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!

#188: But There's a Catch

In life, there’s 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 ‘the fly in the ointment’; the little things that spoil what would otherwise be wonderful. With this week’s prompts, we’re 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?

This week's prompts

Write a story that starts with the line “So, what’s the catch?”

Dialogue – 96 stories

Write about a character who would have complete happiness, if it weren’t for that one thing.

Character – 63 stories

Write a story about someone who is determined to not have their day spoiled — but the universe is trying their patience.

Funny – 48 stories

Write about someone who thinks they just got a great deal on something, only for them to realize…

Mystery – 32 stories

Write about a character who’s attending a dinner thrown in their honor, but deeply embarrasses themself during their speech.

Funny – 19 stories

Stories

“The Bench ” by Trevor Caswell

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” he asks. “There isn’t one.” I try to smile at him across the bench, but he doesn’t see it. His thoughts trail must be trailing off again. I watch the wrinkles spilling from the corners of his eyes squeeze into tight lines as he squints off into the distance. “It’s completely up to you, though,” I add, trying to hide the excitement in my voice. “But.. why would you? I mean – after all the pain that I’ve caused you.” He drops his face into his hands and rubs his forehead. I catch him stealing a qui...

Read story

“What’s up with Aunt Josephine?” by America Marble

Submitted to Contest #188

Aunt Josephine’s sleek and shiny silver Range Rover pulls up in the driveway and I double check my clothes and shoes before opening the door. I didn’t want to embarrass her with my worn out tennis shoes or yoga attire- a usual for me. It’s a rare treat when she takes off work and spends the morning with me. Today, we are just going to shop at Costco so I didn’t think I needed to dress up too much.Sliding in the passenger seat, I give her a quick hug, discreetly double sniffing myself as I do to make sure I didn’t forget deodorant. I relax ba...

Read story

“ Catcher in the. . . Sigh. ” by Andrew Fruchtman

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” “No catch, man, it’s just like I told ya.” “Really? When it’s too good to be true, well, you know, it usually is.” “I’m being straight with ya, man. This ain’t like that Nigerian Prince scam ya get in your fax machine. No, no. This is one hundred percent, full disclosure, top notch, no bullshit stuff I’m talkin’ ‘bout here.” “Okay, so let me ask. Why me? How’d you land on my sorry ass, huh? What, am I on the cover of Gullible Magazine this month?” “C’mon, nothing like that, I’m just try...

Read story

“Between the Neck and the Knees” by Susan Grant-Suttie

Submitted to Contest #188

Between the Neck and the Knees. Douce I de Gévaudan, comtesse de Provence born 1101 By Susan Grant-Suttie ‘So what’s the catch?” thought Douce I de Gévaudan, comtesse de Provence, as it always came down to something between the neck and the knees. Her young servant woman, Bruna, giggled then scratched her hair through her headscarf, most likely it was the persistent head lice that was bothering her. After sucking a piece of meat out from between her teeth the Bruna then leaned in for some exaggerated privacy to...

Read story

“Cardinal” by Mya Sandberg

Submitted to Contest #188

CW: sexual assault, abuse, suicide It is snowing outside. It has been for some days. It has been relentlessly chilled, and a pink tint sits upon my face from the cold. I am sick and have been for years. I bring my fingertips closer to the strings, feeling every ache of my body intensify and the rate of my breathing quicken in pace. I can not do it. No matter how many times I have tried. No matter how many times I attempt to bring it to life, this aspect of me that has been gone for so long, it is always futile. I will never play the guitar a...

Read story

“Pete's Big Speech” by Sharon Farnsworth

Submitted to Contest #188

PETE’S BIG SPEECH Pete Dunbar was about to make his first speech on behalf of the Pac-More Luggage Company. He was new at the company and had already made such an impression on the big boss he was chosen to give the annual speech at the Victorian Hotel in downtown Cincinnati. He and his wife, Debbie, rehearsed the speech over and over every night during the week leading up to the event. They called Irma, Debbie’s mother, to take t...

Read story

“The Sandman Versus The Insomniac ” by Jill S.

Submitted to Contest #188

Making dreams is honest work. There’s nothing much to it, really, and I’m not trying to be humble by saying that. In the past few years fatigue has become an epidemic. Forced to work, forced to sacrifice sleep for work and family, humans doze off in the most inopportune places, from steering wheels to office computers to you-name-it. It’s cute, watching them submit to sleep so easily. Almost pitiful. I barely have to lift a finger. But who am I to judge them for craving sleep so bad? Sleep is a drug, an aphrodisiac, a God, a scarcity....

