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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#17: All the Fixin's

Next weekend is Thanksgiving in the United States! And while people have their own various traditions when it comes to marking the holiday, one thing remains fairly consistent: you get together with loved ones and you eat.

And in between mouthfuls, you talk! In fact, dinner conversation can be an excellent and overflowing source of writing inspiration — from family dynamics and long-observed dinner-time rituals, to new-comer partners meeting the family for the first time. A family dinner can truly be mapped out using a story structure: with a beginning, followed by rising action, peaking with a climax, and then wrapping up with a denouement.

This week, each of our prompts challenges you to write a short story involving a family dinner.

P.S – Know some kiddos who will be excited to do some reading over the holidays? Check out this list of the 35 best Thanksgiving books to read with kids.

🥇 Winner

“No Place Special” by Ian Gonzales

🏆 Winner of Contest #17

“Hey, Fish, what’s happening with those beans?” My head comes up at the sound of that voice, with its distinctive East London accent. “Underway, sir,” I reply, returning my attention to the task of mixing green beans with a can of something labeled cream of mushroom soup. Around me, laughter breaks out at my response. I can feel my ears burn; I’ve been on this ship a little over four months, long enough to discover that habits formed during four years’ service aboard military vessels are a source of endless amusement. I sneak a peek across t...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Dead Dads Club” by Najwa Zandlo

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

There are so many clubs to join in high school. There’s the Math Club, for the significantly nerdier kids that will probably develop anxiety issues later in life. The Bible Club, for the Christians and boys who want to hook up with virgins. The Theatre Club, for the teenagers who steal cigarettes from their parents and claim to be “misunderstood.” There’s a club for every cliché, for every kid with a need to fit in. Some of them are sponsored by the school, and some of them are made-up by the members...

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“Black Sheep” by Jay Graywall

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

I sit on a barstool at the kitchen island, swinging my feet and staring off into space while the influx of family milled around me, chatter rising and falling in volume, punctuated here and there by laughter. I can smell the turkey cooking, and the pecan pie sits on an oven mitt in front of me, covered by tinfoil. Even though I don’t like either of those foods, I’m not a heathen. I can still appreciate the smells. After all, for as long as I can remember, those have been the smells of family Thanksgivings, just like the loud murmur of voices...

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“Beta Casseopeiae” by Natasha Arnold

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

Kept within the bounds of time and space, Ezra could not escape the impending doom of Shabbat Dinner. His hands clenched tightly to Tziviah’s arm, his gentle, hazel eyes gazing towards the family home. His sandals scuffled across the field, his wife leading him towards his worst nightmare. “Zussya and Mordechai have been keeping Abba busy,” muttered Tziviah, opening the front gates, “After the wedding, Mordechai hasn’t stopped looking for a wife. But it’s Levi that Abba should worry about… He’s nearly twenty-two!” A gentle wind b...

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“Dear Pa’ and meat mash Turkey” by Lea -

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

Dear Pa’, Rations are running low during these colder wetter months, monsoon season they call it. More like hell season, if the cold didn’t get ya’ then the trench foot did. Watched my boy Elli’s foot swell up something fierce and pop like a water balloon. His screams brought us under fire that night. He didn’t last til morning. We couldn’t bury him, but I managed to say a little prayer, hopefully God heard me. Captain Hargreaves managed to get us up and out of the wetter parts of the jungle, but the cover was worse and we spent a week hopin...

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“Strong Enough” by Itxy Lopez

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

I could hear the wind howl outside, warning us to stay inside. I stood by the window with a cup of hot coffee clenched in my hands and watched the six leaves of the lone tree beside our home barely hold on to its branches. I was sure that not only one but all of the leaves would be forced to let go, but the wind died, and the leaves settled down to rest against the skinny branch of the still-growing tree. I hummed in surprise. “Are you sure you want to go to Julian’s dinner?” Lluvia said from behind me. “After last time, Julian and Dian...

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“Table for Six” by A.w. Karambelas

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

In this household, Popiah is a Thanksgiving tradition. It’s our version of a turkey, you could say, but it means much more to Dan and Lina and Bee-Bee who haven’t seen their motherland for at least a decade. I’ve never prepared this dish myself. But today, Dan and Lina are off to run a last-minute errand, so here I am stuck with the prep work. My clumsy grip softens as I rub the delicate hide between my fat fingers. “Now. Lay here,” Bee-Bee instructs, leaning over my shoulder and indicating the floral porcelain before me. The paper is thin a...

