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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#222: Show Me The Way

When navigating life’s challenges, we could all use a little guidance — someone who can show us the way, or give us the wisdom we need to follow the right path. In literature, much like in reality, coaches and mentors are often central to a protagonist’s development, offering training, advice, or tools to succeed in their Hero’s Journey.

What's fascinating about mentors is that they come in different shapes and forms. They might be a nurturing figure, who offers wisdom and support; a harsh and unyielding professor, who demands the impossible; an unconventional thinker who brings a unique perspective. Sometimes the guidance doesn’t even come in human form: perhaps it’s a dream, a spirit, a faith, or an item, like a totem, a book, or a map.

This week’s prompts are all about people (or things) that, in one way or another, have a pivotal role in someone’s journey.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a student on their first day of apprenticeship.

Teens – 18 stories

Write about a character who has a love/hate relationship with their mentor.

Character – 36 stories

Write about a mentor whose methods are controversial.

Character – 22 stories

Write a story about a character who finds guidance in an unlikely place.

Dramatic – 81 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “You’ve got this.”

Dialogue – 53 stories

Stories

“The Power of Innocence and Truth” by Jennifer Stowell

Submitted to Contest #222

The cool, crisp autumn air seems to be swirling all around with leaves of red, orange and yellow encircling Tom as he is walking down Main Street in Higby Harbor. Ordinarily, a walk like this would invigorate him and open his mind to creative inspiration to fill him with excitement and motivation. Today, however, the coolness and light wind are only reminding Tom that three months have passed since he handed in his resignation and halted his steady, well-paying job as an electrical engineer. Having smartly saved the last few years, living...

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“A Stop on the Way” by Patrick Druid

Submitted to Contest #222

A Stop On The WayThe heat of month of June bore down on Harry Wilson, as he got out of his beat up 76 Ford and walked up the hill on Rosewood Lane to meet his next prospective customer, doing his best to remain positive about it in spite of the sweat pouring down his back.Shaking his head as he paused in his walk, to reposition his briefcase,Harry recalled a conversation that he had with his grandfather one week l before he left for college. He met with him that day at the old house and found him sitting in the darkened dining room...

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“Life Line” by R.J. Edward

Submitted to Contest #222

A cemetery is a boring place if you don't know where to look. I'm lucky enough to live here and know all the hot spots. Considering this has been my home for over 300 years now. Every night, all the residents gather together and tell stories of when we were all alive. Yes. I'm a ghost. We all are. I tragically died saving another life. Good for me, right? I will save that for later, though. A stranger came by yesterday. He didn't say a word. He just walked on in, uninvited. Would you believe it? He had on a long black coat and a scarf wrappe...

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“Sea of Discovery” by Iris Diaz

Submitted to Contest #222

“Claire, please go down below. The winds are picking up,” Matt said, as he pulled the hood of his blue parka over his brown wind-tossed hair. Despite his attempt at a calm tone, there was a measure of forcefulness behind his words and an unmistakable fear in his sea-blue eyes. “Matt, should I be concerned?” Claire asked as she grabbed a hold of the rocking boat’s handrails to keep herself steady. A wisp of her long blonde hair blew into her face and he fought the urge to tuck it behind her ear. The earlier soft waves and picturesque sky ...

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“Snowy” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #222

“Tony, one more screw-up, and you’re fired!” Tony didn’t make eye contact with his boss. Her instructions were ambiguous, but he had learned not to question her. “Yes, ma’am.” Laura was hard to get along with. While everyone knew it, they still wanted to work for that company. Only after Laura repeatedly rebuked them did they finally decide to leave and find a new company to work for. “What did she fuss at you about this time?” Sarah asked. Tony glanced at Sarah before lamenting. “I missed the ‘mind reader’ part in the job descripti...

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“I Hear The Voice But Cannot See The Face” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #222

The wooden seat felt cold beneath my layered-up bottom. Icy wind blew my already messy hair around and I pulled my half coat tighter around my chest. My hands were freezing and looking a tinge blue so I put them in the pockets of my jacket while glancing around at the almost empty park. My eyes travelled down towards the ground and I noticed that my shoes were beginning to come apart at the toe so I made a mental note to stick the sole to the bottom of my shoe when I arrived home. ‘I’m not sure if I should just buy a new pair’ I thought ‘th...

