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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#171: Wanderlust, Wanderlost

If I can paraphrase In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust once said that “the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” This idea of travel has always been popular in literature: most notably, as a way for authors to explore a character’s internal journey through their encounters with the external world. After all, our interactions with people and places are what shape our perspective on things.


Taking inspiration from the idea of the solo voyage — whether it be a big trip around the world, or simply a leisurely walk around an unfamiliar neighborhood — this week’s prompts invite you to hone in on drifting, wandering, and exploring on your own.

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone looking at a breathtaking view and getting emotional.

Dramatic – 64 stories

Write about two solo travelers who keep bumping into each other in the most unexpected of places.

Romance – 21 stories

Write about a character who is trying to leave something or someone behind — only to realize they carry it with them.

Sad – 72 stories

Write a story where someone decides to take the long way home.

Adventure – 37 stories

Your character is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. The story takes place during a long-haul flight, with an open return-date. What happens?

Adventure – 10 stories

Stories

“The Lost One” by Daniel Fernandes

Submitted to Contest #171

Dear little sis a letter from me to you. 60% of people lie every 10 min yet imma spend mine spitting the truth. Millions upon millions of cells compete to create life. Yet you were chosen, alarming us like a brake light.Possibly an August baby, an arrival as slow as Internet Explorer. Love is prime yet deadly when lost like saying no to a proposal. Premonition of death is sudden to crows. Smolder a plank of dreams screaming NO! Love starts when we don't need it and ends when we do. You were mom's little dolphin. Her singing to an angel in th...

7 comments 7
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“Eulasi v The Multiverse” by Tamarin Butcher

Submitted to Contest #171

Eulasi emerged from the swirling black and purple void, tendrils of pure reality clinging to him stubbornly as he shook himself free of the sticky portal. "Library. Check," he muttered to himself, noting the tall, red brick tower sprouting from the center of campus. "Chapel. Check," he added, turning slightly to view the familiar spire. Now that the geography was out of the way, he turned his focus to the people. He smiled. "Frightened and confused students. Check." Everywhere he turned, students had paused their poorly timed da...

10 comments 10
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“Sea Change” by James Workman

Submitted to Contest #171

On the slow, rock-swaying return voyage Kenji Nozake overheard the two seasoned deckhands of the FV/Shindō casually discuss whether to drown or eviscerate him. Given his bungling over the past week, the young greenhorn, or aonisai, couldn’t blame them. Among the ways to dispose of him, Kenji reflected, pitching him overboard would require the least effort. Hip checked as he squeezed past astern. Cold cocked by a gaffing pole. Lurched to starboard without warning as a rogue wave swept across the slippery deck. A frenzied scrabbling, shriek,...

2 comments 2
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“Senseless” by Nicole Robinson

Submitted to Contest #171

The lights were warm. They didn't flicker. The light above the entrance did dim, however; it dimmed every time the ground shook. I gazed tiredly past it, through the glass door, and into the wet darkness. My hands numbly grabbed another mug, dunked it in the lukewarm soapy water, and scrubbed at the old coffee stains. I rinsed, dried it, set it aside, then reached for another. The lights flickered. That dull, warm glow went dark for a moment, then came back brighter. White light flashed through the room accompanied by a deep rumble, then abr...

1 comment 1
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“He Would Be Late for Dinner” by Abigail F. Taylor

Submitted to Contest #171

Eagle's Nest, old and anemic, leaned above a rich and diverse canopy like a rotten tooth. Plastic KEEP OUT signs crinkled in the shallow summer air. Dan parked his pale blue Mazda beneath the structure's shadow and stared up into the dark windows of the third level deck. He remembered the summer night he and Crystal Novack watched the sun dip low behind the distant escarpments. Her short hair was licked up on one side and crisp from a day swimming in Big Lake and he twirled a thumb around it, like he was preparing to pull the winning part of...

8 comments 8
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“The Mountain” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #171

It’s so beautiful. It’s so very beautiful, and it will never stop being beautiful. Even afterwards. I’ve never been able to capture even a fraction of what lays before me right now. My mind never had the capacity for it, and I think that is just as well. This is one of those times that is all about the moment itself and taking it with me would somehow diminish it. I am not worthy to contain all of this glory, and the point is that you’d have to see it to believe it, and there is belief here. There is more than my eyes see. All of this be...

5 comments 5
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“Hiking of the heart” by Ela Mikh

Submitted to Contest #171

My childhood friend Lina always hiked alone. In rare times, when she mentioned her excursions, it seemed that she’s been on every hike known to man. She was a member of all available clubs and recreational stores and seemed to have a tan on her serious face even in the winter. She would show up on our doorstep unexpectedly, approximately every four-five months. Our kids would greet her with a loud shrill unceremoniously digging into her old backup which always hid new treasures.My daughter is a self-proclaimed tomboy so Lina always respected...

4 comments 4
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“The Grand Reality” by Troy Shu

Submitted to Contest #171

John looked out at the magnificent canyon in front of him. Layers of orange, brown, and purple underlined the indigo sky above. The scene looked almost unreal. The colors of the rocks seemed to change with the light and shadows. “Cliché as it is, it really is grand”, he thought to himself. John had always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. He had been planning this trip for years. Now, he was finally here.  And he had a feeling that he would find what he was looking for. He marveled at the geological greatness in front of him. The rele...

1 comment 1
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“A Blessing of Sorts” by Maame Asanowa Yirrah

Submitted to Contest #171

It was a long line, with screaming babies and shuffling shoes and droning beeps. In front of Nhyira was a woman, with sandy, blond hair and blistering red arms. Behind her was a man with the neck of a giraffe creating a cloud of heat above her. Occasionally, he would rain down a waterfall of spit as he spoke to the poor woman who stood beside him with a rusty wedding band on her finger. She looked to her left, and then to her right but she was choked. She craned her neck out to watch those lucky enough to spend an extra 100 dollars on priori...

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“Urbane Jungle” by William Simon

Submitted to Contest #171

 Hugo Kane-Smithwick stood outside the station in a state of impatient agitation. His driver was late again! Honestly, this was getting to be too much he thought to himself. Twice last week he’d been left standing here like a buffoon for minutes at a time but today was a step too far. He checked his watch again, seven minutes! Seven minutes he’d been stood here like he didn’t have anything better to be doing with his time. In truth his plans for the evening didn’t extend much further than dinner and a bath, perhaps a nap in the study if...

2 comments 2
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“Missing in the Forest” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #171

Missing In The Forest "This is a tale of a time when things are so different, and I must record it in my book of memories." Fawn One sunny spring afternoon, my neighbor Sharron knocked on my door, then stepped into the chaos of our home. Our three children were in school. Two cats slept on the sofa, and Miss Piggy, our rescued little pup, yapped and danced for her. The usual piles of books, magazines, and toys lay sprinkled about the living room. "I wanted to take a walk, Annie, and it's such a beautiful day. We have at least ...

2 comments 2
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“Grandma's Farm” by Kayla Traylor

Submitted to Contest #171

The rising sun cast an orange glow over my grandmother's farm. Flowers that we just recently planted were flaunting beautiful yellow, pink, and white petals. The window sill was covered in a light layer of morning dew. My grandmother always loved mornings, not too hot and not too cold.  My grandmother. She was my everything, as she was to everyone who knows her...or knew her. My face contorted with sadness as I remembered the day I found out. Three days ago I was making breakfast with Grammy. We talked about school, boys, grades, and...

4 comments 4
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“The Dead Sea” by Andrew Andrews

Submitted to Contest #171

An infectious smile. A mischievous grin. Kind, gracious eyes.  The man who passed by seemed to possess all the wonderful things, that silently spoke of his undeniable charisma. I couldn’t help it as my head turned and followed, when he held open the large brass door for me to exit while he entered. Another guest. I watched, through the windows, as he approached the hotel reception. It became clear my estimation of his character was not confined to imagination. The young receptionist gazed upwardly, with the same eyes of enchantment th...

2 comments 2
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“Duncan's Cure” by Olive Juuiice

Submitted to Contest #171

Jane pulled into the parking garage and quickly found a spot. Pulling down the visor, she fluffed up her raven hair before applying lip balm and smiled brightly at herself. Exiting her vehicle her cell rang. She answered, “I’m here. Just parked. Meet you at the entrance.” She moved quickly, her sundress swirling around her legs. Coming upon a fairly busy street, she stood on the sidewalk waiting to cross. “There you are,” a voice yelled out. On the other side stood a tall but stocky man with dusty brown hair and angular features. She waved...

2 comments 2
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“Love and Ghost Stories” by Dawn Kaltenbaugh

Submitted to Contest #171

I try to escape my past, but it somehow finds a way to follow me, no matter where I go. I left my old hometown to get away from the place we once lived. Where we had all our happy memories, and the sad ones too. How foolish I was to believe I could get away from him! No matter where I go, he’s always still inside my heart and my soul. How can I get away from a ghost who insists on living inside me? Even now that he’s dead, maybe even more than before, I think about him every day. Is it grief or merely my imaginat...

1 comment 1
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$250

Prize money

204

Contest entries

79

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 11, 2022 EST

Won by Thom With An H 🏆

Title: Silence

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!

Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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