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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#130: What's in a Name?

This week, I’ve been thinking a lot about names: our names, and the names we give to stories, and the way they shape people’s expectations. So I’ve decided to try something new: as you’ll see, two of this week’s prompts let you play around with our Title Generator and Character Name Generator to spark ideas — and the rest explore what the implications of titles and names can be. Have fun!

This week's prompts

Create a title with our Title Generator, then write a story inspired by it.

Teens – 97 stories

Write about a character whose name you got from our Character Name Generator.

Character – 46 stories

Start your story with someone finding an object labeled with their name.

Horror – 37 stories

Set your story in a nameless world.

Kids – 27 stories

Write a story titled ‘The Locked Door.’

Dark – 77 stories

Stories

“Trying Again” by Maheer Arshad

Submitted to Contest #130

“I think we should separate.”The words rang through the house. They bounced off every piece of furniture, finding their way into Nina’s ears, echoing there.Separate. Separate. She had finally said it. After months of feeling unhappy, unprioritized, lonely. Feeling like she was invisible to Evan. Feeling like he wasn’t the Evan she knew anymore. A shell of the person she had loved since college; drowned in work, coming home late, always being stressed about money, finances.Why couldn’t he let it go and trust her? Trust her when she said they ...

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“Headstone” by Jack Coey

Submitted to Contest #130

Josey was a boy about eight years old, whose name was Perkins, and he lived with his mom and dad in a small, New Hampshire town with a common and cemetery and Civil War statue. His dad worked at the car garage, and his mom worked as the nurse at the elementary school, and it was summertime now, and it was when people listened to Elvis sing, and not too many color TVs were around. Sunday nights people watched Ed Sullivan on TV to see and hear the latest acts. It was humid during the day, and people didn’t feel like doing much, but his mom wou...

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“Mama's Lesson” by Hanae Livingston

Submitted to Contest #130

I uncovered the box, and the drive to declutter my parent’s basement evaporated. Tucked under the stairs of my parent’s home, the box’s white surface bore my name in English. HANAE Mama’s beautiful handwriting had changed very little since she had made this mark. Pulling it open, I was transported to another place and time, when my hands had lifted this lid and beheld the same treasures they did now. I marveled at the faded green sweater sitting at the top of the clothes inside, the first that Mama had ever made for me. We lived tucked...

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“The Compass” by R J Prins

Submitted to Contest #130

The Compass Gary Hugh spent that afternoon clearing the attic after his Grandfather passed away. It was all too real to him. The Hurst had his Grandfather a few hours later. His parents were talking with his Grandmother down stairs. He could care less about was being said. He was going through a box of miscellaneous junk. Some empty old time glass soda bottles, and useless papers with scribbling and old newspapers. Just then he found a green pouch with something heavy inside and pulled it out. It was a golden compass. It looked like a relic...

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“Invisible Girl” by Genevieve Willingham

Submitted to Contest #130

Invisible Girl LaDonna quickly found a miniature car tag for each of her children: Matthew, Diane, Michael, and Barbara. This was why she had given them such uncomplicated names. She paid for her purchases and left the shop. When LaDonna was a child, there was never anything with her name on it. Magnets, mugs, tee shirts, little car tags, keyrings – millions of small touristy items with hundreds of kids’ names o...

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“Never Alone” by Prince Prose

Submitted to Contest #130

“Avory,” the folded paper reads. As they unfold it, the note shakes with their hands. As they read, the words blur together until the page is just one large inkspot. “I can’t do this anymore.” They crumple the paper in their fists, squeezing it until it is just a small ball, then huck it at the wall. It passes the window, where sunlight is just beginning to pour in, and lands in the darkest corner of the bedroom. The bedroom that used to be shared. “There’s just no fixing it.” They sniff. Wipe the tears from their cheeks. Mov...

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“Pen Name” by Anne Sellers

Submitted to Contest #130

Wesley's doctor demanded that she take a leave of absence. Yes, you read that right, Wesley is a female. I expect that is a shocker for you, as it is for lots of others. Being female, Wesley was hassled daily due to her parent’s choice of her name. When introducing herself, people often asked, “Leslie?” or “Wendy?”. It was beyond their imagination that a female could be named “Wesley”. What followed was some version of they had never met a female with that name, or questions about why she was named, or exclamations that they loved the name f...

