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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#16: Once Upon a Time

Earlier this week, we published a blog post about modern fairy tales, and it got us thinking about the fact that no genre of literature is without its own set of tropes — and that certain literary tropes we still see commonly today are rooted centuries back.

This week's prompts are all elements pulled from fairy tales — both modern and old. You can feel free to play them straight: in other words, using the trope traditionally. Or you can feel free to twist the trope on its head. That's the great thing about tropes: they might provide you with a foundation that's already well-worn, but the opportunities to make it your own are endless.

This week's prompts

Write a story around the theme: Be careful what you wish for.

Novel – 79 stories

Write a story that involves love at first sight.

Romance – 87 stories

Write a rags-to-riches story.

Novel – 20 stories

Write a story in which characters are warned not to go into the woods.

Mystery – 98 stories

Write a story about a character on a quest, trying to "prove themselves."

Adventure – 30 stories

Stories

“Teenage Love” by Sheryl Saldivar

Submitted to Contest #16

I was fifteen years old when I first met him. My older sister had a friend whose younger brother had just arrived in town and was going out and applying for jobs and needed a haircut. Now this was in the '70's long before the internet and and you apply online for jobs, back then you went in to a business and asked for an application and filled it out there on site and you may or may not get an interview there and then, but I digress, my sister asked my dad if he could cut his hair for him, my dad was pretty good with the scissors, and he agr...

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“Never Alone” by Joseph McGrory

Submitted to Contest #16

Do you believe in love at first sight? A corny pickup line or a deep searing question? Most people don’t know if the really do believe. They take a long, hard look at their partner and whisper a ‘yes’ dripping with honey. Do they really believe themselves though? Was it really first sight? I always had an answer though, an answer I really believed in.YesI remember the day, the hour, the minute. I recall every detail of the surroundings and how he looked. The smell of the cinnamon in the air which was full of dust mites spinning in the beam o...

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“Under a Rose Moon” by Jake Tillett

Submitted to Contest #16

Once in a Rose Moon the universe aligns and allows a pair of beings to connect on a cosmic level. People often call this phenomenon “LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT,” but this statement is so over-used that everyone from king to consort thinks they’ve experienced it. That is simply not true. A “rose” moon, as the folks of Briarton know, is not the moon celebrated yearly with the garish celebrations of the outside world. Though, these royal festivities are quite enjoyable they simply cannot capture the true meaning of the Rose Moon’s love. This love is o...

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“The Beggar's Night” by Maddie H

Submitted to Contest #16

Two men sat at a small, wooden table in the local pub after a long day begging. The duo, while they did not know each other's names, were becoming a fairly profitable team together begging in the town’s square. The first, Raymond, was going over the day’s events and town gossip with the second man. That specific night, the town was alight with the recent news of the local Lord’s son’s engagement to a court nobleman’s daughter. “Who gives a damn?” The man threw out drunkenly, “It’s just those haughty bastards spending more of our money on the...

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“Whispers In the Woods” by Kennedi Hubbard

Submitted to Contest #16

"Valka! Get back 'ere tis instant!" The young girl of about twelve turned towards her mother, her bright red hair in twin braids whipping around her shoulders. "Mother, what is really in there?" The girl pointed to the thick forest border that was behind their home. "Never you mind that, get back inside tis instant!" Valkas shoulders slumped as she turned her back to the forest and headed towards the brightly lit doorway. "You know better than to wander off where you know not." Her mother scolded and waved a finger at her. "Tha woods are ver...

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“The Pie Gone Missing” by E Rose

Submitted to Contest #16

Lana was baking a pie. She was very excited because it was her very most favorite flavor, cherry. She put it in the oven to bake for the last time and went to change her apron. And when she got back she took it out of the oven but it was very very hot. She left it on the windowsill so it could cool before dinner time. Her family was very much looking forward to eating the pie. When she came back the pie was not on the windowsill. She looked out the window into the deep dark Forest the window was facing and wondered who would take a pie out o...

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“Old Man Whitaker” by Bethany Cramer

Submitted to Contest #16

"Don't go into the forest," Old Man Whitaker told me. "Why not?" I asked. He said darkly, "Legend has it that every person who goes into the forest never returns. But every night at dusk, a loud moaning noise arises from the woods." I rolled my eyes. This was just another one of Old Man Whitaker's tall tales. "The horror," I said sarcastically. He nodded, not picking up on my sarcasm. "They say that the voices belong to those who are stuck there, trapped there forever in the forest. And if you were to go inside, you would join them." "Yeah, ...

