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!

#151: Back to the Reboot

This past week we’ve been inspired by Lightyear, Top Gun: Maverick, and all the prequels, sequels, and reboots hitting our screens lately. For many of us, reboots inspire a sense of nostalgia, or déjà vu. But how do you interpret them? Do you welcome new creatives and their reimaginings of the past, or do you crave something fresh in its own right?

Of course, repetition can be creepy — and it can even become boring — but it can also open the doorway to improvement and growth. However you feel about the ever-rebirthing media cycle surrounding us, we hope you’ll find inspiration in these week’s prompts:

This week's prompts

Write about a character who wakes up in their past life, or as a future reincarnation of themself.

Fantasy – 54 stories

Write about somebody breaking a cycle.

Narrative – 42 stories

Write about a character who keeps ending up in the same place.

Sad – 40 stories

Repeat the same line of dialogue, from the same character, three separate times.

Middle School – 58 stories

Write about a character who’s expected to follow in someone’s footsteps.

Kids – 38 stories

Stories

“The Key” by T Frances

Submitted to Contest #151

Logan grabbed his key from the pocket of his black dress pants and slowly unlocked the door. It clicked open, and he pushed the door ajar inch by inch, wincing at the creaking sound it emitted every few seconds. He tiptoed inside and closed the door with even slower movements. His efforts at subtlety were futile, however, as his girlfriend Meghan woke up every time he came home late. Logan started to think that she was really up waiting for him to come home, and just pretended to be asleep when he got there for dramatic effect. The bedroom l...

Read story

“Stepping into my father’s shoes” by Ju Pru

Submitted to Contest #151

Blue marble encouraged me as I carefully lumbered down our showcase spiral stairway with my father’s heavy Father’s Day gift. I puckishly performed a quick jig and hopped over lucky stair 13, where the ugliest of the bronze gargoyles wickedly grinned from his frozen stance upon the banister.The beautiful blue marble stairway had been my refuge, my hideout, my playground as I grew into adulthood. Often, the staircase had appeared in countless architectural, fashion and home decor magazines. It’s where my mother was photographed, married and f...

Read story

“Tom” by Hen Neralany

Submitted to Contest #151

Ten-year-old Thomas Edwards, whom we will call Tom, remains very still in his seat, trying to keep attention away from him as much as possible. Perhaps, even make his existence in the room smaller than the object recently laid in the centre of the sitting room. He doesn’t know why he was called here nor does he know the woman standing in front of the fireplace. “It’s-it’s. . it’s a gift! To repay the k-kindness you’ve shown my husband. . .” stammers feebly by the lanky woman to Tom’s parents. Tom anticipatingly looks across from him in ...

Read story

“Steps on the Mountain” by J.D. Volpe

Submitted to Contest #151

The great stone slab shifted into the earth with a heavy drum, fitting into the grooves as though it had always rested there, nestled against the mountain. Dried clay churned out from beneath it, small rocks scraped its underside. It groaned, stilled, and settled. The man released his grip, wiped his palms, peered down at the long gray stone. Beads of sweat shimmered across his dark forehead, sinews bulged from his forearms, breath filled his lungs, escaped, and caught the breeze. “One more step,” his voice resounded--deep, sonorous, ...

Read story

“Yasha’s Train” by Jimmy Burke

Submitted to Contest #151

It was the worst piece of news I had ever received during my whole highschool career. “Congratulations. You have hereby been accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.” It’s weird though. Don’t most kids get happy whenever they are accepted somewhere? I think I know the reason. It’s because my dad went there. He always wanted me to go there and do everything he did. It’s been like this since day one. But I looked upon that letter with a feeling of foreboding and dread. My dad wanted me to ...

Read story

“Home Again” by Paul M

Submitted to Contest #151

Coming to from nitrous is almost as good as going under. Going under is better because you end up, well, under. Coming to felt the same for a minute, but then you were back. In real life. Alex Dean had looked forward to feeling that blissful relief ever since Doc Holcombe told him he needed a root canal. He hadn’t gotten high in years, hadn’t even had a drink since his 3...

Read story

“The Body Is Nothing But Someone Else to Overcome” by E Moss

Submitted to Contest #151

Kurtz Loggia didn't know how to initially respond during the odd, finicky lull burnt over so many nights without having markedly a single disturbance to his phelgmatic existence within a smallish fifthteen-by-eighteen foot apartment condominium where he stayed whenever he wasn't outgoing with reprehensible attempts at summoning an artistically meaningful living by nosing his way into the illicit care of homely village spinsters who were once talentless socialites like himself, but nowaday were complacent in soliciting the company of surly do...

