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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

“An Unexpected Encounter” by Lyne Jradi

Submitted to Contest #17

I couldn’t help but look outside the window as the snow fell heavily from Ohios sky. They said this winter was one of the toughest to ever come and that it’ll rain at least for two continuous weeks in a row. Today was New Years Eve,and it’s been like a tradition for me to spend it every year with my parents since I’ve been homeschooled all my life so I haven’t built up this bundle of friendships. The only two people I’ve actually hung out with are Carly and James. They’re my neighbors from around the block and it’s funny because they’re actu...

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“Home for Thanksgiving” by Emmalee Everett

Submitted to Contest #17

Taylor looked out onto the all too familiar street. He hadn't been down here in years, but he was finally here. He walked along the sidewalk with a stiff step that he had grown accustomed to these past few years. His ironed and pressed uniformed pant legs rubbed up against each other, making a sound that fell deaf to his ears as he kept walking. The duffle bag in his hand did nothing to slow him down as he walked forward with a purpose in his stride. His mother's house was only a few feet away. Inside, his mom would be ru...

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“Cold Turkey Dinner” by Michelle Cook

Submitted to Contest #17

Henry’s graduation photo still hangs in the living room. That was two years ago—back when we didn’t know what was coming. His sits on the left, mine on the right of Mom and Dad’s brick fireplace.In the pictures, we’re all stiff shirts and smiles, dark hair peeping from mortarboards.“Carrie.” Mom’s voice is as soft as ever, but underneath its blanket is the Henry-shaped hole that’s always there now.“Mom.”We hug, her lilac-sweatered arms squeezing me with illogical strength. Mom is angular and slight like Henry. I take after Dad: robust and ru...

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“A Little Fuzzy” by Jazz Huff

Submitted to Contest #17

It is so nice for Janice to get everybody come to her place for my birthday dinner. I like her new house. I know they all have better places to be and I have been a burden on my children for some years now. Getting old, needing rides to the doctor, weighing heavy on everybody’s bank accounts with my medical bills. So, I savor the rare times we’re all together. You’re not supposed to have favorites and I try not to. Sweet Janice has always went out of her way for her dear old mama, however. It’s too apparent for me not to notice. Frieda ...

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“The Untold Secret” by Kierra Renard

Submitted to Contest #17

"Honey, when is your friend supposed to be coming? It's 7 o'clock and we're almost finished setting the table!""He's running late, but he'll be here as soon as he can!!"The mother laid her newborn down and walked into the dining room. Setting the baby monitor on the counter nearby, she then sat across from her husband as her eldest son walked in the room."He said we can start before him.""Well good cuz I was going to start anyway," the father said, irritated."Jesus, honey, couldn't you be a little bit more polite? This is the first time our ...

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“Guest of Honor” by Craig S

Submitted to Contest #17

The Withers’ farm was located twelve miles outside the one horse town of Spurlock. It was once a bustling and immaculate farm. The corn was planted in long straight lines, and the fence for the pasture was strong and new. The farmhouse was once freshly painted, and the fruit trees just off the back porch were tended with care. The barn was bright red and there wasn’t a single leak in the roof. All of this had once been true about the Withers’ farm. None of it was true any longer. &nb...

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“Thanksgiving blessing” by Kristin DeLong

Submitted to Contest #17

I told my brother not to do it. But he never listens to me. He might now. He had finally escaped the horrible marriage that he had been living in for twenty years and was eager to date. "I found someone on Plenty of Fish, and she seems really great!" I remember him mentioning to me. I thought it was too soon and it was my opinion after online dating myself, that P.O.F. was where all of the crazies hang out. I actually had a guy ask me if I had any sexually transmitted diseases during a coffee meetup that before that question had been monopol...

