#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

“Bitter Truth Cafe” by Shannon Bogle

Submitted to Contest #23

Joan Taylor stared fixedly out the window of the Man in the Moon cafe. The fear of being stood up for a lunch date would ruffle the feathers of any decent individual, but after arriving 25 minutes early for a lunch date with reservations, Joan was frothing with irritation. The bread rolls no longer puffed with steam and warmth, but were now chilled over with staleness. The casual glances in her direction were now full of whispers and stares of pity. Her waiter, sweet boy, cautiously paced his section of the cafe...

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“A Michigan Winter” by Kate The Wanderer

Submitted to Contest #23

Sizzle, crackle, pop! The fire keeps me toasty warm. I get up from my cocoon of blankets in front of the fire place and run to the window. Still no snow. I had heard songs about winter and seen movies but it never snowed in Florida. I am spending Christmas with my Gramma in Michigan while my parents are on a trip. They are on something called a cruise and I’ve never been on one of those so I wanted to go with them a first but then they told me that Gramma gets snow in Michigan! I’ve been here for a week and so far its been really super cold...

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“A Father's First Snow” by Cameron Suarez

Submitted to Contest #23

It was a cold January night. Well, of course it was cold, it was snowing. It would be surprising if it were snowing and it weren't cold. I stood on my porch with my beautiful wife in my arm. She was wearing her fuzzy purple robe she loved. We were watching our two kids, Jolei and Summit. Yes, we're that white couple who gives "original" names to our kids. Jolei and Summit were experiencing their first winter snow. My wife and I were hoping that it would have snowed before Christmas, but this was good, too. We're just glad it snowed. ...

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“The First Winter” by Author Sonia Ferrigno

Submitted to Contest #23

Jabari had always been a courageous kid. When his mother was alive, she used to tell him that he was the only baby in the village not to cry when the fierce storms whipped at the huts and the thunder shook the earth with a mighty rumble. Jabari meant 'the brave one' in the Bankonjo dialect. But Jabari wasn't feeling brave at all. He was scared and lonely. The Bankonjo village belonged to a fading dream, and Jabari had woken up in another world. The alien fields and woods that lay before his dark eyes were desolate and colourless. The plains ...

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“Wonder” by Aqsa Azam

Submitted to Contest #23

“Hey sweetie, wake up. Come and look outside.” Kate gently tried to wake 5-year-old Ariana who was sleeping cocooned in a fluffy blanket.She stirred after a pause, muttering incoherently. A slimy track of drool had made its way from the corner of her mouth to her chin. Katie tutted, took a couple of tissue paper from the nightstand and wiped it off. Ariana’s eyelashes fluttered.“I know you are awake, young lady.” Katie said in a stern voice, “enough with the theatrics.”Ariana giggled and sat up, brushing aside her hair. “Mom, what’s theeatri...

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“First Steps in Snow” by Alyse Morrell

Submitted to Contest #23

It was our first time traveling to Angel Fire, New Mexico for a winter vacation. Well, it was our first time traveling for a winter vacation, ever. My parents decided to try something new, and instead of giving presents, they wanted to give an experience. I think they read about that on some “yummy-mummy” blog, and figured skiing would be an experience that even they could enjoy. My sister and I were six and four, respectfully, and had been ...

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“"Events Take an Unexpected Turn"” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #23

It was perhaps as well that the Internet was still in its infancy when Barbara Bellingham was born. Her mother Harriet, sitting sipping over-priced insipid coffee as she crouched over a clunky, chunky computer in an Internet café while she had trusted Barbara to the child’s grandmother’s care for a couple of hours, could not find out very much about her daughter’s condition. She had insisted that the doctor wrote it down, but still struggled to pronounce it. She discovered very little she did not already know. It was exce...

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“In Our Language” by Ratika Deshpande

Submitted to Contest #23

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the small window that looked out on the narrow street and the building opposite. Nyra was leaning forward, watching me with wide eyes, as if waiting, curious, which she was. She’d never had a friend like me before. And I’ll never have a friend like her again. She looked at me with her big brown eyes and I looked back at her with my small blue ones. CURIOUS. After 12.059 seconds she blinked and said, rather unsurely, “Uh, hi. I’m Nyra.” I knew who she was before she told me. We know ...

