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!

#128: Tea Time

Did you know that January is National Hot Tea Month? Tea is a wonderfully diverse beverage that’s enjoyed in many different ways all over the world. It can be a soothing drink, a social drink, and has even sparked conflicts (think the Boston Tea Party, or the First Opium War).

Inspired by the history and cultural significance of this beverage, here are the prompts for this week’s contest:

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone making a cup of tea — either for themself or for someone else.

Fluff – 171 stories

Set your story in a tea house.

Spring – 36 stories

Write a story about a tea party that your character is reluctant to go to.

Summer – 44 stories

Write about a character who’s dying to “spill the tea” (gossip) about something.

Fluff – 21 stories

Write a story about a conflict that breaks out over something ordinary (like tea, perhaps).

High School – 26 stories

Stories

“Becoming Unafraid ” by Hannah B

Submitted to Contest #128

**TW: ED** Dappled sunlight spilled across Amy’s bedroom floor through her half-closed lace curtains, the shadows of tree limbs swaying in the breeze. Her window was cracked open just a slit to allow the refreshing air to overtake the stifling, stale air within the bedroom. Everything felt foreign to her still, the smells of her home–warm and inviting smells–somehow familiar and strange at the same time. She observed herself in the full-length mirror beside her dresser. Her reflection, at least, was beginning to look familiar again. Traces ...

Read story

“Tea Time” by Bryce Benton

Submitted to Contest #128

“I’m not sure if we should go,” she said. “Why not?” he replied. He stopped scrubbing the dishes and turned to face her. “It’ll be fun. Anyway, you don’t have to partake if you don’t want to.” “Well for one thing, it’s illegal,” she said. “Is it?” he shot back. “They grow naturally, right there on the edge of the trees at the park down the street a little bit from his place." He was rambling. "They grow everywhere if you know where to look. Well, not everywhere but lots of places, especially after it rains. They grow in cow patties, to...

Read story

“Holy Crap” by Barb Brown

Submitted to Contest #128

He was subdued now, sitting in a hard wooden armchair, alone in the room, his foot methodically kicking at the door in front of him making a dull thud as it hit the door, then a soft scraping noise as the sole of his runner slid down to the floor, over and over. Nobody could hear him anyway. How long had he been in this room now? It was four, maybe five hours, paying his penance, but he snickered, "It was worth it" he thought. "Next one will be even better Father", he promised himself. The stink of incense stored in...

Read story

“Poor Petitions” by Marion Comi-Morog

Submitted to Contest #128

Only on Lady Edith’s third invitation to tea, did Lady Mary accept. She had been out of town on the first occasion and had reservations with her husband, Henry, on the second. However, when her old friend approached her after church the Sunday past, Mary found her well of excuses entirely dried up. Lady Edith was quite as busy as Lady Mary had pretended to be, for no item could be forgotten or left unpolished. Ordering the most delicate of finger sandwiches, preparing the tea, dusting the counter, setting out the fine china – indeed, wh...

Read story

“Anxie-Tea” by Tasha Meyer

Submitted to Contest #128

Anna was 7 years old when she experienced her first panic attack. The day it happened was the day of her first class presentation, and though it is normal for everyone to be nervous before publicly speaking, it was however unusual when the young child began hyperventilating during her recess. She didn’t know what was happening, why she couldn’t catch her breath, which caused her to fall further into her veil of panic. It wasn’t until after she vaguely heard the bell ring that her teacher noticed the frightened child huddled in a corner under...

Read story

“To tea or not to Tea” by The Profound

Submitted to Contest #128

Rocks crunched throughout the gravel as Flora drove up into the driveway of Penneltong Mansion. It had been abandoned for almost twenty years, but it was recently sold to an anonymous buyer. The people who lived in the town nearby, had no clue as to who could possibly afford such a gorgeous property. But it didn’t stop many of them from accepting invitations to a dinner party. As Flora’s car began to slow down, she noticed a few other vehicles parked slightly to the left of the mansion, signifying that she wasn’t alone and those wh...

Read story

“A Trinity Coven Tradition” by Camryn Permann

Submitted to Contest #128

The sound of the brush running through my hair becomes monotonous as I stare at myself in the mirror. I feel it pull at each strand and look up at my mother standing behind me. Her face wears a grim expression as she studies each stroke, making sure to pull it back into two perfect ponytails, just like hers. Her small frame adorns a velvet blue dress that falls just below her knees. She wears a black, silk ribbon around her neck and white, sheer stockings on her legs. Her makeup is powdery white with a small freckle painted onto her cheekbon...