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“Be Thankful ” by Michelle Hewett

Submitted to Contest #17

The smell of cooking wafted through the house, the log fire was casting a warmth around the lounge, a bottle of red wine sat on the sideboard uncorked and airing. I closed the front door behind me shutting out the cold snowy air. I removed my coat and boots and hung them on the hook besides the front door. I called out to my mom as I entered the lounge, she appeared from the kitchen apron tied around her waste, a glass...

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“Why Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat” by Anni Zimmerman

Submitted to Contest #17

Jack was the kind of man who believed a week's worth of hard labor should be rewarded with a substantial Saturday supper. So when he entered his wife's kitchen that night and saw the table covered with his favorite dishes, he felt a great comfort, even though his back ached and his feet hurt. "Mighty fine," he said, sniffing appreciatively. His wife, Bertha, set the roast into its place of honor in the center of the table. Jack could've been referring to her or to the food, but in either case she took it as a compliment. "Oh, Jack," she gigg...

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“The Dinner Guest” by Jason Burchfield

Submitted to Contest #17

I sat there for at least ten good minutes and none of them realized it. How can you not see a stranger sitting at your dining room table? I guess they were too busy. Mom was finishing up dinner; the two kids were in the living room with their noses stuck to their smart phones. And dad, well dad by the looks he kept giving was looking at inappropriate pictures on his phone hoping mom didn’t walk behind him and get a glimpse. It wasn’t until she brought out the glazed ham and went to sit it in front of me that I was fi...

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“A Bright Surprise” by Alyssa Shields

Submitted to Contest #17

Darkness was expected, but today was one of extra gloom. The sky was dark grey, almost purple, like the bruise on my leg from bumping into the coffee table last night. I could feel it under the pressure of my skin-tight jeans as the thought crossed my mind. In the past, my legs were regularly decorated with bruises from playing outside, but now they were a rare appearance.The grass beneath the dusty sky was basically nonexistent nowadays – not from a lack of rain, there was plenty of that, but from the absence of light. We hadn’t seen anythi...

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“Family-Not-Family” by A. K. Snyder

Submitted to Contest #17

The casserole dishes are half-empty. The gravy has grown cold. We polish off the seconds and thirds, more slowly now, taking our time. We are not ready for this meal to end. This dining room is too small for six adults, plus a highchair. But we’ve squeezed ourselves in, folding chairs bumping against the wall, my leg uncomfortably positioned to avoid the table. Minor inconveniences that fade in comparison to the great comfort of being here, at this table, with these people. “What are you thankful for?” Count on Aunt Rosa to ask this every ye...

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“Team 7” by Guinneviere Montkahaus

Submitted to Contest #17

Naruto didn't know what to do. He was at a loss this time. The war was raging on, battles being fought, but right now there was nothing but silence. Naruto knew that he should be thankful for the silence, should be thankful for the brief peace of the moment and then Sasuke was in front of him, smiling."It's over dobe, we can go home now." He said, and Naruto fell to his knees, tears pouring from his eyes. Sasule kneeled down and pulled Naruto into a hug, and a weight joined them that Naruto knew was Kakashi and then Sakur...

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“With love great comes great responsibility” by Victoria Heitzmann

Submitted to Contest #17

“Alright, so that concludes our meeting. The company will restrict its finances on marketing to 300 million dollars for the time being. We haven’t addressed the amount of money that should be allocated to research and development though, and although we can all agree that it has to be substantial enough to get us out of this crisis, we will need to set up another meeting to discuss this. Perfumes don’t make themselves, people, and perfume bottles even less so! So I suggest we all come together this Friday evening, starting at three. I think ...

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“Thank You For The Pain” by Flor S

Submitted to Contest #17

Dear whoever's reading this: I know this looks long and boring, but please bear with me, because here is my life story and it is most definitely the last time I write about this, since time has come for letting go and for saying goodbye to everything I used to know.Thanksgiving. I was never really familiar with that word, considering that people from my hometown don't celebrate it. It almost seemed kinda dumb, to be honest. I mean, a day that is strictly reserved to demonstrate how thankful you are for the things you have? Aren't we all taug...

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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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