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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

“Spoils of war” by Ananda Du Preez

Submitted to Contest #194

July 1945Colette sauntered through the living room with a bottle of champagne and crystal coupe clutched in one hand, her silk kimono pinched in the other. She had a vibration to her, a simple unequivocal self-assuredness she carried, which could usually only be accomplished by a wealthy widow on her fifth husband. She walked barefoot into the library, her kimono wafted with each stride towards the grand piano. The crystal clinked on the shiny black surface as she poured the champagne to the brim, then bent over to drink the overflow of...

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“Lodi” by Tommy Goround

Submitted to Contest #194

Trigger warning: this story has some elements that probably shouldn't be discussed in a church environment. There is definitely Gore if it is written correctly. Senior citizens with unnatural impulses. Corpses. There is also some sexuality about The Golden girls. It is a story about living and dying..##############There was a funny fellow in my residency at The John Mayo Clinic who had the terrible habit of misusing corpses. He was one of those recycling types of people – the ones who separate used tissue from unused tissue found in the rubb...

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“The Manicure” by Mackenzie Littledale

Submitted to Contest #194

In honor of the memory of dearly departed friends from Twitter’s writing community, Dawn Hosmer, Laila Doncaster, and Scott Bebe. I unlocked the front door and burst into the living room. “Laila!” I called out, barely acknowledging the tempting food aromas coming from the kitchen. “You can’t believe how this jerk almost hit me on the highway. Like he didn’t even see me.” “Hi, Mom!” She poked her head full of caramel-colored plaits around the corner. “Are you okay? I hope you like dinner.” The hightop counter was set with two plates of ...

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“A Blank Page” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #194

Heavenly eyes watch this human's stance,My soul meanders, seeking a chance.In aiding his journey, I'll find my way,To the luminous path of heaven's display.***Zack slammed shut his laptop in frustration, the backspace button worn down from hours of typing and deleting. His editor-in-chief had torn apart his recent works, leaving him in despair. To heighten his anxiety, something was clearly amiss with his radio. As if taunting his inability to write, Ramona's ballad "The Blank Page" resounded on a ceaseless loop. He switched off the radio, h...

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“Health Care Less” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #194

Jen opened her grandmother's screen door and stepped into the kitchen. Marie glanced up from her rocker between the stove and the window and continued crocheting. "'I'm not going." "Gran, please? You have to go for a checkup if you want to refill your pills. The ones for your blood pressure are important." "I haven't taken them for six months or more, so I guess I don't need them since I'm still here, doing what I do and feeling fine." "Gran, you said you had a headache last week, and that could be because your blood pressure is too hi...

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“THE COCKTAIL PARTY” by BRUCE MARTIN

Submitted to Contest #194

As luck would have it, the cocktail party brought together two masters of the English language. On the one hand, Arthur Lambert was a highly respected professor of English and creative writing. On the other hand, Tom Salinger was a well-known and celebrated author of short stories and novels.Professor Lambert approached the famed author and introduced himself.“Hello, Mr. Salinger. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to meet you. I’m a great fan of your writing. In fact, I use your writing in my graduate classes as a...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith ‘The Good’ ” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #194

An excited voice on the other end of the line was one I had heard many times before. No matter the vagueness of the threat, the process begins the same way. Someone did something that allowed a cyber threat to penetrate their system. My job is to neutralize the threat, repair or replace the data, and harden their network against future attacks. Monday morning started as so many others that came before it. After the panicked call from a large company in Hackensack, New Jersey, I called my assistant to make the travel arrangements. With...

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“They were 'roommates'” by Madison Olczak

Submitted to Contest #194

They were ‘roommates’ “So there’s this girl that’s wanting to rent the suite in the basement but she has a very specific condition.” My wife, Meghan, spoke from our bedroom. I was busy mindlessly brushing my teeth, rather focused on the stubbly hair growing on my chin instead of her. I just shaved it days ago yet here the annoyance was again. We’d been trying to rent our renovated basement suite for a while now but to no avail. Meghan was mostly in charge of handling all the applicants, I just put in my two-cents. But all we’ve had c...

