#23: Winter Wonderland

By the time the holidays have passed, and the first week of January is in full swing, it's impossible to deny one fact any longer: winter is here.

Shorter days and colder temperatures often mean more time spent indoors writing. This week, we suggest you sit by a window and let the wintery world outside inspire your newest piece of short fiction.

This week's prompts

You go for a walk in fresh snow. Suddenly you realize you're not leaving any footprints.

Fantasy – 128 stories

Write a short story that takes place in a winter cabin.

Winter – 76 stories

A busy city is quieted by a big blanketing of snow. Write from the perspective of two (or more) characters who live there.

Winter – 51 stories

Write a short story about someone experiencing their first winter.

Winter – 31 stories

Write a short story about people stuck in traffic during a blizzard. There's nothing much to do but wait, and talk...

Dialogue – 67 stories

Stories

“Snowy mornings and warm smiles ” by Millie Spence

Submitted to Contest #23

It was a cold, snowy day in the centre of London. The usual hustle and bustle of the busy city was silenced by a sheet of glistening white. The surrounding universities were closed for the day due to the thick blanket of the cold substance. The two Brits sat on their windowsill, eyes alight with child-like glee. Peter and Xander, having lived in countries where it did snow, were not as impressed. However, they both loved snow and have enjoyed playing in the snow since they were children.“It hasn’t snowed in ages!” Finnley squealed, excited p...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Chihuahua Fur” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #23

We’re in a car on a highway and I don’t know where we’re going. What I do know is as we drive there are less trees with big leaves and coconuts and more trees with no leaves. I never knew there were trees without leaves. But, maybe all these trees are dead. We’re in a car and going in mostly one direction. There are big signs in the middle above us and I don’t care about those. What I do care about are the different shade of gray (everything is gray) signs on the right side of the highway. If I see one...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Snow” by Alex Lucas

Submitted to Contest #23

Ohio. I regularly contemplate how anyone could find joy living in Ohio. It’s just so boring. We’ve been here less than a year, and I can confidently say it’s the most boring place on the planet. There’s never been a good thing to say about Ohio, and yet, this is where mother and father have decided to live. I fear they may be idiots. Most days start exactly the same way. I sit at my table, eat my cereal, and stare longingly at the backyard through the paned-glass sliding door. Our giant dog, Rufus, sleeps listlessly outside his little dog ho...

6 comments 6

Read story

“Blizzard Thief” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #23

I was just starting to nod off, long drives always make me a bit sleepy. Especially when the drumming sound of icy rain was hitting the roof of the car. Flakes of ice pounded the windshield of Roger’s black Range Rover, “Fuck, guys I think it’s getting really bad.”The car slowed to a stop, as the windshield grew cloudier, and lights from the other cars slowly dissolved into white. Wendy, who prides herself on being a true “trophy wife”, reached underneath her seat and unveiled a slender bottle of Skyy Vodka, which she twisted open with care ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Myths and Legends” by Lauren Ford

Submitted to Contest #23

“Mummy, where’s the music gone?” Carla tried to keep her voice calm and devoid of the nervous energy that was beginning to pulse through her body as she answered her son. “It will come back, sweetie. The bad storm just made it go away for a little while.” She pushed the large, round button on the car stereo to cease the static that was relentlessly roaring from the speakers. Carla peered out her driver’s seat window. The white cloud hanging above was getting thicker and the snow was falling more consistently now. Her thumbnail instinctiv...

0 comments 0

Read story

“30 Minutes to Taco Bell” by Royalty Beans

Submitted to Contest #23

"So we're gonna be stuck here for a while, huh?" "Yep." Henry sighed, his frustration showing throughout his whole body. Valerie reached for the lever on the side of her cushioned leather chair, pulling it and leaning back to relax the ride away. Henry tapped his fingers to an imaginary beat on his steering wheel, glancing up and adjusting the center mirror. Both of them continued to search for various objects to fidget with, but... An awkward silence greeted the pair. Sure, they were best friends as well as roommates, having known each othe...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Life's Winter Sentiments ” by Gracie Tello

Submitted to Contest #23

A beat-up truck slowly creeps along the road, stopping every few moments as the rest of traffic comes to a sliding halt. The cascading snow cloaks everything, making it almost impossible to see ahead, but somehow, all the other cars keep trying to rush forward. The holiday spirit, which seemed to fill every heart just yesterday morning, is now forgotten in the blaring horns of traffic. Bleary eyes peer intently through the windshield. The old man leans forward, his worn hands gripping the wheel tightly. The trip has been long and tiring, an...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Thaw” by Jess Wood

