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!

#120: Nostalgia

Do you ever get a warm, fuzzy feeling when eating a favorite childhood meal or meeting up with an old friend? On the other hand, maybe you’ve revisited something you were nostalgic for, only to find it wasn’t quite what you remembered. Or perhaps you’ve found yourself longing for a time before you were even born...

This week’s prompts encourage you to write around the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia, and imagine the different ways your characters might confront memories from the past.

This week's prompts

Write about a character who yearns for something they lost, or never had.

Angst – 111 stories

Start your story with the line ‘Back in my day…’

Adults – 28 stories

Write about two characters’ different perspectives of the same past event.

Middle School – 36 stories

Start your story with a character looking through an old family photo album.

Fluff – 44 stories

Your character has always viewed the past with rose tinted glasses. Write about what happens when they’re finally confronted with the truth.

Angst – 25 stories

Stories

“Three Chords and the Truth” by Melissa Sandford

Submitted to Contest #120

“Now I know it ain’t somethin’ I said ‘cause we ain’t barely said nothin’ at all,” Laura served her best offense as her defense, “I just don’t understand it. It’s like I don’t exist no more.”Billy stared blankly into the fire, partly wishing she’d stop looking to him for all the answers and partly wishing he had them. “Ma, you’re probably reading too much into it. You have a real talent for that, you know?” “There was a time he woulda dropped anything, even his own mother to be with me. Woulda left work early, told-e...

Read story

“Grandparents” by Flower Queens Adventures

Submitted to Contest #120

"Awww oh my gosh your baby is so cute" Dressed in a white buttoned down colorful polka dot shirt paired with bright yellow drawstring pants. He was no more than two years old and I could practically hear the wonder in his eyes. So young, new, innocent. His grandparents were beyond proud to stroll through Landblurberry Park showing off the beauty of their newest DNA strand. Later that day they window shopped through 10 stores holding up Outfits and commenting on the beauty of their little one. They put him in tiny tuxedos, duck Outfits, a sai...

Read story

“Play it Again” by Mel Motter

Submitted to Contest #120

Play it Again Anne pulled the sleek black record from its album cover. She stared at it, remembering each track as she noted the thin lines between songs. Dan Fogelberg. Netherlands. She could almost hear it, the strings slowly rising to a magnificent crescendo, Dan’s sweet voice capturing a place long ago and far away. And yet…it seemed like yesterday. It was a yesterday that happened forty years ago, that’s all. Her record player, possibly her most prized possession, sat on a low table ...

Read story

“Goodbye Artemis, Goodbye Icarus ” by Evan Lanning

Submitted to Contest #120

Beloved, gaze in thine own heart, The holy tree is growing there; . . . Gaze no more in the bitter glass. ~ W.B. Yeats, “The Two Trees” The sun stretched out over the sky with a ferocity akin to the thrashing wings of lore. All the daylight poured into the decaying garden, and affected it faster than did the approaching night. Scorched, wilted, brittled, shorn of all life. Young Luther writhed...

Read story

“Home of Light ” by Maria Lilith

Submitted to Contest #120

I’ve always loved the light. It’s one of the first things I said to Ben when we were looking for a house. I want a home of light. Sunlight. And now it feels like I’ll never see the sun again. . . . &nbsp...

Read story

“Round 3” by Jarrel Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #120

How dare you keep this from me? Because she asked you to? Because you both knew how I’d react? Can you really see into my dreams, where I’m twenty-five again, back home where the octagonal cage surrounds me? I tackle Ryan to the mat. I cling to his back to keep him from standing. My arm folds and tenses around his jaw; his screams muzzled, but the cameraman zooms in on his eyes jumping out of his skull. My shoulder pulls my arm back slowly until I feel the pop, the dislocation. Justice for my Sarah. Our Sarah. Because you were the wis...

Read story

“"What I Missed"” by Julius Howard

Submitted to Contest #120

My name is Lewis Collins and I'm 26 years old. I grew up as an only child and was raised by a single mother who was not only a mother but a protector of sorts. She always had my back and made sure I didn't go without anything that I needed as a growing boy. When I would grow out of my shirts and pants, she made sure that I wasn't the kid who didn't have anything decent to wear to school. My mother would also buy enough clothing and shoes to give me options, basically I had variety. Mom had had my back in the sense of her child looking decent...

