Write about someone who is shackled by fears of failure, until they break free.

Posted in Character on Oct 6, 2023

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✍️ 29 stories

“Taboo” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #219

Taboo My parents relocated to the U.S. when they learned mom was carrying triplets; China still had limited family sizes. Father could practice medicine from anywhere, and Mom was a researcher. My parents home-schooled my siblings and me for three years until they realized we were more intelligent than they were. We had several different nannies, teachers, and tutors along the way. Dad would not agree to send us to the Chinese school. He believed public school experience would teach us the skills required to function correctly in New York ...

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“The Horrors of Work” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #219

Her face remained totally stolid as the Number 26 rattled towards her. Quite how it was possible to ignore the noise of squealing brakes and loud horns blaring, but the whole queue never flinched or reacted and stood as if made of stone, lost in their thoughts. Standing at an unprotected bus stop in a traffic-polluted, grey, cold, wind-blown street, Sylvie’s expressionless, dead-eyed face never changed. Glancing at the other individuals in the queue, she seemed little different from her fellow passengers: hunched, pinched and ...

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“FREE.” by Olivia Knox

Submitted to Contest #219

If you miss this equation one more time, I’ll make you do them all from the top. You never truly appreciate your autonomy until it’s taken from you. How did you fumble that problem? You’ve finished fifteen just like it. Are you trying to let everyone down? This is my fifth week spent at home. Energy drinks and empty plates line my bedroom floor. A thick layer of dust settles over my blinds. Dirty laundry sits in the corner, collecting stench as well as height. Mom came in the other day and said the sight alone was nauseating, but she does...

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“Redemption” by Sherri Moorer

Submitted to Contest #219

What were they thinking? Nova rushed through the hallway of the ship, the lights flashing in rhythm to the claxons resounding through the groaning metal hull. Sparks rained on the crumpled bodies strewn across the floor. She stumbled over one, gasping as she realized that it was her best friend, Sola, staring at her with bloody, unseeing eyes. “Keep moving!” Kylan shouted as he rushed past her. Nova choked back tears as she glanced at Sola one last time and fell into step beside Kylan. “What happened?” “We were hit by the anomaly near...

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“Mr. Parsons” by Shannon C.

Submitted to Contest #219

I never wanted to be this way. It wasn’t anything I asked for. You’re too soft. You’re too sensitive is all I have ever heard since I was old enough to understand. And of course, when people tell you who you are or what you are for so long, I guess you just start to accept the label they create. In my case, I accepted it and have seen it as a crippling hinderance in my life to this day.The constant fear of rejection and failure seem to follow me around attached to my heart no matter how hard I try to thicken up my skin. As a child, I was dis...

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“The Worst Thing” by David Willett

Submitted to Contest #219

I can hear an orchestra of voices speaking the same language that has morphed into one overbearing wall of white noise. It ricochets off the walls of the seemingly endless beige hallway that separates me from their judging eyes. If I propel myself out of the imposing crimson fire escape behind me, I never have to face the crippling annihilation that will come from them finding out the truth. I am a fraud who has no idea what he is talking about. ‘Ten m...

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“Conquering Fear Through Flames” by Gabriel Freitas

Submitted to Contest #219

1: The Heat of the Kitchen In the world of flavour and flames, I found my sanctuary. A place where fear couldn't touch me, and failure wasn’t an option. It all began in my childhood; the struggle of my parent's broken marriage was like a bitter aftertaste. My mom fought hard, working two jobs to dress us and put food on the table, while my dad battled his demons in the form of drugs. Abusing anything he could get his hands on. My only saving grace, and the only place where I could really escape, was my...

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“A Son's Wisdom” by Marc Graziadei

Submitted to Contest #219

Somehow a passionate and hasty decision had been made out from exacerbating testosterone's which neither party had believed in abstinence nor the consequences of their impatient actions. Accompanied by their each of their domineering parents, Tatiana and her teenage boyfriend were pressured to get married, no matter what either these two individuals’ intended plans were anticipated; each of their endearing prospects were now and forever modified and forcibly intertwined to be future parents, instead. This one of those impetuactes spans that ...

