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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

“Butterfly” by Chris D

Submitted to Contest #105

Everyone has their butterfly. Warwick has one tattooed on his inner elbow. It's a neat party trick, sure, to say that he can flap its wings to make it fly. The ladies love it. It's not why he has it. It's to remind him that one little thing can make his world change. If he hadn't fallen off the monkey bars in second grade, he would have never scraped his knee on the woodchips. He wouldn't have been sent to the nurse. He wouldn't have found a girl sitting on the cot, feigning ill to get out of gym class. She wouldn't have smiled at hi...

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“Without Words” by Harlie Smith

Submitted to Contest #105

As the rays of morning sun dance through the window, I head to the kitchen where I put on a pot of coffee for my husband. I prepare my daughter's lunch and set today's newspaper on the table.No words are exchanged as Steve moseys in, taking the seat adjacent his coffee mug, and reads the the paper.Neither of us budge as Bella hurries passed, with five minutes to catch the bus. She peeps into her lunchbox and shoots me a sideways glare. "I'll eat at school," she says.Out the front door she goes, leaving her lunchbox behind.Steve stands and ta...

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“Space and Screw Ups” by Madison Gott

Submitted to Contest #105

Cal The space in the ship was getting cramped. Again. We had four more weeks of isolation until we hit our next planet, and the space food that was left was gross. Despite the station's efforts, living in a ship floating in space was not in any way technologically advanced. Not only that but tensions between passengers always seemed high. It was like an overdramatized reality t.v. show if you can imagine that. So not only was everything breaking every time you breathed on it wrong, but so were all the crew. We were going a bit stir...

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“The Making of the Pies” by Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #105

Savanna stood in her kitchen in front of the kitchen counter. Focusing her eyes on the index card in front of her. She held it closer to her eyes and realized she needed her reading glasses. Grandma’s famous sweet potato pie was scrolled neatly on top of the card. It was Savanna’s year to make the pies for the Sunday family dinner. She had never made pie before. Her speciality was cookies. She could make some of the most yummy cookies on the planet. But, not today. Today she had to learn how to make a pie in a day and a half. She read the re...

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“An Affair To Remember” by MG SINGH

Submitted to Contest #105

Ronnie's tale As a young Subaltern, I was posted to Bombay and was staying at the officer’s mess at Cotton Green. A barbwire fence separated the station from a small road leading to the BPT headquarters. Many a time, I would observe a beautiful girl walking on the other side of the barbwire. She was extremely beautiful and always wore short skirts so I surmised that she had European blood in her. Most Indian girls wear a trouser or shalwar kameez. I saw her many times and then I got hold of my best pal, Joginder. He was the engineering offi...

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“Hopelessness: Killer of Men” by Trishie Chikerema

Submitted to Contest #105

The undertakers paused and shouted. She could see their lips moving but could not hear what they were saying. It was only when she felt herself being dragged backwards that she realized that she had been about to step into the grave. She turned to face her aunt whose face was livid but when their eyes met, she softened her gaze almost as if she was saying, ‘I understand.’ Regina shook her head. No one could understand. Not until the earth had swallowed everyone that you’ve ever loved. How could aunt Marcia possibly understand? No one else ha...

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“The Escape” by Kir Fowler

Submitted to Contest #105

Eleanor’s POVThe heat slowly receded from my body as his lips found mine again. I was terrified before I felt the familiar feeling of electricity at his touch pulse through my body."I was so worried." He whispered against my lips."I'm ok Will." I said, pulling away."Yeah, but-" he stopped and his eyes traveled down. "Why were you naked?""I was hot." I said embarrassed. I heard what sounded like a low growl come from the back of his throat as his hands traveled down my sides until they made their way to my hips and he crushed his lips ba...

