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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#194: Idiomatic

If you’ve read a couple of these newsletters, you may have noticed that I’m a great fan of an idiom; they've provided the inspiration for countless contests, and I use them (or perhaps overuse them) often in everyday life. After all, nothing is more satisfying than discovering a snappy turn of phrase that can express exactly what you’re trying to convey.

With that in mind, this week’s prompts are a celebration of idioms, and the entire scenes they can conjure with just a handful of words. Pick out your favorite from the bunch, and let your imagination run wild.

This week's prompts

Write a story inspired by the phrase “It’s hardly brain surgery.”

Funny – 34 stories

Write a story inspired by the phrase “I’ll eat my hat.”

Dialogue – 18 stories

Write a story inspired by the phrase “The short end of the stick.”

Character – 27 stories

Write a story inspired by the phrase “The plot thickens.”

Dramatic – 52 stories

Write a story inspired by the phrase “Back to square one.”

Narrative – 81 stories

Stories

“Like the Skin of a Snake” by Geir Westrul

Submitted to Contest #194

Gunshots, then a loud crash, then the doors to the casino flew open, a man ran out, gun in hand, three men in pursuit, then more gunshots, the man crumbling into a shivering heap on the wet pavement under the yellow streetlight, rain mixing with dark blood, then the heap stopped shivering, and that was that.Not my problem.My deal with the Agency is I only take cases involving good people. Well, the better ones, anyway — no-one’s all good.Inside the casino, I headed to the Night Guard’s office.“What’s the rumpus?” I said.The Night G...

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“Littlest Bear’s Big Adventures ” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #194

Littlest Bear’s Big Adventures As soon as Beginning of Time had begun, Bears ambled traipsily hither and yon. Bigger and small of them, shorter and tall of them, furrily all of them—all, except one.Bigger Bear, chuffing and snuffily shuffling, waddled and waded in water so crystalline. Wishfully, fishingly, ever more cleverly snatching and catching the slippery prey, Bigger Bear—robust and pridefully powerful—routed his cowerful rivals away.Tauntingly, flauntingly, flourishing famously, growling and gloatsome or sleepily still, Bear was...

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“A Warlock's Gamble” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #194

Dominion. Temptation. Gambling. Retreat. Snaked around Godwick’s neck, Greymalken licked at the air with a forked tongue emerging from a tiny snout of jagged teeth. Telepathically, the pseudodragon observed, “He’s resisting.” Wearing a spectral iron crown, Severain Yim, a healthy, young Gaelwyn Man in his mid-thirties and cousin to the King of Nodderton, resentfully gnashed his rotting teeth. He was armored, wearing a green and black surcoat and a sheathed broadsword hung at his hip. A heavy metal key trembled in his ashen hand. ...

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“Efcharistó” by Chris Miller

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #194

Anyone who thinks ‘the short end’ is the shitty end of the stick ain’t never been hit with a stick. Well, I’ve been hit, and I can tell you, it’s the long end you want to dodge. You ever seen a sword? Lady Justice, she holds a sword. She doesn’t dispense justice with the stubby little handle, does she? It’s the long end she swings, straight and true. Not exactly a stick, but you take my meaning. But then Archimedes, he wanted the long end, didn’t he? And he should know. “Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth,” or someth...

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“The Talk” by Kevin V

Submitted to Contest #194

I stared at the unopened gifts. Well, the two unopened gifts, one of which lay in the middle of the room, one corner of the still wrapped box crumpled. It had just missed my head and only because I threw myself to one side. My wife is amazingly accurate when pissed. The other gift, the only one she opened, lay at the exact point she dropped it.Then she ran upstairs. Sobbing. Me, I sat in the room where I had the gifts, our living room, and struggled to understand what happened. Things certainly didn't go as I thought. I got up and grabb...

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“The Swing” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #194

“I don’t want to go to the river,” I whispered at the note written on crumpled paper: Meet me at 4. Need to talk. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. The sinking feeling in my chest had only grown over the last two weeks. You called less and less. My calls went to your voicemail more and more. But I drug myself out of bed, put on some makeup and a pair of jean shorts. Mom offered to braid my hair the way you liked it when I told her I was going to our spot, but I blew her off. Sixteen was hard. “So tell me about this...

