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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#190: Eras

To quote Brooklyn 99, Taylor Swift “makes all of us feel things.” With her honest and reflective accounts of growing up and searching for yourself and your place in the world, she’s managed to trace her remarkable coming-of-age arc in a way that millions of people can still relate to.

This week, let’s remember what growing up feels like, or take inspiration from Taylor Swift’s master storytelling to come up with a new story. But remember — using lyrics isn’t allowed!

This week's prompts

Start a story that begins with a character saying “Speak now.”

Dialogue – 86 stories

Write about someone who decides to make their own version of something old.

Character – 36 stories

Set your story in New York, where someone’s been waiting for your character.

Adventure – 39 stories

Write a story about a fandom

Funny – 27 stories

Start your story with someone vowing to take revenge.

Dark – 62 stories

Stories

“Easy Peasy” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now,” Kurt told his wife, Madison. She heard her brother, Lionel’s, voice through the phone. “Hello? Mad? You there?” The previous week’s events flooded Madison’s memory. So much unnecessary drama. They hadn’t seen each other since their mother’s memorial. She suggested meeting up. Big deal. She would fly to see her daughter, Wilma, in Seattle. Why couldn’t he meet in the middle? Portland’s halfway between Seattle and Los Angeles. One state each way. Travel is so difficult. And family connection, so important. On Monday, fishing for e...

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“After Breakfast One Morning” by Katie Serra

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now.” A wall of red wood towers over me as I stand in the massive court room. I don’t remember how I arrived in this land of purple giants and I only partially understand how I have offended them. I can’t deny the scene in front of me, however. “I said speak now!” the giant judge bellowed. “As I tried to explain before I don’t know how I got here and…” “Speak louder! Oh, never mind. Uglin! Put the tiny creature on the bench.” I am scooped up before I know what is happening. I am afraid of being told to speak again so I begin as soon...

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“Hearing Audrey” by Daniela Halliwell

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now.” Audrey begged the air as she stopped in the middle of the quiet field. She gazed out at the millions of stars, looking up higher and higher, and from left to right. The beauty was almost too much to comprehend and only added to her frantic overload. “Please speak to me Darius!” Audrey felt the salty wave of frustrated tears swell in her eyes. “What has brought you here dear child?” She heard the familiar and soothing voice call from above. It was the voice of a m...

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“Where Is Here? - 2” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #190

"Speak now. We want that book, Mrs. Skinner."Mildred's body shook, and her legs felt weak. "What do you want me to say? I don't have it anymore.""The Journal? The one, your son found and gave you. We have your letter to the Smithsonian and your transcriptions. Hand it over."Mildred was tired. She just wanted this blustering man and his driver to return to the black Land Rover with tinted windows to leave. "I don't have it.""We'll go away after you give it to us.""It was on my bedside table last night and was gone when I got up this morning. ...

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“In which a necromancer speaks” by Eddie McKenzie

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now.” The voice rang out loud through the near-silent throne room, a profound heaviness to it that one would think would have been enough to urge even the more obstinate of listeners to obey. Typically, it would too, so it was an altogether reasonable assumption that this would not have been an exception to this rule. In fact, of those who had gathered thereabouts, more than one had to fight the urge to raise their own voice when they were not spoken to.So, really, by all rights this shouldn’t have been an exception, but the here...

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“Puppy Love” by Jill Clark

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now!” his stepfather says to me over the phone. “If you don’t, you will be speaking to the police. We will not need to get them involved if you just tell us where he is.” My palms are sweating, and I feel dizzy. The police? This is really bad. What if they call my parents, I will be grounded forever, then how will I help him? “Sir, I swear. I don’t know where he is.” I told him. “I have not talked to him since yesterday morning. He didn’t tell me he was going to run away. I have no idea where he would go.” I know he doesn’t believe me...

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“Dogs Don't Write” by Vincent Dominguez

Submitted to Contest #190

"Speak now." I ignored him. "Speak." He barked again. "Ni que fuera perro," I finally answered. "What did you say to me?" Said an offended Mr. Tudyk. "It means I'm not a dog." I replied. "Well, we speak English here, Jose." Said an imperious Mr. Tudyk. "Jesus. My name is Jesus." I looked at Mr. Tudyk who sat across his desk from me and tried not to make eye contact. He always had a way of making me feel uncomfortable. So for now, I studied him. He dressed like every middle aged teacher who hated their life. He wore la...

