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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

“THE INEVITABLE ENDING” by Lily Finch

Submitted to Contest #208

“Me, I’m busting out of this joining tonight. This world and my life stay the same all the time, and I never seem to get anywhere for very long,” declared Jaden.“Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m always the bad guy, and everyone loves to hate me,” Wade stated. “Maybe we could boost a car together at Ol’ Man Haggart’s junkyard! Something that he would never miss that we could work on, on the down low,” Jaden thought. But he knew that would never happen. Their situation was dire. They were caught in an unforgiving loop. Wade, Jaden kn...

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“Don't Mean Nuthin'” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #208

Don't Mean Nuthin*Tribute to Unsung Heroes: the Veterans of Vietnam War Thanks for your service.(* Coined by G.I.’s in Vietnam. A reverse coping expression indicating that it means everything and I’m about to lose it. Usually used to dismiss witnessing or experiencing something so horrific that it can’t be comprehended by the psyche. Alternately used as an expression of relief that one has avoided being killed even if they are injured or maimed.)The fighting man of action opened his eyes. And saw nothing. What's happening?“Why can't I see?” ...

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“Booba at Barbenheimer” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #208

Booba looked down on the ridiculous blue planet below. He had parked The Hand Of God on the far side of their moon and was keeping a low profile until he decided what to do. The persistent ache in his 7th knee was bothering him, and this planet's resemblance to the one responsible for flinging the antimatter torpedo at his starship during the Battle of Lookai intensified that ache.He knew this world wasn't capable of tossing anything like that at his ship. So, it was safe to linger. He should probably be doing more important things, but mayb...

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“American Bread” by Sophia Gavasheli

Submitted to Contest #208

When I immigrated to America, the thing I hated most about it was the bread. Or rather, the lack of good bread. Stores only sold sandwich bread, pumped full of preservatives, added sugars, and artificial flavoring. What I wouldn't have given for a hot slice of Georgian tonis puri on my waitressing shifts at the 16th Street Diner. As I served customers their meals in plastic baskets lined with checkered paper, wiped down the cracked formica tables, or swept potato chips off the floor, I would fantasize about a crispy, slightly salty, yea...

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“Dreams of the Father” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #208

Dreams of the Father“It is a wise man who knows his own son.” - William Shakespeare, Merchant of VeniceIt was one of the first things imprinted in Charlie’s mind as a child, an integral part of the foundation of his memory and a guidepost for the path to be followed…followed, not blazed. The picture that hung above the desk in his father’s stu...

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“Dad's Doll” by Aimée Thomas

Submitted to Contest #208

“Stella! For the love of God, girl. How many times do I have to tell you to get the boxes from the attic? We promised your uncle that we would donate your old toys and clothes to his charity.” Stella glares at the stairs leading downstairs and mutters, “I never promised that. And why does it have to be my stuff? Why not Dustin’s?” “I heard that, young lady.” “Well, then, why aren’t we donating some of Dustin’s stuff?” “Your brother wants to give his old toys to the baby. You know that.” “So, what? My stuff isn’t good enough to be handed ...

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“The Final Petition of the Beast” by Harmonious Pierce

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #208

I trust that your patience and historically-proven aptitude for distilling the truth of events from the muddled fog of contentious viewpoints will inhibit you from leaping to a firm and resolute condemnation of my actions until you hear me out to the full. Let us see if I cannot, in time, convince you of my benevolence by offering another perspective on the events which preceded my downfall and which led me to assume this sorrowful state in which you now observe me, a perspective which, I hasten to warn you, runs contrary on many points to t...

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“The Ugly Toy” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #208

Ugh I’m an ugly toy. There’s not much else I can say. It’s just stating the obvious. Some come out as pretty toys. Some come out as adventurous. Some come out loving and cuddly. They’re the worst ones. I came out ugly. And not ugly, as in the little ugly duckling way. It doesn’t get any better for me. No life altering, self-help guru I am what I am and we’re all beautiful in our own way type of ugly. I’m just ugly. Like I hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down. That’s ugly. The people at the factory were not sure what had ha...

