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!

#227: Snowed Under

As the nights grow longer and the air turns colder, winter is just around the corner for those of us on the Northern hemisphere. Some people hunker down and prepare to weather the storm, while others welcome the snow and icy wind with great excitement. Even if you can’t wait for the coming spring, you have to admit — there’s something magical about winter. The buzz of the holidays, or even just that particular feeling of sitting in front of a fire for warmth while the wind howls outside, can’t be beat. 


Whether you’re planning on hibernating or embracing the cold, this week’s prompts evoke everything we love about winter.

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone looking out the window and seeing the first snowfall of the season.

Winter – 86 stories

Start your story with a description of the cold, using lots of sensory detail.

Winter – 65 stories

Write a story where someone shares a cup of hot chocolate with a friend.

Holiday – 55 stories

Your character hates the holidays, and jets out of town every year — but a historic snow storm means that this time, they can’t make their escape.

Winter – 32 stories

Write about a character emerging from hibernation, whether literally or metaphorically.

Winter – 61 stories

Stories

“An Early Snow in St Petersburg” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #227

November 1913 — St. PetersburgAn early flurry of snow that fell on St. Petersburg on a late afternoon in November 1913, would change history in unexpected ways.On that afternoon, Princess Irina Alexandrovna gazed at her suitor of the day, one of several who were regularly allowed into the Peterhof Palace.Felix Yusupov stood at an impressive height, his chiseled features and piercing gaze commanding attention in any room he was in. Well-dressed, he came from the wealthiest family in St. Petersburg. As the two conversed throughout the afternoo...

17 comments 17
Read story

“Over All the Living and the Dead” by Laurel Hanson

Submitted to Contest #227

As often as she’d wished him dead, when Jim finally did break his neck, it came as a shock. Carrolynn stared down at the crooked body sprawled in the snow, the roof rake just beyond the reach of his outflung hand. She’d always figured she’d be jubilant if he ever managed to kill himself, but instead her thoughts were as frozen as the weather. Numb, I feel numb, she thought, blinking down at the inert form of the man who had been her husband.She had so often dreamed of him drunkenly tumbling down the narrow stairs in their aging farmhous...

21 comments 21
Read story

“The Fire In Her Heart (E)” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #227

Linnie Longleybeloved daughter of Martin and Mira Longley (buried between them by wish) age. ~ 270 days StarWynter laid the chrysanthemums gently down in front of the grave. The snow was soft but crumbled under them, like cold, crisp silk. She sighed, wishing Linnie had lived to see the fête. None of the Stars ever saw the winter.I'll change it. Someday I'll change it. Someday... She tried to turn her thoughts away. If she couldn't convince herself that it was possible, how could she convince anyone else? A single tear fell, making a small h...

18 comments 18
Read story

“Pitfall” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #227

PitfallThe abominable snowman stomped in the front door of the cozy resort cabin, rolled the bundle of firewood off his arms and dusted the flakes from his shoulders before removing his wet layers to hang next to the fireplace. Then he unlaced and toed off his insulated boots to exchange for floppy slippers, grabbed a log and fed it to the blaze before sinking into the deep, button-tufted arm chair next to the hearth.“Here ya go, Bro.” I handed my best friend the steaming cup of hot chocolate with the marshmallows beginning to melt down into...

16 comments 16
Read story

“Cabin Fever” by Jack Kimball

Submitted to Contest #227

•───────•∞•Ж•∞•───────•Then the storm broke and was replaced the next morning with a frozen 1880s blue sky, the kind when after the clouds clear the world shuts down with a blinding but heartless sun, no wind, and dead quiet. Jason and Bill huddled around the cabin's only wood burner. Above them, the pine timbers groaned and complained with the weight of the storm’s snow, over twenty feet on the roof; but what dropped their stomach into a mine shaft was the sharp crack about every ten minutes, a sound like a double barrel going off in the ra...

27 comments 27
Read story

“A Dangerous Year in Purgatory” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #227

                                                             June 3, 1987 The drive back to Ft. Worth was surreal. I had made this drive many times, but in the company of my wife. She was no longer my wife. The divorce was in the works, and I...

14 comments 14
Read story

“Polar Night” by Nick Baldino

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #227

“Give me that thing” Chunhui grabs the cigarette from Bobby’s hand. There is a moment where their fingers touch, the warmest feeling in Alaska’s Northern Slope, and then it is gone. “No need to get handsy,” Bobby says to her. His voice is a dead whisper against the sweeping brown coastline, but she can hear him. They’re sitting shoulder to shoulder on the dried-out vertebrae of a bowhead whale. “You wish, cheechako.” Her lips are around the filter now, pursed in a way he has never seen. Bobby is glad to be under six inches of parka- hi...