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“Handprints” by Indigo Brenner

Submitted to Contest #190

98 years post-collapse Mason’s mother Delna had named him after history; that’s what she always told him. She had taught him his letters and numbers at home before he was three years old, basic reading and arithmetic by the time he was four, and when he was five, Mason went to school with eight-year-olds. All this was because it was very important to Delna that he learn about pre-collapse history. He never had a bedtime story set after the year 2027—while his friends heard about Nera the Cat and Bumpi’s Trials, Mason heard about the Librari...

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“Prometheus Slept” by John Lente

Submitted to Contest #190

March 12th, 1952 I have not kept a journal before. Journals, diaries, and daily logs are for the preservation of days. In my lengthy time on this Earth, I have not wanted to preserve my days. Thousands of days and nights have all blurred together, one as forgettable as the other. The moments worth remembering are few enough that I can recount them easily enough. Each time I tried to end my life failed, but I am hopeful that I have made a breakthrough. With the understanding that eventually someone will fi...

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“Renewed and Reinvented” by Ariana Cox

Submitted to Contest #190

Amelia carefully pushed the hanging clothes from once side of her mother’s closet to the other, stopping at each garment to consider if it matched the vision she had in her head. Since she was a child, she loved trying on her mother’s clothes and makeup. She even had a picture of herself with a face full of blue eyeshadow and red lipstick donning a green silk dress that was many sizes too big for her. In the photograph, her mother looks on quizzically, eyeing her childlike fashion sense However, this time she wasn’t playing dress up and her ...

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“PROMISES” by Carole Wilbur

Submitted to Contest #190

PROMISES The bus left Binghamton, New York, at 4:15 a.m. Denny and Jenny Skinner settled into their seats, uncertain of what awaited them in the city. One thing was true: they could not trust their father, John. The twins spoke little during the journey. Four hours and twelve minutes later, the Greyhound pulled into the Port Authority Terminal in New York City. The bus arrived at 8:27 a.m. The teenagers exited the bus, hoping to find their father waiting. Although he promised, his face was not among the multitude of faces on the platform....

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“The Meeting Place” by Raymond Connor

Submitted to Contest #190

The door chime echoed around Mo’s dinner as another customer entered the busy deli. Gordon looked up from his table in anticipation. He had sat in the same spot on the same day, at the same time and waited for his friend, for what must be? Gordon had no idea how long he had been coming here. It had to be a long time, for he had seen original Mo pass his business on to his son, joey, and seen the insides of the shop change colours three times now. But he had still not seen whom he was waiting for. &nb...

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“Vanished into the rain ” by M B

Submitted to Contest #190

New York City is a giant place, and even a lifer like me can still find somewhere that they’ve never been to. A divebar tucked away among more established businesses was a dime a dozen: a place to go to meet people who were hard to meet, although I usually insist they meet me at my office. I hoped the food was good, I was craving burger sliders. Introductions are in order I suppose. The name’s Snickertooth - Skreet Snickertooth. I’m a private eye. ...Also a rat if you really must know. I ha...

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“Ghost Fandom” by Vali Hawkins Mitchell

Submitted to Contest #190

Ghost Fandom I was a fan of a ghost. So, I believe in ghosts; because my dad, the stage star, disappeared and rematerialized thoughout his entire life, and I was an audience of one. Before his evolving spectral transparencies began, he was a fully visible, handsome, and funny guy, a stage star. Studying his scrapbooks, the vanishing sepia photos confirmed he originally appeared as a star performer working Big Tent Shows in the 1930’s throughout America’s Midwest. A comedian, pianist, singer, composer, writer, and actor, ...

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“Barbara Havers” by Roxanne Blight

Submitted to Contest #190

I’m not quite sure why I love Barbara Havers as much as I do. I do like Endeavour Morse and Vera Stanhope a lot but not in the same way. I feel sorry for Adam Dalgliesh and Thomas Lynley and a little bit sorry for Cormoran Strike too, but I do enjoy them all very much. They have all had a bit of a rough time personally, with family friends and lovers but these issues never seem to impact the work that they do. I have noticed a lot of other similarities. They are all single and even though most of them make serious attempts to have relationsh...

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$250

Prize money

250

Contest entries

114

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 24, 2023 EST

Won by Éan Bird 🏆

Title: Dear Coldplay, I Love You. Wait. Scratch That.

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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