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!

#214: The Fall of Summer

For both kids and adults, summer is a time for dreams, freedom, and a break from routine. The scorching summer months offer new beginnings, new experiences, vacations in exotic places (real or backyard imaginings), new friendships, and perhaps even new romance. It’s when memories are created, and when ‘growing up’ happens.

Except there’s never enough time. The days fly by, the memories stack up, and pretty soon Fall’s got a stranglehold. To celebrate the last throes of the season, this week’s prompts encourage you to delve into your memories of the summer we’ve just had, and of summers long past.

This week's prompts

Set your story on the eve of the first day back at school.

Kids – 34 stories

What was meant to be a great bonding vacation turns sour when an uninvited guest tags along.

Summer – 43 stories

Now, as an adult, your character looks back on this summer as the summer when they grew up.

Character – 40 stories

Each year, your character's family goes on the most exotic vacations. Finally they discover why — their family are assassins.

Funny – 36 stories

It’s the last evening of your vacation and you’re watching the sunset with your friends/partner/family, wishing summer would never end. But just as the sun dips below the horizon, you notice it returning in reverse.

Science Fiction – 49 stories

Stories

“The End of Summer as We Know It” by Adam Oster

Submitted to Contest #214

After a long, hard year dealing with the deaths of two grandparents and the family pet, as well as school and work troubles, and a schedule which had kept them from doing anything but the bare minimum to get by, even taking the time to plan a summer vacation had proved difficult for the Dillinger family. But Mary Dillinger had worked diligently to find time in the crevices of her days to plan, pay for, and schedule a brief long weekend vacation away from the hustle and bustle of town, to a small cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin on t...

Read story

“The Eye of Time. ” by Emanuel Diaz

Submitted to Contest #214

Till Douglas and his wife, María, stood hand in hand on the beach, gazing at the fiery hues of the setting sun. The salty breeze ruffled their hair, and the soft, warm sand beneath their feet seemed to be a testament to the perfect days they had spent together on this vacation. As they watched the sun descend toward the horizon, Till couldn't help but think that summer should never end, so they could savor these lovely romantic evenings forever. But just as the sun dipped below the horizon, something strange happened. Time seemed to shift ...

Read story

“Violet's Second Chance” by Gillian Corsiatto

Submitted to Contest #214

Grade five had ended on a sour note for young Violet. On one of the very last days of elementary school, she had been caught stealing an eraser from a grade-five-only book fair set up in the hallways. She was humiliated in front of her teacher and her entire class when a parent volunteer walked in with the school principal and pointed her out specifically as the thief. She was then forced to publicly return the eraser that she had taken and the shame she felt was all consuming. Summer vacation couldn’t come fast enough after that. Maybe afte...

Read story

“New Kid” by John Ernst

Submitted to Contest #214

Mom and Dad didn't ask us how we felt about it. We didn't get to vote on it, because we're just kids. So here we are now, in the middle of nowhere, away from our friends, in a new unfamiliar place. There is this knot in the pit of my stomach that just won't go away, like I swallowed a rock. That rock, it just lives there in my tummy, all day, and all night. I sense its hardness inside me when I go to bed, and when I wake up, it is still there, cold and unfriendly. I imagine the rock, looking like a little angry face emoji, pouting ...

Read story

“Do Fireflies Go to School?” by Katie Moon

Submitted to Contest #214

Usually I love fireflies. Not tonight, though. Usually, when I see the world light up around me with tiny suns, it means the next chapter of today’ fun is beginning. For two months, it meant grabbing that old jar Dad gave me and stuffing my toes into my already-tied sneakers. Mom hates when I do that. She says I’m going to ruin my shoes, and that I already grow out of my shoes too fast as it is. But I still do it because I know she’ll still laugh as I run out the door, swinging and grabbing at every firefly in sight. Most bugs are hard to...

Read story

“The Bike Thief” by Viola Schultz

Submitted to Contest #214

We were riding our bikes. Tomorrow we would have to go back to school, but today we were riding our bikes down Park Heights, around the field and woods near Towanda Rec Center, back up Reisterstown Road, and in and out of all the little side streets around our houses where the big fans outside the Chinese places blew out fried food smell and the trash was heaped up high and sometimes you could see two people hiding out doing stuff with each other that they probably should be doing inside. It was two in the afternoon. The sun was super-hot....

Read story

“Death Lingers At Every Corner (Trigger Warning - DEATH)” by Ryder Blow

Submitted to Contest #214

'Come on, James, we've got to get going.' 'But dad, Remus says he's got a bad feeling about the trip. I think we should trust him.' 'Remus is just trying to put a damper on a good time. Come on, kiddo, hop in.' James shook his head and held his arms in a hug against his chest. James' mom grabbed one of his hands and swung in front of him, crouching on the steps. 'It's okay, sweetie, nothing bad is gonna happen as long as we're together.' She winked and touched the tip of his nose lightly with her fingertip. James let out a little giggle and ...

Read story

“The Recruiter” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #214

I grab the watering hose and give a low, whispered shout to my daughter to turnthe faucet on full blast. I hear water, burbling, and gurgling, wending its waytoward me, emitting the random expulsion of trapped air, and after a flex ofthe hose, water begins to spray from the attached nozzle. I take care tospray the grass around the fire pit area. I had already carefully poured dirtand sand onto the embers of that night’s campfire. I turn the nozzle on thehose to the “rain shower” setting and soak the area around the old fire pituntil my ...

Read story

“Brother” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #214

Everyone who knew the retired bachelor in Apartment 2E always said he would have made a perfect husband and father. Trent Eden knew better. He would thank his neighbors, smile sheepishly, and tell them about the life-changing summer he spent with Brother Monroe. Affable and inquisitive, Brother spoke four languages, could play classical music note-perfect on piano or cello, and had an I.Q. of 130. And yes, there was also that prophetic first name.The most amaz...

Read story

“Summer is Dead” by AA Battery

Submitted to Contest #214

The two seats up front in the front row of the gymnasium remained vacant when the concert started. I was flattered that someone assumed a loving couple would sit in those two chairs tonight. Knowing those two, they would just compare my performance to the concerto they saw in Italy that they loved so much. The band teacher motioned to commence the concert. I sank onto my cold duet bench. I began to ram my fingers into the ivory and black keys. Everything around me blurred with each passing note that filled the empty spaces of the room w...

Read story

“Allurement” by Hosea Guy

Submitted to Contest #214

I am watching through the grimy panes of glass as he stands with his arms crossed before him on the counter. The sun is bright and hot on my back as it sinks toward the horizon, but it sheds light on the churning sea of filth upon these dark windows and my attention is lost in this sea that is incongruent with the rest of the world and does, in fact, appear to churn before my very eyes. There is a young girl delivering a slim white box to the counter, and then Sebastian is beaming as he carries our pepperoni pizza to the door, which is ...

Read story

“The Island” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #214

They watched the sun slowly dipping, unaware of the darkness gradually enveloping them. She could feel the comfort of his warm body sitting close to her despite their bodies not being close enough to touch. As she took one more deep, satisfied breath, she almost sobbed. If only she could stay here forever. She looked around and thought about the idyllic eight days of her holiday. The location, stunning amenities, hotels, and restaurants had all been fantastic, but the next day, it was time to go their separate ways until the next...

Read story

“One Billion Apologies” by Robin Owens

Submitted to Contest #214

It wasn’t the sun’s sudden reversal nor the tides rolling out that I noticed first. It was the blood on my hands, evaporating into thin air, like ballerinas leaping off my skin and disappearing into a dusky sky. For a stretchy, taffy-like ten seconds I watched as every bit of the boy’s blood left my hands, a crime attempting its own undoing. The knife slipped itself from his tanned neck, and the handle inserted itself into my closed fist like a key in a lock. My body rose to standing. White sand trickled off my knees, reuniting magnetically ...

Read story

“It Was the Last Night” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #214

It Was the Night Before It was the night before the first day of school – always a time of high emotion for me. When I was in elementary school, it was a time of great excitement, as it would provide an opportunity to see friends that I hadn’t seen during the summer. I could catch up with their lives, and I could tell them about the highlights of my summer. But this year is much different from that. I am entering high school now, not returning to the elementary school of my earlier years, and I will not know anyone in my...

Read story

“SUMMER MEMORIES” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #214

ELIZABELLA I can't believe the summer is over. Tomorrow is the first day of senior year. I waited so long for this time and now that's it's here I'm nervous. Butterflies are swarming in my stomach not only for tomorrow but also about what happened to me this summer. I met a boy. His name is Austin. As I sit in my room thinking about tomorrow, I look back on the memories of this past summer. This summer was just like any other summer in Holly Hills. 90 degree weather almost every day. The lake was filled with so many people, families with t...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

202

Contest entries

94

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 08, 2023 EST

Won by Emily Holding 🏆

Title: Departed, Return

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 ⭢