Read story

“tattle tale ” by Chika Cassandra

Submitted to Contest #128

With its tapered top, the sun on its tip crowned it glorious. Chansardin temple. It stood tall one look and you’d know this was no ordinary place. This one temple, where the lost made home and unwanted are brought to. The priest taught these lives the ways of life, the art of life. And how to channel their energy. Evil hatches here and threatens to destroy the world, goodness nurtured within it blessing the world. But never has it seen a fire that burns like this one, like Samsidine. He has what everyone wants, people with the power wa...

Read story

“Tea reading” by V Hew

Submitted to Contest #128

TEA READING There is a shop on main street that sells herbs, oils, crystals, jewelry, and more. A dark-haired beauty rents a small space in back where she reads cards, palms and tea leaves. I have seen her walking about town, so elegant and graceful she seemed to glide. I have also heard great compliments about her abilities. Today I am going in for a reading of hope. She will recognize this as soon as I enter. It is her expertise to read the mood of her guests. It is expected of her, the end result. What someone wishes to exit...

Read story

“Terrific Tea Table” by Candi Spirit

Submitted to Contest #128

It was an important day for the sisters at Critter Cove. They had to get ready for their very first Tea party with the Princess. Abbie, the oldest, had put out a white round table with crystal clear tea cups and thin silver spoons, the perfect size for tea sugar cubes. The warm humming light from the candles she had placed at the center of the table shined ever so slightly off the spoons and tea cups. Using her fluffy tail to dust off the mushroom chairs around her table she sighed with relief. One table down, one to go. Turning around to se...

Read story

“TEA FOR ONE OR TWO” by Darrell Grant

Submitted to Contest #128

TEA FOR ONE OR TWO I grew up watching a lot of movies and I knew that stories based on true events were mostly made up for entertainment, so I had no reason to believe them, but they were entertaining so I always liked watching them. Movies like The A...

Read story

“Too Much Tea” by Crafty Sloth

Submitted to Contest #128

We have too much tea.At one point, I thought that I'd be like one of those women who has a cute little place for everything. I bought a wooden tea box on Amazon that had places for eight types of tea. You could see each type from the window on top. The box reminded me of the one at the bed and breakfast that my husband Carl and I stayed at when we were getting married four years ago. I imagined offering it to all of our visitors and how excited they might be to see our whole collection in one neat little box. "Wow, Grace really has it t...

Read story

“I Have To Change My Mind” by Shaun Johnson

Submitted to Contest #128

Confrontation has always made me nervous. So when I’m forced to engage in it I’m more than a little frazzled. I bounced back and forth from the text message my boyfriend sent me, and this nuisance of a clock. Every tick of it on my office wall is driving me mad. I bit down on my pencil harder and harder against the ticking. I know I’m no good at serious discussions but it’s just Matt. “He wouldn’t hurt my feelings too bad, right?” I pondered aloud. “Who are you talking to?” my supervisor who just walked in said. Startled, I...

Read story

“The number 8 tram” by Caragh O'Donnell

Submitted to Contest #128

For Clementine, it was a morning like any other. She woke up, sauntered to her gramophone, and put on some Ella Fitzgerald to grace her morning. Lost in thought, she looked out of her kitchen window onto the breathtaking view. The whistling of her kettle awoke her from her daydream, and she promptly prepared her jasmine tea. The jazz washed over her as she sipped away, feeling the nectar warm her stomach. Clementine took pleasure in her mornings of jazz and jasmine tea, they prepared her for the day ahead. She anyhow preferred the company of...

Read story

“Charlie O'Brien, Private Investigator II” by Professor Alan Dale Dickinson

Submitted to Contest #128

CHARLIE O’BRIEN, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR - II [4]. Charlie’s secure satellite cell phone rang, and as always it rang to “Private Eyes”, of course, what else would a real-life private eye have for a ring tone? Charlie always loved “Hall and Oates” the fantastic singing/songwriting duo from Philly! “I see you, you see me, watch you blowin’ in the wind, when you’re making a scene, oh, girl, you’ve got to know, what my head overlooks, the senses will show to my heart, when it’s watching for lies, you can’t escape my Private Eyes.” On the ring to...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

298

Contest entries

160

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 14, 2022 EST

Won by Jay Wayne 🏆

Title: my fellow passerine

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 ⭢