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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#229: Mistletoe and Meet-Cutes

As someone who loves getting in the festive mood once winter arrives, you’ll likely find me curled up on my couch on cold December nights — with a cheesy holiday film on the go. What can I say? There’s just something about so-bad-they’re-actually-good movies that I can’t get enough of this time of the year (much to my family’s dismay).

This week, let’s pull out all the stops and write stories that play with the common tropes in popular holiday films, from secret royals and sudden cases of amnesia, to disastrous celebrations salvaged by some last-minute magic. Whether you lean in to the warm fuzzies in earnest, or subvert your trope entirely, is up to you...

This week's prompts

Write about a festive party gone wrong that’s saved by some holiday magic.

Holiday – 24 stories

Write a story in which a cynical character gets amnesia on Christmas Eve.

Christmas – 28 stories

Write about a character who visits their hometown for the holidays and reconnects with a former love interest.

Holiday – 65 stories

Start or end your story with a character finding out the love of their life is actually royalty.

Romance – 19 stories

Write a story in which a character is stuck reliving their worst Christmas ever, over and over again.

Christmas – 35 stories

Stories

“Lovepugs” by Caro Robson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #229

Montgomery's chubby little body trembles with excited grunts as Poppy pushes open the door. Noticing the stylish reception area, she shushes him, feeling foolish for bringing a pug to a lawyer’s office. Still - she needs him here. He is her only remaining family and she cannot face the reading of her mother’s will without him by her side. A familiar voice rings out from the reception desk, immediately putting her at ease. “This must be the famous Montgomery! The whole town is talking about this handsome fellow.” Poppy had...

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“Did Jesus Eat Bacon For Christmas? ” by Clara 'CC' Carlyle

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #229

A bombshell revelation from the man formerly known as Jesus. It took many years, but he has reinvented himself- yet again. Josh, as he is known today, has a worldwide base of followers who call themselves Joshers. Few others can say they have two million followers. Josh the influencer. Josh the activist. Josh the criminal. Josh the great polarizing figure. Exactly who is Josh? ________ Clara Carlyle: Good to see you. Josh Christmas: Thank you for having me. Hey everyone out there. CC: I thought we'd start with you intro...

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“Guy in Black” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #229

At first glance, it would be easy to mistake it for a gift store, rather than a busy charity shop. It’s the time of year when seasonal items that are new seem to take over from the goods the public have donated second-hand. There are bays of Christmas cards and shelves decked in festive gifts: glass globes containing snowmen in miniature hats and scarves adorn the shelves in various sizes, simply begging to be taken home and shaken; hot water bottles in furry covers with pictures of dogs, cats, reindeer, hedgehogs and other ‘cuties also shou...

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“Christmas Campout” by RJ Holmquist

Submitted to Contest #229

“Christmas Campout.”These are two words no ten year old kid should ever have to hear put together in a sentence. They should never be used within six months of each other. They belong at opposite ends of the solar cycle, at opposite ends of any sane kid’s philosophical paradigm, at opposite ends of the universe, where they can never be combined to form the worst kind of holiday misery. Dad spoke them in a moment of crisis, his arms convulsed around grocery bags filled with frosting and charcuterie cheeses. It was December 24th and bits ...

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“28 Sleighs Later” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #229

Above the laughter and Christmas music, the bang against the door came: thump thump thump.Paul Reyes sighed. He patted his wife’s hand and pushed his chair away from the table. ‘Don’t worry, love, I’ve got this one.’Rosemary frowned at him. ‘But everybody’s here. Who could it be?’He stopped. Rose had framed the doorbell with tinsel. You couldn’t miss it. It would take a brain-dead person to knock instead of ringing. He shrugged. ‘Carolers, or something. I’ll give ‘em a quid and tell ‘em to bugger off.’A round of laughter rippled around the t...

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“Jade Prophecy” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #229

The peasants clambered at the door, anxious either to get away from the flying lizards or to have their future told, but Murdak, Refuge Of The Helpless, ignored them. She didn't feel like helping anyone tonight.Then there came a heavy, royal knock on the door. Murdak, the All-Knowing wondered who it was, then recognized the king's face through the window. She hurried to dress herself before opening the door, smiling at His Grace and his infant daughter and bidding them enter."Murdak, Giver of Fortunes, I have come for you to tell my daughter...

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“A Surprise Homecoming” by Ashley Djokoto

Submitted to Contest #229

All Nick wanted for Christmas this year was some peace and quiet. After a full year of high stress at his law firm, he knew he was in desperate need of a change of scenery for the holidays or he wouldn’t last through another year. He had started with Sterling and Malone Law Firm two years ago with the intention of becoming partner within five years, rather than the seven to ten years it normally takes for lawyers to rise to the top, especially in a larger firm like Sterling and Malone. Nick had always been a go-getter, from earning top marks...

