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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#212: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I don't really exchange letters with anyone, but if I did, I'd receive them with great anticipation. There's something very unpredictable about a letter: it can provide insight into a person's most private feelings, make a public statement, or share news of events big and small, from historic events to everyday gossip. You just never know until you open it.

This week's prompts are inspired by all things epistolary.

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of a letter, or multiple letters back and forth.

Short Story – 147 stories

Write an epistolary story set during a major historical event. The event may be the subject of the letters directly, or be referenced in the background.

Historical Fiction – 30 stories

Write a story about a pair of pen pals.

Character – 26 stories

A mysterious letter is delivered to your character's home. It's not addressed to them, but they can't resist peeking...

Mystery – 64 stories

Set your story in a post office.

Fiction – 36 stories

Stories

“His Secret” by Kathleen Spencer

Submitted to Contest #212

Jane’s letter hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew I was not supposed to have opened it; the letter was for Henry. Henry was my husband until I heard from my best friend, Jane, that he had been unfaithful to me. Why was Jane writing to him then? I had to know. Using my old steamer, I opened the envelope, being careful not to let the top close again by itself by putting a paper weight on it. I took out the folded notebook sheet of paper and began reading. “Dear Henry, I kept my promise to you, lying on your behalf, by telling Meagan tha...

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“Mightier than the Sword” by Tony Covatta

Submitted to Contest #212

Mightier than the Sword Cincinnati, OH November 15, 1832 Dearest Brother, Here we are at last in Cincinnati. Five weeks on our sojourn into the wilderness. Our first stop was New York City. Thence we traveled by steamship to Philadelphia. Disembarking there, the luggage and effects of all nine of us were piled into a stagecoach, and then the adventure into the West began in earnest. Passing through Pennsylvania, our spirits were high. We sang hymns and threw religious tracts out the coach window, start...

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“Through the Pages” by Rewa Anand

Submitted to Contest #212

1957 Dear Grandma Cath, How have you been doing? It has been ages since I have last written to you! I have just been completely swamped with all my schoolwork, and assignments, and dance lessons, and everything else that keeps coming up as soon as I am done with one thing. I must confess, though, I am not letting myself get all that caught up in a tedious routine. Just last Friday, I spent the whole evening dancing with Daisy and Kate to Buddy Holly, which made for a jolly good time! But that is old news! That is not what I am writing for,...

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“Dear Skyler” by Nuggie The Nugget

Submitted to Contest #212

January 7, 2022Dear Skyler, Don’t know if you still live here, but hopefully, you do. Just wanted to tell you that I miss you. It has been far too long since I have seen your face. Two years. I’ve realized a lot of my mistakes in that time. I’m sorry for hurting you in so many ways. I planned on writing sooner, but I didn’t have the courage. I still don’t. But I’m working on that. I’m working on a lot of things. I’ve also learned that I love teaching music and that’s what I do now. I started working at a local studio in San Jose, California....

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“Kaleidoscopes” by Hannah Polis

Submitted to Contest #212

We are getting married, and you are invited!Tamara Eloise Murphy & Frederic Webster27th May 2024Please RSVP by December 1st. Dear Henry,I’d love for you to be there :)Tammy Dear Tamara, We haven’t talked for a long time, and I admit, I was surprised when I found your invitation in the mail this morning. I honestly didn’t think you’d ever speak to me again after what happened at the five-year reunion last summer. You were angry with me the morning after, I could tell because you didn’t stay for breakfast, and the ...

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“Perfect Person” by Kryste Andrews

Submitted to Contest #212

This story includes references to physical affection, but not sexual contact. PERFECT PERSON ...

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“Dear Theodosia” by Jermaine Packer

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear future family, I write this with the hope that this reaches my grandchildren of the future. I’m not sure which one of my children will be your direct line to me, but I would hope when you read this letter both sides of the family can gather together and read it. Maybe you can read it after supper or right after church. You could even read a few scriptures before or after. I know that would make me and Maddie so happy. And if we are gone home to be with the lord by then, we will be dancing in heaven watching y’all read. I can imagine you...

