Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#209: Road Trippin'

The open road is a beacon of possibility. Who knows what you’ll discover as you navigate across boundaries, familiar and unfamiliar: maybe it’s the world’s biggest ball of twine, a hidden gem of a diner, or a new truth about yourself. Whatever it may be, a road trip provides the opportunity to indulge your curiosity, going wherever the wind may blow you. There’s no limits or obstacles, only what you’re willing to do.

After all, road trips are hardly ever about the destination. The journey is what matters most, and what you discover along the way, whether you're taking a vacation or setting out into the unknown. This week, we want to explore those unique feelings that only a good, long road trip can conjure.

This week's prompts

Set your entire story in a car.

Dramatic – 96 stories

Write about two strangers who are both heading to the same destination and agree to do a long distance drive together.

Character – 32 stories

Write a story about someone going on a life-changing journey.

Adventure – 57 stories

Write a story about someone getting lost, but discovering something they didn’t expect along the way.

Dramatic – 35 stories

Start your story with someone walking into a gas station.

Dialogue – 53 stories

Stories

“June.” by Kenneth Wagner

Submitted to Contest #209

June 4th. 9:00 Am. I stared out the window to watch the countryside blur around me, not focused on anything in particular. Just trying to let my mind drift away. Putting a few shapes in my mind's eyes and occasionally trying to find them in the clouds. Anything I can do to distract myself a little longer. My daddy’s in the other seat with the wheel in hand, gripping it so tightly his knuckles went beyond white. He swaps hands when he needs to let feeling come back. He’s as much a worrier as I am, only I know it was worse for him. He was ...

Read story

“Riding Shotgun” by Gavin Matthew

Submitted to Contest #209

Riding Shotgun By Gavin Matthew The Cadillac was pristine from bumper to grill. Gold wire rims decorated white tires that matched the vehicle’s white body and gold accents. There wasn’t a single spot on a window or mirror. Despite having been parked for hours on Pasell, the car looked as if it were brand new. Even the dancing winter snow, cold flakes piling up from block to block, seemed to drift around the beautiful Cadillac like nature herself knew not to defile it. “Goddamn, it’s cold!” Tulip said as she slid into the car’s backseat...

Read story

“The End Of The Road” by Danielle Azoulay

Submitted to Contest #209

Wyatt smiled as the driver behind him blasted their horn. The man in the large truck proceeded to speed around him, shaking his finger up in the air angrily. “Some people are so impatient, huh?” he chuckled, turning to his passenger seat. Sunny drew a deep breath out, her little black snout dripping with condensation. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He pet the top of her head tenderly. Sure, he had somewhere to be too, but he wasn’t in a rush. This would be his last normal day for a while. His white 2001 Toyota hummed tiredly at the red lig...

Read story

“The Western Highway” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #209

The plains of Kansas stretched out before Julio. He looked at his speed, he looked at the time, he looked at the road. He unfocused his eyes, and then refocused them. Fuck I hate this place, he thought. The drive from the east coast of the United States was criminally boring, but the mountains of Colorado loomed in the distance. He ached for the natural beauty, the refined air, the beautiful stream and mountain passes. Not that he’d explore anything beyond his car, he wasn’t insane. The scenery tempt...

Read story

“Play Nice” by Isla Stark

Submitted to Contest #209

The black snake of road meanders ahead through the expanse of forest, as far as the eye can see. Dense trees hurtle past, blurring and melding together, creating the illusion that the car is standing still and the trees are rushing past. Greg drives in silence with only the sound of the road as his companion. His eyes occasionally abandon the windscreen to peer intently into passing lay-bys, the car slowing as his eyes rake the enclosure until the trees once again guard the occupants from view. The young women, girls really, loiter in the du...

Read story

“The Driver’s Side” by Anthony Bartalini

Submitted to Contest #209

The Driver's Side A black SUV speeds through highway 93 over the Zakim bridge and into the tunnel. It zooms around, dodging cars until it comes to an abrupt halt. The driver turns his head around trying to explain his shortened version of how the universe works to his passenger. The man in the backseat looks up from his phone, slowly glances at the traffic in front of him and dips his eyes back to the phone screen until it rings. He answers in disgust. I had not heard his voice other than confirming his name followed by a muttered location. ...

Read story

“And You Expected Better?” by Paul Tolksdorf

Submitted to Contest #209

The highway was unending, just a clogged artery stretching to the horizon. An endless mass of cars oozed along the route like steel snails. They trudged toward the nothing in the distance. Pale hills flanked them on both sides. One car crawled along, slow as the rest. It had no distinguishing features, save the miserable faces inside it, staring out. Two middle-aged adults rode the front. An elderly man, and two teenagers sat in the back. They all wor...

