Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#101: Antanaclasis

Benjamin Franklin’s famous quip “your argument is sound, nothing but sound” may be the best known example of antanaclasis. This is a literary device in which a word is repeated but has two different senses (here, “sound” meaning both “sensible” and “a load of noise”) — reminder that in writing, as in everything, context matters.

With this week’s prompts, we're using antanaclasis as a jumping off point to create stories that play with repetitions, routines, and the importance of context in creating meaning.

This week's prompts

Write about a character doing something they’ve done hundreds of times — only this time, it’s taken on a new meaning.

Character – 148 stories

Write a story about a character who fails to understand something until they have the full context.

Character – 75 stories

Write a story in which the same line recurs three times.

Fiction – 163 stories

Write a story about a character who always repeats themselves.

Character – 45 stories

Write a story that involves a reflection in a mirror.

Horror – 296 stories

Stories

“The Finder” by Lindsey W

Submitted to Contest #101

“What do you see?” Carleton asks,“Shhh, give her a minute.” Comes Sandy’s harsh voice.My eyes are closed: in one hand, I have a thumbtack hovering over a map of the state. In the other, I have a picture of the girl. She's got long blonde hair, bright green eyes and a wide smile. Alexis is her name, and she’s been missing for five weeks.Then it comes in flashes. Welcome to Northbrook, an Ash tree, a street sign, six, eight, nine, a blue house. I’m taken to the basement, which has one long mirrored wall that reflects the room back onto itself....

Read story

“LIVE” by Alizah Muhammad

Submitted to Contest #101

Trashed, smashed, I went all out, laughed, yelled, then just sank down…. Sinking, weeping, Perhaps was I just reaping what I sow ….? Rising slowly to the top, not high and not low, I was just floating now ….And at that point, I began, one step at a time, Pondering ….Then one day I went Live to tell everyone about life. It was a day when I finally realized,I WAS ALIVE.In July 1999, on a usual Sunday morning, something special happened. I opened my eyes in this world. The beautiful sky illuminated and darkened in a sequence, my life ...

Read story

“Crush” by VJ Hamilton

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #101

It’s late spring in New England, and the sun is warm syrup pouring down, making hikers sticky and hot. Hair clings to Tessa’s temples like scum at the lake’s waterline. The seventh-grade class vibrates with excitement on their field trip and she scrambles to keep up. They carry logbooks and at the gurgling brook everyone halts to record observations. She writes: “Small fish came to my hand and touched me with their noses and rushed away. I think I scared them.” Then they’re off again tramping through scrubland. When the teacher’s back is tur...

Read story

“Tu(ths)Day” by Jubilee Forbess

Submitted to Contest #101

My, my, but Myreka doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into this time. Look at her, watch her, as she taps her feet along the pavement, one foot in front of the other like a merry schoolgirl, on her way to a class about baking or puppies or something otherwise pleasant. Ah, but Myreka is not on her way to learn about baby canines or pastries at all! She’s skipping, tapping, jolly-go-getting, straight down into a grave. My, my, you’re thinking, but that did escalate so quickly! No, pigeon, the story didn’t escalate, it de-escalated; it we...

Read story

“The Prankster” by Maham Fatima

Submitted to Contest #101

Lennix was the golden child to a set of loving mother and father who believed her to be the most auspicious thing that ever happened to them. They never reprimanded her for her childish pursuits let alone denied her anything she ever wanted. An army of helpers were always at her beck and call. She pulled immature pranks and toyed with them to her heart’s content. Her impishness was further encouraged by her parents who laughed it off her as a sign of childishness and immaturity. Asher, Freddy and Sara were all Lennix’s best friends. They bel...

Read story

“Gin and Tonic” by A Dead Poet .

Submitted to Contest #101

He mentioned on the phone that he will tattoo my name on his right thigh and that we should get back together. We never spoke about breaking up, but I guess it was in the air. Last time I saw him I didn’t have a clear look of his face. It was all vague. He pinned me to the ground, and my elbows itched with the hard carpet. I tilted my head left and right along with my body to resist him, but it only increased his strength, as he glued my left cheek to the ground. I could smell the remains of the dripped liqueur on the carpet. His breath reek...

Read story

“"Sister"” by Philia S

Submitted to Contest #101

A/N: Dedicated to Warrior Wolf. She inspired me to write this. And well, it is kind of based on her.The sun rose in the vibrant sky and the trees stood tall. They waved their dewed leaves, as if stretching after a long night. It was a chilly morning, with wind blowing around. But the wolf liked it just like that. When the morning was cold and quiet. Almost lonely. Just like her.She loped along the fallen branches and dead leaves, her fur ruffling in the wind. She moved on with a sense of urgency. She almost wanted to turn back and head to th...

