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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.

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

“DINNER WITH BTS” by Favour Julius

Submitted to Contest #17

DINNER WITH BTS It was on a Monday evening, the sky shone brightly as the sun went down. The breeze was so cool and the neighbourhood was silent. My family of three, my father, mother, and I sat at dinner, it was a pleasant meal consisting of chicken biryani, apple juice, tandoori chicken, lamb kebab, spiced veggie burgers, dal, roti and palak paneer. It was my final meal with my parents before moving to London to study law. My father spoke to me afterwards, he advised me to always believe in myself and commanded me no...

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“CRYING OVER SPILT WATER” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #17

So I’m here. At the Donovan family dinner table. Which is set beautifully, of course, in that cosy, casual way that takes far longer to do than formal and fancy. Oh, I was tempted to develop a case of “strategic flu” but I know that the sod’s law that dictates my life would have dictated I instantly went down with a massive case of the real thing even though there isn’t currently a flu bug doing the rounds. I still can’t quite get used to this name business. Not that I have any objections on principle, and they were ...

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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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“The thankstaking dinner.” by Len Mooring

Submitted to Contest #17

“Lep, you made it! Snowhite, here, said you were miffed with us; you showed her the finger. I said, a leprechaun miffed, even if it was you, Slanky, a leprechaun just doesn’t get its nose out of joint for long, they get even. Have you gotten even, Slanky?“Take no notice of Snowhite, Santa, she has so much dosh with the workaholic dwarfs bringing in diamonds and gold every day, she fabricates problems instead. She and the dwarfs did such a good demolition of the wicked queen, any real opponents are too scared to say boo to her.”“Good to hear,...

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“Family values ” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #17

We had barely been at Aunt Beth’s house when my mom came into the living room and told my father that we were leaving. I heard the doorbell ring but thought nothing of it after all family would be coming in and out all day long normally it wasn’t a big deal but whoever walked into the house my mom took an instant dislike to.I heard her saying “If he is in this house I am not going to be” I never heard her use that tone before I was actually waiting to hear her cuss whoever it was in the dining room. I knew this family had massive secre...

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“Come Back To You” by Renée Chatelain

Submitted to Contest #17

June 28, 1914. My seventeenth birthday. My first kiss. My first lover. I really didn’t know why things like war had to happen. I didn’t understand why someone had to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand and plunge the entire world into war. I remember the exact moment I heard the news. Damien, my eldest brother, came rushing into the family room. “Did you hear the news?” Everyone looked up. Mother turned pale. “England declared war on Germany today,” he said. “Soon they’ll be calling for volunt...

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“The Day I Became Family” by Alaina Logan

Submitted to Contest #17

“Hi, Mom!” Jenny shouted, tossing her bag in an empty chair. “Put your backpack away and get dressed in something nice,” I called from the kitchen. Jenny came in, her usual jeans-and-T-shirt-with-a-sweatshirt-tied-around-the-waist outfit on. “Why?” she asked. “Because I said so, and we are going to have supper at your dad’s parent’s place tonight. Your cousins Tina and Andrew will be there,” I replied, sipping my not-so-hot coffee. “In jeans and T-shirts, I bet,” Jenny snorted, wiping a juicy green apple against her shirt. “Now Jenny, their...

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“A Thanksgiving to Remember” by Annony Mous

Submitted to Contest #17

It was Thanksgiving day, but it didn't feel like it. Thanksgiving had always been a day of joy and happiness. Today just felt like any other day since we received the news three months ago. But holidays made it even harder. My brother, Zachary, had been killed in the war. The great, terrible war that was ravaging across our country. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if Zachary hadn't left. I hadn't even paid attention to the war until Zachary told us he enlisted. Now that he was gone, I saw the war everywhere I looked.Thanksgiving had al...

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“The Duke's Wedding Feast” by Emilie Conroy

Submitted to Contest #17

Tarian of Wales forced herself to think about the great feast that would follow her wedding to Alexandre, the Duke of Guyenne. She had little interest in the match, and had not been able to eat for many days. The promise of indulgence in the traditional celebrations almost improved her mood. Today she would become a Duchess and lose herself as long as life endured. Only her brother Drew represented her birth family. Duke Alexandre had commissioned a special gown for Tarian to wear o...

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“Guess What I Did Today!” by Christine Hungerford

Submitted to Contest #17

“Hey Dad—guess what I did today!” BlueJay the little Raptor practically cawed his story out to his father, Master Raptor, and anyone else who was listening at the gargantuan supper meal. “So I was going to climb this huge volcano, and the rocks threw up all over the place and crash-l...

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“The Law and the In-Law” by Chiara Torrisi

Submitted to Contest #17

“So, this is the ring he gave you. I don’t like it.”“Dad, please. And don't talk so loud, he'll come back in a minute. He can listen!"“Come on. Maybe he can listen, but he can’t understand. This is not his language.”“But dad, of course he understands! He speaks like us. He is one of us, now.”“Ah-a.”His father-in-law's sarcastic expression explained what he thought about the "one of us" part. He could see him and his newly-married wife in the lunchroom: he stopped just before entering when he understood they spoke about him. He wanted t...

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“Lady C’s Unexpected Visit” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #17

When our grown children, grandchildren, and spouses assemble at our house for Thanksgiving, it’s a large party unto itself. We sometimes have one of several of my wife’s close friends join us if they’ve nothing to do. This year two of our neighbor ladies were coming. Thanksgiving day was here. “Great, everybody, I got plenty of digital shots with the camera remote, now let’s all go inside and enjoy a true Jones family feast.” It was chilly but fair with overcast skies near noon in Alabama. Perfect photo lighting. I finished up the full fami...

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“BURIED PAST” by Ashika B

Submitted to Contest #17

The dining table is brown in colour. It is made of solid wood. There are five solid chairs. The table is full of dishes like roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie and bottle of red wine. &nbsp...

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“My Big Fat Jewish Passover” by Heidi Slowinski

Submitted to Contest #17

David reaches across the center console and pats my leg.“Don't worry,” he says with a reassuring smile. “Everything is going to be fine.” I return his smile but I’m incredibly nervous. David and I have been married for about six months now. “Really, you have nothing to worry about. They're going to love you.”“Okay,” I respond abruptly. We had a really small wedding, just our parents and a handful of close friends. But unlike me, David has a huge extended family, most of whom I have never met.I'm also nervous because this is our first Passove...

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“I used to live here” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #17

I Used to Live Here It was a thanksgiving dinner that began like many others this family had experienced in years gone by. Grandpa was gruff but smiled when his grandchildren did not notice that he was looking at them. Grandma took prime responsibility for preparing the turkey that according to pre-arrangement one of their two sons bought and brought there a week before thanksgiving. Both sons lived in the city, but each one really enjoyed going back out to the country on his own, bringing the turkey, to visit with his parents and ...

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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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