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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#136: The Old College Try

Though its origins are debated, it looks likely that the phrase “the old college try” was first used in baseball. According to Babe Ruth, to “give something the old college try” is to keep going, even when the odds are stacked against you — like chasing a flyball out into foul territory, just in case you somehow make the impossible catch.

There’s a lot to be said for those who keep trying despite knowing that their chances are slim. This week’s prompts take a closer look at those determined (or perhaps foolhardy) folk among us. After all, as the saying goes, God loves a trier.

This week's prompts

Start or end your story with someone saying “You’ll never know unless you try.”

Dialogue – 57 stories

Write about somebody who knows they’re probably going to fail at something, but does it anyway.

Narrative – 32 stories

Write about a character giving something one last shot.

Narrative – 51 stories

Set your story on a baseball field.

Middle School – 39 stories

Write a story where hard work doesn’t pay off.

Angst – 28 stories

Stories

“My Day as an Actor” by Patricia Reiter

Submitted to Contest #136

Let’s face it, the age of cute little attention-grabbing-selfies missed my fellow quinquagenarians and me. The “fish face pose” is lost on our wrinkles and gray hairs. (Search the instructions if you want to give it a try - yes, “fish face” is a real thing). Frankly, mirrors are not on my VIP list either. By no means am I hideous physically but those reflections jar me back to the reality of my age and stage of life and frankly, I prefer hard-core denial. The best parts of life are largely those fleeting moments when a song comes on in the c...

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“Where Where You?” by Lisa Bloch

Submitted to Contest #136

Where Were You? I had never made a therapist cry before. “Inappropriate” was the word Judith, my therapist, used to describe my father. I sucked on that word as if it were a lifesaver, but not the good cherry kind. This was a yucky green one. I had always known something was not right in our family. I had witnessed the interactions of my friends with their families and relished sleepovers where I could feel like part of another family, even if just for a night. At one sleepover, my friend Laura’s father had yelled at her, but then apol...

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“Hope.” by Evelina Strauss

Submitted to Contest #136

"You'll never know unless you try" is what they told me after I suffered a major injury in the two sports I loved the most. When the doctor told me I tore my ACL, MCL, and my meniscus, my world had began to spiral. I truly thought I was done for, never to play again. The mere idea of never being able to play again threw me into a deep depression. It was my third year wrestling and little did I know it would be my last. The doctors had very little faith I would ever be able to wrestle or play rugby again, two things I loved so deeply. Most pe...

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“Roses in Augsburg” by Catherine Douglas

Submitted to Contest #136

“You’ll never know unless you try.”Sergeant Plundell’s words echoed in Private Liebermann’s head as he looked across the sparsely populated tavern at a young woman gazing down at a book and absentmindedly stirring a cup of tea. She had been coming into the tavern for the last week or so, sitting at the same exact spot and ordering the same exact tea, reading the same book. The only difference was where her bookmark ended up. Her hair was short and the color of coffee. One could say she was rather plain-looking, but Liebermann disagreed.“She’...

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“A Daughter's Work” by LaKeisha Hart

Submitted to Contest #136

*Sensitive Content* Language, Violence, Mental Health The room was stark white and as cold in feeling as it was in temperature. Cass Pierce sat in one of the only three black metal chairs that surrounded a large wood-top, metal framed table. The room was a medium-sized space, but looked smaller, with the large table at its center. The room was windowless, mirror-less, colorless, and gave her the panicked feel of being trapped. Of course, that could also be because of being cuffed, chained, and magically bespelled to the chair and table. S...

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“The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Maybe?” by Michelle Leonard

Submitted to Contest #136

When, they say coming of age one usually means in their teens, like bar mitzvahs, or quinceaneras. Or in their 20's the behaviors and actions of a boy or girl turning into a respectable woman, and man of society. Getting one's apartment, a couple having a baby, getting their dream job, or getting their first house. Paying one's own bills, making one's own way. Nope, not me. Thirty fours years of wandering. Actually, in adult years fifteen years of wandering or to make myself feel better "exploring". A woman of grand dreams, now is a shell fo...

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“Blue” by Ricky Poole

Submitted to Contest #136

“You’ll never know until you try”, the last words Dad told me before he got into the accident. He tried his hardest to get me out of this-this dark abyss my mind had come into. I was consumed by demons, intangible fungi rotting my brain from the inside out, he watched helplessly as he could do nothing. The feeling was rooted in my heart for months and it tore me to shreds, life was losing its meaning and I was sinking into the murky deep. Once he noticed he never left my side, he tried to softly remodel me as a skilled potter would, he took ...

