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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#231: A New Leaf

The year is almost over, and a new one begins in just a few days. With that comes the traditional time of reflection, and of projection. As well as looking back over the year that's just passed, we're looking ahead to a next — and even the most cynical among us have to admit there's something pretty exciting about that.


A new year is an opportunity for self-improvement, exploration, and even complete reinvention. This week's prompts are all in that vein; characters who are all looking for a fresh start, in one way or another.

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of a list of New Year's resolutions.

Adults – 54 stories

Write about a character who has reinvented themselves, but realizes it's not always easy to outrun your past.

Character – 62 stories

Write a story about hope.

Short Story – 78 stories

Write about someone trying something completely new.

Character – 34 stories

Set your story on New Year's Day.

Holiday – 50 stories

Stories

“Rites of Interchange” by Morgan Aloia

Submitted to Contest #231

“I grow weary of this travel, Grejyre.” These were the words which set Grejyre’s once carefully manicured life into tumult. They were spoken from the reflection of a pool of enchanted water in a private sanctum at the very highest peak of the grand library that Grejyre had devoted her life to, by a peer she respected more deeply than anyone else, and though the words themselves were not imbued with any magic of charm nor binding it made no difference for she still knew herself to be compelled by them. “Are there no more libraries to plum...

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“Island Vacation” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #231

TW: Sexual and physical violence, self-harm, and generally unpleasant things. Dressed in a faux leopard skin pant suit, Karen Teale watched despondently as glittering singles became intimate pairings, their insistent hands touching, eyes flashing, faces flushed with new love.  She stared sadly at her empty wine glass while trying to ignore the sloppy drunk with whom she’d been seated at the gala. A steward poured another glass of Chardonnay, and two sequined dancers razzle-dazzled across the ballroom floor.  Karen sl...

4 comments 4
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“Longhorn” by Curtis Doucette

Submitted to Contest #231

Planet Ceramxylop - Northern Hemisphere, Yi Kon Region - 01.04.5054 - 15:23 hrsThey thought he loved the speed, that he was addicted to the tunnel, but Farrez never told them the truth. Most of the men chased the tunnel for the thrill, seeing how far they could push their Mech-Suits before passing out. These war machines were made for speeds that the pilots weren’t and some simply wouldn’t accept such limitations. There was also the purity of the moment, forcing yourself to be absolutely present because if you fell out, you would fall down.&...

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“Symphony of Serendipity” by Gail Ormsby

Submitted to Contest #231

Eliza, bathed in the confetti-fueled light of the descending spud, feels the collective anticipation crackling around her. Her gaze was glued to the oversized tuber's descent, atop the Idaho Captial building and her mind spun with possibilities for the new year's nascent canvas. What stories will this blank page hold? Will it blossom with vibrant colors of triumph and joy or be etched with the soft grey tones of introspection and quiet change? The final seconds before midnight ticked by each tick carrying the weight of a thousand memories an...

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“First Taste” by Elizabeth Sutherland

Submitted to Contest #231

It started when she’d overheard Gregory telling his sister on the phone that she wouldn’t hear them because she was taking a nap. He hadn’t even bothered to close their bedroom door in case she might be listening, able to overhear his affectionate mocking of her reluctance. He judged affection in a spouse sufficient to justify all kinds of belittling. He wouldn’t even have considered it belittling. But his words and tone had stung. He’d said she never had and never would. As if she isn’t brave enough. Or co...

4 comments 4
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“Dear Past Me” by Alice Brooks

Submitted to Contest #231

I never thought I’d ever be okay.Day after day, week after week, year after year – it was always the same. Ever since I turned 14 and my heart was shattered into a million pieces for the first time, it had always been the same.Wake up, make it through the day without a mental breakdown, go to bed.Don’t cry. Don’t make Mom worry. Don’t show what you feel.I hadn’t been the same since. Everything about me had changed, I had transformed; from a bubbly, young girl, into a teenager who had to grow up too fast, into an adult who never quite got the...

4 comments 4
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“The fairy lights” by Deepa Ravi

Submitted to Contest #231

Sumathi was a neighborhood tailor. The kind you would find virtually in every street corner in India. Not the fancy boutique variety, but someone who would stitch your sari falls, alter your kurtis, hem the edges of your dupattas, stitch an emergency blouse or two – kind of tailor. It would be an understatement to say that life had not been kind to her. She had an alcoholic husband and three children in quick succession. However, the husband was a tailor and he did give her money to run their home. He was also the one who taught her tailorin...

