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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#20: Quite the Character

Between 1887 and 1927, Sherlock Holmes appeared in a total of four novels and 56 short stories penned by Arthur Conan Doyle. Since then, the stories have been adapted countless times, earning Holmes a Guinness World Record for "most portrayed movie character." And while Doyle's mysteries were widely lauded, it was the character of Holmes that had readers coming back time and again.

This week, your challenge is to write a story that highlights a single character. The premise is up to you — just give us some small understanding of this character by the end of the story.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character who starts out as a pessimist and ends as an optimist. (Or vice versa.)

Character – 46 stories

Write a story about a character experiencing anxiety.

Character – 83 stories

Write a story about a character who would be described above all else as "logical."

Character – 31 stories

Write a story about a day in the life of a mother.

Narrative – 55 stories

Write a story about a character experiencing independence for the first time.

Teens – 59 stories

Stories

“Fighter” by Randi W

Submitted to Contest #20

Her hand twitched nervously towards the phone as it rung over and over; Jane’s heart pounded furiously against her ribcage. Her palms became clammy, ‘Please hang up, please hang up…I can’t do this!” thought Jane nervously as she rocked back and forth on the couch. She stared at the phone as the caller waited for her to pick up, however, she didn’t recognize the number. Jane felt helpless, trapped and fearful. Who could be calling her? It couldn’t possibly be him…could it? Final...

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“What's in a Name?” by Patsy Shepherd

Submitted to Contest #20

When Mummy started setting up her easel in the kitchen, two rooms away, it was safe for me to move carefully off the couch in the playroom, where I’d been told to settle (and to be quiet), to the doorway. From there, I could see through the dining room into the kitchen and could watch Mummy as she painted.I called her “Mummy,” but she wasn’t really my mother. My real mother lived far away and I only saw her for one month in the summer and then a week at Christmas or one at Easter. I called her “Mommy” and tried to make the two names sound di...

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“The Pohutukawa Tree ” by Carol Coupland

Submitted to Contest #20

The sun was glistening on the water as the taxi drove over the harbour bridge. The yachts had their sails set with the spinnakers ballooning by the wind at full speed. No it was not for Gerard Bradshaw. He hated the ocean. He hated the water and everything about the city. It was a nightmare to think that he had lived there most of his life and now he never felt welcomed to be in the place he had once called home. ‘It’s a great day to be out on the water don’t you think?’ Rex always liked to make som...

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“Independence” by Michele Duess

Submitted to Contest #20

Small things. They’re often the beginning of some great occurrences. For example, someone realizes a milkmaid sick with cowpox won’t get smallpox. A man notices mold in a petri dish is killing bacteria. A woman refuses one day to sit in the back of the bus. They cause an avalanche into the world or into your beliefs. In Sebastian’s case it was a bad hard drive. I interviewed him in my office. I explained we were recording. Sebastian stood looking at my M.C. Escher drawings on my wall. He seemed to be both puzzled and fasci...

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“The Blindfold ” by Sannaan Ali

Submitted to Contest #20

" The Blindfold "28 Nov 2020. House no.136 I woke up at 6:00 in the morning and put up my blindfold. Stretching my arms, I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth,took a shower and got ready for work. I left my house house at 7:00 am with a loaf of bread in my hand cause I was getting late for work. Outside my house there was a beggar, poor shivering beggar, lying t...

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“UDAKU” by Gimbiya Galadima

Submitted to Contest #20

UDAKUOFUYou took off your clothes slowly, then looked up at the large wall mirror in front of you. It was an act to marvel at your young body, but as usual it ended badly. You felt the arms that you would have preferred better if they were thin. Then your eyes swept a glance over the scars you created beautifully with your razor blade. Mum didn't know, the long sleeved dresses you wore hid your marks from her prying eyes and sharp mouth. You felt your chest, too flat in your opinion for a big girl. The worst parts of your body were those mar...

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“Full House” by Lacey Cohen

Submitted to Contest #20

My mom’s been re-married for a little over a year now. Steven was his name, but we called him Steve because we knew he didn’t like that. It’s not that we sided with my dad in the divorce or anything, it’s just that it felt like he gave us a little more time to adjust while our mom just went right ahead and married some guy not even six months after the separation was finalized. Not to mention the fact that Steve was pretty annoying towards us; he tried way too hard to cultivate a relationship right off the bat. So when my mom noticed that my...