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“Blood-Shed on the MOON!” by Harnehal Singh

Submitted to Contest #136

There it was, the final showdown. I was too scared to shoot my gun. I really felt for the zombie’s families. It was their planet after all. Was there any way we could make friends? The ISS missile was approaching. What should I do? Captain Star was dead. It was the worst expedition ever. I didn’t know what to do. It all started on a sunny morning on the ISS. In the ISS (International Space Station) It was a day meant for relaxation. Today was anniversary day. It was the 55th of the ISS flying over planet Earth. I was on the ship on t...

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“slow burn, overdone” by Cesar Gar

Submitted to Contest #136

"You'll never know unless you try"---he handed me the cigarette and I handily proceeded to light it, the air was cold and I couldn't remember why I'd decided to leave home, or how my night, or this moment, had come to be. She was sheltered by a million hands and not too far from the darkened corner where a burning barrel was our only heat. "Go on", he said, "what are you waiting for"...I looked around and saw white smoke every time I opened my mouth to breathe..."I don't know", I said. There was an icy stare upon her face, but I knew it coul...

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“A beautiful failure” by Ali LOUFOUMA

Submitted to Contest #136

My father once told me : courage is the absence of fear. And ever since then I have always measured my courage and that of my family against those words. The more time passed, the more absurd that quote seemed. Every time I was supposed to be courageous and fear came over me, I would tell myself that I had already lost at the exercise of courage. I would give up and the situation would take over. I thought that human beings who succeeded were superhuman. I still think so, but only since I met Basil something has chan...

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“Journeyman” by Erin Cuellar

Submitted to Contest #136

I am going to be honest; I was a dork in high school. I did all the clubs, all the sports, and had a 3.9 G.P.A. I had a full scholarship to a handful of different colleges and chose to stay at a local school that several of my friends were going to. I quickly learned that my priorities were anything but school, as I was a pre-med major and that required actual studying. I failed out halfway through my first semester. I tried one more time after a pep talk from some friends and pivoted to education. Again, life got in the way with having to p...

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“Petite Marie” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #136

If I could pick one magical power; forget flight or invisibility, I would go for dance… Ballet has this certain, je ne sais quoi. The long hours of isolating and rigorous training, the structure of the ballet world, and last but not least: the identity. I dropped out of the ballet when I was fifteen. Not because I sucked, though I think if that were the case it would have made it easier for me. But that is a story for another time. These days, I absorb ballet through pop culture and the occasional live performance. Now close your...

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“Tommy Nguyen Attends a Chess Tournament” by Martin Sevcik

Submitted to Contest #136

“Name?” “Tommy” “I need a full name.” “Uh… Nguyen.” The clerk lazily penciled his name on her clipboard. She sat below a handmade sign reading “Centennial High Chess Tournament Sign-in.” She had only been there for half an hour, yet she already felt the overwhelming urge to take a smoke break. “Do you have a rating?” “No.” “Did you pre-register?” “I was only told about this today.” “I’ll take that as a no.” She was efficiently filling out the sheet in front of her. “Anyone who didn’t pre-register gets admitted on a first-co...

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“Romantic_56837” by Allya Nosmada

Submitted to Contest #136

Today is the day! You have the reminder on your calendar. The day when you finally get to meet Romantic_56837. You met online, learning about each other’s hopes and dreams, personalities, and you really can’t see yourself spending your life with anyone but Romantic_56837. Yes, it may be too early to think this way, but haven’t all your married friends said that you know when you’ve met the person you are meant to be with?You decided when making this date that you would go all out. It feels like your last good shot at love, so a good first-im...

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“Triggering Tina” by David Hampton

Submitted to Contest #136

The insistent buzzing failed to accomplish its purpose; however, the faint scream ANSWER THE DAMNED DOORBELL from a distant part of the house jettisoned Tina's impressive bulk from the low spot on the couch to the front door. She peeked through a dusty sidelight to discover her friend Martha on the front porch jabbing at a cracked button that no longer emitted light but made up for it in noise. Tina opened the door and Martha pushed through and deposited herself on a faded velour easy chair in the living room. "About time," she griped. As...

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$250

Prize money

207

Contest entries

100

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 11, 2022 EST

Won by Howard Halsall 🏆

Title: Cigarettes: A Romance

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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