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“Dear Sir or Madam” by Krista Tritt

Submitted to Contest #212

1 August 2023 Dear Sir, On behalf of the Wenburry City Council, I would like to inform you of upcoming roadworks which will be completed outside your home on October Street. The runoff from potion precipitation has ceased to flow in the pipes beneath your street, and it is clear that the ancient pipework there must be unclogged. Unfortunately, the original designers of the drainage system were rather shortsighted wizards and did not include an entry point to the underground works in their plan. As such, we will need to blow up the street i...

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“Dear Reverend” by Sara M

Submitted to Contest #212

May 1, 1999Dear Reverend Carson,I really hate to ask you this, but could you please return the $100 I donated yesterday to the Abused Women's Fund? I just realized my food pantry is very low and am not sure I will be able to buy food before my next government check. Plus, my 86-year old mother fell last night and broke her arm. She is okay, but now I have to hire someone to feed her while I am cleaning rooms at the local motel.I found out this morning my insulin has gone way up in price, so there's an added expense I wasn't co...

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“Gold Fever” by Zoltán Némethi

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Caroline, I already miss you! I have a constant feeling that I left behind something of great importance. It keeps me up at night: thinking about you and our future life… when this is all over. I hope my letter reaches you. I know you always wanted to see New Orleans. How is it? How do you feel yourself? Are you getting along with your parents? I know you have not seen them since Jane… Today I left the borders of civilization and journeyed to the west. Finally after endless plains I saw the mountains. I wish you could see ...

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“Cabin Fever ” by Carolyn Potts

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Father, It’s happening again. I hope to soon join where you are. Last night Mama saw what happened and went to scatter the others. She hasn’t returned yet. I keep thinking about what you say about those not heeding to wisdom, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.” Well, Father, we’ve warned them thrice now and they keep coming back. I have a plan and with your blessing, it will work. It began two full moons ago during the wet season when the middle child, ...

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“The Deceptions” by Ken Ferris

Submitted to Contest #212

The Deceptions It was September 16, my fifteenth birthday. I remember the day well, not so much because it was my birthday, but because it was the day my mother and I arrived at Boppop’s home. Both my mother and I called my grandfather Boppop although I never knew how he got that moniker. We had driven for three days, from our suburban home in Wheatridge, Colorado, near Denver, to Boppop’s old farm house on an almost two acre former dairy outside of Centralia, Washington. Two of those days were spent mostly in silence.&nbs...

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“Ban for Life” by Lara Deppe

Submitted to Contest #212

Horace Bigalbal Manager of the Valley Market and Co-Op 1356 River Road Smallville Dear Manager Bigalbal, I am reaching out to provide my sincerest apologies to you and all your staff for the events of May 13th. I would like to attempt to explain my behavior and try to repay the damage done to your store. As you may remember, the weather was chaotic that night and it was the very storm warning and oncoming tornado that required the shelter-in-place order that trapped myself and so many others in the store for our own safety as the tor...

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“Lessons From a Bird” by Penni Warford

Submitted to Contest #212

Lessons From a BirdAugust 22, 2021Dear Jasper,I killed a bird today. I was trying to save its life, but it didn’t end up that way. I don’t really feel like sharing the details right now, but I didn’t want you to think I was ignoring your last letter. Maybe in a few days. I really enjoy living vicariously through your animal encounters, so please keep the stories coming.BeaSept 5, 2021Dearest Bea, That was quite an opener in your last letter. It left me with a ton of questions about the bird. I don’t want to push, but I’d ...

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“Lost in Transmission ” by Alasdair Perry

Submitted to Contest #212

England, 1791IDear Patriot, I am writing to you because I understand we share certain sympathies. I have important news concerning our cause. You must know that for our own safety, I cannot know who you are, nor can you know who I am. This letter has found its way to you thanks to a mutual friend who is keen that our ideas disseminate. After you have read this letter and considered its portents you are to do the following, as I have done: You are to write a similar letter for another Patriot, conveying to them the aforeme...

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$250

Prize money

303

Contest entries

129

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 25, 2023 EST

Won by Wendy M 🏆

Title: The Last Of The Bright Young Things

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.

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