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!

#102: To Kill a Mockingbird

This Sunday (July 11th) marks sixty-one years since To Kill A Mockingbird was first published. For over six decades now, Harper Lee’s groundbreaking Great American Novel has been taught in schools, stocked by the dozens in bookstores, and devoured by adults and children alike. And despite its age, many of its themes remain deeply relevant today: the damage done by judgment and discrimination, the loss of innocence as one grows up, and the vital importance of standing up for what’s right — even when everyone else is against you.

To commemorate this classic, this week’s prompts are inspired by its characters, plot devices, and most enduring lessons. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird is a distant English-class memory or your favorite book of all time, these prompts are sure to spark a few story ideas — one of which may even lead to your own literary masterpiece.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a metaphor about human nature.

Fiction – 109 stories

Frame your story as an adult recalling the events of their childhood.

Adults – 244 stories

Write about a character with an unassailable moral compass.

Character – 34 stories

Write a story about someone losing faith in an institution.

Angst – 120 stories

Write about a mysterious figure in one’s neighborhood.

Horror – 205 stories

Stories

“Foggy Meadows” by Riley B.

Submitted to Contest #102

Foggy Meadows It’s hard coming to a small town. At least, that’s what I’ve heard people say. I can’t speak any truth to the saying since I’ve lived my whole life in Foggy Meadows. As far as tiny towns in Rhode Island go, it’s probably the tiniest. It’s known for one thing: fishing. I’ve fished here with my father my entire life. A solid seventeen years. We raise a garden and catch our food, so there’s never really been a need to leave. We go to Foggy Meadow’s pitiful market three times a week to sell what we catch. In matters of actual U....

Read story

“Storming” by Ash W

Submitted to Contest #102

“Give it back!” “This has no reason at all to be so amusing.” Fulton said with a laugh, shutting one eye and shooting a piece of ice out to hit the knife from Hadlee’s grip. She’d been throwing it up from his hand and blasting with it a little air just to keep it from Aziz’s reach. Aziz shot him a smile and picked it up from the ground. “But you should leave him alone, Had.” Hadlee stuck her tongue out at Fulton as she walked over to sit across from him. “Not my fault that he hasn’t sparked yet.” She said...

Read story

“Chess Game of Life” by David Brown

Submitted to Contest #102

The timeworn man abandoned his empty coffee cup and scooped the chess pieces off the end table and into a cloth bag. Picking up the brown and tan checkered game board, Adam headed up the stairs to his granddaughter’s bedroom. As he climbed, he couldn’t quite tune out the daytime news anchors’ daft drivel.“Like I’ve always said, life is like a game of chess…I don’t know how to play,” one bubble-head tittered.A second anchor cackled, “Oh dear, I thought you were going to say life is a game of chess that you will probably lose!”Thankfully their...

Read story

“I'm starting this story with a metaphor about human nature.” by Consistently Lost

Submitted to Contest #102

A metaphor for human nature... Hmm. What is a metaphor. Hold on. Let me google. God, years of University has wrecked my brain cells. It's only been one year-ish so far. 'A metaphor is a figure of speech', well I know that. 'in which a word or phrase' this is boring... blah blah okay figurative language.... that's the same thing as figure of speech but I'll let it slide. I remember in Primary school, my English teacher who was also my Math teacher who was also my Social Studies and Science teacher, said that it's a figure of speech without ...

Read story

“The Grocer” by Alice Richardson

Submitted to Contest #102

THE GROCER The bell on the grocer’s shop door tinkled. Mr Oxenham turned to his customers with a smile. ‘Good morning Mrs Miller. Hello Emily.’ ‘Good morning, Mr. Oxenham,’ Mrs Miller replied. ‘Say hello to Mr Oxenham, Emily.’ Emily was six, a pretty little girl with soft brown hair. She looked at her feet. ‘Hello Mr Oxenham.’ She quickly lifted her eyes to meet his, then resumed her foot watching. ‘Speak up dear. Mr Oxenham can’t hear when you speak so softly.’ ‘That’s alright Mrs Miller.’ Harry reached into the jar of jellybeans, sel...

Read story

“Fat Head” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #102

(Author's note: I have decided to use my real name after this story, since I have now reached fifty stories on this page. xox) My house is at the end of the street, really a cul-de-sac, so when I used to play outside we were surrounded by all of those neighbours we knew for years, and the kids were all the ones who lived around there and knew each other. It was perfect for all of us and then it was not. It all got ruined and I better tell someone why it happened (why I am telling you, I do not know, but…) So, it was a cul-de-sac for all of...

Read story

“Reflection” by 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙠𝙞 ☾

Submitted to Contest #102

I tightly held my mum’s hand and lead her to my room. The lights had gone off and the dark always scared me. Every tick of the clock would make my heartbeat even faster. It felt like every second it got darker and darker. The bedroom was just tidy enough to show that I cared about the space and just messy enough to show that I was able to let her creativity roam free. My mum gently tucked me into bed and kissed me on the forehead.“Mumma, can you sing a lullaby for me?”“A lullaby? Aren’t you a bit too old for those?”“No, please?”The lullaby w...

