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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#184: Technical Difficulties

If you’ve ever experienced technical difficulties, you know the boundless frustration it can cause. Glitches, bugs, constant buffering, or — worst of all — no connection whatsoever; these small inconveniences can throw our days off balance (and make us want to pull our hair out). Taken to the extreme, technological failures and a breakdown of the internet infrastructure could have far-reaching and devastating consequences on a global scale. 


This week’s prompts are inspired by technostress and issues of connectivity, inviting you to take your frustration out on the keyboard — or even imagine a world without the internet! 😱


And psst! While we have you, remember to check out your free digital copy of PROMPTED — a new literary magazine, featuring winning stories from weekly Prompts contests just like this one, edited by Reedsy professionals.

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone saying “Houston, we have a problem.”

Dialogue – 41 stories

Set your story during a complete city or nation-wide blackout.

Thriller and Suspense – 52 stories

Write a story about a character who is experiencing glitches in their reality.

Mystery – 81 stories

Write about someone who has chosen to disconnect and live an analog life.

Character – 36 stories

Write a story where a character has to decide whether to press the button or not.

Science Fiction – 70 stories

Stories

“Look What You Made Me Do ” by Mazie Maris

Submitted to Contest #184

The most annoying thing about being a writer is having stories come to my mind at the worst times. Right before falling asleep, while driving, or drying my hair. They never pop up when my hands are conveniently free or I have the time or space to sit and write. They just enter my brain, create a little excitement and chaos, and then disappear into thin air, never to be remembered again. The story of Kate though, is one that never leaves, no matter how much I would like it to, or how much I wish it had never entered my brain. Kate has becom...

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“THE HOUSE” by R. J. Garron

Submitted to Contest #184

“Looks like the gig is up for us.  This little sprite had a lot of gall.  He found the glitch, and we’re at a loss as what our next move should be.  Certainly, we can’t bring harm to him, given he’s so young and innocent.  But he knows the morbid truth and we can’t sit idly around twiddling our thumbs at such a breach.” “They’re sprites, simulated protocols fer God’s sake!” Xuan was only twelve, but that didn’t stop him from turning every little thing upside down to see what it was, or how it worked.  He never sto...

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“Please Clear Your Desk” by Gregg Voss

Submitted to Contest #184

       As a younger sales rep, just out of school and in professional diapers, along with a bad tie and nose hair, there was always a little schadenfreude just before Christmas.              No Big Fatty that year? Then you’re out.             Better you than me. I gotta go to work.             For years, Kent had w...

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“The Human Factor” by Giuliano Olivotto

Submitted to Contest #184

The finger in the protective glove approached the button to stop, trembling, a few millimeters from the glowing surface. That piece of plastic possessed an unreal power: it turned a possibility into a choice. Intermittently, a deep blue hue illuminated the small cockpit because Marcello had not yet activated the external projection on the syntho-glass screens. It was like staying hidden in his own thoughts. He did it every time. The air in the cockpit left a metallic taste in his mouth, like that of the coin his grandfather had given hi...

3 comments 3
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“All Backed Up” by Willow Warren

Submitted to Contest #184

The end of the concert was followed by a standing ovation. Jeanine added her own claps to the sounds echoing through the grand hall with its perfect acoustics. As the thunderous applause died down, she willed herself out of virtual reality, returning to the mundane surroundings of her apartment. As always, she felt a bit wistful upon returning to the real world from the unlimited indulgences of VR. She empathized somewhat with those who had taken the radical step to transfer themselves permanently into that world. It was becoming increas...

2 comments 2
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“A Mile In Someone's Shoes” by Nona Yobis

Submitted to Contest #184

*This story includes strong language, and includes themes of panic and being trapped*“Are you ready? We have everything set for the procedure.”I looked down at the pamphlet in my hands, then back up at the nurse. “Sure, just give me a few minutes to pump myself up.”She flashed me a clinical smile. “That’s fine. I know it’s an intimidating decision, and the ECT program isn’t for everyone. You take your time, and be sure it’s what you want.” The nurse bustled out the door and down the hall, her non-skid shoes squeaking as she walked. Left...

6 comments 6
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“Meltdown” by Shane Murray

Submitted to Contest #184

A black and blue-striped muscle car sped down the city’s main, six-lane boulevard, red and blue lights flashing, horn blaring along the nearly deserted highway. The lights reflected off the top of the city dome in the late morning light. The bold white letters on the sides of the car glistened in the early morning light – New Anchorage Police Department.  New Anchorage, the proverbial shining city on a hill of five and a half million residents, was situated in Palmer Land of the Antarctic Peninsula, on the far side of Angle Peak near ...