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“Alan into the Woods” by Kan Jittapramoulboon

Submitted to Contest #16

Alan Smith lived with his parents in a small village by the Dark Woods. His parents always left early after breakfast for work and came back late evening. Every time before they left, his Mum would always warn him the same thing. ‘Remember, Alan, bread and jam for your lunch is in the cupboard. You can play at the yard in front of the house, or play with Peter. But don’t you ever go near the Dark Woods, understood?’ And when he asked why...

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“Sparta and the Wolf” by Niko Alexander

Submitted to Contest #16

It's a tale as old as time itself; Stay away from the woods or you will never return. Both the parents of Rome and Constantine warned them nearly every day of the threat posed by the woods near the edge of town so being obedient boys, they never strayed away from their safe streets and houses. Every day the two boys studied in class, went home, ate with their families then laid their heads to rest. On a day like any other, Sparta had showed up to town. Sparta was an old soldier from the days when the town was not perfect. His face showed the...

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“Sixteenth Birthday” by Isabella Janicki

Submitted to Contest #16

Once upon a time, in a faraway land near a forest, lived a boy called Edwin, and his mother. They had lived there for all their lives, and they had never gone into the forest. When he was a child, Edwin often asked his mother why they never went there. “Surely,” he said, “there are fruits and things to be had?” But his mother said the same thing each time he asked: “It is forbidden.” When he got to be a bit older, Edwin often liked to go play by the edge of the trees. To see what he could see inside the depths of them. He never did see much,...

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“Smithfield Woods” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #16

It was a common sight around town: the four boys riding their bikes together. That was because there wasn’t much else to do in such a small place. Where everybody knows everybody and if you do something wrong it will get back to your mother by dinnertime. The boys mostly rode around to pass the time to move on to the next day, next month, next year. “What do you guys want to do today?” Jamie asked the other boys. All four slowly came to a stop on their bikes. “What is there to do around here?” Tom responded rather irritated. Althou...

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“Adventure Club” by Liz Dolence

Submitted to Contest #16

Simon and Peter were the only kids in their neighborhood. They found each other out of necessity more than actual affection for one another. But what started out as a playdate forced by their moms, did eventually grow into a bond with some measure of fondness. By the time they were 8 years old, they were inseparable. In school, they sat next to each other, until the teacher moved them for talking too much. They walked home from school together, ate after school snack together, did school work together, and played together. When they could ma...

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“The Daughter of the Woods” by Abigail White

Submitted to Contest #16

Once upon a time, a shrouded figure stood in the clearing of the great Woods, with what had seemed like a dress made of leaves, petals and bark billowing around her. Perhaps it was simply a trick of light, but every now and then, towering antlers could be visible on the left of her oak-brown locks, sheltering the collection of delicate petals nested below. Serenity seemed to emanate from her presence, and even the sunlight could not havre resist her allure, its soft glow rested gently on her shoulders. Often, cri...

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“Don't Go” by August Kern

Submitted to Contest #16

“Brendon, it’s not safe.” Hugo warned his boyfriend. “It’s fine, Hugo. I’ve been in there before.” Brendon shrugged off Hugo’s warnings. He was always worried about Brendon. “You’ve been in before? Brendon, you’ll be killed! There’s wolves in there.” Brendon glared at Hugo when he mentioned the Wolves. “I work with wolves on the daily Hugo. I’m not going to die.” Hugo stared at his boyfriend as Brendon grabbed his black bag off the floor by the door and left. As Brendon went through the woods he knew he should’ve listened to Hugo, but not fo...

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“Don't look behind you...” by Thea Doran

Submitted to Contest #16

The town of Hillfar was a quiet and peaceful place. Well, except for the woods they lived by. Or rather what's living in it. You know the name, Slenderman? Well, according to legend he is a tall, pale, faceless man and he kidnaps and kills children. This legend affected the villagers so and the children were warned since birth. But, an unruly boy was born and he was about to find out, if Slendy is real.Lucas was a thirteen-year-old boy. He lived on a farm near the woods and always was found on the outline. He loved the woods, almost as...

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$50

Prize money

314

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 22:59 - Nov 22, 2019 EST

Won by Vivien Leanne Saunders 🏆

Title: The Sackcloth Liar

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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