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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#1: Birthdays

The Reedsy writing prompts newsletter started almost three years ago, and over the past few years, the simple concept of sending out five weekly writing ideas has allowed us to connect with thousands of fantastic authors around the world. This week marks the 150th edition of our prompts newsletter, and to celebrate, we’re excited to launch our brand new Reedsy Prompts page which will host our writing contest moving forward! Also to celebrate our prompts newsletter turning 150 weeks old, the theme this week is — what else — birthdays!

This week's prompts

Write a story about a stressed parent planning their child's birthday.

Adults – 22 stories

Write a story about a sweet sixteen.

Short Story – 13 stories

Write a story about someone turning 100 years old.

Fiction – 47 stories

Write a story about someone trying to find the perfect birthday gift.

Short Story – 19 stories

Write a story about a birthday party with a major plot twist.

Funny – 38 stories

Stories

“Why do I do it?” by Word Wizard

Submitted to Contest #1

I have a secret to tell. I have too many children to remember the dates for the birthdays so I end up having to notify myself. I don’t know why I do it because none of my children want these parties. Anyways, I always insist on them regardless. The most recent notification that popped up was Morty’s birthday is tomorrow. Truth be told I don’t know why I wait until the day before to start planning. Since it always stresses me out, I should probably set the notifications a few days earlier or stop having the parties. I have a su...

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“Mia's Bloody Birthday” by Ricky DS

Submitted to Contest #1

Today is chaos. Planning a child’s birthday is harder than flying a man to the moon, in my opinion. So much can go wrong and probably will, but as a mother, I will try and pull off a great birthday party. Being a single parent, working full time, and raising a child has its difficulties, and today is one of them. Today is the only day I’ve had to prepare, which is horrible because my daughter’s birthday is tomorrow. Tomorrow! The first thing is buying all the necessary supplies from the shops. I park my car at the Westfield parking lot in ...

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“Everything is fine!” by Sajna Abdul

Submitted to Contest #1

Mary was watching her baby on her lap, he was sitting on her lap breastfeeding while twirling her hair with his small fingers. She can’t believe he’s turning one in a week. He was so small when they brought him home. Now, he’s a walking little man. Soon, he’ll stop breastfeeding. She’s going to miss these little moments they have together. Instead of appreciating the immense gratitude she felt at that moment, her mind began reeling. Did I order enough balloons? Will he like the colors I ordered? Will he like the cake? Did I go a little ...

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“Kath's Special Day” by ALYCE CAMPBELL

Submitted to Contest #1

Kath leaned against the table, fascinated by her “almost six” daughter playing on the floor. Kath smiled. Minda, an inventive child, could spend hours entertaining herself with the simplest of items. Today some worn-out sneakers served as hand puppets. Floor…a grand name for what was under foot. The walls of this shelter above the gulch were stone covered by thick wood panels hauled up from the abandoned depot. The floor was layers of poly tarp lying on cobblestones and packed earth. Minda was waggling one shoe at the other shoe, taking bot...

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“A Life Like Lemons ” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #1

Lemon. Lemon had always been Andie’s favorite. Marta Walker nodded and stopped the whisk attachment on the stand mixer with a flick of the side lever. She grabbed a lemon from a brightly painted Mexican bowl of assorted fruits. The lemon was a little wrinkled from sitting out, but only just. As she searched for a zester in her cabinet drawers, Marta made a mental note to buy new groceries soon. Soon but not today. Maybe tomorrow or the day after. Yes, that sounded right. The day after tomorrow. She gripped the lemon ti...

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“First Chances” by Akebu Simasiku

Submitted to Contest #1

"Oh my gosh Jax, I can't believe you're finally turning sixteen," Jamie gushed. "Now wake up already will you?"Today was the day I turned sixteen and honestly I hated it. Why you might ask? Well maybe it was the mere fact that I was growing up and soon I'd be a highschool senior. Yeah I'm totally not ready for the college applications, the extra curricular activities and more classes. "Come on Jax, I know you're wake and you can hear me," Jamie whined as he tried to tug my duvet away from me. "Leave me alone Jamie," I said and wrapped the du...

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“Four Impossible Things to do before Sixteen” by Linda Vo

Submitted to Contest #1

To turn Sixteen is to stand in the rain, fully clothed and taste the earth. That's how turning sixteen makes me feel. Technically, I haven’t turned sixteen yet, only a few days. A few insignificant days that leads to an insignificant event. When Sarah turned sixteen we threw a huge party, she was found passed out in the garden the next day, the only thing I remembered from that night was making out with Robert on the front porch, his arm slipped around my waist and then I threw up. Sarah also said I was boring “Come on! You’re turning 1...

