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!

#192: Something Borrowed

As the very existence of thrift stores proves, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. A cultural push for sustainability has made thrifting a popular option for the fashion forward, and encouraged us all to look for the potential in yesterday’s cast offs.

This week, let’s take those forgotten items out of their corners, dust them off, and give them a new lease on life. Among all the strange tchotchkes and ugly sweaters, you might just find a diamond in the rough — or an actual diamond!

This week's prompts

Write about someone finding a treasure in an unexpected place.

Adventure – 50 stories

Set your story at an antique roadshow.

Dramatic – 26 stories

Write a story about someone trying to reinvent themselves after spending a long time in a rut.

Fiction – 38 stories

Write about someone stuck in an endless cycle who finally manages to break free.

Fiction – 67 stories

Write about someone rediscovering something old they thought they’d lost.

Fiction – 67 stories

Stories

“Sophia's Jaunt” by Josephine Harris

Submitted to Contest #192

When she came to understand English better, Sophia found it odd that the town was named Cherryfield, yet it advertised itself as the blueberry capital of the world. She’d come to the rural town from Sicily on the death of her husband to be near her son Michael and his family. She enjoyed helping with the children, but within a year the son’s job had changed and the family moved away to Washington State on the other side of the country. Sophia didn’t have another big move left in her so she stayed. As the only Italian in town, Sophia cam...

Read story

“The Hanging Clock Of Change” by Deborah Cabral

Submitted to Contest #192

I have been stuck in this endless cycle for as long as I can remember. Every day feels the same, every action is predictable and monotonous. I wake up at 6:00 am, eat the same breakfast, take the same route to work, and come back home by 7:00 pm. I don't have any friends, don't go out much, and my social life seems non-existent. It's like I'm living in a loop, where time is just a meaningless concept. At first, it didn't bother me much. I had convinced myself that routine was necessary for success and that following a set pattern would lea...

Read story

“Devoted to Your Service” by R. S. Writes

Submitted to Contest #192

At 1:25 a.m. Walter boarded the huffing and puffing train. He threw his lone duffel bag overhead and collapsed onto the seat, swearing under his breath to never return to Moniville ever again. As the train lazily gathered speed, Moniville and its six-thousand houses disappeared from his view, but the memory would remain for many years. He felt so stupid; a snort of disbelief escaped him while the other unsuspecting passengers slept on.You might not find what happened to him so enraging or humiliating, but Walter’s soul was left diminish...

Read story

“The Cookie Tree” by John Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #192

The Cookie TreeTelling Mom you were bored was a mistake. “Oh, that’s terrible!” she’d say, meaning it was a terrible thing for me to say. “Look at all these toys and to think you’re bored with all these toys and there are so many kids that don’t have toys. Shame. Go draw me a nice picture - you like to draw. Go clean up your room - when’s the last time you cleaned your room?” Yeah – it was a mistake.It was one of those sweltering August afternoons that southern Ohio was famous for. It was so hot and sticky that even the thought of doing...

Read story

“The Treasure Hunt” by Amy Rosenthal

Submitted to Contest #192

Dust motes glittered in the shaft of sunlight that streamed through the window into the attic. The little boy clambered up the rickety ladder into the treasure trove of the topmost corner of his grandparents’ house; a regular cave of wonders for a boy of 10. From up here, he could faintly hear his parents' voices drift through the floorboards from downstairs. He had been up here many times, exploring the nooks and crannies during these family visits. While finding old hats, derelict bicycles, and long forgotten toys, he would make-believe th...

Read story

“Dunwitty's Proof ” by Daniel Dundin

Submitted to Contest #192

On May 14th at Valley Forge they found a finger. The severed digit was wrapped in antique, handmade Belgian lace, and closed in a Georgian rosewood sewing box. (Appraisal, $8,500 - $10,000.) The police thought it was a deeply depraved prank until June 5th at the Alamo when they found a human ear. It was sealed in a faded airmail envelope with a love note from World War I. The note read, “I miss the sound of your voice.” The envelope and ear were inside an ostrich leather, monogrammed briefcase belonging to J. Edgar Hoover. (Appraisal, $...

Read story

“Ted” by Leila Shahtahmasebi

Submitted to Contest #192

As she entered the second-hand store, Lucy coughed. A cloud of dust engulfed her face, a sign perhaps of limited customers. She coughed again, trying to be as quiet as possible. "Are you alright, dear?" The old man behind the counter gazed at her with concerned eyes. Lucy nodded, stifling a sneeze. "Have a good browse, and if you need help with anything just let me know." The man's eyes were warm and gentle. "Thank you," Lucy smiled. She stood for a moment, drinking in the quirky little shop. The third one that day. She was amazed at how m...

