Write about a technophobe who’s been given a device to solve a problem they’ve struggled with for years, but isn't sure how they feel about it.

Posted in Character on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 95 stories

“Coralynn” by Nora Ouardi

Submitted to Contest #82

Closing my locker, I watch Willow walk past, strutting her hips as if there's music playing. On me, it would have looked ridiculous. But on her, it's the total opposite.Willow is that girl. You know, the girl who makes boys swoon, and the girl who every girl wishes to be. And......then there's me. The red-haired freak who everyone stays away from. The closest person I can call a friend at this school is probably the librarian, who is the only one who understands my fear of technology.....sheesh I got shivers just from saying the word.The bel...

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“the Champions: Part 3” by Genderqueer Eyeliner

Submitted to Contest #82

“Chill, Emerald, chill,” I told myself. “You got an easy one. This guy isn’t the traitor. I think. I hope.” I adjusted the gold hoop in my left ear. I was only wearing it because Nainika had shot a hole in my earlobe by accident, turning into something with a million needles on its body, and there was a hole in there now. I decided to put it to use. I could also use it to call out to the others if Adam Wyse was indeed a fire-cat’s spy. Adam Wyse. The name was familiar, almost too familiar. Had I met him before? No, in the picture Maya’d...

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“"Hop In," Says My Coffin” by Cookie Carla🍪

Submitted to Contest #82

"Pass the salt for me, would you?" Pop jerks his chin in my direction during dinner. He never really looks at me. He always makes short glances or looks past me, as if he could see right through me. He only looks at me when I play for my school's basketball team and win a game or a scout finds me and refers me to their school. Now he's too busy looking at the muted TV in the living room that was brightly broadcasting pro basketball stats. "So, what'd you do with your night out yesterday?" I didn't know Pops knew I went out last nig...

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“The Beauty of the Senseless” by ✯𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫✯

Submitted to Contest #82

There comes a time—more of an age, when you realize that what you're seeing in this world, what you're going through, experiencing...just don't make any sense at all. Some things in life have stayed a mystery, is staying a mystery, and will always stay a mystery. No matter how hard you try to be Sherlock Holmes, or study and aspire to become Albert Einstein Jr.,these things just won’t make any sense at all. For example, the word ‘abbreviation’ is suppo...

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“Live With It” by Amany Sayed

Submitted to Contest #82

The ugly wheeled contraption seemed to stare Skai down as she took small bites of her granny smith apple. That is, the wheelchair. Her apple was perfectly crisp, crunchy, and sour, and only ruined by the sickly setting. That is, the hospital. “Miss Skai?” Skai didn’t bother to look up at the nurse as she nodded slightly. “Would you like me to assist you in-” “No.” “O-Oh but Miss Skai-” “Do I look like some sort of middle-aged woman or something? Don’t call me miss and don’t even think about moving me to that wheelchair.” The nurse tapp...

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“Osteoarthritis” by Nina Chyll

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #82

To get to the very blank and very ominous page, it took exactly four clicks. First, he’d need to lift the top and press any key. As the screen lit up, he’d have to point the mouse at his name and his profile picture, set to a photo of the front of his house for a reason he decided not to ask his Granddaughter the Giver of the Laptop. Then, he’d have wait a few seconds for everything to order itself, render itself, snap into place from somewhere behind the screen. In the top right corner of the desktop, there was a file entitled Nana. All he ...

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“the bane of the technological world” by ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕒 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕨 🏳️‍🌈 (inactive For The Summer)

Submitted to Contest #82

“Penelope, open up!” Penelope glanced her head towards the door. Her sister had been banging for at least two minutes now, so she stood and walked a few paces to the huge oak door. After she had the door pulled open, Pene’s sister Maia stood in the doorway. “Pene, are you okay?” Maia asked. Pene did her best to stand tall. She had been feeling under the weather recently, but she wasn’t going to tell her over worrying sister about that. “Yes, Mai, I’m alright.” Pene tried for an eye roll, but she was too fatigued. Maia glanced over Pene...

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“Manual Manuel Manual” by Christina Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #82

Manuel knew he would never make a good cannibal—he just didn’t like people. In a perfect world, Manuel would have gone into computer programming for the sole purpose of being alone in his basement; however, he despised all things digital, deciding instead to pursue accounting.He now happily calculated other people’s tax returns in the quiet solitude of the subterranean floor of his small brownstone. On his desk, he had one halogen lamp, a legal size pad of lined paper, and a wooden abacus. The abacus was a perfect fit for Manuel and his...

