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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#208: Come On Barbie, Let's Go Party

The wait is finally over: today Greta Gerwig’s Barbie(™) movie hits theaters and I, for one, couldn’t be more excited! Blonde and big-busted, this by-now classic doll has often been associated with negative stereotypes of womanhood. But it’s also true that, when you played with Barbie as a child, she could be anything you liked: a firefighter, a flight attendant, a teacher, or even an astronaut (Barbie went to space 4 years before Armstrong did). The possibilities were endless, allowing young people to envision new futures for themselves.

This week’s prompts take inspiration from Barbie and her pink, plastic world, asking you to play with the idea of puppetry, childhood memories, and shiny surfaces that hide potential darkness.

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone living vicariously through someone else.

Character – 32 stories

Write a story where the characters start to realize that they are, in fact, just characters.

Character – 49 stories

Write a story about a character who finds a childhood toy that brings back memories.

Character – 70 stories

Write a story about someone who is constantly being put into a box by others.

Angst – 40 stories

Set your story in a rosy-pink world where everything is rainbows and unicorns… until it isn’t.

Dramatic – 47 stories

Stories

“One day at a Time” by Sam Lambe

Submitted to Contest #208

It was a Saturday, and a few weeks before his 40th birthday that Laurent Wilson stared out of the dirty window that overlooked his back garden. The weeds were overgrown, to the point that it was impossible to see the grass beneath. Dark grey clouds threatened to burst. He hadn’t been out in the garden in quite some time – always excusing himself from fixing the abomination which it had become by complaining about it being either too hot or too cold. When Laurent and his wife Elizabeth had moved into the house on Partick Crescent the garden h...

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“Take Me Out of This Ballgame” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #208

Three curious teenagers sit on a hill above the baseball field watching Jovanny “Jumbo” Rotelli lumber around the bases. “It’s ninety-eight degrees and he’s been running wind sprints for the past half hour,” Aiden Burke comments. “When we beat Jumbo’s team, Mr. Rotelli is going to wonder why his son was gassed after three innings.” Pushing her glasses up off the end of her nose, Polly Progreski gives Aiden a challenging look. “You’re so sure you’re going to win?” the gangly brunette asks. “Two years ago, we beat the Bison’s 12-3 for the ...

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“Lilee” by Robin M

Submitted to Contest #208

God damn she really can pull off those gold aviator glasses. I mean, who do you know that can pull off blue light gold aviator glasses without looking, I don’t know, strange?! A bit out of place? I have to admit, it’s pretty badass. Like, I kind of want to be her friend. Not necessarily to know all about her but to have her listen to me. Is that odd? Lilee is often the quietest one in the room. They say those are the ones you should look out for. It’s the talkative ones that leave it all out there, but the quiet ones… they observ...

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“Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Sav Lightwood

Submitted to Contest #208

Outside, the inky cloak of nightfall. A starless night cradled a city of muted steel, bathed in the glow of sterile streetlights and the whirr of infrequent cars. Inside, however, was a different realm entirely. Like the peak of dawn, the tavern was ardent with activity, alive with hearty cheer and the glow of warm firelight. Ale and lager flowed vivaciously on tap, the odd scent of scrumptious pub food and excited patrons dissipated into the high, crystal-crusted ceiling. Bustling backpacks. Clinking coins. No matter what time of day, the...

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“The Vicari-ers” by Ryan Nix

Submitted to Contest #208

"Press the red circle at the bottom of the screen and begin speaking clearly into… oh it’s on, uhm, alright, I guess this is my first log entry in service of Vicari… Vicariant #75139, dated Monday October 9th at 6:15 PM. I acknowledge that I am under no circumstances to contact Vicariant #75139 and furthermore I am to remain inconspicuous yet observant throughout the duration of my conscripted service. I further pledge to follow all instructions provided and complete all assigned tasks in support of Vicariant #75139’s success. Thus concludes...

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“The spear” by Lyle Closs

Submitted to Contest #208

Tory grabbed the newspaper and crushed it, threw it in the fire. Her father’s murder had not even been mentioned. The reporter had asked lots of questions and scribbled in his notebook. The photographer had taken lots of pics lit by the brilliant flash that strobed the rough walls of the cellar. She counted the flashes. Counting things helped keep the bad thoughts at bay. The tenth flash was much stronger than the others. It seemed to light up the night, almost as if the house was not there above them, that the sky stared down into the d...

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“Ayeba the Huntress Retires” by Kristin Johnson

Submitted to Contest #208

Fictional characters never retire. Ayeba the Huntress, twenty, glared at the unfamiliar blue room in which sweet soothing music played and blossoms filled the air with their scent. She fitted an arrow, carved from hartwood, polished with a nine days’ finish, to her bow. “Where am I?” This did not look like the rolling meadows of her home planet, Or’yan. Or the metal machine-domes that displaced swaths of trees from her jungle home. These machine-domes, with people that crawled in and out like bees or ants, all carrying their metal...

