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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#207: Behind the Scenes

People usually bring their A-game when they know they’re being observed — but they’re often at their most interesting when they think no one’s watching. There’s a reason we’re all so intrigued by “behind the scenes” content, whether it’s about a celebrity we love, or an industry we find fascinating; getting to see all the work that goes into making something happen, especially when it looks effortless to the untrained eye.

With this week’s prompts, we’re lifting the curtain and going backstage. Whether we’re following a character who’s getting a break from the effort of performance, or exploring an industry where most of the action happens behind the scenes, let’s see what happens when we finally call “cut”.

PS — If you’re curious about the “behind the scenes” of Prompts, we’d love to have you! Get your own backstage pass by applying to be one of our volunteer judges.

🥇 Winner

“Speed Fate” by Derrick M Domican

🏆 Winner of Contest #207

To: Buck TuckerFrom: Speed Fate Team Date: 19th July, 2023, 12:47Subject: Your Speed Fate InputHi Buck! Thanks for taking part in the recent Speed Fate speed dating event and submitting your feedback! We hope you enjoyed the evening! Please find below a copy of the comments you left for each of your dates. You will receive feedback submitted about you in a separate mail. Should any of those you said “Yes!” to also say “Yes!” to you, we will forward each of you a copy of your contact information so you can get in touch.The very best of l...

133 comments 133

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Bigfoot Bouillabaisse” by Joshua Copus - Oxland

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

Sweat stuck to Sue. It stuck to her smooth skin, her hair, her toque, her whites, her apron, everything. Her sweat intermingled with that of her fellow chefs, humans like her and monsters alike. The odours of wet fur, ripe fruit, almonds and petrichor emanated from the canidens and the bigfeet. Mixed with the sizzling of steak, peppers and hot oil in the pan, broiling onions and stew in the pots, and the baked aromas of cheese and pastry wafting from the ovens, it filled the kitchen with a musky miasma.Sue loved it. It sucked to feel like a ...

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“The Bottom Line” by Sue Hunter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

CW: The story includes elements of child harm and child death. A brief sentence alludes to predatory acts on a child but was kept as brief as possible. The first word that came out of your one-year-old mouth was ‘cut’, though it probably sounded more like ‘cuh’ to the production staff around you. Daddy liked to yell it to his small studio, and you echoed him as a black and white board was slammed together in front of a camera. Your daddy leaped from his chair when he noticed y...

Read story

“A Child Lost in the Shuffle” by Grace Anderson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

The Silver Serpent is far from the glitz and glamour of a typical casino and that’s precisely what its patrons prefer. Stale beer and spilt cocktails stain the worn-out carpet, giving it a patina that is more grit than grandeur. Fluorescent lights flicker intermittently, casting a cold glow over the battered slot machines and chipped roulette wheels. Amongst the cacophony, nestled through the maze of dingy gambling tables, a Friday night poker game has ensnared the attention of every soul in the room. A ring of onlookers forms a human barric...

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“Dressed in Pink Seeing Red” by Kelita Sim

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

The house at the end of Beverley is enthroned with pink blossom trees. From the outside alone, a pale bricked driveway swept clean, I can tell this household likes to keep everything in order. Spring shivers through the branches as I bring my own ride, an ergonomic budget-friendly hatchback, to a stop. I wonder, gazing through the window if the party’ll be hosted outside.Spring is my favourite season, but sadly, it’s incredibly temperamental. I have vivid memories of enduring outdoor functions whereby all four seasons fought for centre stage...

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This week's prompts

Set your story on a film or TV set, starting with someone calling “Cut!”

Dialogue – 46 stories

Write about a person who constantly has to put on a persona (e.g. at work, in their relationships, etc.) who can finally drop the facade.

Character – 81 stories

A journalist has been granted permission to visit the premises of a lab carrying out top-secret work. They could never have anticipated what they’d find…

Science Fiction – 38 stories

Write a story about a magician who never reveals their secrets — until now.

Character – 31 stories

Set your story in the kitchen of a bustling restaurant.

