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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

“Not Tyler...” by MaKenzie Meeker

Submitted to Contest #17

The house was loud. Kids were running around with plastic cups filled with apple cider in hand while the adults are drinking eggnog and talking to one another all around the kitchen and living room. The weather was crisp and cold outside but the fireplace with the filled stockings above it was keeping us warm, here inside of my cozy home. My husband, Colson is cooking the turkey and mashed potatoes, our son is helping out this christmas by “helping” me make the pumpkin pies. He's only 7 so he's really just making a mess while I tell hi...

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“Thanksgiving Visitor ” by Tuesday Michael

Submitted to Contest #17

Norma Jean sat in her large comfy chair next to the fire. Her apartment was silent aside from the crackle of the burning logs and her kitten, Wilma. It's been years since Norma Jean had any visitors, let alone family members, which is why she considers Wilma to be her family now."Well.. tomorrow is Thanksgiving, Wilma. You suppose we should start the turkey?" Norma Jean asked herself more than the kitten as she shuffled to the kitchen. Norma Jean, being 73 years old doesn't really need a whole turkey, but she makes one anyways in hopes her g...

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“Better left untold ” by Bubele Retshe

Submitted to Contest #17

Scott Thebe sat at the head of the small dinner table surrounded by the people he loved, his family. Thanks to his wife, Lisa, who was sitting on his right, family dinners had become something of a family norm. Lisa, a petite, shorth-haired beauty he’d met in college, needed no excuse to celebrate even the smallest of occasions, be it achievements, holidays or anniversaries. Almost a month ago, there were two family dinners, one to celebrate their son's first year academic results, and the other, a week later, to celebrate his birthday. Scot...

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“The Dinner Guest” by Cody Wright

Submitted to Contest #17

The candlelight danced against the floral wallpaper of the living room as the five members of the Patterson family moved to their chairs, each carrying a platter of food. “Careful with that stuffing,” Robert Patterson said to his only daughter Alice. “We don’t want you to tip over the candle again like last year!” He smiled as he gently teased her. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?” She replied to him smiling. She turned towards her younger brother Mark as she set down the stuffing. “Can you pass me the cranberries?” Mark glanc...

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“George’s Wish” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #17

Every night we children get on our knees beside our bunk beds and pray for the same thing: a family. My name is George. I am currently living at another Foster Home, it’s almost Thanksgiving, and this will be my first Thanksgiving at this Home. I’m turning fourteen, going into Eighth Grade, and this is my sixteenth home in Virginia. However, there are thirteen other children in this home and they’re probably all praying for the same thing I am. Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I’ve been to Th...

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“The Perfect Christmas” by Barbara Eustace

Submitted to Contest #17

Julia woke up on Christmas day feeling better than she had in a long time. She opened her eyes. Her room, normally sad and grey during the winter months, was cheerfully bright. She needed the bathroom, and wondered if she’d get there in time, or if it would be a matter of getting one of the carers to clean her up afterwards. She still found that embarrassing, even though the carers were used to it, even though it was the norm in here. Push yourself up, a voice inside her said. She rolled onto her side to see if she could push herself to ...

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“The Hope You Gave” by Sion Lee

Submitted to Contest #17

The clock dings with a soft bird chirp when the hour hand points to twelve. I didn’t know time passed this quickly as I sit with my band members chatting and eating sushi. After successfully finishing the performance in the California Stadium, we were all drenched in sweat. So we crashed Von's house to disappear from the public and have our private time together on the last day of December. I'm proud to say that I'm a musician. Our band, The Cadre, hit massive views on YouTube and was able to join the World Billboard Chart. Even though we ca...

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“JABAALI JANARDHAN AND JATROPHA” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #17

Pinky was boarding the flight. She was flying for the first time. She was going abroad for her higher studies. It was a dream come true, made possible for her, by Aunty Chandni. “My God! What a great woman”! She thought. A lady kicked and tossed by her destiny and yet stood up firmly and magnificently! All those who rebuked her, now looked at her awestruck, that too with dignity and respect. She had rightly commented ‘if a person is successful, his /her past blemishes are simply wiped out. So, don’t bother about mockery or rebukes.’There at ...