6 comments 6
Read story

“Why Is Jake Always So Lucky?” by Paul Crehan

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #227

Why Is Jake Always So Lucky?A short story by Paul CrehanAs a kid, he was the one who found quarters on the sidewalk—and a lot of times he’d get two Hershey Bars out of the vending machine when he’d just paid for one. Two or three times, when he wasn’t ready for a test, the teacher wouldn't show up. Test cancelled. Stuff like that. His whole life.And look at this now, today—the first snowfall of the season, coming down like God had emptied the bin of his paper shredder, and there’d be no less than three feet of it in a couple of hours. And th...

5 comments 5
Read story

“Aftermath of the Infernal Reckoning” by A. Y. R

Submitted to Contest #227

Survivors of the nuclear holocaust called it: The Infernal Reckoning.8th of July was the day humanity perished in the fires of a thousand suns, as the rain of a thousand nuclear missiles speared down from the skies across the globe. Entire cities faded in the blink of an eye, as concrete rippled like ocean waves, and the towns in their wake crumbled to dust. The dark mushroom clouds unfurled their wings like angels of death, harvesting the souls of the damned.World leaders were the first to burn. The serpents who hissed their lies, proclaimi...

1 comment 1
Read story

“The Snow Queen (a fairy tale)” by Ralph Aldrich

Submitted to Contest #227

Once upon a time, when magic filled the mountains and valleys of ancient Russia, there was a small village called Zhigansk. It was nestled in a valley at the foot of the Verkhoyansk Mountain range. A deep, lush forest with clear mountain streams surrounded it. The village folk worked hard but loved the life they were living.  They gave thanks to the gods of the four seasons by celebrating with song and dance. The summer god is Anatoly because his name means “Sunrise.”  The village folks give him thanks and prai...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Beneath frozen wings” by Orwell King

Submitted to Contest #227

The world outside my cozy abode in the attic was still wrapped in a blanket of winter's chill. My internal clock, however, seemed to have missed the memo about a prolonged nap. As I stirred from my slumber, the frost on the windows told a tale of a world not quite ready for my awakening.The first rays of dawn crept through the small gaps in the roof, casting a gentle glow on the unfamiliar surroundings. The air was crisp, and the silence of the sleeping household below was disturbed only by the faint hum of the heating system and the occasio...

3 comments 3
Read story

“The Snowy Friend” by Marko Jeličić

Submitted to Contest #227

Snow falls like a mad dance, unlike ever before. People retreat into their cozy homes, warming themselves by their fireplaces. Some sip tea, others rum, and the bold ones indulge in both, in no particular order. Of course, there are those who dislike this weather, grumbling in the warmth of their rooms, waiting for the snow to cease. Yet, deep down, even they love the snow but have grown up and forgotten its warmth. Now, what warmth am I talking about, you might wonder? Think again, isn't it coziest when snow is falling? Where are you usuall...

7 comments 7
Read story

“What A Christmas” by Kayla Taylor

Submitted to Contest #227

I sit in my room staring out the window and cursing the snow. Damn holidays… I thought as I saw the people outside carolling at my neighbour's house. Sometimes I wonder how they put up with their noise and cheer. Can’t I just be left alone! I got up from my bed and depressingly made my way to the kitchen where my roommates left some groceries before they left to go spend holidays at their parents house across town.Great, at least I don’t have to put up with that annoying Christmas music blasting in my ears at the store. I sigh and begin maki...

6 comments 6
Read story

“Eleanora Does Not Hate Winter ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #227

*mentions description of animal remains “I hate winter,” Eleanora grumbled. Even as the words were leaving her lips, she knew it wasn’t true. She didn’t hate winter. She just hadn’t had enough time to enjoy the good parts of the season. Eleanora took a deep breath in through her nose and felt her nostrils stick together. Yep, it was cold out. Her cheeks were stinging already. She blew air out of her mouth and could instantly see her breath. She pulled her balaclava up over her nose and slipped her hand back into her mitten. She really...

6 comments 6
Read story

“Little Ones” by David Ader

Submitted to Contest #227

The little children exchanged the mug each holding it with both hands to the count of two, just long enough to get their hands warm. They so wanted to taste its contents, rich chocolate, sweet, forbiddingly sweet, but they needed the heat as much as the chocolate. But in this cold, the dark cold of the alley, the mug would cool quickly and then they would drink, sharing the cup, taking one sip at a time. It was only fair that way.They thought the man who’d given them the hot cocoa must be an angel. He called himself Uncle Szymon, but he wasn...

5 comments 5
Read story

$250

Prize money

299

Contest entries

130

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 08, 2023 EST

Won by Warren Keen 🏆

Title: The Winters of My Discontent

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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

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 ⭢

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.