#188: But There's a Catch
In life, thereâs almost always a catch. The beautiful new shoes cause blisters. The exciting promotion at work leaves you feeling out of your depth. The free upgrade to first class comes with a screaming kid for a neighbor. If something seems too good to be true, maybe it is!
We might call these drawbacks âthe fly in the ointmentâ; the little things that spoil what would otherwise be wonderful. With this weekâs prompts, weâre encouraging you to lean into those frustrations, big and small. Will your characters be able to find a workaround, or is this as good as it gets?
đĽ Winner
âThe First Idolâ by Tom Bombadil
âď¸ Shortlisted
âNear and Farâ by Laurel Hanson
âBridge Bargainâ by V. S. Rose
âA Forever Homeâ by Rebecca Brothers
âSIX LETTERS TO ILLUMINATIONâ by Kajsa Ohman
âKintsugiâ by Olivia Lake
This week's prompts
Write a story that starts with the line âSo, whatâs the catch?â
Dialogue
â
99 stories
Write about a character who would have complete happiness, if it werenât for that one thing.
Character
â
66 stories
Stories
âThe First Idolâ by Tom Bombadil
âTenacious Dayâ by Wendy Kaminski
âRetirement Planningâ by MichaĹ Przywara
âListenâ by Daniel Fernandes
âComing Outâ by Thom Brodkin
âNear and Farâ by Laurel Hanson
âThe Point of No Returnâ by Chris Campbell
âKeep Your Eyes Openâ by Aeris Walker
âThe Day the Music Diedâ by Rebecca Miles
âGateways and Doorkeepersâ by Suma Jayachandar
âThe Chipmunkâ by Kevin B
âBridge Bargainâ by V. S. Rose
âGabriel's Hornâ by Jack Kimball
âTrue Beautyâ by Helen A Smith
$250
Prize money
268
Contest entries
136
Stories
Ended on 23:59 - Mar 10, 2023 EST
Won by Tom Bombadil đ
Title: The First Idol
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!