Read story

“My Money's Worth In Teeth” by Tracy Alele

Submitted to Contest #188

Monday afternoon. Busy. I had just come out of the 3.30 appointment with my new dentist and it had gone well. Really well. My faced was flushed with excitement and my grip on Michelle’s hand was bone crushing. I hadn’t noticed until she yanked it to let me know it was time to let go. I apologized profusely.‘I just can’t believe how much it’s going for! It’s crazy!’ I shrieked.‘Oh hun, it’s a fortune! Nowhere in this town have I been met with such outrageous prices,’ said Michelle.‘I know. But free checkups for up to a year? It basically cove...

Read story

“In Her Honor” by Maya Thornell-Sandifor

Submitted to Contest #188

Jesse was a bundle of nerves. The Annual Lawyers Committee awards were a big deal. And tonight for the first time in her 20-year career as an attorney she would be winning the Ruth Bader Ginsberg award for the outstanding female attorney. It was an honor to be receiving an award named after her idol. But she had mixed feelings about the existence of an award that was gendered. Why couldn’t it just be the Ruth Bader Ginsberg award for an outstanding attorney, period, with no identity qualifiers? She was one of three women equity partners in h...

Read story

“Stay hungry” by Ash Egan

Submitted to Contest #188

She says, "Why don't you look like that?"I stop scrolling. It's some glistening, rippling torso with a haircut. Stripped to the waist. Almond skin pulled tight over solid muscle.I look down at my stomach, bulging amiably over my waistband. Lightly dusted with sugar from the half-eaten donut in my other hand.She looks back to her phone again and strokes our cat, Belle, sitting in her lap.Back to the gym.For the next two months, I'm there every day, 6am. Weights, bike, cross trainer. Weights, bike, swim. I'm surrounded by washboard abs and shr...

Read story

“Motherhood is the Neck of the Chicken” by Rachel Kenley Fry

Submitted to Contest #188

Otillia “Tillie” Duncan’s favorite part of a chicken was the neck—or so she claimed. I know this because she is my great-grandmother, and though I’ve never met her, I’m fascinated by her life story. Suddenly widowed in her early thirties, Tillie was forced to raise eight children and run a ranch during the height of the Great Depression, by herself. Somehow, she managed it. When Tillie made roast chicken for supper—one, small roast chicken, mind you, for her family of nine—she always exclaimed enthusiastically, “I get the neck! Save t...

Read story

“The Catch ” by Aubrey Tabor

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” was the first actual sentence out of Mrs. Benson’s mouth. New clients are always apprehensive, but Mrs. Benson had an ora about her that was giving off something else. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. If I had known where the next hour would take me I would have gladly left my finger cradling my pen and sent Mrs. Benson on her way. But isn’t that how all stories like this begin? An unanswered question. That leads to more questions. That will eventually lead to an answer. Even if that answer is one we wish we had ...

Read story

“Just a Piece of Paper” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #188

Aziz Bellali is checking his mail at home.“Hey love, come and check this out! The Muhammad bin Ali al-Haj University wants to give me an award! And it’s even on my 65th birthday!”“That’s great, you deserve it!” his wife Aisha responds cheerfully.“But I can’t accept. Come and read the mail.”Aisha comes over to his side and reads: Dear Dr. Bellali,We would like to thank you for your recent talk at our university and for the inspiration you’ve been to so many people in our country...

Read story

“Wonder” by Mehkyla Gibson

Submitted to Contest #188

Functions and Design These digital eyes always beam. It has too many colors. Red, blue, and green are what it is. The tv screen attached to my face cannot be removed, nor can it be changed. I try to blink, but I don’t really blink. My little pixelated eyes can only make an impression of what blinking is. I try to think about it, but I don’t really think either. I can easily gather any information in a matter of 000000.8 seconds. I like it. It is good to have knowledge. I often imagine what it would be like to have a norm...

Read story

“Prompt Problems” by Kevin V

Submitted to Contest #188

"So, what's the catch?" I heard as my apartment door suddenly flung open and my neighbor across the way bounded in. Tucked under his armpit looked to be a large roll of newspaper. "Ron, we've talked about this," I said as my heart rate slowed to normalcy. "You need to knock!""Why Pete? You don't knock when you come over.""But I don't come over…""Well that's not my problem, now is it?"I dropped my head onto the table barely missing my coffee. I really, really hoped for a better day. I completely and totally made a mockery of last night's...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

258

Contest entries

133

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 10, 2023 EST

Won by Tom Bombadil 🏆

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!

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 ⭢