Read story

“What Could've Been” by Samantha Milhaven

Submitted to Contest #120

I wasn’t always this way and I think that’s the hardest part. I look in the mirror now and see who's staring back and I think “Who are you? What did you do to me? Why did you do this?” I sit by the window a lot, try not to bother anyone or make a fuss. I used to do a lot of things, things that these people would marvel at. I took my clothes off on stage in France and danced on table tops in Italy and kissed boys whose names I forgot in Poland. Sitting by the window here though helps me see the world, even just for a little. I used ...

Read story

“White Crown” by Della Killeen

Submitted to Contest #120

White Crown 2022 was the first year they didn’t return. It was the second year in to the pandemic and she had been too distracted to notice their absences. When finally, after her third vaccine shot, she turned her mind back to enjoying some of her past activities did she begin to wonder why she hadn’t heard one. At first she thought they must just be late, got derailed by smoke or storms and that they would eventually show up. As September became October and October rolled in to November she felt a sick feeling inside. She didn’t really hav...

Read story

“The Sitting Rock” by Peter Vollmer

Submitted to Contest #120

I was just there in August. I had travelled to Flagstaff for the weekend, longing to escape the heat of Tucson and smell the fresh air of the forest again. Growing up in Flagstaff, I had developed a love for the mountains and pine trees that dominated the landscape. Leaving Flagstaff for college gave me a new appreciation for the town I already loved so dearly, and every visit became a treat to look forward to. I was just there in August. I was making my rounds to see my closest friends there with the limited time I had. We would alway...

Read story

“Song of the Wind” by Ann Yuan

Submitted to Contest #120

Song of the Wind By: Ann Yuan “Just listen to the song of the wind.” I was standing at the entrance of a corn maze when I heard that soft voice. Jane'd taken Terrence to have the adventure that he had a longing for. Looking around, I only saw a woman standing six feet from me. Her lips trembled, as though whispering to herself. “Excuse me, Ma′am?” Given the fact that I was the only person within the earshot, I was obliged to say something. But I didn’t how to start a conversation. “Did you hear it?” She asked without turning he...

Read story

“Back in my Day” by Jane Ruth

Submitted to Contest #120

Jane E.Ruth words 1477 35 Galilee Street Falling Waters, West Virginia,25419 304 285 8870 jeruth44@gmail.com BACK IN MY DAY by Jane E.Ruth "Back in my day," stories always bring laughter and disbelief to my grandchildren. "Grandma, you're kidding, right?" And they proceed to make me the ancient of days. They are in complete denial th...

Read story

“Milk with caramel liqueur” by L L

Submitted to Contest #120

She: It has now been 8 years since I saw him last. Feels like he has vanished from the face of the earth. I can´t remember our last meeting. I can't remember most of our meetings, but I remember some and I do remember what he was like. We usually met at parties or poker games with friends. Once at a party he taught me how to make a cocktail that tastes exactly like Baileys, with milk and caramel liqueur. I remember thinking that it is so sweet of him to show me this amazing trick. I was not a hard 20 year old to impress, I guess. I rem...

Read story

“Shards” by Alex K. Maxwell

Submitted to Contest #120

“So what’d you think, was Adapters Hollow the abomination you thought it would be? Or do we finally have a Caleb-worthy adaptation?” Jimmy emphasized the movie title and braced himself for Caleb’s relenting onslaught as their eyes adjusted to the room lights, still sunk in to the dark leather recliners after removing their full face vantahelmets. After a long hesitation, Caleb sighed and answered, “You know, surprisingly, it was true to the book. They glossed over the Scavengers to get to the Builders, but that’s forgiva...

Read story

“The Sisters” by Antonia Sn

Submitted to Contest #120

The sisters It was on a Sunday afternoon in the beginning of April. Mum and I were planning for my birthday celebration coming on in a few days. The year before, we had celebrated my 8th birthday with a big garden party. Mum had arranged everything in style. We had separate tables set for children that the adults decorated with butterflies made of silk paper, daffodils and light blue grape-hyacinths. Mum baked a three-tier birthday cake. Dad took pictures and worked for hours to make them look pretty in beautifully cut picture frames. M...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

244

Contest entries

163

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 19, 2021 EST

Won by Rebecca Loften 🏆

Title: Meditation

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 ⭢