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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#121: Giving Thanks

Next Thursday marks American Thanksgiving: an occasion for people to come together, catch up, and enjoy large quantities of mashed potatoes. In keeping with the name, many also take this time to reflect on what they’re thankful for — whether that’s good friends, a great job, or the aforementioned potatoes.


This week’s prompts expand on the idea of thanks, exploring not just gratitude, but also recognition, perseverance, and shades of the phrase itself. Whether or not you’ll be celebrating on Thursday, we hope this theme gets you thinking (and in case we haven’t mentioned it lately, thank you for being a part of our amazing community!).

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone saying “Thanks a lot” (sarcastically or sincerely).

Fiction – 37 stories

Write about someone giving or receiving a gift.

Christmas – 50 stories

Write a story in which someone gets credit for something they didn’t do.

Thriller and Suspense – 13 stories

Write about a character who struggles to express their thanks.

Angst – 14 stories

Write about someone in a thankless job.

Teens – 33 stories

Stories

“The woman in the red hat” by Fatima Jawaid

Submitted to Contest #121

“Thanks a lot,” I heard the woman say as she piled napkins into her free hand. She sounded like she meant it.Curious to investigate such a blatant display of sincere gratitude, I peered at the woman over the top of my glasses like she was a specimen on display, and I was tasked with dissecting her very being. She wore a red hat and stood so straight that I could see it almost teetering off the top of her head. She was very quick to laugh, countering whatever the man behind the cart said with ease. His eyes twinkled in response. They looked l...

6 comments 6
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“The First Journey to Mars ” by Darya Silman

Submitted to Contest #121

TW: death.I read once that you had to accept everything life offered you with thankfulness. I was thankful for the gift of camaraderie I had received during preparation for the space mission. As I looked right from my tiny plastic seat, I saw a smile of excitement dancing on the lips of Big Brother. He was the oldest of us, forty-two, with fair soft hair I had wanted to ruffle from day one. His patronal tone left no doubt how he felt about us, the second generation of the space explorers. We all called him Big Brother. Yet, thought...

4 comments 4
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“Gunther, Son of Krampus” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #121

Gunther smiled at the pretty she-elf and offered her his ginger snap cookie. Her clear blue eyes grew round as ping pong balls, the silver bells on her pointed red hat tinkled as she trembled, and her pouty rosebud lips quivered. At last, she let out a scream so high pitched and supersonic, it caused a small avalanche a mile away.Her breath was peppermint and vanilla cake. She swatted the cookie into the snow and ran towards her friends that had stopped their birdlike chattering to stare at Gunther in horror.He looked sadly do...

2 comments 2
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“A Visit to the Star Chamber” by K.D. Walter

Submitted to Contest #121

David Vallejo was walking through the halls of Montenegro High School. It was a Friday morning, and the four-minute warning bell had just rung. He was heading to his first class of the day, “Advanced Placement” World History, though not with any particular enthusiasm. He loved the study of history, but the way that subject was “taught” by Mr. Richard Pinguino somehow sucked most of the joy out of it for him. When he entered the room he noticed a palpable distress written on the faces of his classmates. Some of them were in a state of outrig...

6 comments 6
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“A Plaything” by Michelle Joy

Submitted to Contest #121

My eyes have always been glassy. A special, magical glance that reflects only the special and the magical.   My skin has always been taut, smooth and unblemished. With hair that coils like rolled wafers, and a face that perfectly smiles a toothless grin at my Beholder, I exist with welded cherry lips and a rosy blush that’s never disappointed.   Some say the bottom of my shiny shoes have Made In America embossed on them, but I, unfortunately, am not flexible enough to see. I saw a friend of the Duke bent their legs to see the soles...

1 comment 1
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“A Gift to the Past” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #121

Sheila Thinks ‘What do you get a man who says (frequently) that he has pretty much everything he has ever wanted? It is Francis’ fiftieth birthday, so I have to get my husband something very special to mark his half-century (a term I will not use). I had almost given up, when I got an idea, a crazy one, sure, but I believe it will do the trick. It is a gift that he would never think of giving himself. It is something that goes deep into his past, when he was a child riding on the subway to school and was feeling invisi...

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“Leftovers” by Gianluca Angelucci

Submitted to Contest #121

Under a tungsten sky, in a court of concrete, a circle of men was holding ground against the cold assault of the wind.“Here, take this guys.” Mark was handing out to the rest of the men little squares of chocolate, taken from a crumpled piece of foil.The group of scrawny men leaned closer looking at the treat with eyes wide open, “is that what I think it is?” asked the tallest one, reaching for it with trembling hands.“Yeah, today is gonna be our biggest hit ever, and we are not going to get a second chance… no need to die with leftovers in ...