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“A DRAWN OUT AFFAIR” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #208

*** Content Warning: Sexual/Adult situations **** * *It was the shank of the evening. A majority of the neighborhood had called it a day. The moon, nearly full, cast a warm glow over the small, sleepy town. On a manicured lawn sat an old Victorian home with wrap-around porch. A tattered black ribbon adorned the front door. The artist who lived there had spent as little time as possible in the main house since the funeral. He preferred to be in the studio nestled in the woods behind the home.A single ...

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“"Isn't this lovely?"” by Jessie Laverton

Submitted to Contest #208

The blood trickled down from my knee, in a dark red line, towards the top of my sock. It was about 1987, so it was a high lacey sock, pulled up nearly to the top of my shin. Instead of pushing the sock down to safety, I stared as the blood ran towards the white cotton. Then I looked up to find you. You were blurred through my tears, sitting on a bench on the other side of the playground, very far away beyond the roundabout and the seesaw. I bravely made my way towards you.“What is it, dear?” you said as I approached.My sister was sitting nex...

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“Maths Land” by Chris Bullivant

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #208

Maths Land Tariq opened his eyes and looked at his alarm clock. The time was 7:15. He had fallen asleep at 22:05. He noticed things like that. Everyone in Maths Land noticed things like that. Breakfast consisted of half a grapefruit each for his mum, his dad and his sister. He hated grapefruit. Mum had bought them yesterday at a 20% discount. She had also had twelve apples in one bag and fourteen oranges in another and spent some minutes checking that they weighed the same. Tariq walked to school following streets which led in suspiciously p...

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“Fred” by Ty Warmbrodt

Submitted to Contest #208

On the brink of adolescence, I made the decision to part ways with the things that represented my childhood. Not because I wanted to, but frankly it was because I did not want to be teased and ridiculed. I was a collector. By collector I mean hoarder of all things childish – toys, books, music. I believed that all toys, even my pillows and blankets, had emotions. To discard them, give them away, or not play with them would hurt their feelings. But the day came to put aside childish things and thoughts and continue along the path to adulthood...

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“Existential Ink” by Wilbur Greene

Submitted to Contest #208

In the quiet town of Belmont, life tended to move at its own, unhurried pace. Main Street, lined with family-owned businesses, bore silent testimony to the passage of time. The town's calendar revolved around the school games, Sunday church services, and seasonal festivities. It was a life untouched by the capriciousness of the big cities, one that thrived on routine and familiarity. At the heart of this tranquil normality were four lifelong friends - Mark, an affable mechanic who ran the local garage, Lucy, the spirited school teacher, Pe...

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“Writer's Block” by Futurama Delivery

Submitted to Contest #208

Barbara, a gifted storyteller, called the picturesque town of Highink her home. Nestled among rolling hills and lush forests, the town boasted towering trees that seemed to whisper tales of a bygone era. From the depths of her creative abyss, Barbara conjured characters, breathing life into seemingly lifeless words on her journal's pages.Highink's citizens were captivated by her grand tales, immersing themselves in the enchanting worlds she wove. However, even this master storyteller grappled with a formidable foe familiar to many writers: w...

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“The Talisman” by Cecilia Englishby

Submitted to Contest #208

The sun shone with wholesome radiance over the Royal Gardens. In the east, a glade of Weeping Willows hugging a lake greeted the light with shimmering shades of dark and emerald green. Towards the north, flower beds blossomed vibrantly with purple Violas, butter-yellow Sunflowers, scarlet Bee Balms, purple Lavender and a grand assortment of Roses. Facing west, apples glimmered with sparkling flashes of ruby as dewdrops clung stubbornly to their crimson skin. Finally, to the South; a wild garden of Birch and Ash shaded all manner of creatur...

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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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