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“The Fist Fight” by Nick Baldino

Submitted to Contest #222

No one heard the commotion behind McLintock’s tonight. There wasn’t much to see- two drunk guys getting into it over nickel bets at the pool table. One was a heavyset townie. Probably construction, maybe firefighting. Smalltown pride with nothing to lose. The other was me, Bruce Villard. If they had known it’d turn into murder, then maybe there would have been a crowd. But who could have expected that? It was a one-in-a-million punch, a knockout clip that brought his head against the asphalt like those carny sledgehammers. I hear the wind ...

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“Beloved” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #222

Long ago and far away, in the city of Chicago, two small dogs were found in the street and taken to a shelter. They were covered in scars, and some people said it was likely they had been used in dogfighting, maybe as bait dogs. The two pups, a male and a female, were named Nick and Nack. There was something about Nack that everyone noticed: she was so lovable. When she timed out at the first shelter she was kept at, the staff didn’t want to put her down, so they sent her to a second shelter. (What happened to her brother Nick, I’m...

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“Sweet as Molasses” by Olivia Lake

Submitted to Contest #222

Grandma June was the one who told me about the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. “There was a huge tank of molasses that sat outside,” she began, scooping molasses out of a jar with a measuring spoon. “Well, the tank was shoddily made, and the temperature that day climbed and climbed and climbed. And what happens to my cookies when they get hot in the oven?” “They spread!” I cried. She beamed at me and nodded. “That’s right! You combine weak construction with expanding molasses, and you get…” She flipped the spoon over and slammed it again...

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“24 Meetings ” by Jagathisan Periyasamy

Submitted to Contest #222

" To get a better inspection rating, we should conduct 24 customer relationship programmes during this year. Are we all ready to do that? Mr.Sadasivam, one of the Top executives of a prestigious Bank, in command of the southern Zone, has put it on the table. Mr Sadasivam, a tall and bulky man with broad and hefty shoulders, said the above with a serious note. He was a cheery person and always maintained cool postures even when he was experiencing personal difficulties and discomforts. Bu...

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“Just an apprentice ” by Aseret Franco

Submitted to Contest #222

As the morning sun shone through the windows of the apprenticeship building, Emily could feel her heart pounding with excitement. It was her first day as an apprentice chef and she couldn't wait to get started. She had always loved cooking and had dreamed of becoming a world-renowned chef since she was a little girl. Emily had spent months researching and preparing for this day, and she was ready to make the most of it. As she walked down the hallway, Emily noticed that the door to the room that was her cooking classroom was slightly ajar. S...

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“The First Apprentice” by Candace Amaker

Submitted to Contest #222

“Is it too late to turn around?” I whispered to myself as I stared at the huge house before me. To be honest, I had expected to be working somewhere more…businesslike. Not at someone’s own home, especially one that looks more like a haunted house. You know, the place down the street kids would call “The Witch’s House”? Guess I’m about to be some witch’s next meal. After taking a deep breath, I finally mustered the courage to walk down the short, cemented pathway that led to the porch steps. I was soon standing at the front door of the house...

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“Sensei” by Andrea Corwin

Submitted to Contest #222

“Line up! Bow!” I say the commands sharply, and as she bows, I do too, hands in fists, one holding the other, then slap my hands to my sides in attention. “Always keep your eyes on your opponent, even when bowing,” I tell her. “Run through your katas and give me your best.” Circling her, I watch, correcting her punches lining up her feet, hips, and shoulders. “When you do your kiai, I should be able to punch you in the stomach and not push you back or hurt you,” I explained. “Ready?” I watch as she drops into a horse sta...

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“Trenchancy Shallows” by Julie Aragão

Submitted to Contest #222

Today, I came across a Twitter post with a single question: “What is love?”And I wondered, who can answer this question? Who truly knows what love is? These thoughts ate me all night. I could not sleep. I’m only seventeen, but I have abandonment issues. When my mother told my father she was with child, he fled. The typical “I’ll buy a cigarette, be back never.” She grew bitter, and I say grew because she was a loving mother for my first eleven months. She recorded every breath I took during that time, truly. Ad if she expected...

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“I Now Know” by Paul Littler

Submitted to Contest #222

I NOW KNOW PAUL LITTLER Carsten stepped ashore at Alesund. The sun was already low in the sky, a late November afternoon and the air felt chilled. It was good to finally find Honore, so close he could almost feel her, so close his slow heart beat faster as he thought about tearing her to pieces. The hotel receptionist smiled a practiced smile at the thin, pale skinned man with a German accent, “Room 111, first floor, turn left, the lift is just off from the lobby.” Carsten took off his sunglasses and ga...

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$250

Prize money

210

Contest entries

101

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 03, 2023 EST

Won by Audrey McKenna 🏆

Title: Just Like Him

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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