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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

“Glass” by Morey Guntz

Submitted to Contest #14

"Hello?" Heavy boots pound on the deck, and the yacht sways on the waves. I hurry up the stairs. "Is anyone here?""Coming," I yell as I throw open the door that lead to my living quarters. A tall, thin boy turns when he sees me. He glances down at the clipboard in his hands."Is this your boat?" I nod, wondering what he's getting at. "Then you're Lydia Thatcher?" I nod again. "W-well, Miss Thatcher, a letter for Gemini Glass got to the post office about three days ago, and we sent it up to her aunt, but she sent it back here, saying Miss Glas...

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“A Misperceived Moment” by Daniel Eanes

Submitted to Contest #14

This is a joke, Kyle thought to himself. It has to be. That’s all there is to it! As Kyle stood in the middle of the long stretch of cracked-ground desert, he shook his head in defeat as he watched the sun continue to set in the west – the sun just beginning to kiss the horizon. “Simple assignment, my ass,” he muttered to no one in particular.It had seemed like a simple enough assignment for him to get his feet wet with as a rookie photographer for the local paper he had just started with – find and photograph an example ...

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“of things unknown (and longed for still)” by Katherine L

Submitted to Contest #14

"What is dancing, Lilith?" A microphone was held against the child's lips, blameless and naive and unknowing of the world's secrets. The girl hesitated."Dancing is... happiness.""What do you want to be when you grow up?" the lady asked, bright red lipstick looking daunting, showcasing bared white teeth. Lilith itched in her chair. But back then, tight dresses felt better."A choreographer," she declared after a moment, beaming - it's what they all expected, after all. Lilith Welsh, child prodigy. Acclaimed dancer.Now, self-deemed future chore...

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“Dead Lens” by Viktor C

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #14

He crept forward, feeling the sinuous body of grass brush against his arm. Above the dark heavens, a gibbous moon hung, serving as the only grim guide into this forsaken place. Rightfully, the absence of light would have inhibited his camera any ability to capture images. Any photographer could point that out to him. Even his eyes had trouble navigating the path that lay ahead, despite the fact that his pupils had been fully dilated. Shutter speed. Aperture. Rules of the third. Those words echoed in his mind, remnants of a lecture so lo...

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“Capture the moment” by Shannen Quiros

Submitted to Contest #14

”Shannen, you always take pictures of your food!” I turn to look at my sister, “D, food is ART. You just don’t get it.” My little sister rolls her eyes and playfully laughs. I’m the type of woman that fills up with joy when I see beautiful food. I want to take pictures of the food in order to show it off. What runs through my mind when I position the camera towards a plate of food: ”I could post it on Instagram or Facebook hmmm...” I do post these pictures for the likes and to find other people who appreciate amateur photography. It bothers...

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“My best friend ” by Joan Opoyi

Submitted to Contest #14

It all started when my parents were all the time unto each others neck, fighting and querelling. I would admit that by that time I was a little girl, but, seeing the fight between them always got into my head. Their fights led them to live separate lives, my eyes wrinkled in sadness because my family had broken into two. love I had for them brought me into confusion, "they should just cut me into two. Being the only girl said Miss Randy, I was always pampered that there was this thing of let the best man win. No matter my parents being...

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“The Loa Gate” by Emilie Conroy

Submitted to Contest #14

“Where am I?” Theda reached out to her left and pressed her palm flat against a smooth surface. Cold, yes, but dark too. This whole place was dank and dark. Humidity hung in the air like a thunderstorm waiting to break. “New Orleans.” “You’ve told me nothing She stared into the shadows and saw the shining white of clean bone. There was a skull, and there was more. Theda could see a plum velvet suit that formed something like the skull’s torso and legs. A top hat did not hide the comp...

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“To Kill a Childhood” by Sarah Harris

Submitted to Contest #14

Jessica twirled, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her light blue dress swirled around her knees. The fitted bodice was held by straps of thin, braided darker velvet. Her brown hair was loose around her thin face. If she angled her head just right, her curls masked the acne that spread across her cheek. Her shy smile was coated in cherry lipgloss. She felt…almost pretty.Her first year of high school was also her first at boarding school, Duke Waltham’s Preparatory Academy. She had left home with a childlike faith that everything wou...