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“1898 - Wild Blackberries and Mischief at the Lighthouse ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #231

The dark Mason jar of wild blackberries caught Elsie’s eye when she looked around the root cellar under the Lighthouse Keepers House. She thought, “If only I could have just a spoonful of those berries, so delicious. I can almost taste them now. That would be enough. Just one spoonful.” Elsie knew it would be a first time she did something like secretly using the family food supplies if she ate some of the blackberries. It would be dishonest.The root cellar’s shelves of Mason Jars full of vegetables and fruits sat in the darkness.&...

7 comments 7
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“Dinosaurs” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #231

I had such a hard time at the funeral. My mom, God rest her soul. Now I just feel so empty, wandering around this empty house with piles of old things waiting to be thrown out. You hardly know what to keep and what to ditch. I’m scared that I will throw out things that matter to me. Even though I have forgotten what they are!I hated school. But I saw this grade 3 assignment that I did with Ms. Woodrow before she went on sick leave so long ago. Was it twenty years ago? Ran into it at the bottom of a pile of elementary school things. By no mea...

8 comments 8
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“Making Friends” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #231

The humans stood clustered by the bus stop as the October rain pelted at them sideways from a dull grey sky.Milton Downere felt a snake of nervousness coil inside of him. This was it, the big test. It had been so long since he’d interacted with people in earnest. All his interactions had ended in running and screaming. But not this time, no. He had learned his lesson. He had refused to let reality’s rain extinguish his hope. But now he had to navigate a human body once more. And this one had deteriorated since its end. He held its bones toge...

6 comments 6
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“The Quiet Game” by Elisa Skoett

Submitted to Contest #231

(sensitive content: implied abuse) “Let’s play a game.” Ryan’s voice is low and quiet, a whisper through the inky blackness of Finn’s bedroom. The room is only illuminated by a small sailboat-shaped nightlight, its blue threads of light sewing shadows on the walls. “The quiet game,” she says, “you remember that one, right?” Finn nods. It’s the same game Ryan asks him to play at night sometimes. Hide in the closet. Cover your ears. You only win if you stay quiet. Finn pretends to zip his lips shut and throw away the key. In the near-darkn...

2 comments 2
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“SOFT OR HARD” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #231

SOFT OR HARD? The longest stake out I ever did lasted 72 hours but it was partly Donna’s fault. She doesn’t make many errors but she screwed up on the arrival date of my target and had me there a day sooner than necessary. Still, three whole days in one spot, sucks! In fact, this entire way of living sucks. I want out but I’ve been saying that for a while.I’m able to drift off in my mind while remaining on full alert, something I’ve mastered over the years. Sometimes, I’ll imagine I’m a pro fighter scrapping my way through different opponent...

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“Courageous Expectations” by Charles Karalee Ratliff

Submitted to Contest #231

Samantha sat beneath the tall and aged oak tree with her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. The breeze blew gently across her brow. The coverage of the tree protected her from the high sun. This was the most important day of her life. Today is the day she finds out if all of her hard work pays off. Today, she finds out if the internship will be awarded to her … or to Tabitha … a not as talented but more likable personality. The announcement was to be made later this afternoon, Samantha sat on the ground recalling each step that she made...

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“I Went To The Store, And Ended Up Here” by Tricia Shulist

Submitted to Contest #231

I WENT TO THE STORE AND ENDED UP HEREWhen I woke up, I had no idea where I was. None whatsoever. Zero. Complete blank. I wasn’t even sure what day it was. There’s nothing worse than not knowing where you are, or why. In a perfect world I would be in my own bed in my own house … I had a house?I looked around. I was sitting in a chair in some sort of huge waiting room. There were a whole bunch of other people—dozen and dozens, maybe hundreds—sitting here, so …So what? What the hell was I doing sitti...

4 comments 4
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“When It Abruptly Stopped” by Simeon Bingham

Submitted to Contest #231

None of us were prepared for the day It abruptly stopped loading. We watched with bated breath as 89% glitched on our screens. Some of us responded with humor, while others responded with a unique blend of pessimism and apathy. All of us, however, felt a sharp fear from having to recognize the very real possibility that we might have to continue living without It. We had gotten too comfortable relying on its advanced technology and superior intellect. At first, our world leaders were skeptical of its counsel, skillfully a...

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$250

Prize money

278

Contest entries

109

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 05, 2024 EST

Won by Mary Lynne Schuster 🏆

Title: No Junior League

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

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Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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