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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#217: Tropes

Last week, we revisited the old “show, don’t tell” rule. This week, let’s throw out the rulebook and have some fun.

In your reading, you’ve probably come across some recurring tropes. In romance, we’ve got star-crossed lovers, fake relationships, enemies-to-lovers, and happily-ever-afters. In fantasy, we’ve got Chosen One protagonists, reluctant heroes, and wise mentors. In mystery, we have unreliable narrators, jaded investigators, locked rooms, and remote settings. It goes on.

Subverting these tropes can be fun, but the tricky thing is that you need to do it for a reason, and in a way that enriches your story. Can you do it?

This week's prompts

Write a story about two characters who like each other but don’t get a happily-ever-after.

Romance – 91 stories

Set your story in a creepy mansion — except nothing horrifying takes place in it.

Horror – 64 stories

Write about a person who's been called to mentor someone in a special skill, but doesn't really want to.

Adventure – 27 stories

Write about a sleuth who’s a little too keen, but not because they have a traumatic past they won’t talk about.

Mystery – 10 stories

Write a story about a warrior who doesn’t want to kill the dragon.

Fantasy – 92 stories

Stories

“My love, is all mine” by Liezellia Brookes

Submitted to Contest #217

"Come to give me that "greeting" you promised?" A deep husk voice threatens into her shell of Irene's ear. Irene lets out a gasp upon feeling the coolness of a sharp metal blade being pressed against her throat. It was deep enough to nick her skin ever so slightly while her heart raced in her chest. The gun she held tightly in her hands was being firmly placed at the underbelly of someone her heart ached for a long time. His blue eyes narrowing down at her while her own green ones never leave his gaze."You know how this ends... For the both ...

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“Nickel Wishes” by Celia Farr-Smith

Submitted to Contest #217

Sylvie dug through her coin purse for a penny, but all she could come up with was a nickel. Sylvie always liked the idea of tossing pennies into the fountain that was in front of her favorite bayside restaurant. The fountain was one of those creations that people would comment on as they made their way in and out of the restaurant. It was constructed of massive vertical columns of basalt buried at varying heights with low flames flickering from behind each column and water pulsing out of the tops of the columns. It made some sort of ar...

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“A Twisted Tale” by Amy Walliker

Submitted to Contest #217

Abigail knew she was lucky that she had lived on Bramble Farm for the entirety of her short life. She was grateful for the guttural cry from the cockerel that opened her eyes each morning. She was grateful for the animals that kept her company; sheep scattered along the horizon like fallen clouds. She was grateful, for she was always told to be so by her late mother, as she, unlike others, inhaled fresh air each day whilst others were shrouded by smoke in cramped confined communities.Despite her gratitude, she still wished for things be...

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“The Oak Tree” by Payton Payton

Submitted to Contest #217

A large oak tree stood in the middle of a large, ever growing field. Branches were long and thick as if they could shade out the whole valley. Leaves reflected the light like mirrors in the broad daylight. Small wildflowers were spread randomly around the valley. Its roots came up out of the ground, and fell down deep under the soft soil. It was just a normal oak tree, but it was also so much more. A place to escape, relax, explore, find inspiration, but most importantly to find love. Deep connections under the warmth and comfort...

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“The Girl on the Porch” by Joel Everett Harding

Submitted to Contest #217

The Girl on the Porch The eerie quiet of seldom visited tombs surrounded her before she finished locking the bedroom door. After it clicked, she turned around and faced the dimly lit hallway, feeling the silence that pervaded the turn-of-the-century seaside mansion. The only sound she heard came from her pants rustling softly as she stepped along the carpeted hallway toward the staircase. Two books lay tucked under her arm, and she carried a little snack container of raw vegetables and creamy dip in her hand. The dark undercuts of the...

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“The House on the Hill” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #217

Best seat in the house. That’s where this house was at. Head and shoulders above the rest, with views to die for. There was no better place to build a dream house. That was the theory anyway. Life is a big fan of the curve ball and the kind of guy who has the money to buy a plot like that, the best plot going, well he should not be trusted when it comes to the shaping of his own dream. He has the money and he has the broad shape of a vision, but beyond that he should stand well back and allow others to deliver him somet...

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“Spirits” by Josephine Cavalier

Submitted to Contest #217

Spirits Written by Josephine C. I’ve spent 30 years chasing “ghosts”. People call them ghosts; I call them spirits. Everyone always thinks I’m insane. Maybe I am. Maybe I’m gripping for a reality that doesn’t exist, a mere illusion. These thought...

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“Crumbling Heap” by Cade Holter

Submitted to Contest #217

They stared up at the old mansion with apprehension. None of them could name when it had been built, nor who had built it, just that both had been well before their time and that time had changed it immensely. The sheer size alone was enough take them aback, but it was the condition at a glance that truly shocked them, down to the youngest who was just 11 months old and had no earthly concept of what a mansion even was.The paint was peeling and washed out, showing old brick walls that looked more like raw, weeping wounds than the dry, red cl...

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“Something Ventured Something Gained” by Susanne O'Connor

Submitted to Contest #217

Something Ventured Something Gained Martin Rogers, a television producer and impresario, was not actually friend of mine but our paths had crossed. I’d heard of the parties he threw at his centuries old estate in Massachusetts. My friend, Kate had once been his guest and said they weren’t to be missed. ‘I won’t tell you about them, Elizabeth, instead I’ll arrange for you to get an invite and you can make up your own mind.’ True to her word, an invitation arrived the following week. The envelope had a wax seal with the letters MR on top of ...

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“A Haunting to your Health” by Keelan LaForge

Submitted to Contest #217

“It’s the most haunted house in the country,” said Orla. I could instantly feel a shudder of fear travelling through me. My body felt as cold as unbreakable ice shards. I didn’t want to go there. I was always afraid of the spiritual world. I tried my best to back out of it, but Orla wasn’t having it. “Christa, you have to come. It’s for you. I can’t tell you the details, but you just have to be there.” I didn’t know why she needed me there. If she wanted to put herself in harm’s way, why did I have to tag along? I couldn’t think of a...

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“A Toothsome Tale” by Note Book

Submitted to Contest #217

Open your mouth widely and show me your teeth. The final part of the bracing was complete. This was her third session, and Silvia grabbed the seat as the pain was unbearable. She was expecting a triumphant word of encouragement from the doctor for her patience, but the doctor was impassive. The doctor was thin, but her hair was thinner; only a few wisps of gray hair covered her almost bald head. Her fingers were long and slender; she almost looked uncanny, with big eyes and furrows showing up on her face. A deathly silence prevailed. The r...

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“Hallington Grove” by Carol Smith

Submitted to Contest #217

“I had no idea how far off the main road this place was. How much further until we get there?” Judy questioned, starting to feel uneasy about what she had just gotten herself into. “It’s not much further, the entrance is up ahead on the left.” Emily cheerily retorted back. The engine roared as the SUV slowly climbed the hill and turned into the entrance, before coming to a stop in front of a huge gate. The driver window began to lower and the cool air tickled Judy’s face. It was crisp and clean, pretty typical for a late Oc...

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“Dinner with old friends” by Allan Palmer

Submitted to Contest #217

The invitation was curt.Dear Sir.Dinner at 6pm prompt. Your attendance is mandatory.-The CircleDamn. I was hoping for a quiet evening. Now, I’ll have to leave the solitude and safety of my home. “The Circle” is the name given to my friend group from our college days. We had all met as freshmen at Miskatonic University and graduated simultaneously. On graduation day, we made a blood pact that would honor such an invitation without question, and any of us could initiate such a request.We did not go to ...

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“Admirable Adversaries” by K. Bacchae

Submitted to Contest #217

<TW: some mentions of aggressive behavior>Everyone in town is aware that the charcoal-black homestead at the edge of the residential district is haunted-–I work very hard to keep it this way, in fact. The fire-licked facade of the five-bedroomed two-story structure is just that: a finely crafted front. The small windows encrusted with grime to the point of revulsion, those were a week-long labor of love. Each of the couple dozen insect exoskeletons artfully placed in believable death throws on and between the window panels are the only...

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“Buried Burdens” by Kailani B.

Submitted to Contest #217

“Sir, you must choose someone soon.” The magician—aged, slightly arthritic and most definitely bald—stared balefully up at the king’s steward. Grabbing his cane and levering himself up out of the quite comfortable chair, the magician said, “No,” and trudged away to his overflowing table, grabbing a tattered book and opening it, swirls of dust issuing forth. The steward huffed out a breath and joined the magician by the table, staring out the window opposite at the rolling farmland and toiling serfs. He looked down at the bent figure th...

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$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

130

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 29, 2023 EST

Won by Paul Crehan 🏆

Title: Who Are We to Judge the Music of an Octopus?

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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