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“The Devil's Necktie” by Felipe Barreda

Submitted to Contest #105

“The Devil’s Necktie Party” Felipe C. Barreda A beast locked in a cage watching the minutes tick away faster and faster on the clock on the wall; waiting to be put down. He thinks of himself as a savage frothing at the mouth dog unworthy of life. He feels the fear of the inevitable. In a minute or two he will be taken from his cage and sent to a room where they will dress him in leather suspenders and chains in readiness for the necktie party. He is sitting with the priest praying for the fortitu...

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“Poison Ivy” by Fatima Aladdin

Submitted to Contest #105

Taleen’s P.O.V: “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I mumbled as I stumbled on my way to the front door in the dark. “I’m aw-” I groaned as I stubbed my toe trying to avoid stepping on my cat, but that didn’t stop her from hissing at me threateningly, her mood just as bad as mine at being awoken by the insistent knocking at such a late hour. “What?” I pulled the door open without even looking through the peephole, angry enough to face a potential murderer straight on. “Well, hello to you, too.” My potential murderer beamed at me and raised a...

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“Broken Bonds” by Tabitha Gregory

Submitted to Contest #105

In front of me the moonlight cast shadows among the gravestones. They reached towards me as I ran, dodging stone and unseen monsters alike. The scent of wet grass and lightning rushed in and out of my body as my lungs threatened to collapse. I couldn’t die here. I wouldn’t die here. And so I ran. Away from lingering death and decay. Away from the tall, ...

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“The Forgotten Night Witches” by Chaotic Academia Kid

Submitted to Contest #105

When I heard the engine shut off, I quickly moved my hand towards the lever to drop the bomb. I pulled it, but quarter way, the lever stopped. Again, really? I quickly unclipped my safety harness and pulled myself up. I felt the strong wind push me, but I held onto the wing of the dry wooden plane and promptly made my way. Once I reached the bomb attached to the wing, I quickly unfastened the harness from the wing and unhinged the bomb. I quickly climbed back into the seat and ignored the safety harness. I rushed to turn back on the engine a...

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“The New Job” by Patient Grasshopper

Submitted to Contest #105

I woke up early that Monday morning feeling great. I had had a great night’s sleep, better than usual. This was going to be a great day. This was the day I would get the big promotion at work. “Michael Miller, assistant executive vice President”. That had a nice ring to it. Ever since starting work for Rubenstein Corporation three years ago, it was the job I had wanted. Now I was all but guaranteed it, all that was left was the formality of the promotion. I got dressed in my most formal business suit. Catching a glim...

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“The Fate of the Forest” by Morgan McIntosh

Submitted to Contest #105

THE TREE The morning breeze sends my arms into a sway, waving back and forth as I greet the day with delight. As my needles drop to the forest floor, they are interrupted mid-flight with the sound of a soft plop-a noise I have yet to hear throughout my several decades of existence. As I look down, I do not notice the green blanket of grass and sun-browned earth at my feet that I am used to. I notice instead a man-made structure of triangular shape; bright orange in colour, and satiny in observable texture. I feel the delicate weight of the...

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“‘Truth & Dare’” by Rahul Singh Arya

Submitted to Contest #105

Seema “I am not afraid” I said. Sonali looked back with a mocking expression. She enjoys making my life miserable. “I can do that. Only to respect the rules of hostel I don’t go out after night curfew starts”. I said in a defensive tone. I know it proves me a coward. Sonali said with a mocking smile “you are a baby, babe”. My parents gave me nickname- baby. Girls in hostel know that. I wanted to reply with obscenities but my family values are too strong to use such words so I could manage only – “you are being rude to me”. Sonali said in...

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“Tacenda” by Artemis Fowl

Submitted to Contest #105

Tick - Tock! Tick - Tock! Tick - Tock!The rhythmic sound was the only thing that disturbed the unsettling silence. But even it tended to fade away in the space of the living room, as if attempting to hide behind the sofa and the chairs, under the rack, over the window, behind the curtains…I was getting distracted. The bluish laptop screen had worn out my eyes, the eyelids closing on top of them in an attempt to make me fall asleep. I would suddenly open them, my face towards the window on the right of me, realising that I had tried to take a...

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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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