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“Rob of Rust” by Cassandra Fan

Submitted to Contest #194

A mother and an infant sit at the edge of the fountain, watching intricate streams and waterfalls cascading across the white marble in pure silence. Across the way, a group of teenagers stand, whispering softly to maintain the peace. Surrounding them are ever more, flowing in every direction, crossing the core of the world on course to their next destination. Today, as every other day, they have come from across the towering vibrant city, past the holographic screens and platinum skyscrapers to gather at center square to, if just for a momen...

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“Prompts” by John Jones

Submitted to Contest #194

"How many likes have you gotten on your latest Prompts story? I've got 10 already." "Must be nice for you. For me, not so much. You can't get likes until they post your story." "You're kidding, they haven't approved it yet? It's Tuesday." "Tell me about it. You always seem to get yours approved early. This is like the third one in ...

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“Downward Spiral” by Bernie Rhodes

Submitted to Contest #194

Cora was faced with the harsh reality of living permanently on the streets. Her life and her chance to return to normalcy were long gone. To make her plight even worse, Cora had discovered cocaine. At first, she resisted it but was told it would help her forget all her troubles. Contrary to a girl who set out to trample underfoot everyone to prevail, Cora’s confidence was virtually zero level. She spent the night at a rescue mission the night before but was awakened at 5:00 am. She checked in the day before, which included...

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“The Execution of Danny McMarn” by Lucy Joyce

Submitted to Contest #194

Joe Niehues carefully set up fifty chairs; Simon Parker, his boss, had warned that the execution might draw a decent crowd. Niehues observed the effect once he was finished, the neat rows of chairs facing the larger, ominous chair, with its restraining straps and its legs anchored with metal screws; a grotesque thrown facing its subjects. He was ashamed to notice that his hands were shaking.Niehues returned to their small office; it contained a filing cabinet, a messy desk, and a small bookshelf. Parker had his feet on the desk as he read in...

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“It Takes Two to Tango ” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #194

I’m sitting down with Wordle and a plate of nachos for dinner, when my mobile rings. An unknown number, but I answer. It might be an opportunity to play games with a telemarketer while I eat. My three rescue cats, Erudite, Musical and Justice, are also eating their dinner under the table next to me.A female voice asks, “Fred Anderson?” “That’s me.” I take a nacho and scoop refried beans from the paper plate.”Alberta's scrabble champion?”“This is correct.” Crunching on the chip, I wonder could this be a reporter?“This is Jen,” she says. ...

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“GET BACK, JACK” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #194

**WARNING** Comedic religious themes, mild cursing.* * *Jack wanted out. He wagered he’d been in Purgatory longer than he’d been alive, hadn’t really gotten much out of either experience, and felt ready just to move on.Purgatory, for Jack, consisted of AA meetings, sensitivity training, and weekly counseling sessions. All this was deemed necessary because Jack, when alive, had displayed little regard for women, even less for the rest of mankind, and possessed an unbridled passion for food and drink. He’d died fat, drunk and al...

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“The Trail” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #194

Day One: I am investigating the disappearance of some food from my locker. I understand that I should not expect any help from my fellow classmates or the school, so I will be undertaking this venture by myself. In the event that I do not solve this mystery, I intend to carry about my own food and then find a way to replace my combination lock – or locker – without breaking any of the rules of this institution. Several teachers have advised me to let this go, but I am a fan and devoted reader of mysteries, and I know that there is always mor...

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“Well, It's Hardly” by Jeff Schulte

Submitted to Contest #194

The cattails that sprouted in the ankle-deep waters of the marsh were some of the hardiest plants that Mucilla knew. So, when she watched tendrils of rot creep along their stalks to the wilting spikes, she let out a happy laugh. Joy beamed from her warty face. The kind that only necrotic creep could bring. Cave living had grown stale, and it was such a blessing that her sisters finally agreed to release a blight on the land. This wasn’t just a passing scourge. It was wicked enough to bring heroes calling. She co...

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“Ashes of Indecisive Customers” by Robin Owens

Submitted to Contest #194

“Ahh Sweetheart, let me look at you,” says Gran. I release Gran from my embrace, the scent of her rose soap lingering between us. I squeeze her shoulders. Her eyes smile at me with a bit of emptiness. Sweetheart she called me. She hasn’t called me Jen in a year. It’s been two months since I’ve seen her. My mom and my sister, Sam, have driven Gran to a small town that’s halfway between my house and theirs. Just some ladies meeting for a little antique hunting—or, as Gran would call it, shopping for modern treasures. None of us has the h...

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$250

Prize money

212

Contest entries

118

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 21, 2023 EST

Won by RJ Holmquist 🏆

Title: The Idiom Archipelago

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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