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“The Bell” by Stevie Hugo

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

It was time to go down, but I didn't. I had a lot to do to get ready. My hair wasn't combed. My shoes weren't on, neither was my tie or vest. I could hear Mother downstairs, ringing the little silver bell. The same one she always used when it was dinnertime. Whether the whole family was here or if it was just me and Father. I could hear my cousins, Aunts, and Uncles pass by my room. I had so much to do to get ready. Eventually Father knocked on my door. "Emlen." "Yeah?""Did you hear the bell?""Yeah.""Well?""I'm com...

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This week's prompts

Write a story about a family dinner from the perspective of an in-law who's married into the family.

Thanksgiving – 33 stories

Write a story about a family dinner that includes someone unexpected showing up.

Thanksgiving – 80 stories

Write a story about a "chosen family" dinner, where no one is related by blood, but they still feel like family.

Holiday – 40 stories

Write a story about a family dinner that takes place in any time period other than the present.

Historical Fiction – 30 stories

Write a story about a family dinner that involves some kind of reconciliation.

Nonfiction – 30 stories

Stories

“No Place Special” by Ian Gonzales

🏆 Winner of Contest #17

“Hey, Fish, what’s happening with those beans?” My head comes up at the sound of that voice, with its distinctive East London accent. “Underway, sir,” I reply, returning my attention to the task of mixing green beans with a can of something labeled cream of mushroom soup. Around me, laughter breaks out at my response. I can feel my ears burn; I’ve been on this ship a little over four months, long enough to discover that habits formed during four years’ service aboard military vessels are a source of endless amusement. I sneak a peek across t...

Read story

“A life changing reunion” by Cam Croz

Submitted to Contest #17

The long awaited day had arrived. The day that everyone knew about, but not everyone completely cared for. Today was the day to feast. The day to rencounter people long lost. And the day to bring back the old problems as well as the new. Today was the day for Thanks. And the day for giving. --- “Mother. I don't want to go this year.” Little Annie whimpered from the back seat of the family car. “What was that dear?” Came a shout from up front. “Nothing.” Annie called back. Nothing at all. See, the thing was that ...

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“Moments” by Yoomi Ari

Submitted to Contest #17

They say we live in the moment, that the past is always gone, and each day is something new, a stepping stone into a future we dream of even in the cold. For James, that is snow, that is those wintry days of bluster and ice. He sees the Earth of yesterday covered as white as any new page and the toddler inside of him rises as if armed with a rainbow of crayons, eager to set that right.Yet today, James is happy to simply walk in it, create a few footprints of his own . He watches them tumble, those feathered crystals, their chaotic flight to ...

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“Past, Present Whatever!” by Yoomi Ari

Submitted to Contest #17

The Future is amazing right! To be honest it really isn’t. I don’t want to know what happens even a second before The World; its bonkers. I don’t want to know if we’re going to have World War 3. Or even if I am going to die: though that’d be funny, looking at my dead corpse when I’m actually alive, but I could prevent it...but then i’d need... Okay calm down! Tough crowd tonight. Back to the script...People have thought to have come from the future and go to the future: WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? I’d literally scream that at my iPad. For all we ...

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“First Family Dinner” by Leya Newi

Submitted to Contest #17

I looked around nervously. People of all ages were talking and laughing, and I had no idea where I fit in, since I was the ‘in-law.’ Although I had met most of them before, it was pretty overwhelming being in one room with all of Catie’s family. I counted twelve, though I could be wrong. Catie nudged me. “Chilax! Everyone’s cool.” she said, smiling reassuringly. I took a deep breath. Catie was right, I was fine. No one would laugh. Still, I hung out towards the back of the room, trying to avoid attention. I glanced around. I wasn’t the...

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“The Dead Dads Club” by Najwa Zandlo

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

There are so many clubs to join in high school. There’s the Math Club, for the significantly nerdier kids that will probably develop anxiety issues later in life. The Bible Club, for the Christians and boys who want to hook up with virgins. The Theatre Club, for the teenagers who steal cigarettes from their parents and claim to be “misunderstood.” There’s a club for every cliché, for every kid with a need to fit in. Some of them are sponsored by the school, and some of them are made-up by the members...

Read story

“64 Barrels” by Viktor Rain

Submitted to Contest #17

The AC hummed, its monotonous buzz barely audible over the sirens in the distance. Even if six fans spun from each corner of the room, it was still hot.It was always hot.Weather Control wanted them out of there. Flushed. Hunted, then dead.An intricate knitting of tubes and cables hummed of static above his head. Strands of light brown hair thrashed, attracted by the ceiling. He grunted in frustration, and moved his chair to the left, its legs scratching the floor.I have to fix that, he thought, staring at a blue jolt of electricity, car...