Read story

“Scent Memory” by Brian Mossa

Submitted to Contest #209

The car still had his smell in it. It reminded her of the times she would jump in the back seat, and he’d head out of town to a meadow or hiking trail where she would be free to chase sticks and her Lulu ball under the sun. Sometimes Honey Dear would come with them. She and Man would bring a picnic; tossing small bites of summer sausage or baby carrots at Lulu while she sat, panting, on the blanket with them. His scent was faint. It was difficult to separate from the flood of other smells: the hot air blowing through the vents, bringing i...

Read story

“A Coachman, A Maid, and a Magical Mission” by Julianne Munich

Submitted to Contest #209

Marcel drove his team of Felix and Fifi, their harnesses squeaking as the coach rattled over the uneven road. The animals’ twin gray posteriors rippled from their muscle and effort. Tossing their manes and trotting in perfect rhythm, the Mage spy’s equine companions seemed chipper and happy to be let loose from the city. He felt very much the same. Freedom. At least for a week or so. As a hired coachman, he was driving his passengers to the castle of a royal prince. The three people in his carriage he'd met just recently. Three retinue mem...

Read story

“The Five-Ten” by Stephen Mccluer

Submitted to Contest #209

The Five-Ten Steve McCluer “C’mon, man. You know you wanna go. The whole team will be there except you.” “No, you know I can’t,” said Pete. “I promised I’d work this warehouse job until school starts. Besides, I don’t have much money and I need this job.” “Well, the party lasts for a week. If you change your mind and you can make it to Tulsa, we’ll make sure you get a place to stay and ride back home.” Pete hung up the phone feeling miserable. This would be the first time he had missed the national competition, so he felt both sad and lo...

Read story

“Road Trip to Another Dimension” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #209

As my car crept along a deserted road in the Virginia-North Carolina countryside, the passing scenery reminded me of the forest scene from "Deliverance." To add to the negative atmosphere, I had agreed to allow my fellow Realtor, Jill McIntyre, to partner with me on the trip and act as my navigator–more on Jill’s sterling character and background later. Back to the drive–the stillness on this Saturday night made me feel like a solo mortician...

Read story

“Two strangers agree to drive a long distance together because they are both travelling to the same place.” by Shahid Hussain

Submitted to Contest #209

On a crisp autumn morning, when the trees adorned themselves with fiery hues, two strangers found themselves at a bustling bus station in a quaint town. Rachel, a vivacious woman with auburn curls and a heart full of wanderlust, was heading to a picturesque mountain village. She sought solace in nature, hoping to find inspiration for her next novel, and longed to escape the bustling city life that had stifled her creativity.At the same station stood Alex, a reserved man with tousled dark hair and a worn-out backpack. He was on a journey of h...

Read story

“Life in Dreaming” by J R Cull

Submitted to Contest #209

Have you ever had a dream? Has it woken you? I think you know that feeling, to be lying awake in the static between sleeping and living. To be not quite sure on which side you’re dwelling. Those stagnant seconds where you can sense that the world has been moving without you and it’s almost a betrayal - but it can’t be, really, can it? It’s a reminder. That feeling. It’s a reminder of what it would be like at the end. How did it feel, to be both asleep and awake? * I am I. Am I? Yes. I move and I move and it’s some sort of mir...

Read story

“Angie's Thought” by Marco Lama

Submitted to Contest #209

Angie had just turned thirteen.She’d been looking forward to it. It had seemed like a magic number, signifying some mysterious shift in her life. But, after her birthday party, she felt the same as before.She wasn’t upset. She was resigned. Like the quiet part of her had known that after her birthday she would feel the same as before. So around this time, shortly after turning thirteen, Angie entered into a small depression. She couldn’t think of anything to look forward to. After school she went to her room, shut the door, closed the b...

Read story

“Jack ” by Robert Mccarthy

Submitted to Contest #209

Jack Once upon a time, there was a man named Jack who struggled with mental health problems. He felt lost and alone, and didn't know where to turn for help. One day, he decided to take a journey around the world to see if he could find answers to his questions about mental health. Jack began his journey in Asia, where he met a wise monk who taught him about the power of meditation and mindfulness. The monk showed Jack how to quiet his mind and find peace within himself. carry on with the story Jack felt a sense of relief and hope for...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

273

Contest entries

154

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 04, 2023 EST

Won by Kyle Sager 🏆

Title: The Driving Snow

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