Read story

“Kyle Riley and The Secret of the Golden Bracelet ” by Alex Solomon

Submitted to Contest #192

Kyle Riley and The Secret of the Golden Bracelet Kyle Riley wasn't surprised when mean-old Mr.Grant returned his history test with an ugly red F circled obnoxiously on the page. Kyle had studied his butt off for the test. He'd memorized the names of each Roman Emperor and the period that they ruled. Of course, Kyle had forgotten that only a quarter of the exam would be on Rome. He hadn't studied the Ancient Greeks or Phoenicians at all. Failure was nothing new to Kyle. After all, he had worse luck than anyone he knew. Misfort...

Read story

“Life after death” by Jesse-Lee Carden Rowe

Submitted to Contest #192

Al Truman was, by all accounts, an ordinary man. A plump but pretty wife, two kids of slightly above-average intelligence, and a neat house in the suburbs were the backdrop of a life that he found mostly pleasant. He had an okay job, an okay car, an okay group of friends and an okay sex life. Most days, he felt okay. Today was not one of those days. It all went to shit when his hairy neighbor, Hector Hargrove, called him outside to lecture him about his garbage can being left out. His god-forsaken garbage can! The spittle flying from hi...

Read story

“FINDERS KEEPERS” by Mary Jo Maguire

Submitted to Contest #192

The wobbly ceiling fan tossed Grandmama, Aunt Harriet and Mama’s words around as they sat talking excitedly in our screened-in porch. I watched them from my favorite hiding spot outside, among the bushes. I have heard lots of funny things from grown-ups who sat in our screened-in porch and talked, words I was told not to say and all sorts of stuff about President Truman.Today Grandmama and Aunt Harriet were here because they just got back from Great Aunt Ida’s funeral in another town in Oklahoma. They came over to tell Mama about all the rel...

Read story

“The Antiques Roadshow of a Lifetime” by S B

Submitted to Contest #192

As I walked through the bustling crowd at the antique roadshow, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. I had always been a fan of the television show, but nothing could have prepared me for the real-life excitement of attending a roadshow in person. My husband and I had been collecting antiques for years, and we had brought a variety of pieces with us to the event. From a vintage camera to a set of antique silverware, we were eager to see if our treasures were worth something significant. As we made our way through the aisles of vendors an...

Read story

“Ree in the Future” by Rachel Snider

Submitted to Contest #192

The humidity in the air drew out the smell of pee and death from the carpet in the hallway, and Ree had had enough. She’d been syphoning off small bills from the purses of her daughter, granddaughter, and even her great-granddaughter’s best friend when they turned their backs during their bi-weekly visits and, to date, there was $98 stashed away in the breast pocket of her blue suit dress. She chose it because, if she happened to die before she got the chance to spend it, it’d go to the grave with her. (She’d earned it, after all, hadn’t she...

Read story

“Bell-Bottomed Teflon” by Katy Dream

Submitted to Contest #192

I did not know my mom was cool or tough. In fact, I only recently came to realize that. It was one of those hot, lazy days towards the end of the summer. My sister Mandy and I were absorbing the air conditioner. It was too hot to swim in tepid water at the public pool and too hot to go outside. Mandy was lazing on the couch channel surfing. I was curled up with a book in the recliner. We could hear our mom digging around upstairs in the attic…why she decided to go up there when it is so hot, we will never know. But we also know that once...

Read story

“What was Lost, Now is Found” by Frances Gaudiano

Submitted to Contest #192

Once was Lost, Now is Found Since they had moved away from their old home, they didn’t go to London much anymore. Bella used to love visiting the big city with all it’s museums and theatres and activities. Her daughter loved to go for the shopping. They would usually make a deal that if they went shopping for a couple of hours then Bella would get an hour in a museum. She supposed she could just let her daughter go off on her own – Chelsea was 17 now but Bella didn’t quite trust the city. It might not be safe to let a teenage girl off on h...

Read story

“Who Am I?” by Tina Prophetess

Submitted to Contest #192

I've been through so much in this life that I could write many books of inspiration on various topics that would no doubt uplift all who dared to read them. So I jumped at the chance to share a story about learning what a true treasure is; and finding it in the most unexpected place. To all who are about to read this; may you be blessed with understanding, compassion, and love; and may the value of this writing be transferred to the mind of the reader in order to receive its worth. Let me begin by saying that I love treasures. Wh...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

248

Contest entries

144

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 07, 2023 EST

Won by Aeris Walker 🏆

Title: Strawberry Jam Under the Sea

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 ⭢