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“The First Winter” by Gang Y

Submitted to Contest #23

In spring, a child is born. Introduced to the world during a period of light, the baby experiences nothing but warmth. He watches the grass grow into a luscious green throughout April, listens to the joyful tune of the ice cream truck in July, and smells the heavenly scent of apple pie in November. The days grow colder and the trees start losing their leaves. The first snowfall of the year appears in the middle of December. Mystified, the infant gazes at the flurry of snow that drifts down from above. What is this? He wonders, pressing his n...

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“New Beginnings ” by Darian Dublanko

Submitted to Contest #23

We were on the highway coming home from our not-so-romantic getaway in the mountains. It was supposed to be the perfect vacation to celebrate our three years of being together until it wasn’t. This was because five hours away from home, he uttered the dreaded words no girl wants to hear. “We need to talk, Anne,” he says to me, almost in a whisper. My stomach dropped at the tone of those words because before he said anything more I knew what was coming. Honestly, something felt different this whole trip between us, so I was not complete...

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“Falling Snow Flakes Make New Friends” by Anchorete Overlunde

Submitted to Contest #23

Hamilton switched off the headlights and tightened his scarf. He watched as snowflakes covered the view of his windscreen. He lowered the side window slightly to check the wind outside. The sudden burst of wind threw him back like a boxer taking an uppercut. He felt the wind chill his bones. Time passed by as he nodded off to sleep. The knocking on the side window brought him out of his sleep. He saw a dim light on the outside. He quietly reached out and lowered the passenger side window. He saw a figure beckoning him to open the door. Hesit...

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“Trapped” by Ed Friedman

Submitted to Contest #23

TRAPPED I approached these meetings like I do my teeth cleanings. Necessary but kind of a drag and a time suck. The Bronx Community Center board meetings, like my teeth cleanings, happened quarterly. Being on the board was my attempt to “give something back”, volunteering my time to help with oversight and fundraising. All things considered it wasn’t much of a commitment so I shouldn’t complain. At each meeting, however one of the other board members, Barbara, would ask for a ride home. She would take the train from her job to the meet...

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“The Blizzard Inside of Us” by Marie Persley

Submitted to Contest #23

Yikes!My hand tensed convulsively as it came in contact with the frigid seatbelt buckle. Click.Struggling to control my stiff fingers, I forced the key into the ignition and cranked it hard, listening to the old car struggle. Finally, the whirring and wheezing of the motor settled into a rhythmic rumble. Breathing a sigh of relief, I released the pressure on the key and sank back into my seat. One day my beat-up old car was going to die once and for all, but I prayed it would hang on until I could afford a new one. Not that I had any money t...

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“Frenemies ” by Alko Crow

Submitted to Contest #23

"I hate this as much as you do, so just suck it up!" I retorted as I lay my head back against the headrest. Just what I wanted... to be stuck in traffic with this, jerk. Words simply couldn't begin to describe how much hate I felt in my heart towards Noah, he was such a- well, I'll keep this as clean as I can possible manage. Well, you might be asking, 'How did I end up sharing a trip with the one person that I disliked?' Hehe, funny story, one of my other buds, Evan, told me a friend of his needed a favor. When I realized it was Noah, ...

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“Stalkers Karma” by Kaidyn Beck

Submitted to Contest #23

I really hope I make it in time. This snow is ferocious. I can see brake lights of all sorts up ahead of me. Sirens buzz by Lyrics car. Everything playing on the radio is weather alerts. The snow comes crashing down in a thickening white blinding wave. A man's deep voice comes on the radio with a message for everyone on the road; ATTENTION! ATTENTION! WE ARE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH A LEVEL 3 BLIZZARD. STAY OFF THE ROADS. PREPARE FOR BACK UPS. WATCH FOR ACCIDENTS. Then the voice cuts out and is left with a loud beep for about 15 seconds. ...

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$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!

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#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...