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“Home” by Jess Wood

Submitted to Contest #20

Even though I had walked the route a hundred times before, the blinding force of the snow storm made me question each step. ‘You should just apply. They’d be lucky to have you, there’s no way they’d turn you down!’ Ellie fought to be heard over the storm. The dislocated quality of her voice was disconcerting, emerging - muffled - from beneath layers of knitted insulation. ‘There’s no way they would want me!’ I yelled back, almost laughing at the extent of her naivety. ‘Besides, I’m not even sure that’s really what I want to do.’Ellie frowned...

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“The Logical Option” by Barbara Eustace

Submitted to Contest #20

Well, look at the mess you’ve made of things, all because you made the wrong choices. And you call yourself the logical one. Well, let’s see you dig yourself out of this one. Let’s rewind, shall we? Let’s go back to the beginning, and I’ll explain why the choices you made were the wrong ones.Okay. It started, how many years ago? Yes, that’s right, four years ago. Your friend, Patti, was going out with Andrew, who was a bit of a lad, a bit of a dish. They were going out for dinner and his brother, a sol...

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“Excitement Gone Awry” by Ashhab Ibrahim

Submitted to Contest #20

It felt like everything I had been working up to this point had collapsed in on itself in a fiery ball of disarray. Months earlier, I had been allowed a gift from my parents for my 8th-grade valedictorian. This reward had initially caught me by surprise, considering my parents held economical and self-effacing values as long as I had been alive. However, in their words, “long term achievements of consistency and hard work call for celebration and reward.” We had already gone out for dinner the night of 8th-grade promotion, peculiar compared ...

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“PERSEVERANCE PAYS” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #20

Dr. Kandasaami was travelling to Paalayankottai with six boys. Another teacher, Lopamudra, was escorting four girls. All students were in the range of 5 to 10 years of age. It was one of their routine annual features. The number of boys and girls might vary year to year. But their visit to various jails in the state was a routine affair. During the journey itself, he guided them on what they should speak. Very little time would be given for conversation between the parent and the child. Every minute being precious should be spent on telling ...

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“Heading Home” by Brianna Dady

Submitted to Contest #20

Laura’s morning began as they always did, a nurse quietly stealing herself into the room. Poor Grace always tried to stay quiet when she brought in Laura’s breakfast, but Laura was a particularly light sleeper. Not wanting to hurt the poor girl’s feelings Laura would feign sleep until Grace gently shook her. Some days it took longer than others and Laura would have nothing better to do than lie there with her thoughts. She thought too much she’d muse to herself, proving the very theory such a thought posited. “Mrs. Vitcavage?” Finally ...

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“The Ledge By Michael P Guido” by Michael Guido

Submitted to Contest #20

The Ledge By Michael P. Guido Prompt: Pessimism to Optimism Rain trickles down my sullen face. It’s hard to tell which droplets are rain and which are tears. I look up to the heavens. The golden gates are just behind the dark, gloomy clouds, and today… it seems there will be no silver lining on this cloud. My hand is spidering with veins as it’s wrapped tightly around the light-colored concrete post. I don’t want to let go. I don’t want to give up. I don’t want to die, please, God, I’m too young to die now… I’m answered by a thunderin...

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“All In Your Head” by Briana Moncayo

Submitted to Contest #20

A flashing light came from my phone, signaling a notification, "Party for Kenny's birthday!" I smiled snoozing my reminder of my friend's birthday party. I walked up the stairs of my house, heading into my room. My parents were working late while my sister was doing her homework. "Hey, I'm going to head out, I'll be home before midnight." I let my sister know as she passed by my door. I got changed out of my work clothes and headed into my bathroom to shower. I stopped in my tracks looking at myself in the mirror. "Dark red stretch marks, lo...

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“yesterday ended last night” by Katherine L

Submitted to Contest #20

"Mommy, I'm hungry!""Mommy" sighs. Wiping hands smudged with pencil lead on worn jeans, she glances into the hallway for her toddler. Alissa looks fine for now, she thinks with a quick glance at the clock. But it is time for a diaper change and a meal. So "Mommy" stands up, reaching over for a diaper on the bed next to her."Alissa, diaper!" she calls. A part of her stoic expression cracks a bit, revealing something warm inside as she hears her daughter begin to bemoan about her seething hatred for diaper-changing. But at last, she sees a sma...

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$50

Prize money

274

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 20, 2019 EST

Won by Amy St. Pierre 🏆

Title: At Home

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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