Read story

“Number Nine” by Alexander Katz

Submitted to Contest #102

“How many times will curiosity kill the cat before the cat stops being curious?” The old man asked. Wrinkled skin dripped down his face, webbed and dry. Age spots grew like mold on his cheeks, chin, and forehead. They seemed to grow larger as I stared at him, transfixed. Unable to avert my gaze. It wasn’t fear that held my eyes but curiosity. Yes, he had hit the nail on the head. The hammer was blunt. “Nine, I suppose,” I replied, my voice crackling through the speaker system of my helmet. “Nine, heh,” The old man laughed. A w...

Read story

“The Lost One” by Marilena Pairi

Submitted to Contest #102

Frightened. That’s the only thing Amelia could feel as her tired eyes looked outside her wet, rain-tapped window to the old apartment building across the street and saw once again that familiar yellow light from the sixth-floor switch on. Soon enough, a dark, enigmatic shadow arose against it. A shadow that the past week had Amelia feeling paralyzed with fear. Every night, as the pale crescent moon rose above the sky and the world fell quiet, it would switch the light on and just sit there looking at her, not moving, not doing anything els...

Read story

“The story so far” by Celine Aoun

Submitted to Contest #102

The phoenix was a brilliant mythological bird. Legends say that it was as large as an eagle, with scarlet and gold plumage. More beautiful than any other creature, with a cry more melodious than any other sound. Only one phoenix existed at any time. And it was very long-lived, having a life span of no less than five hundred years. But as its end approached, the phoenix fashioned a nest then set it on fire and was consumed by the flames. From the ashes, miraculously rose a new phoenix. The point I am trying to make: At some point in time, th...

Read story

“A Blade's Purpose” by Jay Wayne

Submitted to Contest #102

TW: abuse, murder, violence Many have asked if I hold no regard for human life. My answer remains the same: Nothing could be further from the truth. Life is quite valuable. I’d be out of a job if it wasn’t. Every man has his price, as they say, though I suspect most mean it differently than I. Life, death, and the gold in between are my specialties. Today, things are complicated. My client meets me in the Warrens, the ramshackle neighborhood thrown together out of driftwood and spare cloth and no small amount of mud. There’s a dugout that ac...

Read story

“Mother's wrath” by Amazing Anime TV

Submitted to Contest #102

MOTHER'S WRATH Richard!!!!," I heard my mother calling me with so much venom in her voice I remained in my hiding place. "Where is this idiot, bastard, scallywag?" Still I remanded in hiding. Then I heard footsteps. They were my mother's . I began to shiver. I knew what to expect when she catch me. Instant and merciless punishment. I had broken one of her ceramic cups while washing the mountainful of plates I have been washing for over an hour. The footsteps got closer. I shivered. My heart began to beat in a sporadic pattern. My pulse incre...

Read story

“A Childhood Beyond the Classics” by Therese Bambe

Submitted to Contest #102

A birthday party or a trip to the beach?A camp in the great outdoors?The best cartoon ever watched?A pet or an expensive toy?I have got none of the classic childhood memories.We are teleporting to the year 2007, somewhere in Africa. Can you see these beautiful houses with huge gardens? All my childhood memories are there. Look at the children outside, aren't they happy?-But why are they outside? Are they not supposed to be watching some cartoons on TV?It is obvious there is no TV at home; do not feel sorry for them anywise. They are happy ju...

Read story

“A Butterfly Tattoo” by Brittany Weaver

Submitted to Contest #102

It all started with a butterfly tattoo. And I guess that started at O’Maleys. And that started with Jack, this guy I met on the hospital shuttle. He was dying. Had been dying his whole life. Just like me, I suppose, only he felt it more that day. I was meant to go to Ward 6, the Cardiology department, as I did every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. He was meant to go to Ward 11, the Oncology department, where he lived. Only, he meant to never go back. He told me this as he pulled on the loose strings poking out of the seat in front of ...

Read story

“Deja vu and nature too..” by Clinton Siegle

Submitted to Contest #102

Human nature seems cyclic. Deja vu is not just in the written novels of reality but in life. Meaning? Almost everything under the sun has been done.And? Solomon was right: living in the past was better than in the present. The only conclusion? My life was vanity and had no meaning if the future has not better or welled itself.Sad, no? Secrets of the universe ranted and raved by a madman? Or a pirate? I doubt I know which. I used to be a poet.Now?I live in a crazy fantasy world Hardly. I read to retain my sanity. I book, tea, a...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

712

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 16, 2021 EST

Won by Shane Ransom 🏆

Title: Favorites

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 ⭢