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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

“Missing Pages” by Kyla Tavares

Submitted to Contest #229

        “Have a Merry Christmas,” the person at the register said.               “Whatever,” she scoffed, and quickly left the store. As she was leaving its vicinity, she saw a person dressed up in a costume. He wore the iconic red and white outfit, outfitted with a stupid looking hat. He also had stuffed pillows under his costume, that much was obvious. The people crowding around him didn’t seem to notice, or maybe they didn’t care. All...

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“Returning Home” by Tamy Lewter

Submitted to Contest #229

Terra lay slumped over her desk with the phone in her hand buzzing from the alarm. She jumped up startled by the noise thinking she was late for work. Then she realized it was 8pm, not 8am.  Terra walked over to her bed only to fall forward landing on her arms and letting her face sink into the comforter when the alarm went off again. Looking at her phone, she realized she was still late, but for her date. Terra was tired, truly exhausted. She had been working extra hours to finish up a project before she left f...

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“A Second Chance at Love” by Christie Mack

Submitted to Contest #229

Chapter 1 Home for the Holidays The small town of Willowbrook came into view as Emma's car rolled down the familiar winding road. It had been five long years since she'd left for the big city, chasing her dreams and leaving behind the memories of her hometown. But as the holiday season approached, the pull of home had become too strong to resist. As Emma turned onto Elm Street, the streetlights cast a warm amber glow on the quaint houses lining the road. Willowbrook epitomises a picturesque small town; every corner seemed to hold a memory...

1 comment 1
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“Geese, Grease & Fire” by Denese Wright

Submitted to Contest #229

When Christmas approaches it greets you with a warm December kiss. Outside, fall is whispered away in the wind. Nights stretch out. Golden fires burn brighter, hotter and longer, and waltz inside the many fireplaces. Old fire wood remembers this passionate heat and burns longer, so why would anyone want to douse such a flame? Good question.  The family is doing something different this year. Everyone is expected home for Christmas. G.G Wallace’s birthday is twelve days before but this year there will be two parties for the price of one...

2 comments 2
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“California Christmas” by Leah Dewey

Submitted to Contest #229

It was warmer than I remembered and it was a little disappointing. I had come to really love the snow and real white Christmases. Nothing here had ever felt right, it always felt like something had been missing. But it was too late, I had already made the choice to be here for Christmas.  I drove through the familiar streets noticing all the changes that had been made through the small city of Ventura. I wondered how many of my school friends were still here. I turned left and into the old neighborhood I used to know so well. Most of ...

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“Whispers of Love in Harbor Cove” by Dita Dow

Submitted to Contest #229

In the heart of bustling New York City, amid skyscrapers that touched the clouds and fashionistas who ruled the urban streets, Tabitha O’Malley, a renowned fashion designer, craved an escape from her relentless cosmopolitan life as the holiday season approached.Amidst the glimmering city lights, her mind wandered to her hometown, Harbor Cove, and nostalgia swept over her. It had been twelve long years since she last visited, her parents long gone.Despite lacking family connections, Harbor Cove still had a sense of home for her and she opted ...

4 comments 4
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“All I Want for Christmas is...Not You.” by Lora Sells

Submitted to Contest #229

I change the dial on the radio for the fifth time because for some reason every station has decided that since it’s December the only thing people want to hear is Mariah Carey Christmas music; I’m the exception to those people as I huff angrily passed yet another “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” I’m beginning to think she’s less like a pop queen and more like Krampus, coming to life once a year to haunt me until January finally rolls around. Cameron shifts next to me as I finally give up and push the dial, turning off the stereo altog...

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“Emily's Point” by Simeon Bingham

Submitted to Contest #229

Whenever there’s a discussion regarding the nature of heteronormativity and its prevalence in society, both in a historical and modern context, the tone surrounding the topic can be quite removed; perhaps reductive is the better word. Oftentimes, we take social structures like this and subvert them to the specific individual actions that keep the power dynamics between groups of people imbalanced, rather than tailor our analysis to focus on the systems put in place to keep the structures intact. Ergo, a critique of white supremacy is re...

