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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#179: Levelling Up

New Year's Eve is a time for celebration, but it also marks a watershed. If there's something you've been wanting to achieve, but haven't quite found the time (or willpower) to make happen, the start of a new year can be the perfect moment to turn over a new leaf.

This week's prompts are all in the spirit of progress. Whether your characters are starting an entirely new life, or are making a tiny shift in the pursuit of happiness, it's time for change. And if your New Year's resolution involves getting back into your writing routine after the holiday haze, we hope they'll provide ample inspiration to jumpstart your creativity. We'll see you in 2023!

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone making a vision board.

Adults – 17 stories

Write a story in the form of a list of New Year's resolutions.

Holiday – 38 stories

Your character always makes the same promise; to change. Will they finally make it happen this time?

Angst – 44 stories

Write a story about someone scrambling on New Year's Eve to fulfil their resolutions for the entire year before the clock strikes twelve.

Funny – 28 stories

End your story with a kiss at midnight.

Romance – 73 stories

Stories

“Midnight's Embrace” by Emily Hunt

Submitted to Contest #179

The town of Silvermist was nestled in a verdant valley, surrounded by rolling hills and dense forests. It was a place of great natural beauty, with sparkling streams and waterfalls, fields of wildflowers, and towering trees that seemed to touch the sky. At the heart of Silvermist was a charming village, with cobblestone streets and quaint cottages painted in cheerful colors. There was a sense of magic and wonder in the air, as if the town was enchanted by some unseen force. Many people believed that Silvermist was a place of great spiritual ...

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“Blurs of Explosion” by Dom Smith Mountain

Submitted to Contest #179

Trigger Warnings: Self-Harm, Suicide, Brief Self-Violence, Mental Health Discussion, Drug Abuse Mention, Explicit Language (non-sexual)Part One- December 31st, EveningHe stands in front of me, blood trickling from his wrists to his fingertips. The crimson red liquid forms a pool below him. He looks at me with eyes of grief, fear, hatred, and ecstasy. I feel somehow envious of his nature: he gets to leave, while I have to live the rest of my life, forever clearing his life’s errors. And yes, I know that I don’t have to, but it’s my fault that...

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“Queer Eye for the Straight Girl” by Robert Radcliff

Submitted to Contest #179

Marie Jane Emmerson is about to make the most important personal decision of her life.She considers herself fortunate to have two wonderful suitors; one is Greg, a long-time friend, and Jerry, a fellow lawyer.But who will she decide to spend the rest of her life with?It's early Sunday morning, the day when most people prefer to sleep in.But instead of resting today, she planned to visit her Uncle Bob and seek his advice on this most important of decisions.Taking a look at herself in her room's mirror nobody could take her natural beauty away...

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“A Cup of Kindness” by Ralph Aldrich

Submitted to Contest #179

“Happy New Year, my ass! I growl. I take another swig of M. D. 20/20. I’m little more than a shadow in the shadows watching the jubilant celebration in Time Square. People are singing and laughing everywhere. They hold their plastic cups up high, spilling beer and laughing, laughing, laughing! “Go ahead and laugh, you bastards!” A young couple scowl as I take another hard pull on my bottle. I sink deeper into the shadows. I mutter, “Go ahead and laugh. Live your life as if there is no ...

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“Cardboard Box” by Ally Roeschlein

Submitted to Contest #179

The line of people snakes and writhes through State Street. The cold bites through my gloves and pierces the joints around my fingers. I have no cigarettes.Luckily, I’m allowed to the front—I’m always allowed to the front.The bouncer doesn’t smile or nod. He just lifts the rope patched with electrical tape and lets me through. I push and weave my way through sweating bodies glittering underneath the blacklights. It smells like booze and body spray, and it’s only 10. That’s good.I press the code on the door, it greets me with a small “beep,” ...

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“A New Year's Eve to Remember” by Hannah Hix

Submitted to Contest #179

New York City was still beautiful. I heard rumors the iconic skyline had become nothing more than a few teeth jutting skyward from the bay, but I could see much of it remained. It was still the most beautiful city in the world to me, even in ruin. I had traveled over a hundred miles to stand here on the shores of New Jersey, nearly all of that journey coasting on the fumes of hope that I would find New York City at the end of it. I came from the northern forests in St Marys, where I was generally safe and well-supplied. I...