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“us, here—home” by Katherine L

Submitted to Contest #17

Joe stands in front of the door. He has a bottle of wine clutched in his right hand and a bag held in another. Despite its large size, there isn’t anything in the bag other than his wallet and cell phone. He’s nervous—he hasn’t seen these men in three years. He hears a bout of laughter erupt inside and loud exclamations of joy—he wonders if they’ve ever thought of him. Missed him.They were once his best friends, house mates, brothers. Struggling in college to make a good living, Joe wasn’t even clear on a major. He was pretty sure ...

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“A Turkey I Never Ate” by Frank Delgado

Submitted to Contest #17

A Turkey I Never Ate. By Frank DelgadoEveryone has a Kodak moment that is locked in time; like a Thanksgiving where you can still see loved ones dress up, and a turkey at the center surrounded by stuffing and gravy on a long table, long after it happened. A time that you can still hear the sounds of sweet words and waves of laughter that flow like fountains among the family of long ago. Our family had a different experience.The year was 1961, and we were celebrating our Thanksgiving dinner at my Uncle Pete's n...

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“The Dent ” by April Osteen

Submitted to Contest #17

February 12, 1692 “Sláinte,” the group of men shouted in reply to the MacDonald Clan Chief, as they raised their mugs in the air toward him. Chief MacDonald, his wife, two sons, daughter-in-law and Captain Robert Campbell sat at the front of the large dining hall, their family dinner table positioned horizontally to the numerous vertical rows of tables, benches peppered with redcoats and tartan. It had been over ten days since Captain Campbell and his troops had arrived in Glencoe and billeted among the MacDonald homes. The me...

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“Thanksgiving on the Frontier” by Lily Lavender

Submitted to Contest #17

It’s the year 1864, I’m 18 years old. Like other cowhands I lead a labor-intensive life in the Washington territory. I get little sleep especially at roundup time or on a trail drive. I’ll rise before the sun, and have a quick breakfast of whatever is available. If I’m lucky I get bacon. I’ll then saddle up for 14- 18 hour day in the saddle. Being a girl I have to work twice as hard to prove myself to the men. The men are often retired lawmen, or outlaws, bandits and they don’t always get along, so fights among them are a regular occurrence....

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“Dinner at the Watermans” by Erica Penfold

Submitted to Contest #17

The glasses clattered on the tray I was trying to balance. My jittery steps threatened the lives of ten vessels, each one veering to the left and right like drunken stowaways. These glasses, kept prisoner, were determined to fall off and escape. Like any good sea voyage story, someone had to throw themselves overboard.I had just managed to prevent accidental dining death by involuntary tray suicide when Michael burst into the room. I heard a tiny mew escape my lips as I watched ten drunken sailors fall to their parquet death.“Oh god, sorry…I...

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“Their First Winter” by Katelyn Sherwood

Submitted to Contest #17

“Thomas, come here and add this log to the fire.” His speech was cut off with a big resounding cough.“But father, I’m cold and tired.” I squeaked out. I was always cold, but I knew that if I stood up, the tiny spot of warmth that came from curling up next to my sleeping mother would be gone. My legs shook at just the thought of crawling off the mattress and making my way across our tiny house my father build a few weeks earlier. He looked at me from his position of the other side of my mother and gave me a strange smile that looked...

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“Night of a blue moon ” by Emmanuel Adanegbe

Submitted to Contest #17

Freedom is a great gift, one many so often treats as dung. Freedom always comes at a great price, something we sometimes truly realize when it has been taken from us. Life has a way of bringing us into tight corners and sometimes that causes us to do some things we never thought we could do. Some in my stead would blame their father's or someone else for getting here or for making the decisions I made in life. I was like that once, but after some years I've dropped that mindset. Mostly because my son didn't turn out as I did and also many ot...

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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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