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“New Kid ” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #229

Cole entered the middle school for the first time. He was back. Excited kids ran about. You could tell the seventh graders from upper classmen. They weren’t seasoned. They didn’t belong. Cole knew about not belonging. His family always on the move, he was the perennial new kid. He’d been the new kid four out of his first six years in school. He would have called it migration, but birds returned to where they’d been. Until today. Now Cole was back, starting again where he’d once lived. He only needed to connect with old friends to feel like h...

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“The Mistletoe Thrush” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #229

Darlene thought of Christmas and herceyes filled with tears first romance memories some good some bad. The Mistletoe thrush he or she,always remained for the festive season.pecking at the mistletoe over the years. Fresh berries the joy and taste of Christmas. The clinking of glasses, tree lights, globes on trees laughing faces joy. Darlene should show more spirit instead of dwelling on the past. As Danny always said his girlie. The times together bought a tear to her eye hanky at the ready. Danny life and soul of the party. Taken so young, C...

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“Under the Mistletoe” by Hayley-Jenifer Brennan

Submitted to Contest #229

‘Excuse me, Jihoon—' My gaze tracked the voice to the other side of the office. ‘—could you—' ‘No.’ I rolled my eyes. Jihoon Kang. The son of our school’s director was working off his debt having crashed his birthday present. ‘. . .Paige?’ Yura turned to me. I chewed my lip. ‘Yes, Yura?’ Jihoon caught my eye. He shook his head, mouthing: “say no”. I ignored him. ‘I know you’re busy,’ Yura said. ‘But we’ve got a booking for Christmas Day.’ My eyes widened. ‘Who booked this?’ ‘I’ll bet it was my dad,’ Jihoon scoffed. ‘We looooove Christmas.’ ‘...

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“Worst Christmas Ever” by David Lund

Submitted to Contest #229

CHRISTMAS DAY, 1866.         I woke up, my head pounding. I didn’t open my eyes, sure someone had glued them shut, it seemed like too much effort. So I lay there, listening to my heartbeat pound through my temples. Quick, irregular, sending waves of nausea through my nerves, making my stomach lurch. I took a deep breath, trying to slow the rhythm, trying to calm my churning guts. The intake of breath brought up the smell of half-digested wine, the alcohol burning my throat and nose.    &...

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“Down the Chimney” by K.C. Hammond

Submitted to Contest #229

**This story contains alcohol consumption and suggested gore**            Tomorrow would be the day. The worst day of the year. For others, it was a time of giving, a time of joy and celebration. The time to be merry and bright. But not for Anna Lee. No, for her it was a reminder of a time when the most precious thing to her was taken. A time of misery and isolation. Her friends called her a Grinch. An Ebenezer. Well, bah humbug to them. If they knew, if they experienced what she had...

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“Bony Turkey and Ugly Elves” by Zoe King

Submitted to Contest #229

“I only had one thing on my wishlist this year, Mama!” a young boy tells his mother. “I want a sister!” “You can’t have a sister,” the young boy’s mother tells him. “Why not, Mama?” asks the young boy. “Because you’re not on the nice list,” the young boy’s father says. The young boy is in tears. They are sitting at the dinner table, the young boy, his father, his mother, and a creepy elf-on-the-shelf on the other end staring at him. The young boy is sure his parents bought it solely for the purpose of frightening him. The thought cre...

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“A Forgettable Christmas” by Joana Sério

Submitted to Contest #229

Luz does the best she can with her life and the choices she's made. She doesn't quite agree when it's said that there are no regrets because she does regret. She laments some of the choices she's made and regrets letting certain people into her life. She knows that those she regrets allowing into her life came with the purpose of teaching her something, and honestly, after some disagreements and painful episodes, she always comes to the same conclusion: "I like myself more and more every time."She never denied vanity in herself and always ow...

3 comments 3
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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!

Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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