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“A New Year's Kiss” by FabWritesStuff -

Submitted to Contest #179

It was 8pm on New Year’s Eve and Lia was sprawled out on her couch, clutching the remote in her hand as she aimlessly scrolled through some movie options. This is fine. This is fun too. Her hair had been curled, makeup had been applied, and in her closet was the gorgeous sparkly dress that she had bought a month earlier. She had been so excited to wear it, but now she didn’t have the energy to put it on. Instead she was still wearing the pajamas that she had woken up in that morning. Lia figured that she must have looked pretty rid...

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“Changes for the New Year” by Dilbert Jazz

Submitted to Contest #179

As the new year began, Sarah made a list of resolutions for herself. She was determined to make the most of the year ahead and set goals for herself that would help her grow and improve. Exercise more regularly: Sarah had always struggled to stick to an exercise routine, but she knew that taking care of her physical health was important for her overall well-being. She decided to make a plan to go to the gym at least three times a week and take up a new outdoor activity, like hiking or running, on the weekends. To help herself stay on track, ...

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“Lemon House: Casino Citron Part I” by A H Nazzareno

Submitted to Contest #179

Three years ago, a ubiquitous scrap of paper with a grammatically erroneous title (“New Year’s Rezolutions”) forced me to turn in my badge and detest the city I had sworn to protect. I found the anonymous note discarded on the stairwell leading to the roof of an affluent high-rise called Copper Condos, which was full of rich pricks. A resident had called to complain about kids setting off firecrackers on the roof. It turned out to be a gunshot. The so-called Rezolutions printed in block letters were outlined on one side of th...

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“Making Changes” by Dilbert Jazz

Submitted to Contest #179

Linda had always prided herself on being a woman of her word. She was reliable, trustworthy, and dependable, and she always made sure to follow through on her commitments. But there was one promise that Linda had been struggling to keep for years. She had repeatedly made the same promise to herself, vowing to change a particular aspect of her life that had been causing her frustration and unhappiness. But she fell into old habits and patterns every time she tried to follow through on that promise. It wasn't that Linda wasn't motivated to cha...

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“Promise Keeper ” by Brenda Butler

Submitted to Contest #179

Kenny Jr’s only resolution for 2022 was to keep his word to those he loved. No, resolutions, just keep your word, man!! He would say to himself at least ten times a day. He wanted to do better and be better and he knew that started with following through. How hard can that be, he would scream. If you make a promise keep it. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. After all these years you would think his family would have given up on Kenny Jr, but they hadn’t. The only thing they wanted for him was for him to change. His older s...

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“Same Old Story” by Lashun Williams

Submitted to Contest #179

“Are you going to submit your manuscript?” “Yeah! Of course!” Jenna reassured Rebecca for the tenth time this month. It seemed silly for Rebecca to repeatedly ask the question, but supposedly Jenna had the same devotion to writing as she did. It seemed odd that her passionate and action-oriented friend would commit to something and not do it. Considering her pattern, though, the pit in Rebecca’s belly gave her little room for comfort. “In order to win the Brave Writers Scholarship,” Rebecca reminded her friend, “you have to submit a co...

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“French pastries, gymnastics, a cat, and cigarettes” by Ksenija Rubež

Submitted to Contest #179

Opening the friend group chat, he sees a pinned video. He plays it. The video shows him, and his friends – with whom he was about to celebrate New Year – all drunk making New Year’s resolutions. He starts cringing and remembers the pledge that they made last year. Fuck! He slams the table. In the video, he says “So I will get a beautiful black cat, then, I will learn to do a headstand, I will learn how to cook croissants, and I will get rid of shitty people in my life” “But…” The drunk voice of the cameraman protested by sa...

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“A Resolute Year's End” by Jordan Chu

Submitted to Contest #179

As he looked outside of his frosted window on a Thursday evening, Jack sighed with contentment and rested his head against the frame. Was that the smell of peppermint? With its bustling streets and gently falling snow, New York once again displayed a picturesque resemblance to a scene out of a Hallmark Christmas postcard. He thought to himself that it would perhaps do him some good to go for a walk outside. Though Christmas was over, a fully decorated room still greeted his eyes as he turned away from the view; he had been putting off taking...

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“Out Before the Ball Drops” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #179

It was 4:34am when I rolled out of bed, bleary eyed with a head full of tangles. I stepped into my slippers and shuffled first to the bathroom, where I took care of business, and then to the kitchen. I flipped the light switch up and winced as my eyes adjusted to the brightness. I yawned, stretched, let out a big sigh, and began to fill our backpacks. I stuffed every available pocket with sandwiches, snacks, extra mittens, socks hand warmers and anything else I thought we might need to successfully spend 14 hours outside in December. I piled...

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$250

Prize money

200

Contest entries

103

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 06, 2023 EST

Won by Saeda Rose 🏆

Title: Resolute

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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