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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#14: The Plot Thickens

This week, we launched a very fun* tool at Reedsy: our brand-new Plot Generator!

Turning to writing prompts is a great idea when you need that extra bit of help coming up with ideas to write about. This plot generator is here to do the same, offering more than 1 million** story combinations to inspire you.

You can choose to generate a fantasy, drama, mystery, romance, or sci-fi plot — or, just hit "random" and you'll get a little bit of everything! Plot ideas include characters, a theme, a setting, and even a plot twist... with just one click of the finger!

Each of this week's prompts is a plot element pulled right from our generator. You can feel free to incorporate as many of the elements in your story as you want — whether it's one or all five!

*Almost too much fun, if that's possible.
**Actually, trillions!

This week's prompts

It's about a photographer, who is a rookie.

Character – 34 stories

It's a literary fiction story about growing up.

Novel – 39 stories

It kicks off on a yacht with the delivery of an important letter.

Short Story – 35 stories

Someone in the story has a lot of hard lessons to learn.

Sad – 35 stories

And there's a twist! It actually all took place in the past.

High School – 32 stories

Stories

“Escape to San Diego” by Corey Hansen

Submitted to Contest #14

Benicia is a small community east of San Francisco that sits on The Carquinez Strait. It is actually closer to Oakland but that doesn’t sound near as romantic. I grew up near the water watching the boats head through the straights towards the ocean. Even though we were on the water, fishing wasn’t an industry like other places closer to the ocean, but boating was, and I spent as much time by the marina as daylight, and my mother allowed. Daydreaming had become a full-time occupation-plotting my escape to find my father. ...

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“The Blue Rose ” by Matthew Racanello

Submitted to Contest #14

George was awash in a glow of light from the blazing sun at its zenith above the marble white yacht that was docked and awaiting to push off to course. Midday was a time of merriment for George Cluster who would go off into the sea for hours of drinking, smoking, and playing cards. However, as George boarded his, Rochelle, he was stopped by her captain, gingerly holding a sealed envelope as if it were a piece of nuclear waste. George, wearing his Illusionist Style sunglasses to...

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“Getting Out” by Jamie Clark

Submitted to Contest #14

“I- I don’t know if I can do this.” His eyes flashed quickly out to the sea around them for a moment before looking back at the envelope he was holding, crumpled from his iron grip. He seemed to consider throwing it out to the sea so only the monsters of the deep would know what secrets it held. “What would you do if I refused? What then?” His words may have gotten braver, but that was the only thing that had. His eyes were watery and his hands trembled. It was an odd look on someone as muscular as him; he was rarely afraid of anything, but ...

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“The SeaSnake” by John Elkin

Submitted to Contest #14

Some men have stepped an extra stair above the rest of us. Separated from the orbit paths we share to create orbits of their own with sattelites surrounding them. They have ceased becoming men and inhabited a more ethereal existence. In essense they become an idea, a force. He calls himself destiny. I am indebted to him.**I called my ship SeaSnake. It is named after an ancient man who an old folk tale is told of. Now his name wasnt always SeaSnake. His real name has been shedded from him and forgotten because it had lost all meaning.My ship ...

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“Dark wedding” by Joan Opoyi

Submitted to Contest #14

It kicks off on a yacht with the delivery of an important letter. It was the big day where there was smiles on people's faces, the day long waited was right here under our nose. The wedding day of Dorothy with her fiancee Phillip had arrived like early parcel of Christmas. Dorothy sat on the chair in the room when the hair stylist was busy doing some magic on her hair when suddenly there was a knock at the door. "that might be my dad, "Dorothy said*philomena who is Dorothy's best friend opened the door, but, at her surprise there was no on...

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“One Way Ticket ” by Alicia Barton

Submitted to Contest #14

As I got into my fancy yacht, my heart was pounding hard in my chest. I recently received a letter from Mr. Bennison. Mr. Bennison asked me to deliver this letter to a woman named Tabitha Wiggins, a woman living on the other side of town near the river. Weird thing is, however, Mr. Bennison had fear in his voice as he told me. He didn’t tell me why he had fear, all he said was to deliver this letter fast. Now that I’m in my boat, I have fear myself. Questions run through my mind as I drive along the water. Does Tabitha know Mr. Benniso...

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“The Yacht” by Skyla Christensen

Submitted to Contest #14

The Yacht The sound of the waves crashing annoyingly woke her from her perfect dream for the upteenth time. Of all the wonderful things about living on a yacht, she hated the sound of waves crashing, because that meant she was docked. She would rather be out on the open ocean, away from the people, the city, the bloodshed, wifi. There was nothing like the silence of the open ocean. She didn't know she loved not being able to see land in any direction for miles until she took her baby out for the first time. The euphoria she felt with the win...