2 comments 2
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“it is what you make it” by Keri Dyck

Submitted to Contest #121

“Thank you. Thanks a lot.” Dione swallowed and blinked, but a few tears dripped down her cheek anyway. She drew in a sharp breath to quell a sob and grasped the hand of the man in front of her. “I promise to repay you, I will.”“Take your time, Dione. I’m glad I could help. It’s the least I could do for—for Arne.” He patted her hand and dropped it, then turned away. He glanced through the observation window once before walking down the hall and out the door. Dione faced the window, set her shoulders, and opened the door. The boy’s e...

4 comments 4
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“Thank you” by Ruvi Rajapaksha

Submitted to Contest #121

Wednesday – Mack and cheese, salad, carrots, and apples She woke up, and everything hurt. The sound of the alarm clock pierced her ears, and to her surprise, it was still working. She took a deep breath and got out of bed to do it all over again. She made her way through her small apartment and found herself eating dinner, and leaving home late. As soon as she got to school, she was off straight to the kitchen to get to work. The scent of frozen food and mac-and-cheese overtook her. She made it. With a second left in stillness, she rus...

7 comments 7
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“The Excalibur Blacksmith” by Shivang Sarawagi

Submitted to Contest #121

The vultures hovered over the corpses of Heasean soldiers in circles; it was more of a celebration dance before they enjoyed their feast. Knights, archers, spearmen, swordsmen, militia all lay dead on the ground. Heasean standard-bearers and those alive could be seen at a distance fleeing the battleground. Some on horses, some on foot. Heasea and Nazodour, the two neighboring kingdoms, had been at war for as long as the stars twinkled in the sky, and it was the umpteenth time we mighty Nazodourians had crushed our neighbors. "Arlot...

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“Winter Sonata” by Mae Siu-Wai Stroshane

Submitted to Contest #121

 A package has arrived in the post from Vienna today. That's not unusual. What is unusual is the way my mother, Antonie, thrusts it at me impatiently and says in a trembling voice, "It's for you, Maxie—hurry and open it.""Another art book? Mother, we still have plenty from Grandfather's house!"She winces as she always does when reminded of Grandfather Birkenstock, who had been a renowned art dealer and had a vast and valuable collection in his mansion in Vienna. After his death twelve years ago, it had fallen to Mother, as his...

3 comments 3
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“GIVING THANKS” by Debbie Curtin

Submitted to Contest #121

The past is but a memory The future is yet to be Today is the present, a gift for you and me Another long day finally ended and by this time I was not in a good mood. The design company I worked for had put in a last-minute request to have their #1 product heavily available over the holidays. And of course, I was the lucky one that was chosen to make a presentation in a part of the country that needed our vision and products in their storefronts. Downtown Croydon was making a comeback and we were on board to help push the product's image o...

4 comments 4
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“Seriously? ” by Wendy Simmons

Submitted to Contest #121

Thanks a lot, America. Every single day I wake up and ask myself will this be the day. Will this be the day something goes wrong on my day to day walk of life being a black man. Will this be the day that I’m at the grocery store, while I’m in the produce section trying to determine which avocado is worthy of my toast in the morning and someone says something to me that will set off a chain of events that may end my life? Will this be the day I go to grab a shopping cart and unknowingly reach for a cart that someone else was reaching for and ...

5 comments 5
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“Trials and Tribulations” by Annette Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #121

“I’ve got great news. They’ve approved us for human trials!” Kellie shrieked. “Are you serious!? When? How?” Sheila asked, ripping her eyes away from her computer screen to see if Kellie was serious this time. “Well, we have to put out some feelers for volunteers so I’m guessing in the next couple of weeks,” Kellie replied, scrolling through her phone’s calendar. “Ugh, that’s our next problem.” Sheila slammed herself against the back of her chair in a wave of defeat, “Who is going to willingly volunteer for this kind of gig? Especial...

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“A Heart From Heaven ” by Addy B

Submitted to Contest #121

Emily held her satchel tightly as she stared at the ofrenda that her grandmother was sitting atop of. It’s porcelain glistening on the spots where the moonlight could reach. The date was November 2nd, 7:09 pm. Day of the dead. The ofrenda was already covered with gifts and blessings from her other family members. Emily set her satchel down onto the dirt street and began to unbuckle the front pouch. She reached inside the pouch and pulled out the first item. Even though the sun had already set, the candles on the ofrenda guided her to what sh...

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$250

Prize money

147

Contest entries

113

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 26, 2021 EST

Won by Deborah Elliott 🏆

Title: Onboard an Angel Flight

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!

Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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