Submitted to Contest #23

I stared intently at the snowflake which had just landed on the car window. It glinted in the hazy light. Its uniqueness gave it a special kind of beauty. Even as I watched it began to blur around the edges, shrinking into a tear drop which tracked the window and became lost amongst the hordes of others. One was beautiful but millions, trillions of them, at the will of the merciless winds, was the opposite. What should so easily melt away had become a barrier, freezing not only the air but the seconds themselves. All the cars were stuck in g...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Heart Trapped in Ice ” by Meli Mangos

Submitted to Contest #23

Elizabeth slammed her palm repeatedly into her Jeep's horn. "Come on! It's just a little snow." She groaned and put her elbow to the window and rested her head against her hand. "Well, it is a blizzard, Lizzy." Kate said from the passenger seat. They were trying to get on the local highway but traffic on the ramp was stopped. Outside, snow was coming down in sheets. Some said the flakes were as big as baseballs, and they covered the roads quicker than the plows could make a second pass. There was a red Prius in the guard rail ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Frigid” by Emily Showers

Submitted to Contest #23

I could see my breath in front of me as I walked to my car. It was flurrying outside. It was beautiful. Magical even. The flakes were just barely laying on the ground but I knew that the snow was going to speed up later. I got into my car and pulled out of the driveway to go get my brother, Zack, from basketball practice. He was truly talented at basketball, or almost any sport you put him in for that matter. Me, I’m more of a nerd. I do enjoy the occasional game of ping pong, but other than that, I tend to stay away f...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Understanding” by Samantha Sawh

Submitted to Contest #23

A bright, white light fills my vision. I wince, gritting my teeth as the shine fades and I focus on what’s happening. But as my vision clears, all I still see is white — a thick, white blanket of snow, stretching in every possible direction. I don’t understand. What happened? I don’t even remember how I got here… I had a couple beers but definitely not enough to end up alone in a big, open field. I look up to find a pale night sky with a few glittering stars above me. Yeah. Something crazy must’ve happened. I clamor up to my feet, stre...

0 comments 0

Read story

“one snowy night” by Judy McIntosh

Submitted to Contest #23

Sarah pulled the brisket and roasted potatoes from her wood burning oven. Her small cabin was filled with the delicious aroma of a home cooked meal. She poured herself a glass of red wine and sat by the fire. Her dog Cash crept from his bed and lay at her feet with a heavy sigh.She gazed around and felt almost happy. The cabin was decorated in Sarah's salvaging. The golden oak floor shined like honey in the gaslight. The pine ceiling was framed with endwalls of reddish barnboard from a hundred year old barn. On the log walls hung antique fai...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Cabin ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #23

Cabin There is a cabin on the north side of Tanana Valley State Forest a few hundred klicks past Tok on the Parks Highway. There is only way to get to one of the most secluded places on the face of the earth and that is by snowmobile and only if there is at least a foot of snow on the ground. It is nearly February, so you don’t have to worry about that, but the rest of the deal, you’d better be paying attention, because this terrain can be lethal to amatuers. You have to know what you’re doing out here, because Nature is c...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Skipping Christmas” by Luke Henkel

Submitted to Contest #23

“Nash? Nash, sweetheart, is that you?”“No, mom, I’m the utilities auditor. Have a second to talk about your energy efficiency?”My mom came into the hallway and came up to within two inches of me. She stopped and looked me up and down, a full scan from head to toe, and then she wiped her hands on the rag she held in her hands.“You’ve lost weight but your smart ass has gotten bigger. Put your bag down and take off your jacket and come into the kitchen. I’ve just put on some coffee.”I said thanks and set my bag down.&nb...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Fireplace” by Patrick Harding Harding

Submitted to Contest #23

The FireplaceSnowshoeing solo might have been a big mistake. Phillip squinted against the raging blizzard that had come from out of nowhere, sandpapering his bare face with a pebbly, gritty force. He had been so anxious to try out his new showshoes that his fiancée had given him for Christmas that the next day he had headed out to Patricia Park. The hour drive has been blissful with Neil Young croaking out perfect highway tunes, the sun drenching the highway under the perfect blue skies. It had been such a pristine and mild day that Phil had...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

353

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 10, 2020 EST

Won by Angeliki P 🏆

Title: Pied Piper

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!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

#23: Winter Wonderland

This week's prompts

You go for a walk in fresh snow. Suddenly you realize you're not leaving any footprints.

Write a short story that takes place in a winter cabin.

A busy city is quieted by a big blanketing of snow. Write from the perspective of two (or more) characters who live there.

Write a short story about someone experiencing their first winter.

Write a short story about people stuck in traffic during a blizzard. There's nothing much to do but wait, and talk...

Stories