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“How I Met Your Grandma” by Robert Egan

Submitted to Contest #229

Vivi had arrived at her grandparent's doorstep with her heart frozen over in disbelief, her eyes twin pools of desolation. Some spiteful child at school had told her that Santa Claus wasn't real, so Grandpa was doing his best to warm that frozen heart. Grandma, too, in her own quiet way.They were making Grandma's special cookies, usually reserved for Christmas and not the night before. Now, everyone knows it's a sad fact that most cookies don't taste as good as raw cookie dough. Not so with Grandma's cookies. No one, not even Grandpa, knew h...

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“Just the Hot Chocolate, Thanks. ” by Melissa Taylor

Submitted to Contest #229

I remember going shopping as a kid during the holidays. It was busy, and bustling and there were people all over the place. It was exciting. Everyone would smile at me and ask me about what I wanted for Christmas. I loved it. Every year, when I’d go out with my mom she’d be stressed. She’d wring her hands and pull at her hair as we walked. I would stop and talk with every stranger who would listen. I’d tell them anything they wanted to know, and at the end when we said goodbye, I’d say “buh bye, I love you!” I guess I’d said it one too ...

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“Echoes” by Erika Darling

Submitted to Contest #229

“Merry Christmas,” the voice whispers. “I’m just here to check your vitals.” Opening my eyelids feels like trying to lift a shovel with two feet of wet snow on it. Please let it be shorter. From the glow of the heart rate monitor, my stomach drops as I see it looks longer, if anything. The red line runs from the infected cut in my swollen hand up my arm tracing its way a few inches past my elbow. I’m too frightened to ask what will happen when the red line finishes connecting the dots between my hand, elbow, and heart. “Vitals are the same: ...

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“Too Soon to Tilt” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #229

New Year’s Eve–another boring party with inane gossip, too-loud music and guests robotically rattling off resolutions they knew they had no intention of keeping. Another year gone by with Wilson looking forward to almost nothing–except: The software salesman’s annual turning-of-the-calendar-page ritual did have one very bright spot–across the room stood the stunningly beautiful and intelligent blonde lady as she had for the past two years. Aside from her tantalizing appearance ...

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“Eve” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #229

‘Who am I? Where am I?’ Roy stood in the still, dark night, holding a package wrapped like a present. He didn’t know who it was for. Starlight helped him see its professional wrapping in fine paper. It had no tag indicating the intended recipient. The large box, though not unwieldy, felt lighter than he’d expected. He could only guess its contents. ‘Why must I lug this box around?’ The stars looked like velvet in the clear sky. The Milky Way lay just out of reach. Trees lining the road seemed to glow through the darkness. He felt submerged ...

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“The Living Parents Literary Support Group” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #229

At the Living Parents Literary Support Group, Rebecca regretted every dad that died. With each, she lost a member.“Roll call,” she announced. “Is everyone’s parents still alive?”“Yes,” the man sitting on her left declared.“Both Alive,” the next member said.. “Yep.” “Yessirree.” One by one, the dozen attendees of the 23rd annual LPLSG Christmas Dinner acknowledged the sad fact that their parents were alive and well.“Hmm…” Nicole Johnson mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.“Nicole?” Rebecca probed.“My mother passed two wee...

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“Sixteen to Sixty - A Love Story” by Hannah Lynn

Submitted to Contest #229

I don’t remember why we stopped seeing each other but I do remember that we always went back to each other. And then we got married. But not to each other. And then we had kids. But not with each other. On and off for over thirty years I thought about him. Not in the heat of a fight, not in desperation or regret or longing, just in passing. And I would think he’s thinking of me too. He wouldn’t forget me. It’s not possible. And one day I would see him again and I would tell him I love him. I would s...

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“Not All The Witches.....” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #229

Not all the witches live in Salem. There at the supermarket stood Adriana, checkout chick. It was mid-winter, raining, sleeting, bitter wind blowing, as the sliding glass door opened right on time. Quivering in the draft swirling yesterday's rubbish flotsam over the darkening car park, Adriana sold her first packet of cigarettes and morning newspaper for the day. Her eager clients waited for their fix. They swiped their debit cards, or some cash, then turned to their cars, coughing at their first gasper, reading the football latest gossip ...

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$250

Prize money

171

Contest entries

64

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 22, 2023 EST

Won by Aaron Chin 🏆

Title: The Gingerbread Cookies

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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