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“My Sugar's 16th” by Creative Generations

Submitted to Contest #1

She swore that if she had to kick any higher for the pom squad that her tights were going to burst at the seams!Jenna hated breaking in a new outfit when the competitions needed a new routine. She had done this since she was a little girl, but there were just some parts of the craft that annoyed her.Her nose scrunched in concentration, trying to execute the timing on the routine because she had to kick, turn, then catch Stacy as she did her jump.Yes, Harper High wanted more recognition, and there were scholarships involved! A part of her nev...

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“Mom Overboard ” by Geoffrey Archer

Submitted to Contest #1

Trevor’s eyes were hazel and bright in the afternoon sun. His black bangs hanging over his long eyelashes. We smiled together, mine hidden behind my thin lips, his wide and flashy. I ran through the forest, dancing along with the spirals of light shining through the tree tops. He followed after. My house was at the end where the path turned into a Cul-de-sac. It was a two story modern home with white shutters and large windows on the corner of Borrow street. I had lived there all of my life but despite that living there had always felt forei...

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“Artistry” by Aaryana Rajanala

Submitted to Contest #1

Cheers filled the air, echoing off the walls of the hall, ricocheting off the edges of my best friend’s flashy smile. I was silent as I watched her spin and twirl in her sky blue dress, dancing and grinning and laughing in mock sheepishness as the crowd took so many pictures that my head began to spin from the flash. Her eyes twinkled as she spotted me. I was too dazzled to return the glance. The music floated through my ears, the bass shaking my heart as the world slowed down around me, the look on her face making my stomach flutter. ...

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“The Birthday” by Ron Sharp

Submitted to Contest #1

The Birthday He woke up feeling pretty good. The night’s sleep had been quieter than usual. His tossing and turning was held to a minimum and he felt rested. The ache in his left knee was there, of course, but he had learned to live with that. His neck was a little sore but that would soon be worked out as he moved about his small, one bedroom apartment. He had forgotten to get the coffee maker ready to turn on automatically this morning, so he had to rinse out the coffee pot, fill it with water, pour it in the coffee maker, repl...

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“The Final Gift” by Chloe Sorrell

Submitted to Contest #1

I woke up in the same hospital I had been waking up in for years. I checked the clock squinting my eyes as I read the numbers, 11:45 a.m. It was quiet at this time as usual. Everybody was asleep. The hospital was usually dead in the night from the older patients and ones who needed rest after surgery. I was wide awake though, in fifteen minutes it would be a special day. My birthday. My 100th birthday. Not as if my birthday was really that special. In the end I was just another random person to everyone except about 20 people or so. The most...

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“One Hundred Todays” by Jenna Wickham

Submitted to Contest #1

It is a rather cool morning for August; a morning that turned out to be very different from the one 100 years ago. Today marks my 100th year walking on this soil. 100 long, beautiful, heart-wrenching years. Some years I didn’t think I would survive, but I did. I always came out of whatever darkness I stumbled into. Some years I never wanted to end, but as the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end”. Today, there is nothing I rather do than wrap up in my red paisley shawl and sit on the front porch. Each step I took the house...

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“Here's To A Hundred Years” by Donovan Gallaway

Submitted to Contest #1

Gabriel burst into the bar, his long, brown coat flapping with the rush of air has he flung the doors open and startled the majority of patrons in the room. He apologized profusely for the interruption, which seemed to appease everyone more or less. As everyone returned to their drinks and the jazz combo started up again, Gabriel scanned the room, finding one familiar face at the bar. The man’s face had not turned when he had entered, as it was too busy contemplating the bottom of the half-empty glass. He walked over to the man, excusing him...

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“Here Comes The Sun” by Anika Bradley

Submitted to Contest #1

Mila wasn't entirely sure what was happening around her. People she usually only saw on her birthday or when it came time for Santa to visit were all cluttered together in a small room with ugly green walls. Her older brother Mason was holding her hand as her mother rushed all around the room taping up streamers and balloons. Her father was whispering in the corner with Auntie Elly. She didn't know what they were saying, but she could tell her papa was mad because he scrunched his eyebrows together and pursed his lips like he did when he sco...

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$50

Prize money

139

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 09, 2019 EST

Won by Joseph McLaughlin 🏆

Title: To You

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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