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“The Vacant Chair” by Kate Strong

Submitted to Contest #17

It was a frosty night when two weary soldiers stopped in the middle of a narrow, rutted lane leading deep into the Pennsylvania woods. The night was still, the bitter wind having died down and the tree branches frozen into stillness by the ice that hung from their limbs. Just beyond a little wicket gate stood a small brown house nestled in the rural county. Past thinly-curtained windows glowed the golden home light that both instantly moved towards without a word to one another. It had been a hard year; no words were necessary to communicate...

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“The Dinner Guest” by Whitney Trang

Submitted to Contest #17

“Giana! Your mother needs her assistant chef!” Zeke knocked on his teenage daughter’s door. It opened, revealing a girl with brown eyes, a dark shade of chestnut brown hair, and a sprinkling of cute freckles around her nose. Her nose was just like her Aunt Illeana’s. “Give me five minutes.” Giana told her father. “I’m on the phone with Yori.” “Fine. Five minutes!” Giana closed the door and Zeke went back into the kitchen. “Is she coming out of her room?” Freya looked up from mashing the potatoes. “Sh...

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“My Toy Soldier” by Bree Kokiri

Submitted to Contest #17

“Leonard PLEASE I am begging you, play with your gadgets later and GET READY!” My wife, Roberta, is always fussing at me when I’m in my “tech zone”. But I guess I can’t blame her this time. It’s our first holiday as an “extended family” and I know she’s eager to make a good impression. Our Tommy won’t care, and that bride of his, Leah, is an absolute sweetheart….it’s meeting her parents that’s got Bertie in a tizzy. Our first encounter only included her mother, Ramona, at the wedding ceremony. A reserved and stern woman, I was left with the ...

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“Five souls” by Marte Van Der Linden

Submitted to Contest #17

Old Henry Mortimer was extraordinarily wealthy and universally loathed, two traits which had served him well his entire life. He enjoyed fast cars, fine wines and a good argument.His relatives never asked him for money. Not after what had happened Aunt Gertrude. She hadn’t asked for much, oh no, just a few hundred, to fix that dreadful leaky roof, and he wouldn’t be so cruel to his own flesh and blood, would he? The roof had come crashing down the next month and Aunt Gertrude had ended up in a gloomy boarding house overlooking the railway, w...

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“Dystopian Thanksgiving” by Terri Ash

Submitted to Contest #17

“My name is Daya Cromwell, and welcome to Thanksgiving 3024! As families are no longer a social construct, you will proceed to the nearest ‘Thanksgiving house’ and the people inside are your family for today!” Daya’s preppy voice sounded from the T.V. I sighed. I hated Thanksgiving! What was the point of it, anyways? It was supposed to ‘keep up morale’ but everyone I knew hated it. “If you don’t know what to do, simply turn on the T.V. at 2000 hours and follow along with our actors! Thank you for listening, and have a lo...

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“The Shadow of a Father” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #17

“He’s my son!” I exclaimed to my too noisy and too opinionated personal assistant, Shelly. “You’re not related to him! He has a father already!” I felt a tear threatened to fall. “So what! I love him like a son! His father is never around anyway!” I curled up in a ball on the sofa. “So why can’t he be my sooonnnnnn!” Now monologuing, I added. “I was always alone as a child, you know?” “You’re breaking into hysterics.” “My parents were never around for me. I was all alone. So alone. So very alone.” I whispered. “Alone.” “This conversation is ...

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“Black Sheep” by Jay Graywall

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #17

I sit on a barstool at the kitchen island, swinging my feet and staring off into space while the influx of family milled around me, chatter rising and falling in volume, punctuated here and there by laughter. I can smell the turkey cooking, and the pecan pie sits on an oven mitt in front of me, covered by tinfoil. Even though I don’t like either of those foods, I’m not a heathen. I can still appreciate the smells. After all, for as long as I can remember, those have been the smells of family Thanksgivings, just like the loud murmur of voices...

Read story

“The Witches' Thanksgiving” by Bobby Gupta

Submitted to Contest #17

“Well, well, well. Look who the cat dragged in?” Cynthia, the oldest witch, licked her fingers after she bit into her drumstick. She picked at her tangled gray hair. “What do you know, there’s my wand." “This is quite unexpected.” Samantha, the prettiest of the three witches, let go of her floating fork. She straightened her black skirt and turned to look at the cat. “Smells human and very fleshly,” sniffed Martha, the mature one, who rose up and pulled the front door wide open for the cat. Tom, the family black cat, lugged th...

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$50

Prize money

213

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 29, 2019 EST

Won by Ian Gonzales 🏆

Title: No Place Special

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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