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“The Price of Progress” by Andrew Krey

Submitted to Contest #82

*Author’s Note: “The Price of Progress” is a standalone story, set in the same universe as my other Reedsy short-stories, with overlapping characters/events.*The campfire spat and backfired, as it worked at keeping the pot of stew warm. Dinner had been ready for twenty-minutes, and Guy was anxious to eat.“Surely he won’t be much longer,” Guy said.“We’ll eat, together, when my Dad comes back,” I said, watching the path that led to our camp. It was more of a clearing than a path – a break in the trees we’d camped among for extra cover, and pro...

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“Opening Pandora's Box” by Stephanie Albright

Submitted to Contest #82

This is an excerpt from my new novel that will be coming out soon The Long Walk Home: EMPI lit my solar lamp and was just about to check the stove.“What the hell is that?” Jeb said, pointing at the lamp.“It’s a solar lamp.”“Why is it working?”“Because it’s solar?” I said.“But the EMP fried all that stuff. Why does yours work?”“I don’t know. I didn’t even think about that before. I checked it when I took it out of my trunk at work that day and it was working.”“So being in your trunk must have protected it in some way. Then maybe some of the ...

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“Tech-Power” by SpaceHuman 🌌

Submitted to Contest #82

I put down my solved Teraminx on the marble and gold table. For some reason, people think it's hard to solve. With about a week of hardcore training I can now solve it in about 2 minutes every time. It's cake.I hear knocking on the front door. I rush downstairs and look through the peephole. It's mom. Cold version. I quickly open the door and she rushes in, as a big gush of wind from the blizzard hits me and I shut the door."Good heavens Mike. You still want to go sledding?" she asks, shivering as she speaks. I nod. I can bring my new coat a...

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“Telephone” by Holly Fister

Submitted to Contest #82

“DEAR LORD,” Jude Coleman bellowed above the screaming three month old, who rose to the challenge. He cracked his eyes open and found the whole family wide eyed and snickering around the table. He nodded to his nine year old daughter, Birdie, and she jumped up to console the baby. At her touch, little Joseph arched his back and wailed louder, his face turning tomato red. Hopeless. “Lord, we thank you for this-”Bang. Bang. Bang. &n...

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“That Golden Moment” by Debra Sue Brice

Submitted to Contest #82

"Why is the battery dead already? This is ridiculous. I had it plugged in all night and I'm already down to 65%." The struggle was real for 70 year old Grammy B. Technology and her did not get along very well. Every night she would plug in her phone to charge while she slept, and every day without fail it would come up short. “Um, Mom,” Diedra said patiently, “it would help if you would actually turn your phone off when you were done using it.” “I hang up when I’m done,” Grammy B huffed. At least she knew how to do that correctly. ...

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“The Device” by Rachel Girard

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #82

Baxter raised his head at the sound of Thomas stirring from his bed. The man and dog walked towards the bathroom, Thomas holding the sides of the doorway as he shuffled in to conduct his morning duties. Baxter sat at attention at the doorway, mind laser focused on the sounds of his master. Walking towards the kitchen, Thomas opened the back door to allow Baxter to go outside to relieve himself. Thomas moved somewhat clumsily towards his morning routine, his face turned upwards as he ground coffee and pulled the overnight oats from th...

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“Taking the Tablet” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #82

“Honestly, Sheila, once you’re used to it – and it will take no time at all – you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it,” said Frances. Sheila was suitably grateful – on the surface. But why couldn’t people realise that when you said you wanted a book, or perhaps even a book token, that was what you wanted. Not some piece of rectangular black plastic. And she still thought of a tablet as what you took when you got a headache (which might not be too far distant if Frances carried on enthusing at full tilt) or perhaps what you put in your ...

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Write about a technophobe who’s been given a device to solve a problem they’ve struggled with for years, but isn't sure how they feel about it.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 95 stories

“Coralynn” by Nora Ouardi

“the Champions: Part 3” by Genderqueer Eyeliner

“"Hop In," Says My Coffin” by Cookie Carla🍪

“The Beauty of the Senseless” by ✯𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫✯

“Live With It” by Amany Sayed

“Osteoarthritis” by Nina Chyll

“the bane of the technological world” by ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕒 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕨 🏳️‍🌈 (inactive For The Summer)

“Manual Manuel Manual” by Christina Reynolds

“The Price of Progress” by Andrew Krey

“Opening Pandora's Box” by Stephanie Albright

“Tech-Power” by SpaceHuman 🌌

“Telephone” by Holly Fister

“That Golden Moment” by Debra Sue Brice

“The Device” by Rachel Girard

“Taking the Tablet” by Deborah Mercer

🌟 Similar prompts

Your character has just realized the app they’ve been developing has become self-aware. How do they react?

Write a historical fiction story about someone working at a company that helped revolutionize early computers.

Write a near-future thriller where a piece of everyday technology has turned against your character — and only your character.

Write about an android just trying to blend in with their human companions.

Contest #82

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

537

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: