Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#178: Happy Holidays

It's that time of year again! Whether you're observing a particular holiday, or simply raising a glass to making it through another year in one piece, December is a time for reflection, celebration, and taking stock. This week's prompts are, naturally, a nod to the season — and all the fun it can bring!

As much as we love the holidays, they can also be a difficult time for many; so no matter how you're celebrating this year, we hope that these prompts can provide you with a little festive escapism. Happy holidays, writers!

This week's prompts

Write a story about a family (biological or found) coming together for Christmas.

Christmas – 44 stories

Write a story that takes place over the eight nights of Hannukah.

Holiday – 5 stories

Set your story at a work holiday party,

Holiday – 35 stories

Write about a cynical character realizing they do have something to celebrate after all.

Character – 47 stories

Write a story about an unconventional holiday tradition.

Holiday – 51 stories

Stories

“Christmas Chatter with Family” by Melissa Espree

Submitted to Contest #178

Christmas Chatter with Family I truly cannot believe it’s Christmas time again and my family can’t seem to get over what happened three years ago. I really want to spend this Christmas Holiday with them. Everyone makes mistakes and this time it was my mistake. I feel lost and broken. If, I can just hear the Christmas chatter again. My family is my life and I want to celebrate with them. Thinking about Jim will not help me to overcome my fear of being without the one’s I love at this time of year. I know it’s my fault that some of our ...

Read story

“You don't know it yet, but you're loved.” by Justin Murray

Submitted to Contest #178

Jamil groans, as he always did and always would. He brings his shaky hand towards the bottom of his pant leg before dramatically swatting it away. The sweat drips from his forehead and down into his beard. "Are you stupid?" Wolfgang chastises, entering through the opened door of the shed. Snow as white as oblivion itself follows him inside. Upon approaching, the various cans and unfolded clothes come into view. "Zawadi told you to stop picking at that scab on your knee! And I keep telling you that if you'd just go outside, you'd forget it...

Read story

“Home for Christmas” by Amelia Fortunato

Submitted to Contest #178

I smile to myself softly as Quentin loudly sings into the karaoke machine. This party has become something I look forward to every year. There’s something about celebrating the holidays with coworkers that makes me feel closer to them. I think about what will be there when I get home tonight. An apartment without a tree, with no presents. I’ve never been a huge fan of Christmas, but this party makes me want to be. I zone out, thinking about the Christmases of my childhood. My dad was always really into Christmas, setting up the...

Read story

“Tum” by Ksenija Rubež

Submitted to Contest #178

Tom yet again came in a costume. Tom wore a suit printed with images of his cats, and this time it had one more cat than the previous year. Nothing about his behavior throughout the year would give away that he had any whiff of personality, but once that end-of-the-year party would arrive, he would roll up in some sort of cat-themed costume, or in this case, suit. At least cats are ritually clean, if anything, Majid pondered, while staring at that costume. He remembers when he attended the first party here, he was utterly sh...

Read story

“Secret Santa: A Change of Plans” by Dan Coglianese

Submitted to Contest #178

Being invisible means nobody will notice when I’m gone. My absence will not pose a difference in anyone’s vision, because they didn’t see me in the first place. And since my dad passed away last summer, I have been invisible to everyone. I wasn’t planning on departing this mortal coil with any fanfare. Just a couple bottles of wine and a bottle of sleeping pills on Christmas day. I’ve worked at Tepple & Wein...

Read story

“The Annual Christmas Party” by Bella Drye

Submitted to Contest #178

A stranger comes up to me on the subway. “Hey, your watch is pretty sick, do you mind if I ask you a quick question? “ Yeah, sure I don’t mind.”, I said. “ Should I go to my office Christmas party? Well, for years I’ve worked at M&M publishers. My coworkers are nice and I get along with them, but it’s never been like how it was at my old office. I used to work at a different publishing company, Ross Publishers, but they didn’t make enough to pay bills and work efficiently, so I got laid off. It was the best ther...

Read story

“Perfect” by Gema Imperial

Submitted to Contest #178

“A little bit to the left. No, to the left. Left, left.” One of the guys holding on to the Christmas tree stifles a not-so-subtle eye roll. They adjust the massive tree to the left, in front of the glass window in the middle of the office. The stand creaks as they go. “Mmm. No. A little bit to the right? Like just a millimeter. Okay…now stop.” I crane my neck to the side. No, this is not it. “It’s still not right in the middle." “C’mon, Lil. Stop harassing the tree people," says Allie, her voice piping up from behind me. She's ...

Read story

“Kindred Spirits ” by LE' FROG

Submitted to Contest #178

The music swam through the warm bodies of people swaying and moving to it's gentle rhythm in the center of the large, lavish family home. The man, dancing his fingers across the piano keys entranced everyone, and those who weren't very enthused kept to themselves, lurking in the farthest corners of the house, or outside on the deck. Chattering amongst each other. The melodies, and the voices, all mixing and splashing into one another like an approaching sea storm. Ever, steadily overwhelm...

Read story

“Partners in Crime” by R S

Submitted to Contest #178

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack. My typing was annoyingly loud. I remember as a child I used to wake up at the brink of dawn and log into my computer to use this online typing test that I was obsessed with. The typing test showed how fast you could type with WPM. The only problem is that now my typing speed has increased but I can’t seem to type quieter. My siblings used to hate this so they threw pillows at me until I was banished to the living room. Little runts. Even if we didn’t get along much as kids, I still really miss the...

Read story

“Secured Love” by Tamara Page

Submitted to Contest #178

"Christmas time is here everyone! I hope you all are as excited as I am about our secret Santa gift swap! I've got some refreshments set up on the back table as well as a goodie bag for each of you to grab when you leave. DJ Xtreme is here tonight to set the mood right. So, let's get this party started!", Shelly announced to everyone at the Lions Guard Inc. Christmas party. As the owner of the world's most successful security company, Shelly took pride in hosting her company's annual Christmas parties. She really enjoys spe...

Read story

“Christmas in a Minor Key” by N. Rushing

Submitted to Contest #178

Dolores did not like the holidays. She did not appreciate the forced feeling of communal celebration, nor the saccharine cheeriness that they pumped through supermarket speakers and home television sets. She hated the upbeat jangle of jingle bells, both the sickening song and the so-called instrument that evoked the indentured servitude of horses. She did not understand why a compulsory holiday fell during the coldest time of the year, when the air hurt her face when she dared to step outside. But there was one festivity she could not avoid...

Read story

“Maria's Transformation: From Cynicism to Cheer” by Khadijah Jay

Submitted to Contest #178

*May have triggering content* As the sun began to rise over the city, Maria sat at her kitchen table, staring blankly at her half-empty cup of coffee. It was Christmas morning, and yet, she couldn't find it within herself to feel even the slightest bit of cheer. For as long as she could remember, Maria had always been a bit of a cynic. She had always found it difficult to get excited about holidays or celebrations, and this Christmas was no different. As she sat there, lost in thought, her phone began to buzz with a series of notificat...

Read story

“Just a Meteor Shower” by Koa Dowling

Submitted to Contest #178

He was disgusted, the world was ending and only six days before Christmas. It wasn’t like he had anything to be sad about, he had no family, no friends, just an annoying ghost that followed him everywhere he went. In the bathroom, in bed, while he did his taxes, the damn thing just wouldn’t leave him alone! But none of that mattered, the world was ending. Life as David knew it would be over in a matter of hours. The damage was irreversible. David walked in the middle of the road, hoping a car would hit him. And as always, that stupid ghost w...

Read story

“The Christmas Market” by Nicole Wilbur

Submitted to Contest #178

December 15th, 2007. Nuremburg, Germany. I’m walking down a row of wooden stalls with candy-cane striped roofs. The smell of roasted sugar, pine needles, and bratwurst is overwhelming. Around us, the air is filled with joyful shouts, children playing, and carols. But I feel removed from it, far away, my eyes locked on my phone screen. “Let’s see it.” Emmerich puts his arm around me, leaning in. I lower my phone. I know it’s not fair to Emmerich to be so distracted tonight, not when he was so excited to bring me to the Christmas market....

Read story

“Like Father, Like Son” by Shannine O'Neill

Submitted to Contest #178

“Ever Since I was young, I couldn’t have been more than six or seven, I’ve lived in fear. You’re probably sitting there thinking how much of a liar I am. I couldn’t be living in fear when I barely showed any emotion ever since you’ve known me. But that’s the thing Maureen, that’s what I fear. I fear letting myself feel anything because if I let myself feel anything good, I know how quickly it can be taken away. So, I choose to see the negativity in everything. And I know that makes me cynical and you’re probably hearing this and thinking how...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

182

Contest entries

62

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 30, 2022 EST

Won by Molly Kelash 🏆

Title: Marie Antoinette

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