Fiction – 39 stories

Stories

“Speed Fate” by Derrick M Domican

🏆 Winner of Contest #207

To: Buck TuckerFrom: Speed Fate Team Date: 19th July, 2023, 12:47Subject: Your Speed Fate InputHi Buck! Thanks for taking part in the recent Speed Fate speed dating event and submitting your feedback! We hope you enjoyed the evening! Please find below a copy of the comments you left for each of your dates. You will receive feedback submitted about you in a separate mail. Should any of those you said “Yes!” to also say “Yes!” to you, we will forward each of you a copy of your contact information so you can get in touch.The very best of l...

133 comments 133

Read story

“Hunting with Hyenas” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #207

Uncapping the large plastic bottle labelled Liquid Sugar, Jezebel deliberately twisted her wrist just inches above her chest, gripping the container tightly in her hand. As the sticky, clear fluid dripped down her torso, she made eye contact with the suited man in the front row before examining the rest of the room. The dim lights highlighted the thick cigar smoke wafting through the air, making Jezebel resist the instinctual urge to rub her eyes. She hated smoking almost as much as she hated drinking. “Pour some sugar on me. Ooh, in th...

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“Last Flight of the Magnificent Pratt” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #207

When Walter Pratt saw the red envelope in his mailbox, he knew he had finally won. After forty miserable years, he had struck a fatal blow against the New East Carborough Society of Magicians, Illusionists, and Practitioners.His first clue was when their lawyers stopped calling. Well, he disconnected his phone, but that was beside the point. His second clue was when Harold came by with a “final warning”. Harold, in his five-figure suit and dollar store smile.“Please, Wally, reconsider. Whatever your beef with the Society is, there’s a proper...

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“The Times In Between” by Robert Lee

Submitted to Contest #207

I wake up and slide out of bed. I’m careful not to wake her as I tiptoe out of the room. I shut the door behind me.I’ve been doing this for years. She tells all of her friends how considerate I am. I smile and say something like, “I’ll try not to hurt my arm patting myself on the back.” Everyone laughs; they always laugh. Humor has become my job, my responsibility. I wonder what she would think if she knew that I sneak out of our bedroom so I can be by myself. Would she brag to her friends if she knew the truth? In my defense, it's...

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“Red Rum” by Oskar Reiss

Submitted to Contest #207

‘Cut!’ Leonard shouted, snapping the movie slate shut, dizzy with the relief that comes after the end of a shoot. ‘Thanks so much, Francis, you’re good to go.’ ‘No, thank you, Lenny,’ Francis Keaton replied, shaking Leonard’s hand. ‘I hope we meet again.’ ‘Me too. Good luck with your Nespresso adverts. Where’s Liliana?’ Leonard called out to Travis, who shrugged his shoulders. ‘Travis, you reek of whiskey.’ ‘It’s called method acting. I had to do it all the time for Streetcar.’ ‘Ah! There you are!’ Liliana Hoyt, who ...

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“The Onion” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #207

The mayonnaise has not been made.As the onion contemplates how long it will be until someone notices that the mayonnaise has not been made, it sees Chef Doyle trying not to cry.Chef Doyle does not cry at work. In general, Chef Doyle does not cry at all, but the onion has no way of knowing that. We only know what the onion knows, and the onion knows that, for the most part, crying at work is frowned upon. The onion also knows that crying in a busy kitchen on a Saturday night is not helpful when the tickets are already piling up and the weeds ...

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“Coconut Octopus” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #207

“Octopuses?” Thomas spluttered. The girl smiled. “Popular misconception. Logically, the plural is octopodes. Although publicly it’s still octopuses.” He rubbed the back of his head. Try to unearth the biggest scientific secret of the century, and all you end up with is a headache and a lesson in octopus plurals. “Come with me, our secret is in here.” She was laughing at him?He followed her through a wide door and into a glaring white chamber. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light he noticed boxes of blue and other bright colours dotting t...

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“Letting It Go” by Michelle Oliver

Submitted to Contest #207

NowShe stands before the mirror, staring blankly at the reflection of a woman she has never met. With trembling hands, she unclips the silver hoops from her ears and places them carefully in the jewelry box. The matching necklace is next. It slithers from her neck and crumples into a pile of links in her palm. She pours the chain into the box. Her rings follow. She wrestles each one over the knuckle and drops them all beside the chain. The jewelry belongs to someone else, a different woman, and she is happy to shed that woman, like...