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“The Trunk” by Nikolle Mack

Submitted to Contest #130

Warnings: Mental health, Panic attack, loss of a loved one. -------- He’s in his brother’s rooms, eyes puffy and aching, throat raw, hair and robes an utter mess, when he finds the trunk. He’d been sitting on the bed, mindlessly turning the jade pendant that usually hung from his belt with it’s finely carved replica of Storm Breaker, his brother’s sword. A sword, his sword, it’s all they have, where was his body, where- Then he’d fumbled and the precious item had bounced under the bed, landing before a trunk he’d never seen ...

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“Search for the Nekromanteion” by Christopher Reifsteck

Submitted to Contest #130

“This is your fault.” Kassinara turned to the co-inhabitor of the slimy pit she found herself at the bottom of. Both were covered in a green film, and if Kassinara looked anything like Anya, she had the look and disposition of a wet cat. Though Kassinara did not have a twitching tail to complete said ensemble. “How….” Kassinara began slowly, tempering every word. “Is it my fault….that I fell into the pit….that I rescue you from?” “It was that stupid pack!” Anya practically shrieked. “All the Junk you're carrying snapped the vine!” “I’m...

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“The Locked Door” by J.C. Martin

Submitted to Contest #130

Borril wiped his clammy hands on his rough, home-spun tunic and stepped ahead with the line. Many of the other young men and women waiting for their turn were wearing shining silk robes with frothy lace bunched at their throats and jewels glinting on each finger. Everyone took another step forward and Borril watched the most recent failed attempt trudge back to his family, face downcast. He was wearing full armor complete with a sword and shield. The young man’s mother gripped the back of his helm roughly and practically dragged him from the...

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“The Locked Door” by Lisa Roberts

Submitted to Contest #130

Behind me, the door locks with a satisfying click. I have been waiting for years for what I am about to do. I relax my shoulders, stretch my neck, breathe deeply. Gathering all my courage, I begin;September 21, 2021RE: There is Time to Murder and Create*Dear Word Perfect 3.0-10.0;Finally, I have both the strength and wisdom to put my complicated feelings into words. To begin with, there is nothing perfect about you. As you must remember, it all began in 1991 with Word 3.0. Our relationship is similar to the one I am ...

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“The Locked Door” by BB Smith

Submitted to Contest #130

Epigraph:If there is anyone out there, please open me. I swear I won't show you anything scary.There are things in here that no one has seen.Wonderful, one of a kind pieces you can't find on a screen.My things are tangible: you can pick them up and hold them.They'll spark your imagination; they'll take you to another realm.You remember......that giddy place you went to as a child.When you were alone, experiencing new things felt wild.This is what I have to offer; a place to bring back that adrenaline.An adrenaline so high that it will become...

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“The Locked Door” by Lisa Endicott

Submitted to Contest #130

Restless, angry clouds threatened my walk home from school that day. I’d stayed late at school practicing my trumpet solo for the upcoming band competition, and now no umbrella was going to keep me dry. Unrelenting humidity cloaked my body and tiny drops of sweat gathered on my temples when I exited the school. “I’ve got to get home and make sure my dog is okay,” I said to Tessa, my dependable friend, and fellow trumpeter. “Hurry,” she said. “I just hear thunder.” She turned in the opposite direction, waved, and ran down the street. It...

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“The Locked Door (Inside of A Nerd's Notebook Edition)” by Malik Coley

Submitted to Contest #130

Note #1 Inside of a Nerd's Journal:Crystal. That — is your name. That is your name! You're not the same — as others you can say. I wish I could read your mind, Crystal. Please. Let me in, Crystal. Please, tell me what you think about on a daily basis. Tell me some more interesting things about you, other than you, that is. Talking was never something that interested me. It never has been. However, there’s a mandatory exception for you, as you are my muse. Please. Use me, as your outlet so we can start something electrifying, powerful, and im...

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“The Locked Door” by Ayesha R

Submitted to Contest #130

The door was always locked. It was not supposed to be open. Rumors say that whoever went in never came back. I stood in the empty hallway, the air heavy with dust and sweat, my heart racing. It's okay; You're going to be okay. I stared up at the cracked, wooden door, its white paint peeling away. The knob was cracked, with a big silver lock attached to it. "Excuse me?"I snapped my head in the direction of the voice. A tall man, I would guess anywhere more than 6 feet tall, stood behind me. His eyes printed the word danger, and he wore a...

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$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

179

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 28, 2022 EST

Won by Allie Erickson 🏆

Title: A Man's Man

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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