Read story

“Never Forget” by Kevin Alphatooni

Submitted to Contest #151

Live Action Role Playing, known to some as LARPing, is a misunderstood sport. Some of this has to do with the fact that it’s played by those who look like they’ve been pulled right out of a fantasy book but it can also quickly become a lifelong passion. Each year, groups from all over the East Coast travel to the heart of the North Carolina to partake in the midsummer LARPing tournament where hundreds of teams compete in a 30 acre arena to claim the title of Champion. Usually, only the bravest win, bu...

Read story

“A Knight To Remember” by Mark Nero

Submitted to Contest #151

Birds chirping… Did I leave the sleep soundtrack on all night again? The sound of the wind blowing through the trees… While half asleep, I tried to recall which of my sleep app soundtracks was based on forest sounds. I knew one was by a babbling brook and another had the sound of cicadas but just as I heard the wind again… I felt it. It was cold, humid and it immediately chilled me to the bone, so I pulled up my blanket and rather than grabbing a handful of Egyptian cotton, I felt… course linen? Hemp? It was at that moment that I be...

Read story

“Darkening Sky’s ” by Mike Cunningham

Submitted to Contest #151

Darkening Sky’sBy: Michael CunninghamThe sounds of light classical music fill the air as the smell of freshly cooked fish, and steak, emulate from the five-star kitchen at a small high-class restaurant on the upper west side of Manhattan. Beautifully hand painted Italian artwork; strategically hangs upon the old brick walls; displaying themselves in dramatic fashion. Eliminating all feelings of clutter, or claustrophobia. It's almost home. 1800 gothic candelabras stand lit, red candle flickering, in the center of each, of the fifteen round t...

Read story

“School’s Out” by Susanne Perry

Submitted to Contest #151

Finally, the day had arrived. After forty years of bored students, irrational parents, inept administrators and clueless coworkers, it was my last day in this godforsaken classroom. When I became a teacher all those years ago, it wasn’t to have the summers off as some idiot will say, thinking they’re so clever. Yeah, haha. In truth, my motivation was a love of history. I became a history teacher because history was all I wanted to talk about, all I wanted to read about. I needed a job after college and I wanted to be involved with somethin...

Read story

“Better Luck Next Time” by Rama Shaar

Submitted to Contest #151

I didn't sign up for this!I mean, I knew it was part of the job, but I kind of overlooked the painful parts in my excitement over the beautiful parts. Sometimes, you turn a blind eye to the pitfalls when you want something so bad. But no job is perfect.I watched Marilyn as she lay in her hospital bed, all drowsy and delirious. The morphine was doing its magic, slipping her into a golden realm. She dove into a day on the beach, where she ran on snowy, soft sand chasing the setting sun. She must've been five or six. She squealed as her father...

Read story

“With Us, Always” by Kris Hawkins

Submitted to Contest #151

“What do you think, monks? Which is greater, the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, or the water in the four great oceans?” - Timsa SuttaA gong rang. Bodies slid against saffron fabric as the monks lining the perimeter of the meditation room began to rise. They straightened cushions and folded blankets before turning to face the center of the room with squared shoulders. Yeshua was seated at the end of the row in the furthest corner from the door. He inhaled, taking i...

Read story

“Right of Passage” by Arwen Boston

Submitted to Contest #151

*Warning. This story contains mention of violent/harmful actions and murder. Words like SA is used sparcely in this fiction, but reader discretion is heavily advised. **** My youngest boy, It is with great pleasure that I finally present you with this letter. In three months time, you will partake in our greatest family tradition that not only marks your greatest step into adulthood and manhood, but it is with hope to rid your mind of any thoughts of destructive impurities that may have plagued you at some point o...

Read story

“Horrors of the Wal Mart Zombie Clearance Aisle” by Matthew Eubanks

Submitted to Contest #151

For years I had the suspicion that Wal-Mart shoppers were not human. On the horrible day I discovered the truth, it was because I needed Tide desperately. Tide is only sold at Wal-Mart in Southeastern Alabama. I was willing to bear the unbearable. Little did I know where this one small change would lead me. For the record, I am loyal to Costco. Stepping over discarded cans and trash and climbing over a dirty...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

232

Contest entries

108

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 24, 2022 EST

Won by Kelsey H 🏆

Title: The Lake

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 ⭢