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“Resetting Regrets” by Jarod Smith

Submitted to Contest #184

“What do you regret?"“That’s a heck of an icebreaker.”“I promise it will make sense in a moment.”“Can we skip to that part?”The man in pinstripes looked down at his papers. Was that a file on me? Were they for show, the way newscasters shuffle notes as if to say, “Trust us, we’re in the know?”He cleared his throat. Definitely newscaster credibility papers.“What do you know about our project?” he asked, looking up with thoughtfully squinted eyes.“I thought you guys put bags over people’s heads and brought them here in vans.”“Ha, yes. We’re wo...

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“Adrift” by Erik Brun

Submitted to Contest #184

(Content Warning: Mild foul language)“What the hell was that?!” The ship jolted and took a sharp dive to the right. Jeff Tatsuya jumped up to take manual control, spilling the bowl of noodles he was about to start eating. The control column pulled down hard as he attempted a course correction. No luck. She was going down.A green light flicked on. The screech of the com link coming to life followed. “Everything ok up there? That was quite the bump.” Jeff eyed his lunch spilled across the deck, “yeah, yeah everything is fine. It’s err… just so...

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“SAFETY PIN” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #184

SAFETY PIN Charles lived alone in an almost isolated house. When he woke up in the middle of the night with her heart in turmoil from a nightmare _____he was dreaming that monstrous-looking dogs were chasing him, they reached him and grabbed him by the waist ( belt) of his trousers. He, trying to escape those ugly and bad beasts, fell into a deep pit, but those terrible dogs didn’t let him go, they were on him, their fangs stuck into his meat___ the first bad surprise was that there was no light. Groping around he looked for the...

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“Self Destruct” by Jocelyn Parkhurst

Submitted to Contest #184

Lightening lit up the sky and thunder exploded as I ran from the men seeking to destroy my life. Their animals howled in the distance, progressing ever closer even as I raced out of breath. Yet, stopping meant death, so I endured each painful breath that threatened to tear my lungs from my body. The trees tore at my hair as I wiped the sweat off my face with hands bloodied by the brambles and bushes.   Suddenly, the dense trees opened into clearing. Stopping, I gazed across the distance through the torrents of rain, gaging whethe...

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“Bye-bye Birdie” by Barb Brown

Submitted to Contest #184

Warning: This story does not have a happy ending, beginning, or middle Her eyes were blank, staring aimlessly through me, instead of at me. "It's called TIS", I heard someone say behind me. "It stands for Total Indifference Syndrome. It's far more common than we realize, unfortunately," the voice kept droning on and on feeding useless information into my apathetic ears. I was hearing about as much as she was while she was laying there in her hospital bed zoned out. I was born into an era preceding the digital age.  ...

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“The Plutocratic Affair” by Laura Pamenter

Submitted to Contest #184

The Plutocratic Affair By Laura Pamenter “Date of birth?” asks Tim—according to the nametag on his crimson shirt. “February 22, 2042.” “Oh! Happy birthday to you both. Are you two twins?” “Twins?” I laugh uncomfortably. My eyes wander over James’ tall athletic build, golden bronze skin, and caramel curls. In comparison to my short, curvy stature, and emerald hair, James looks like a Greek goddess. “Not twins, just friends since birth,” James says. “Our mothers shared a hospital room.” I nod along. James and I used to tell people we w...

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“Houston We Have a Problem” by Terri Madden

Submitted to Contest #184

“Houston We Have a Problem”! Captain Bill Hart and Lieutenant Paul Madden were seated in the Cockpit of a P50 transport on a routine training mission above the Atlantic waters as the darkness of night enveloped the fuselage. Elsie was a last minuet passenger to jump onboard. Bill turned toward Paul and spoke the unexpected crushing words that shook him to his core. “Paul we have a problem.” These words conveyed a sense of gloom on January 31,1944. Ironically some twenty-six years later, similar words were heard around the world on April 13...

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“technology troubles” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #184

Houston, we have a problem, that is what I said to my cat Houston who sat indifferently as I tried to get the TV to come on. The remote wasn't working again. I will now have to get the manual out and reprogram the thing, which takes forever! I leave the security of my nice warm bed and lumber through the apartment to find the book written in so many convenient different languages. I speak English, or at least the American variant of the language. I finally find it in the drawer of my desk stuffed in the back with a bunch of receipts that I h...

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$250

Prize money

280

Contest entries

121

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 10, 2023 EST

Won by Michelle Oliver 🏆

Title: All the Lonely People

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 | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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