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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#105: Gaining Perspective

Selecting which point of view to tell their story from is one of the most crucial choices an author can make. Whether you opt for the intimacy of first person (“I”), the directness of second person (“you”), or the versatility of third person (“they”), this decision is critically important in creating a story that resonates with readers. Identifying your POV characters is also of the utmost importance: a story might actually be more interesting when told not from the perspective of the action hero, but through the eyes of their overshadowed, long-suffering sidekick.

With this week’s prompts, I’d like you to consider your choice of perspective, and maybe try something new! Put yourself into the shoes of an unexpected character — or ask your character to consider another’s point of view. How meta!

Like I mentioned, we’re currently working on some big changes to Prompts. With that in mind, we’re asking again for you to submit your stories 24 hours earlier than usual, to make those changes possible. The deadline for submitting a story to this week’s contest is 11:59PM EST on Thursday, August 5th. Stay tuned!

This week's prompts

Write a story from the point of view of three different characters.

Character – 191 stories

Write about a person trying to see something from another’s point of view.

Nonfiction – 92 stories

Write your story from the perspective of a side character.

Character – 143 stories

Write a story that switches between first person and third person point of view.

Kids – 100 stories

Write about a character who can suddenly see through another person's eyes — literally.

Adventure – 131 stories

Stories

“When You've Got Friends Like Mine...” by Ed Friedman

Submitted to Contest #105

When You’ve Got Friends Like Mine… Austin is pissed. He is probably making more noise than necessary when shutting the cabinets, but his anger must go somewhere. Screwing on a smile he comes back to the living room where Delia and Mark are giggling like teenage girls. Austin imagines them doing the same thing fifteen years earlier. As he silently sips his lemonade, Austin thinks, “I don’t know why I agreed to do this. She’s, his friend. Why didn’t the two of them just get together. I suppose it’s my own fault. I have been a little bit...

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“White Mirror” by Adra Verse

Submitted to Contest #105

The following is an extract of my upcoming book White Mirror (work in progress). Chapter 1 My name is Connor. Connor White. I’m an ordinary student who has a hard time. Well, at least it was like that my whole life until a few years ago. My parents travel a lot and look for new jobs, so I usually change my school once a year. This means stress. A lot of stress. But it slowly went away because of a new “thing”. A new ability, power, or something that I don’t know what to call. I discovered that I can read the minds of other people at...

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“Peterson?” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #105

June 29th I edged back down the alleyway behind the yards of the Forber Street houses and rounded the corner. Once the body was out of sight I bent double and retched, eyes streaming, stomach turning. After a few deep breaths I found my radio. ‘Yankee Mike Three, Yankee Mike Three, this is Yankee Mike Eight. Over.’ ‘Yankee Mike Three, go ahead. Over.’ ‘Assistance needed, unidentified body behind Forber Street. Over.’ Within minutes the alleyway was cordoned off and Forensics were on the way. We started a door-to-door but apart from t...

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“When Shadows Fall” by Elizabeth Camp

Submitted to Contest #105

In a stone-lined tunnel beneath a city that has long since faded to dust, a woman in a hooded cloak and a man in a fine silk tunic reached the bottom of a long flight of stairs and stopped to catch their breath. Well, just the man's breath, really. The woman, whose name was Vera, wasn't winded at all. After a minute, the man's breathing quieted, and he rose to his full height and strode over to Vera. "Thank you ever so much," he said, a grin lighting up his face. "For a minute there, I didn't think I'd make it." When she did not respond, ...

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“The Runaways ” by Liz Redt

Submitted to Contest #105

BREAKING NEWS: two teenagers are reported missing when parents found the manor house empty after the children were left alone so the parents could go to a ‘fancy’ dinner. I jerk upright the book I was reading flying out of my hands. kids missing? The hell? Since when did kids go missing? Our world is so peaceful there is no crime, everything is perfect. Well… except for me. The Tv continues to buzz BREAKING NEWS: the names of the teens are Julian and Isabelle Hallowood, Authorities suspect kidnapping. My eyes well up with tears I know them...

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“Another Beautiful Day” by Muffin Hill

Submitted to Contest #105

There are always something wandering in my mind. Sometimes they are troubles from my past, sometimes they are sweet memories about you. No matter what, my mind is always running like an energy ball, and it often gives me headache. Then I changed my focus to you. I opened the contact and started looking for you. You have always been my best General in life. Whenever I had doubt, any confusion about anything, you are like a teacher, a coach, a professor, guiding me through problems and found the solutions. I like writing poems for this Man. ...

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“Dead, Dead! Dead?” by Colin Devonshire

Submitted to Contest #105

“We’re sitting here like idiots. There must be something we can do?” Giles said. Elbows on knees, chin in palms, the same stance as his two best friends. Giles was the thinker of the three, if anyone could resolve this situation, it was Giles. “How long have we been sitting here? Seems like ages?” Roger asked. He relaxed, and stretched his back, remaining seated on the boulder. “We can’t wait here forever. Won’t someone come and get us?” John moaned, he yawned, stood and walked around the rocks. It was dark, not pitch black, but gloomy, and ...