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“Crimson Instinct” by Liz Bennet

Submitted to Contest #14

It was a sunny afternoon in the south of Italy. Delilah Frey had just had her lunch, a plate of lasagna, her late husband’s favorite. She stood in the cabin of his yacht, staring out at the great blue Mediterranean sea. She thought of how much he loved this boat and how he had designed it himself, taking care of the simple details that made the yacht into the beauty it was today. He drew sketches of the white modern interior making sure it was as clean cut as could be. She clutched the locket in her necklace that contained his image, closing...

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“Magnolias in May” by Nicole Plaia

Submitted to Contest #14

I licked the stars and the moon from the sky like pancakes, the syrup oozing from my pores. I ripped my voice from the jagged wind. I promised I wouldn’t let go, but I did. There were too many ghosts crowding my mind, breathing against my windowpanes leaving snow angels without their wings. There were always crowds, always people walking away into murky shadows. I feel the open wounds of my angels, they tell me to smell the flowers and then blow out the candles. I am stuck between the light and dark, the back and forth making me na...

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“Baby Blue” by Amy LIu

Submitted to Contest #14

Baby Blue Saved by the bell, thought most of the students at High Park Elementary School at 3:15pm every day. Not Robbie though. Never Robbie. He had five minutes to spare before the two goons would jump him for not paying his daily “Air Tax”. It wasn’t his fault that his mother failed to give him money today. She had packed him a lunch for the first time since fourth grade. Maybe she was suspicious of why he came home ravenous every day, ready to eat a horse. Robbie adjusted his thin rectangular frames and kept his head down as he sli...

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“A Bit Shaken Up” by Taylor Moore

Submitted to Contest #14

"I mean, they aren’t terrible,” Sam helpfully supplies.Sighing, I brush my bangs from my eyes and lean deep into my seat, away from the computer. “They are all tilted or blurry, and you didn’t even look at them. You don’t need to make me feel better, I know what quality is.Biting his lip, Sam looks up from his textbook, “C’mon Glynn, they can’t all be bad,” he leans over my shoulder, “See, this one’s pretty clear.”“Yeah, a clear shot of my thumb. Just admit it, this is as hopeless as I said it would be. I just can’t hold the camera stea...

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“Homecoming” by Travis Eller

Submitted to Contest #14

Tommy hadn’t been home in years, returning now only for Mom’s funeral. He slowed as he approached the door. He took the key out of his pocket, put it in the keyhole, took a deep breath, and turned the latch. “I’m home. Can I have a hot dog before chores and homework?” Tommy called out to the empty house. He turned on the lights and opened the fridge. It was bare. “I guess not.” Tommy closed the fridge and headed through the living room. He paused to take it in. Same tired furniture. Same worn carpet. A spot on the wall bearing witness to an ...

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“Her First Murder” by Riley Jones

Submitted to Contest #14

It’s her first murder. It is supremely important that she gets this right. Fiddling with the camera’s ISO has never left her so conflicted; a detail so seemingly trivial amid a situation so evidently dire.“Photographer!” a detective yells from around the corner.Despite it being her literal job, a brief flash of irritation rises up within her at each moment she is summoned by a detective. Every time someone places an evidence marker, she gets to hear any number of variations of the same snippy demand. Six weeks on the job, 27 cases cover...

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“Remembering the Halloween” by Ella Franson

Submitted to Contest #14

Eva and Mara ran past a couple of skeletons, and zombies. “Guys! Keep up!” Michel, Eva’s brother yelled. The night of Halloween they had made plans to go to the Haunted House and see who could stay until two in the morning. It wasn’t dressed up in any decorations, but the windows had been plastered shut. Michel stopped in the driveway of the house. Mara and Eva slowed as they neared Michel, breathing heavy. “Mic, slow down!” Michel gave them a sly look. “You’re right, you guys are gonna need your breath when you need to run out of the ...

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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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