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!

#149: Of Stranger Things

After its much-awaited release last week, the fourth season of Stranger Things has taken the world by storm. First aired in 2016, this television show stars a group of D&D-loving kids and unlikely heroes in a topsy-turvy world. Its creators took inspiration from many classic thrillers, and the show has in turn been influencing writers to write Stranger Things books.

Whether you’ve been swept up by this sensational show or not, I hope my Stranger Things-inspired prompts can propel you into a story of your own this week:

This week's prompts

Write about a character who is trying to convince others to play a game.

Kids – 20 stories

Start your story with the flickering of a light.

Kids – 98 stories

Write about two people who form a bond with each other through music.

Middle School – 46 stories

Set your story in a town that’s teetering on the edge of something dark, literally or metaphorically.

Dystopian – 50 stories

Write a story about an unlikely group (or pair) of friends.

Middle School – 43 stories

Stories

“A Single Light” by T.M. Kehoe

Submitted to Contest #149

A single light flickered in the darkness. Earlier, around 2:00am, he had lit a candle on the shoreline, a symbol of remembrance for his father. Then he climbed into his rowboat, pulling his way smoothly out into Puget Sound. He rowed until he was exhausted, then laid back in his boat, looking up. The night sky was smothered in dark woolen clouds, without a star piercing its inky blackness.He lit a joint and thought about his father, and about death. He always knew, in a vague, abstract way, that his father would die one day. He was selfish e...

Read story

“Shormist” by Monica Hawkins

Submitted to Contest #149

I looked in the mirror, brushing light pink eyeshadow over my eyelids. A bristle from the brush poked my eye. I blinked several times, trying to get the powdery dust out. My eye stung badly. I turned on the faucet and splashed some fresh cold water in my eye. I wiped my eye with a towel, but a cold mist washed over me, making me feel cold and forgotten for a few long seconds. I shook off the feeling and blinked some more, but all of a sudden the light above me flickered. I stopped blinking and closed my eye to look up. The light ...

Read story

“Active Shooter” by Donna X

Submitted to Contest #149

I can still recall the flashing blue siren on top of the Sheriff’s Ford sedan that flickered one last time after the Active Shooter blew it out with his 9-millimeter.Now, I must tell you my story. Before an autopsy does it for me. I’ve been speeding down the Highway of Fear for my whole life. As a little girl, I feared the monster under my bed. Today I fear the monster that breeds in my head. I fear flying. I fear dying. I fear drowning. I fear bridges, balconies, parking garages, pools, bees, basements, and of course, the madness ...

Read story

“Elvis on the radio” by Jessamie R.

Submitted to Contest #149

Lillian sat in the floral print armchair, its edges tattered from the sharpened claws of Lucy. Her fingers worked nimbly despite the arthritis that clung possessively to her swollen joints. She knitted, listening to the baritone voice of Elvis, her needles clacking in rhythm with the music.A light flickered in the hallway, and Lillian looked up with a content smile. “Hello Peter.” She breathed, “I’ve been waiting for you.” The only response was the sound of charged electricity, the mewling of Lucy and Elvis on the radio.The wall sconce flick...

Read story

“A Flicker of Light That Changes My World” by Etya Krichmar

Submitted to Contest #149

A flicker of light that changed my world The neurosurgeon walked inside the office, where my friend and I anxiously awaited. Tall and handsome, he looked like a gentle giant. His thick red mane illuminated the room. He shook our hands and introduced himself as Dr. R. Taking a few steps towards the wall with a screen projector, he flipped the switch and turned my world upside down with a flicker of the light. On November 21, 2007, Dr. R. intently studied the brightly lit images of the MRI of my brain. I observed and wondered why it took h...

Read story

“Broken Lamps and Missing Fathers” by Victoria Hillis

Submitted to Contest #149

If Dahlia Rutledge has ever been one thing, it is practical. She knows this to be true. After all, isn’t that what it said on the kindergarten graduation certificate her teachers gave her? Most practical. “And rightfully bestowed,” her mother had said.Dahlia is not one to believe in something where sense cannot be found. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny can all attest to this. Though her mother tried, Dahlia would not be convinced. “The world is too big for one man to fly to every house in one night.” Hands on her hips and ...

Read story

“The Flicker of Freedom” by Ebony Brinson

Submitted to Contest #149

(This story contains sensitive content such as sexual violence, gore, abuse, and physical violence readers discretion is advised.)Lost, frightened, and captured, held in this damp, dark, gloomy hole. Nothing to eat but whatever the guards drop down this hole. The constant flicker of the dim light makes it hard to sleep or even think most nights. I was trapped like an animal, surrounded by filth, not knowing if I'll live or die or see the radiant blue skies or when the sky is dark and full of tears, ready to cleanse the Earth of its misery, h...