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“Drowning for Life” by Adam Alonzi

Submitted to Contest #219

His ears are bursting and he doesn’t know why. How it’s happening is known, why is another question. After again running his fingers over its muddy floor, he bends his knees to send himself to the water’s surface. Although impossible, his brow is covered in cold sweat. A Brown Trout hovers nearby, nonplussed by the ascent. Gasping, he kicks his way to air and nestles into a bed of pebbles. Nothing. Again, nothing.Rolling himself over them, he shuts his eyes and lets the sun lift the cold tarp left by the ...

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“Taking a Chance” by Katherin Cole

Submitted to Contest #219

In May of 2020 Katharina was made redundant. She had just moved into a new flat with her partner, signed a new lease, and then the bombshell news hit. It was the beginning of Covid. Everyone around the world had gone into lockdown and the company she had been working for decided they would let all of their contractors go. "Just great", she said "what am I going to do now"? Howard, looking up from his laptop, answered “what do you want to do? If you could start over, without any consequences or fear, what would you like to do?” Katharina ...

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“The Paintings” by Kinley Girardot

Submitted to Contest #219

Everything must be perfect! A single hair strand mustn’t stick out, Your hair has to be as straight as possible.I don’t care, you can’t look idiotic! Perfection is the key to success and happiness in life. Without it, you can’t do anything except sit on the sidewalk and beg for the money of those who are perfect.You must keep straight lines everywhere. Use the maroon not the red stupid! You are nothing without perfection, you are not smart, kind, creative, honest, successful, unless you are perfect; all of your talents would be wasted and no...

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“The Jungle ” by Victoria Sonnenberg

Submitted to Contest #219

Salty. Metallic. Buttery smooth with a hint of sweetness. It coated my lips, glazed my tongue and ran down my neck. Velvety crimson in hue, deep and glossy with a certain warmth to it. It crusted to a rusty brown around the corners of my mouth. Streaks cracked like evaporated rivers, tracing down to the bottom of my abdomen. Blood. It was all I could taste. It felt strange, to embrace and savor something intended to course within my veins. Like a switch that was flipped, revealing the dark underbelly of my vitality an...

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“CONQUERED FEAR 13 OCTOBER 2023” by Kavignar Vpr

Submitted to Contest #219

This is a story about the story of Dalits (lowest in the social order of the Indian caste system) SOMEONE WHO IS SHACKLED BY FEARS OF FAILURE UNTIL THEY BREAK FREE. Rajesh was an energetic person in the village. His father was a landless farmer. They belong to the Dalit community. In that village, many Dalit families like them lived in utter poverty, were Illiterate, ignorant, economically backward and socially degraded. Dalit families suffered discrimination and ill-treatment from the upper-caste Hindus. &...

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“Evelyn” by M.R. Simon

Submitted to Contest #219

Splendid day already, and it's only Seven o'clock. It wasn't always this easy in New York for Mark. Only since this year, the best year ever for him, finished high school at last and got a job. It's not a big job, but it's a first job, and he loves it. We all have A thing that's getting us out of the bed. That's his getting out of the bed thing. Mark's Walking to the bus stop like every other day of the week. He's in the big league now anything could happen or go wrong in any kind of way. He's not in Kansas City anymore. Today started like e...

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Contest #219

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Title: Cell 3.47

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Write about someone who is shackled by fears of failure, until they break free.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 29 stories

“Taboo” by Kimberly Walker

“The Horrors of Work” by Stevie Burges

“FREE.” by Olivia Knox

“Redemption” by Sherri Moorer

“Mr. Parsons” by Shannon C.

“The Worst Thing” by David Willett

“Conquering Fear Through Flames” by Gabriel Freitas

“A Son's Wisdom” by Marc Graziadei

“Drowning for Life” by Adam Alonzi

“Taking a Chance” by Katherin Cole

“The Paintings” by Kinley Girardot

“The Jungle ” by Victoria Sonnenberg

“CONQUERED FEAR 13 OCTOBER 2023” by Kavignar Vpr

“Evelyn” by M.R. Simon

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that includes the line “I think someone’s listening/watching.”

Set your story in a type of prison cell.

Write from the POV of a security guard on the night shift, sitting in front of a wall of CCTV feeds.

Write a story about someone who breaks an unwritten social rule and the consequences they face as a result.

Contest #219

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

254

Contest entries

114

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: