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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

“The House of the Early Departed” by K. Lynn

Submitted to Contest #217

The air in the mansion was heavy and soiled from not moving, no different from the thickness and stillness of the heavy ornate curtains that lined the parlor windows, blocking out all external air and light. The inhabitants barely brought a stir as they moved about, and the shadowy casts of faint light created giants in places where there were none. The pale faded wallpaper was torn away and stained, but over time these things seemed less like a sign of death and age, and more like a testament to lives lived. The rooms that filled the house...

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“Miss Louisa” by Mary Richards

Submitted to Contest #217

Louisa Cantoni sat back on her heals and grunted. She had to roll onto her knees to push herself up these days. A sight to be seen… “I’ve become a yard butt,” she muttered, every time she got up, without fail. The kids in the neighborhood made fun of her, but she didn’t care. She was too old to care. That’s what she told herself, anyway. When she was younger, the little ones would flock around her. They were fascinated with her jet-black hair and her Italian accent. They loved her flowers and always hovered nearby when it was tomato sea...

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“Pick” by Nicholas Andrew Clark

Submitted to Contest #217

“We don’t have time for this. Get to work.” What is it about young people that makes them demand validation at the worst possible moment?Her stare could drill a hole through a strike plate. “Time, time, time. That is all you are ever think of. Every day you say, ‘Faster, Tetyana, faster. An idiot child with a bump key would be done by now. Do you have any idea how quickly Arthur Buhl picked the Lips 8362C at the third annual Dutch Open?’”“Listen–”“‘Twenty seconds. Six pins, some of them mushrooms, with a paracentric keyhole made specifically...

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“THE FAITHFUL SECRETARY” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #217

THE FAITHFUL SECRETARY “Harlowe!”The match I had struck in the darkness, illuminated the shocked face of Detective Robert Malone, 6th Precinct, as he stepped back in alarm.“Wh...what are you doing here?”“More to the point, Bobby, what are you doing here?”The here in question was the hotel suite of my client, Magda Bathsheba Goering, quite a mouthful, I know but, hey, I’m just a private dick hired by this young lady at five hundred bucks per day, a week paid in advance, so who am I to argue?As I turned slightly to reach from my comfortable ar...

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“Love's Triumph: A Tale of Dragons and Hunters” by Mallory Grant

Submitted to Contest #217

In the kingdom of Eldoria, nestled between towering mountains and lush forests, a legacy of dragon hunters had protected its people for the past decade since they’d emerged. The kingdom was known for its fertile lands and prosperous trade routes, but it was constantly under threat from the dragons that roamed the surrounding territories. These majestic creatures, with their shimmering scales and fiery breath, were feared by all who encountered them. They had a penchant for stealing livestock and wreaking havoc on the countryside, leaving a t...

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“A Dragon's Dilemma” by Brandon Tucker

Submitted to Contest #217

Would this really solve anything? A near endless war, could I really end it here? His intelligence surprises me, keeping up with my flurry of questions effortlessly. This ancient being, one so powerful and yet, almost childish. Questions of my youth, my upbringing, how I eat, shit, fuck, you name it. I’ve asked this godlike entity the questions of the universe, and he turns to me and asks of how it feels to urinate with an appendage. Feels pretty cool, honestly, but for a being so intimidating it’s almost as if I could see myself being frien...

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“Margery’s Dragon” by K. Espinola

Submitted to Contest #217

The doctor was in at midnight. There came the rush of footsteps. Solemn, hurried whispers. Bianco’s grip making the banister creak. The crickets in the yard chirped as they would any night, unbothered by all that was moving and shifting within the little house at the end of the lane. And, still, Margery’s heart beat it all out. Her world was spinning like a roulette wheel, horrible past merging with horrible present.She followed her husband and the doctor upstairs, old floorboards groaning. An oil light was on in William’s room, once George’...

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“Not Like the First Time” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #217

Not Like the First Time I remember the first time so well. I had felt that I was probably too young for the task at age 16, but my father and uncles were very supportive, telling me that they were sure that I was old enough for it. I think that maybe they wanted to give up the challenge themselves, as they were slowing down some, and I was young and fast, and filled with energy and enthusiasm. Maybe they felt that that their good luck might just come to a fiery end one day in one unfortunate battle. I had never ever se...

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“Whispers of the Eternal Symphony: The Dance of the Dragon and the Warrior” by Chuy Leija

Submitted to Contest #217

Once upon a time, in a realm laden with enchantments, lived a gallant warrior named Seraphim. Seraphim was an icon of valor, armored in celestial metal that shimmered under the sun’s radiant gaze. He was revered for his virtuous heart, one that throbbed with boundless compassion. The villagers admired Seraphim as their protector, but the warrior was facing an ethical conundrum. The peace of the valley was being threatened by the presence of a dragon named Zephyros, and the villagers demanded the dragon's demise. Zephyros, the Dragon of the W...

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“Life” by Nava Libman-Perlov

Submitted to Contest #217

Three days I’ve been looking for it. That damned dragon. All around the forest, billows rise from burnt trees as if bleeding smoke. The wind blows through them, kindling put out fires like red capillaries glowing through the bark. I landed a hit on it, that despicable reptile. I could hear its wings tangle as it tried to retreat, descending slowly. Wounded dragons are like injured cats; you have to go look for them, hidden and afraid. But still dangerous. Very, very dangerous. I rubbed two ice stones together until my flare ignite in a whirl...

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“The Quest of the golden Sowrd” by Allie Leyson

Submitted to Contest #217

The quest of the golden sword A young man, in his early twenties, climbing up to the entrance to the cave which legend has it that the golden sword lays deep into the mountain that holds the golden dragon. The young man knew his goal and what he had to do if the banishment that his father laid upon him. His father, the King of Xafra, had banished him for having too big of an ego. But King Gloras did give a request to his newly banished son to go on a quest for the banishment to be lifted. Which so happened to retrieve the golden dragon sw...

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“Non-Intrusive, Ethical Approaches” by Ashley Anon

Submitted to Contest #217

An oppressive boom in the mountains above, shook the ground, and reverberated through the bodies of the farm hands, who worked the crops in the valley below. Needing no further prompts, the farmers ditched their scythes onto the ground, and ran full sprint whilst screaming at the top of their lungs," it's COMING," looking back over their shoulders to check as they did so. The watchtower guard began vigorously swinging the rope attached to the large bell, nestled in the tower above him, rhythmically tugging it to further alert others of ...

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“The Dragon Files: A Detective Harry Welsh Story” by Laur Buck

Submitted to Contest #217

In the dingy and dimly lit living room-slash-bedroom of number 112A, the phone buzzed, echoing around the apartment, rousing a pile of blankets and bottles awake. With a quick plink, and a rustle, a shaky hand reached out and picked up the receiver. “Hello?” a grumble. Barely audible to the young officer on the other end of the phone. “We have a code 6161, reported at the Old Mistress’ house,” a voice said, sounding somewhat unsure of itself. “Oh?” Now he sat up. This had roused him. It had been a while since he had been ...

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“The Eyes of a Dragon” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #217

Sensitive content; physical violence, suicidal ideation, loss Banners snapped in the wind which carried the calls of the townsfolk out into the open air of the valleys. The constant low dust cloud that surrounded the town seemed to be dancing in response, a happy little jig of triumph. The sun – usually remorseless and cruel – felt almost pleasant today. The dragon-hunter, the greatest warrior of their day, was here, and everything would be all right. Gaius, loaded down with armour, swords, knives and nets, waved and smiled at the crowd...

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“The Knight's Proposal” by Jack Nierling

Submitted to Contest #217

Richard gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as he stared at the dark cave’s mouth before him. Years of training had prepared him for this moment, the time in which he would prove his worth to the kingdom. It was a journey that many knights before him partook, one that was written in stories to show the greatness of the knights who protected villages from evil. There was no greater accomplishment, no greater prestige and bravery than slaying a man-eating dragon. And it was time for Richard to take on the ritual that showed the results of hi...

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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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