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““G”” by Marissa Flinn

Submitted to Contest #14

The ice in my glass clinks together, serving as the only sound I can hear for miles - besides the wind. I can smell the salty ocean air, and almost wish, for a second, that I was back in Miami with...well, I promised myself I wouldn’t think of him. It’s too late for that, though, really. Knocking me out of my midday daze is the loud slam of the cabin door behind me. Turning, I breath a sigh of relief. James, my right-hand man - and if you want to use technical terms, my “butler.””Ms. Thompson, the yacht will stop in about a half hour at Redo...

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“Mine” by Cassie Rivers

Submitted to Contest #14

Staring through the viewfinder my eyes are greeted with swirls of pink and purple. I booked this sunset cruise just three days before with the hopes of being able to dabble in my newfound hobby, photography. Having no experience in editing or taking pictures with anything other than my iPhone, I figured the cotton candy skies settling in over the Boston skyline would serve as the perfect subject. Surely, the natural beauty would be easy for any rookie to capture. Even with my camera pointed to the sky, I could not focus. The hypnotic sound o...

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“𝕾𝖊𝖆 𝖓𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖘” by Meg Underwood

Submitted to Contest #14

Sea notes By Meg Underwood Happy birthday! That's what the giant banner read. His name wasn't on it of course. He didn't want to much attention to himself. “Prince Vasiliάs!” He turned at his title and name. He sighed and put on a fake smile. “Joshua!” Vasiliάs slapped his said friend on the back. He had met him the day before his travels. Josh had been begging for money on the street. Vasiliάs felt sorrow for the man and ended up giving him food and clothing him. “ I have something for you.” Joshua’s voice was deep as he handed Vasiliάs the...

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“Time to Repent” by Veronica Maiorano

Submitted to Contest #14

It was just an average summer day for me and my fellow companions. That was until our host got a very important letter. We were in the middle of the sea, it was a lovely afternoon sail and everyone was talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves. That all came to an abrupt end when a helicopter started to fly downward toward our yacht. The noise was so loud we could barely hear ourselves think. We wonder who could be arriving to the party so late? The helicopter lands on the deck, a man walks out with the letter in his hand, and he walk...

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“A Thanksgiving to remember” by Sam Donavon

Submitted to Contest #14

He pulled off the road and into the gas station. There were some good ol’ boys sitting around the picnic table. He asked for directions. The good ol’ boys decided to have a little fun … at the stranger’s expense of course.They told him the place he wanted was down that road yonder a piece, turn right at the church, ya can’t miss it, and go a little piece, it was on the right.He thanked them and started for his car.“That’s five dollars,” the good ol’ boy said.“Really.” he said.“Yup, five dollars.”He reached in his pocket and took out some coi...

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“THE PENNY” by Theresia Riggs

Submitted to Contest #14

THE PENNYIt was market day in Orville and all the farmers and peasants made their way to town - riding in their wooden wagons, or walking. Some of them led a cow or a calf at the end of a rope - with their wives walking behind the animal, prodding it along with a stick to hasten its pace. The women carried baskets on their arm’s filled with chicken eggs, and fresh vegetables. They walked with a shorter and quicker step than the men, their stiff, lean figures wrapped in shawls pinned over their chest. Every now and then they passed a grand ca...

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“Alienated ” by Enyonam Agbemadzo

Submitted to Contest #14

I remember getting off the plane and realizing I wasn’t in Ghana. I was somewhere else. Somewhere incredibly foreign to me. My father had lied to us and told us we were moving from our quaint town of Albany, Georgia, to Ghana. But instead we had arrived to a country not full of black faces, but full of brown faces. A sea of female faces covered in black from head to toe, and men with curly hair and dark features. I thought to myself, this couldn’t possibly be worse than the small southern town we’d come from that was still very much segregat...

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“Ava Learns the Hard Way” by Elisient Vernon

Submitted to Contest #14

The Bee Is Not BadAva sat on the step and looked at the world. The world was her backyard. There was so much to see. A traveling wind touched each rose in her mother’s garden and came to land on her face. Itfelt good.She had to share her good feeling with someone. “I’ll pick a flower for my mother,” she said.Ava jumped over the side of the step. She landed softly on the grass and wiggled her toes. The long blades of green grass tickled her bare feet. As she stooped to pick the flower, she saw a flash ofgold. Thinking it was a butterfly, Ava ...

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$50

Prize money

175

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 08, 2019 EST

Won by Raven T 🏆

Title: On Becoming Marcus

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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