Read story

“Today The Phone Won't Ring” by Story Time

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #101

Today the phone won’t ring. She checked as soon as she woke up. Dead breath in her mouth. The guy next to her--an aberration. He should have gone home. She made it explicitly clear to him that under no circumstances could he stay the night. He said he just wanted to rest his eyes while he waited for his Lyft. Now here he is. He’s upset the balance. She should beat him to death with the coffeepot, but that would only derail the morning further. Once he’s up and out (“I’ll call you when I’m back from Fiji. Big things going on there. Really...

Read story

“Blue” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

Submitted to Contest #101

I think there is a reason my father left us. No, I do not seek to justify his leaving. I think it was immature but I also think he left because he had seen what I had to offer and it was not good enough. I don’t suppose it was ever about mother and how she stopped going to her therapy sessions only to end up filthy drunk on the couch. I think he snapped the day I destroyed a bird’s nest. It was never quite the sure thing. I think I put the bird out of his misery but my father thought otherwise. He thought it was the beginning of a selfish li...

Read story

“"Are You Sure?"” by Jillian Oakes

Submitted to Contest #101

“Are you sure? You’re ready for this?”The cold autumn breeze slipped through my hands. Half of it was natural, the other an effect of my own manipulation. I twirled it between my fingers before redirecting the gust towards Lyla. She wrapped her body tighter in her thin yellow hoodie before she realized what I had done. She gave me a light shove. “You Environmentals. Can’t keep your magic contained.” She paused. “And yes, I’m sure. This duel was my idea, anyway. I’ve got to see it through eventually.” “Bold talk coming for the glori...

Read story

“Hidden Dystopia” by Shakthi Krishna

Submitted to Contest #101

High school- a memorable place for some, and an embarrassment for others. My name is Harlow Williams, and I am just like everyone else. I’m just like every student who is simply trying to survive and get through this hell hole of a building. However, a single difference separates me from the rest of the entire student body. I lost my ability to speak at age two, and since then, I have never uttered a single word. Naturally, I do feel this invisible barrier that has been put upon me, which is understandable. Nobody wants to hang out with “tha...

Read story

“Creepy John” by Christina Marie

Submitted to Contest #101

The mirrors in my room are hidden under white sheets that hang like silent ghosts. The nurses think they’ve contained him, but I still catch glimpses of Creepy John—watching, waiting. His rotting teeth snap from the edge of the stainless steel sink. His rolling amber eye leers from the curve of the polished doorknob. His gnarled finger marks me from the window. The surgery they tell me I’ve had has shaken my fortifications, vibrations of pain and drugs sending the stone walls of my will crumbling. He senses the we...

Read story

“episode six” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

Submitted to Contest #101

A man has been murdered and we have a killer on the loose. The security footage from the magazine store is a little grainy but we see the man before he was murdered. We see how carefully he walks down the aisle, tracing his fingers along the rows. We see how his fingers look like claws, scratching the wooden aisle like a witch’s fingers. For a minute, he pauses and he looks over his shoulders. There is a woman behind him but she’s wearing a hoodie so we can’t see her face. The man turns back to the magazine he’d been checking out and the ...

Read story

“some body lies” by H L McQuaid

Submitted to Contest #101

The day Sam found the body was surprisingly sunny and pleasant. Since it was the first morning the mercury moved reliably above the freezing mark, Sam had abandoned his winter parka in the cabin he’d been inhabiting for a week, opting instead for insulated canvas trousers, ankle-high hiking boots, and a waterproof jacket. He'd set off on a North-by-Northwest course, a direction he’d not yet attempted and was pleased discover a forgotten logging trail. He’d been rambling down the path, keeping an eye out for owls, binoculars bouncin...

Read story

“The Lemon Tree” by Keya J.

Submitted to Contest #101

A beam of moonlight stepped over the balcony and was lying on the bed. Starry figures bloomed in the dark inky pot above. A sudden craving of thirst found Adele sitting up straight in her bed, stretching her arms and yawning like a ferocious bear. Chocolate strings of hair were tangled up in a ponytail leaving a few trails on her forehead. Her eyelids felt heavy as she tried to get up from her pink dyed bed sheet. Her sight stumbled on the sleeping Hawaiians and the silent houses chirping in the dark. She fluttered her lids rapidly to drive ...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

729

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 09, 2021 EST

Won by Mary Sheehan 🏆

Title: Colleen

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