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“Enchanted Awakenings” by Carolyn Carter

Submitted to Contest #208

Years ago there existed a charming town surrounded by enchanted mountains and glistening springs ; where stardust floated in the air at night in tune with their celestial harmony. Everything was tinged with a delicate shade of pink, from the pastel-hued buildings to the cotton candy skies that adorned the horizon. The villagers lived contentedly in their rose-tinted existence, unaware of the extraordinary secret that lay concealed beneath the surface.Among them were three friends: Samantha, a whimsical artist who saw beauty in every stroke o...

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“Secrets” by LaSady Heiner

Submitted to Contest #208

It started when Marin died. At first it was a regular day, but soon things began to change. I noticed things slipping in and out of the shadows, people's faces being blurry even if I looked them straight on, having the feeling that even though I was walking, I wasn't actually there. Obviously, I dismissed it. Who wouldn't? I was probably sick or just imagining things. Then it happened. One could say it was just coincidence, but the fact that the day had been strange didn't help. And then the way he died? Nobody just gets stabbed in a flip...

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“Frank” by P.F.S Pardoe

Submitted to Contest #208

Frank sat at his cluttered desk at work like he did every morning, the computer screen displaying endless spreadsheets full of meaningless numbers that served no purpose other than to appease his micromanaging boss. Frank yawned widely and wiped the crusty remnants of sleep from his bleary eyes. He grabbed his chipped coffee mug, the faded lettering dubbing him the "World's Best Boss" though he felt anything but. With a weary groan, he pushed back his creaky office chair and shambled toward the kitchen for his morning caffeine fix.The harsh ...

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“Verbal Volley of the Dolls” by Vesta Bartholomew

Submitted to Contest #208

"Cou - gar !! Cou - gar !! Cougar, Cougar, Cougar !!," was the taunt being hurled in the Clifton Park Wal - Mart toy section at 5 AM. " Bratty Bratz, my boyfriend Ken Carson is only two years younger than me, " said Barbie the Movie doll. Campfire Felicia Bratz replied, "You and Ken are in your sixties - old enough to collect Social Security !! Besides, he's not your boyfriend. You broke up in 2004 when I was only one." Barbie shot back, "I may be a Cougar, but I ...

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“ Jester” by Deepshikha Luthra

Submitted to Contest #208

Jester The stage was set for tonight. The gaudy, red and yellow canvas of big top beaming from outside. It was a full house. The crowd thronged the hippodrome as they perched on their seats. Mr. Jack, the Stardust circus owner had pushed the envelope this time. Everything from the lightings to the props were exclusively designed using the finest of the materials. Dave was getting dressed backstage having his face and neck painted white, leaving none of his underlying natural skin visible. It was not only a big night for the Stardust company ...

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“Choose your character change your life. ” by Lize-Mari De Bod

Submitted to Contest #208

The ballroom is bustling full of life. The commotion is joyful as everyone parades and shows off their costumes. Laughter and violins fill the air. Everyone looks so mysterious yet also so confident and bold in the identity they have chosen. Fairies, Princesses, Knights, Rabbits, colourful birds and some without being something in specific just has an elaborate mask in colourful clothes. From the corner of the room the servants see it all. If they put down our trays of champagne we could blend in too as well. The servants wear suits wi...

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“Exit Stage Write” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #208

Travis entered the drawing room just as the conversation fell towards silence.“Here he is!” bellowed Jock jovially.“Here he is indeed,” echoed Sean in a melancholy monotone.“What is occurring my good friends?” Travis asked as he brandished his hands and rubbed them together in a business-like manner.“We were just saying…” began Jock.“I’d rather you did not say,” interjected Sean.Travis perched on an arm of the sofa next to the seated Sean. Sean leant away from Travis, unhappy with his proximity. This was an intrusion of sorts. Sean found Tra...

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“The Obituary” by Mo Sage

Submitted to Contest #208

The Obituary By Mo Sage City Herald Offices 76th Floor _____________________ | | (( Head Editor Ernest Godfrey )) |____________________| When his promotion had been announced, Ernest had intercepted the original plaque order request. Altering the font to be one-half size larger. The difference was almost imperceptible, but when he noted the immediate hesitancy by others to knock on his door, he liked to attribute it to this. Ernest’s ascent in the Herald was compared only ...

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$250

Prize money

238

Contest entries

85

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 28, 2023 EST

Won by Ian Gonzales 🏆

Title: That All Important First Scene

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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