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“Me, Myself And I Mayhem” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #207

Me, Myself and I Mayhem I am a facade. I am pretending to be something I am not. Look at me, posing as something I will probable never become. I continue to put on a show believing others believe in me. How can I believe I can accomplish what I can not do? I go through all the right motions putting on the charade. I create a semblance of what I think I could be but I must face the truth sometime. It is all only window dressing to pose the masquerade. It's a simple guise to hide the lies. Am I hurting anyone by putting on this pretext? Wha...

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“The Eyes Have It” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #207

TW-teenage relationship abuseEva found her seat and waited for Annie Mae to show up. She read through the instruction sheet at her table and pulled her wool sweater around her shoulders to help fight the bitter January cold. Annie Mae arrived, Allen in tow. His fingers laced with hers as tight as a corset. He offered Eva a smile before shoving his tongue down his girlfriend’s throat. Eva’s eyes flitted to the drying rack, the whiteboard, Ms. Wilson, hoping something would call attention to the awkwardness. “I love you,” declared Annie Mae. S...

Read story

“Bigfoot Bouillabaisse” by Joshua Copus - Oxland

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

Sweat stuck to Sue. It stuck to her smooth skin, her hair, her toque, her whites, her apron, everything. Her sweat intermingled with that of her fellow chefs, humans like her and monsters alike. The odours of wet fur, ripe fruit, almonds and petrichor emanated from the canidens and the bigfeet. Mixed with the sizzling of steak, peppers and hot oil in the pan, broiling onions and stew in the pots, and the baked aromas of cheese and pastry wafting from the ovens, it filled the kitchen with a musky miasma.Sue loved it. It sucked to feel like a ...

Read story

“The Millicent Boone Method for Ending a Bad Romance” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #207

Millicent sat across from the interviewer, relaxed and confident. A man pointed a finger at the interviewer. Five cameras softly whirred into action. “We’re here today with Millicent Boone, best-selling author of the self-help book, Ending a Bad Romance. In this book, Millicent takes us, step by step, through the process of getting out of a bad relationship. So, Millicent, can you expand on this a little more?” “Certainly. But we have to understand where we’re going before we know how to begin. That is, we must consider the endgame. To achie...

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“A Child Lost in the Shuffle” by Grace Anderson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

The Silver Serpent is far from the glitz and glamour of a typical casino and that’s precisely what its patrons prefer. Stale beer and spilt cocktails stain the worn-out carpet, giving it a patina that is more grit than grandeur. Fluorescent lights flicker intermittently, casting a cold glow over the battered slot machines and chipped roulette wheels. Amongst the cacophony, nestled through the maze of dingy gambling tables, a Friday night poker game has ensnared the attention of every soul in the room. A ring of onlookers forms a human barric...

Read story

“When A Lie Becomes Truth” by Antonio Jimenez

Submitted to Contest #207

When a lie becomes indistinguishable from the truth, is it really a lie? The lone man walked slowly down the snow-covered sidewalk, collar flipped up in a vain attempt to shield his neck and face from the blustering wind, hands stuffed in his pockets in a slightly more successful attempt to keep his fingers from freezing. The falling flakes were visible in the light cast by the street lamps placed at regular intervals along the road. They seemed to be lighting his path and his alone, not a soul was in sight. The usually bustling ci...

Read story

“The Bottom Line” by Sue Hunter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

CW: The story includes elements of child harm and child death. A brief sentence alludes to predatory acts on a child but was kept as brief as possible. The first word that came out of your one-year-old mouth was ‘cut’, though it probably sounded more like ‘cuh’ to the production staff around you. Daddy liked to yell it to his small studio, and you echoed him as a black and white board was slammed together in front of a camera. Your daddy leaped from his chair when he noticed y...

Read story

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$250

Prize money

235

Contest entries

96

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 21, 2023 EST

Won by Derrick M Domican 🏆

Title: Speed Fate

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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