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“Halford’s Helpful Hat” by Derrick M Domican

Submitted to Contest #194

I knew I was dying, I’ve known that for a while, but I didn’t think it was going to happen today, and I certainly didn’t think it would be at the hands of the woman who changed the course of my life but who I met for the first time just today. Being tazed and having your mouth stuffed full of thirty-seven year old wool and polyester doesn’t really give you time to make sense of things, but here I am, and there she is, and it’s slowly coming together in my brain. My limbs feel like jelly, my insides are twitching, my heart is trying to pound...

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“The Girl Who Returned” by Timothy Frazier

Submitted to Contest #194

I was told, once, I cannot remember by who, that the luckiest thing that could happen to us is to die old amongst family and friends. Whoever told me that was right. A long time ago, I was a high school senior with no plans for life after graduation, only a list of maybes and didn't-wants swirling in my head. Now, at two hundred and thirty-seven years old, I was the greatest hero this world had ever known. I've slain dragons, ruled a kingdom and faced the Unspeakable Evil. Who could say they've lived such a life? How many on earth cou...

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“Unwanted Chatterbox” by Sue Hunter

Submitted to Contest #194

Worn boots trudged through the fresh mud. It clung to the laces and wiggled its way into the hole near Barnaby’s left sole. He tried his best to ignore the raindrops striking at his face and tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Beads of water ran down his glasses. They returned seconds later, no matter how much he tried to swipe them away. He didn’t dare complain, though. His mother would scold him if she heard another peep out of his mouth. Barnaby could only grit his teeth, hoist his pack over his shoulder, and continu...

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“Lost in Celebration” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #194

𝐍𝐎𝐖Frank stands there, flustered and unsure of what to do next. The once joyous atmosphere has turned hostile, and he is the source of it all. The angry glares of those around him seem to pierce through his very being, and he is fully aware of the reason behind their aggression. But, rather than expressing contrition for his misdeed, he clings to his irritation.The cries of the young children echo in his ears, and he knows that he has caused them unnecessary pain. Nurain, the birthday girl, is shielded from the ugly scene that has unfolded. ...

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“Beyond the Fear: A Love Story of Hope and Survival” by Lauren Foster

Submitted to Contest #194

Michele's heart pounded relentlessly against her chest, her breath shallow as she stared at the gleaming linoleum floors. The sterile smell of disinfectant invaded her senses, reminding her of the last time she had been in this exact spot. Just over a year ago, she had first received the shattering news of her tumor. The thought that she might be back at square one was both frightening and infuriating. It felt as if the universe was playing a cruel, twisted joke on her. Despite the countless obstacles she had faced since her initial diagno...

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“A Pen, the Pen” by Darya Silman

Submitted to Contest #194

I'm writing about a pen. What a facile and dull piece of writing you are about to read, yet, caught in the trap of April sunlight and the emptiness of a classroom, I can't focus on anything else. The whiteness of a board, grey walls lacking home intimacy, and the filled papers that nurture the mind but not the spirit are too obscene to reflect on. To add myself as a storyteller to the general picture, I could describe my fingers that upheld the thousands of paltry pens in moments of their downfalls when words they had created turned into his...

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“The Thing About Eggs” by Gowner Jones

Submitted to Contest #194

“And so it happened that Jesus rose from the grave,” finished the priest. “How did he move the boulder?” Tim asked. The priest found the child in the crowd and looked at him. “What?” he said. “The boulder. There was a boulder, was there not?” “Why do you concern yourself with these trivialities, Tim?” the priest scowled. “Why is it trivial, if it is in the Bible?” “Well, God is almighty, is he not?” “That may be so, but the Bible says that Jesus was a human. He did not have the physical strength of God.” The priest was incensed with anger. 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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