strolled down the sidewalk, the sound of the boots clicking against it being drowned out by the boisterous group of people. Disdain made its way onto my face, a feeling I was familiar with. I walked towards the Restaurant, The Wagner at the Battery. I opened the door, flicking my gaze quickly t...

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“Kanga Creek” by Lina Fulmer

Submitted to Contest #44

Kanga Creek's only watering hole was filled to the brim at high noon. The small town lay just east off the middle of the continent, conveniently far enough away from the main road to be an inconvenience for strangers to stop through, and also keeping them out of the war. Mika, didn’t care who said what outside of Kanga Creek. And if they called her a coward for not picking a side or not ‘choosing what’s right’, then so be it. She was a passionate advocate for people picking for themselves what to believe. And perhaps, it was for that sa...

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“Family” by Tim Benson

Submitted to Contest #44

“Family”Fully clothed, life size mannequins aren’t what you’d expect to see in someone’s home. A department store, sure, but not like this. When Maria greeted me at the front door and told me to go on into the living room while she finished a call, I didn’t think I’d have to compete with plastic people for a place to sit. All I could do was stand there in the middle of the weirdness and wait for her to return. Fortunately that wasn’t long and when she walked in I could tell she was a little uneasy.“Sorry, Luke, I had to wrap up that call. It...

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“Sienna” by Alexandra Riva

Submitted to Contest #44

I don’t know why I did it. Maybe because I was just done. Maybe because I wanted to stop overthinking things and thought that this was the easiest way. I always loved a thrill, that's what my mom said. Maybe I was tired of not being wanted, not being happy unless I had that thrill. Maybe I just didn’t want one more day of being that odd one, the retard. Some people would have turned to alcohol, drugs, but I wanted it to be done. So there were no sufferings, so I didn't have to face life when I was sober so that no one could change my m...

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“Into the Sunlight” by Karen L

Submitted to Contest #44

I’ll never forget the first time I conjured a flower.I was 13, standing in my childhood backyard. As I closed my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, something took root in my mind and drew my attention into the ground. An actual root formed in the dirt near my feet. When I raised my hands and opened my eyes, there was a red tulip in the ground that hadn’t been there before. “Mom!” I called. Before she could dash into the backyard to view my accomplishment, our golden retriever Nugget already had it in his mouth, gnashing the petal...

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“True Lies” by Andy Miranda

Submitted to Contest #44

This is a story about a boy named Alexander. A son of the gods. “Hello Alexander, why don’t you read me your speech?” Said a young woman looking grimly at a boy standing beside her desk. She had blond hair that was pulled back into a bun, and she wore a matching blazer and pencil skirt. “Why should I?” Said Alexander, an angry frown on his face. He was a scrawny little boy with short, choppy hair and eyes so grey they almost looked white. He stood next to the seated woman, no taller than fou...

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“The Living Dead” by Lia Divani

Submitted to Contest #44

I'm dead. In movies, they'd call me a zombie, the undead. I'm dead but they don't know because save for the lack of a beating heart, I'm still relatively normal. The same could be said for my family. However, even if we did try to live as normally as we could, there were still precautions we had to take. For one, it was time to say farewell to Triton Way. I smiled sadly at the person crying in front of me: Janey Jane. If my heart still beat I knew it would hurt. Although I am incapable of genuine human emotions, I still felt a portion of hum...

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“Jace's Plan” by Ema Fabrychiang

Submitted to Contest #44

That Sunday morning, a large group sat at the table in Olive’s home. It wasn’t any larger than the group that usually sat there, and was smaller for a usual Sunday morning. Nobody had had a sleepover that night. The children's Grandmother scolded Luke, Olive's older brother, for his manners. She often scolded the children for manners at meal times. “Stop munching your food like that! This is not a horse stable!” Luke is a freshman in high school, and is by far the rudest of the family. Well, at least in terms of table manners! The table was ...

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“Fragile” by Ingrid Johnson

Submitted to Contest #44

I was 10 years old when I killed my first butterfly.I’d been out on the balcony, my mother standing overhead wrestling with the hair clippers, when it perched itself on the railing beside me. My mother was occupied, her back turned. So I watched it.It’s beauty was distracting. Wings of black and blue. So calm and trusting. Perfect. The patchiness of my hair felt, suddenly, unimportant. For a moment.Black and blue. It was beautiful for that moment. So beautiful, I didn’t want to say goodbye.I reached for the jar on the table. The peanuts insi...

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Write a story that starts with a character-revealing something unusual about themselves.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 142 stories

“Cheese Cube Curse” by Rosine M

“Three Bowls” by Foxtrot Campbell

“With a Flick of the Wrist” by Ashley Palma

“The Llama's Driver” by Sean Desautelle

“Power of the mind” by Nina Hadzi

“MAX” by Gerard Watson

“Midnight Shadows” by Katelyn Prine

“Kanga Creek” by Lina Fulmer

“Family” by Tim Benson

“Sienna” by Alexandra Riva

“Into the Sunlight” by Karen L

“True Lies” by Andy Miranda

“The Living Dead” by Lia Divani

“Jace's Plan” by Ema Fabrychiang

“Fragile” by Ingrid Johnson

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that starts with two characters saying goodbye.

Write a story that starts with a life-changing event.

Write a story that starts with someone returning from a trip.

Write a story that starts by establishing its setting in a different time period — without explicitly stating what that period is.

Contest #44

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

790

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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