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“Evil Eyes” by Katy Clements

Submitted to Contest #105

I struggle against the heaviness that threatens to keep my eyes shut. I lift my hand to my face and feel the skin around my eye, as if that would help me to gain the courage to open my eyes. My hand freezes, and I can feel the goosebumps rising on my skin. Never have I felt so afraid to do such a seemingly simple thing. I haven't seen the world for over a month now, not since the accident. I can feel my eyelashes flutter against the hand that I raised to my eyes, and I allow myself to take a look at the world. I wince as a beam of light ente...

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“The Other Side” by Jenny Grinwis

Submitted to Contest #105

You could have been a stranger, lying there, livery and inert. Yet, I know it was you; almost everything about you was familiar; known. The frame of you was the same: strong features, high forehead, wise eyes and gentle gaze; wide shoulders always ready to carry my world, but your long arms always loving, rested empty, listlessly, at your skeletal sides and your jaundiced skin hung on your bones, your face, drawn and gaunt, bearing the mask of an insidious cancer subduing its host. Your dark hair, always so perfectly slicked back – regal and...

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“Guardians” by Chris Dawson

Submitted to Contest #105

Thomas sat in the dingy dinner waiting for his mark. The dinner was mostly empty, save for a couple of late-night truckers and insomniacs with nothing better to do. Thomas sat in a booth near the far right corner away from everybody else. The bright red upholstery made his arms stick to the booth every time he laid them down so he wrapped them together in front of him on the table. From where he sat he could see whoever came into the dinner before they could see them and he also had a good look at all the red-eyed patrons of the dinner in fr...

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“My Mother's Mother” by Mary Fate

Submitted to Contest #105

I’d had spent my week here at grandma’s house with the same routine. Eat. Feed the chickens and their cute baby chicks. Watch her feed the mother cow. Go home. Do my thing. So, today I’m gonna sneak out of the house and explore the area. I have never gone far from nana’s house and it has been so boring lately. “Ali, lunch is ready!” Lola shouted from the kitchen. I shouted back “Coming down already!” “I’ll go to the market later. Do you want me to buy you something?” I thought for a while, and then I remembered something. “Can I go with yo...

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“The Locksmith Boys” by Zion Hintay

Submitted to Contest #105

"Stay with me now, don't give up... We're nearly clear."I looked up at my older brother, blood dripping down the side of my mouth, and laughed. Nearly choking as I tried to rise. But whatever strength left in me was seeping away."It's no use, get Jaime and get outa here."A woman wearing a Frankenstein mask rushed up to the two of us and tugged at Julian's arm."C'mon, c'mon, we can't do anything for 'em now. He's lost too much blood.""I can't..." He said through burning tears dripping down his face behind his own Dracula mask. The smell of ac...

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“An Old Pair Of Shoes” by Patricia Mae Zimmerman

Submitted to Contest #105

I will be writing of a very special person's life. An old pair of shoes have been found. As I place these shoes upon my own feet, I will become the past owner of them. Read on and enjoy!"Hey, Lisa look here!" We are in the attic of our childhood home. We are, my sister, Lisa and myself. I have found an old pair of shoes, in an old, black trunk. Lisa looks over towards me and says, "Wow, I wonder whose those were!" I reply, "I believe they are quite old from the looks of them. I am going to try them on."From the moment I place the shoes upon ...

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“MIsguided Honor” by Maura Lynch

Submitted to Contest #105

The bailiff announced his entrance. "Hear ye, hear ye, the Circuit Court for the County of Washington, Ohio with the Honorable James E. Blanc presiding, is now in session." Judge Blanc sat down and looked at the man in front of him, draped in chains and an orange jump suit. The chains were to restrain the convict, to protect the Court, the public and of course, himself, the Honorable James E. Blanc. On his desk was an overflowing file, stuffed with pleadings, letters, pieces of evidence. His law clerk logged him on to the court wide system, ...

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“Skinny Hunger” by Ulfa Hassan

Submitted to Contest #105

There’s a hunger at the pit of my stomach. It gnaws at me and tells me to consume nothing. Nothing at all. Don’t you want to be skinny again? I do, but its so hard. I’m so hungry. Somehow, the hunger feels good. The pains and the aches, the tumultuous rumblings of my unsatisfied stomach are all part of my body returning to the slim shape that it was before. I miss that girl. Every day, I think about her and how much I took her for granted. Now, hardly any of her clothes even fit me. It’s this medicine that’s done it. The pills that ...

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$50

Prize money

662

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 05, 2021 EST

Won by Vi Bisky 🏆

Title: The Next Good Day

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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