Read story

“Meow” by Samantha Cullen

Submitted to Contest #149

The porch light flickered as your car pulled up, pulling me from a timeless doze. I’d lost count of the years I’d been alone, but when the click of your door echoed around the cul-de-sac and your leg snaked out the door, I knew you were the one I’d been waiting for. There had been others, sure. I hadn’t been entirely alone, but they always seemed to pass through, gone as quick as they arrived, leaving only the ghostly echoes of their lives. A frayed sweater in the wardrobe. A...

Read story

“The Shrouded Widow” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #149

The Shrouded Widow lit one last candle in her office when she heard a knock. Her black shroud covering every last inch of her face and form. “Who is it, Albert?” She asked softly, turning - the breeze from her shroud causing the candle to flicker. “A petitioner, my lady. A young man who wishes to join the syndicate.” She walked to the tall wooden door and opened it, revealing her old and trusted manservant and a young man in clothes just as old, bearing an eyepatch. He bowed with a flourish of his tall hat. “My lady,” he said. “My na...

Read story

“Dead Even” by Liby Nel

Submitted to Contest #149

Nights like these woke the demons – when the stars blinked coldly in the lonely expanse of the sky and the sea heaved and sighed like a wounded beast. Matt poured a double from the side-table on the veranda and took a swig. The flickering lights of the town across the bay reminded him of the lights of long ago: neon lights winking down the coast; fire light from their beach barbeque tangled in her hair; the light gleaming in Derek’s eyes as he put his arm around her shoulders, his mocking gaze daring anyone to challenge his right of posse...

Read story

“Uncle Jack's Attic” by SJ Winkler

Submitted to Contest #149

The light in Uncle Jack’s attic never stops flickering. It sways on its dusty cord in the rafters, buzzing like the horseflies trapped in his barn. Dust invades my nose. I know it wants me to sneeze, stumble, and retreat. No one is allowed up here, but I have to look. My shoulders grow heavier. The air itself wants to push me away, but I need to know if the rumors are true. The stairs are loudest of all. If I listen too close to their creaking, I can hear threats of collapse in their groans. Even the stair rail tries to snag my skin ...

Read story

“Nightmare of Reality” by Katie Bengtson

Submitted to Contest #149

The hanging incandescent bulb above him flickered. Once again, he awoke - his neck stiff from his head hanging heavy on his breast. His wrists chafed behind him, and he tasted blood in his dry mouth. His stomach ached, and his hands shook with hunger. As if the creature could sense him stirring, the stench of the Ballakk filled Tolun’s nostrils. He heard the slithering gimped gait of his captor coming towards him, and his body trembled with a mixture of hatred and terror. “Gooood morrrrnnning,” a thick, deep voice rumbl...

Read story

“Mixed” by Cora Irelan

Submitted to Contest #149

Tawney wiped at the sweat beginning to bead on her forehead with an equally moist arm and snatched another plastic cup from the counter. It was muggy--the kind of day that could break out in sunshine or storm, depending on the overall mood--and she was grateful for the tent that, at the very least, kept her fair skin from burning to a crisp. She pulled the handle of the tap, carefully tilting the cup to avoid excessive foam, then slid the beer across the bar to a young blonde woman. The woman giggled and thanked her before flipping her long,...

Read story

“Just Keep Dancing” by Luke Melvin

Submitted to Contest #149

Don’t drink on an empty stomach. That’s what they all say. But no one ever told me not to drink on an empty head: when the brain feels like a black cavity and you’re left curled up in bed, steeped in neglect and pitiful esteem. A drink will make me feel better, some think. It’ll cheer me up! Then they have that drink, and another, and another, and while they might feel elevated for the first few swigs, the beer becomes bottled bitterness, the spirits mixed melancholy, and they end up in a pit far deeper than when they had started. I was one ...

Read story

“Meaty Claws” by R W Mack

Submitted to Contest #149

It wasn’t like a wall at all. The dark wave spewed across beaches, asphalt and sidewalks like swarms of hungry crimson ants. “Red tide” people said. Something about algae and the smell of rot. The rot was right at least. I’d seen it coming from the city street as I stared at the horizon between brick buildings. The shoreline snuck up fast, carrying our detritus through corridors of shops, offices, restaurants and alleyways. Thick water running by cars, trying to drag them away as far as it could. Some tires sprayed in defiance, punctured by...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

256

Contest entries

123

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 10, 2022 EST

Won by Katy B 🏆

Title: How to Win a Game of Chess Without Really Trying

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 ⭢