Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

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

“A New Start” by William Braden

Submitted to Contest #231

Jason Masters, five years in the Army and three years in prison, for bashing his wife’s lover, putting him in hospital for six months. At twenty-six years old, I need to start life with no violence and a calmer more relaxed outlook. He left the prison in a taxi and went to a transition unit owned by the prison. He ignored the people standing around, waiting for husbands and sons. There were six units in a block with a garden. Sally Goodman introduced herself, I’m your guidance officer. She took him to a local supermarket to buy food, cooking...

Read story

“The Broken Mirror” by JOHN GORDON

Submitted to Contest #231

The reflection that looked her square in the face wasn’t what she’d expected to see. The blood was splattered across her like a Pollock explosion. On the floor, the writhing body wriggled and pulsated. There was so much blood. So much blood. She felt her stomach churn. It had all started so innocently. She was trying to think about how in the name of God she’d got here. *** Millie and Jeff Edwards were newlyweds. They’d been lovers from teenagers and had spent many an hour in each other’s company. When they were in their late teens, ...

Read story

“The Man with Long Arms” by Cade Holter

Submitted to Contest #231

“I’m telling you man, there’s something wrong with that guy.” Maurice did not want to hear this again today. He came over to Cameron’s apartment to do exactly one thing: nothing. Now he was being made to listen to this shit again. “Cam, I don’t know what this guy did to you, but you should just drop it. He hasn’t even done anything to you.” “Not yet.” “Not yet he says. What do you think he’s even going to do?” Cameron, of course, has no reply to that. It’s the same routine every damn time, Maurice notes bitterly. Maurice comes over. Cam ...

Read story

“On Life and Embracing Every Precious Moment” by Rene Volpi

Submitted to Contest #231

“Every Breath You Take.” It’s the name of a song, but it could be a poem, a recitation, or the beginning of a letter. Either way, most would agree that it’s a beautiful title, which begs the question: Where does creativity come from? Some people say it’s a gift from God, but nobody knows, not even science. Why? Is it because there is no proof of beyond-reality consciousness? There is no evidence of it one way or another. But we know such virtue exists. The most fantastic things that have happened or are happening on this planet cannot be...

Read story

“Two carrots” by Orwell King

Submitted to Contest #231

I overheard an intriguing conversation the other day. A child asked their mother, “What is the first thing you remember?” The more I pondered, the more I realised it's a complex question. The child’s mother replied, “The smell of Grandma’s apple pie.” A peculiar choice, as I've never experienced that aroma. The only thing I've ever smelled is carrot.The child’s mother turned the question to her own daughter, Sally. “Well, Sally, what is your first memory?” Sally's eyes lit up, “Dad’s music. BANANANANA, THUNDER! BANANANANA… he really likes th...

Read story

“Keeping hope alive” by Jane Godwin Coury

Submitted to Contest #231

The lights turned red the instant she reached the crossroads. Instead of trying to beat the red light this time, Leila sighed and braked abruptly. She couldn’t afford any more fines. The countdown timer digitally displaying 45 seconds to zero would take forever, the 30-year-old thought fleetingly. She would just have to sit tight. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man, who looked indigenous. He was propped up on a lamppost and a young girl, perhaps around 8 years old, was clutching his leg. The hunched-...

Read story

“Swirl” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #231

“I can never get it out of my head. The way that nurse treated me. So rude. I want the blinds open, but she is in a rush, putting me off and not doing what I asked!”“It’s a new nurse every three days. So, you try to get to know them, and “Uh huh” is all you hear. They never get to know you. Useless. I hate what I am becoming. The sort of person that puts everyone off.”“Maybe I need a working body to be good! A good person, whatever that is.”“Stop fretting, Mom!” sighed Mia. “I’m sure Olivia will come to see you!”#Mia was having trouble with ...

Read story

“Hope inside a seemingly hopeless world” by Vanessa Severino

Submitted to Contest #231

Hope, it's what keeps us keeping on. Life without hope, is life without life, if you ask me. However, does it really matter where hope comes from, whether its false hope or true hope? Well, yes and no, it depends. Let me share the story of three different people, and how having hope made a great deal of a difference. Meet Frank, he is a middle-aged divorced man almost 59. He had one young adult daughter named Nancy. Frank has Stage 4 Breast Cancer. Based on the prognosis given to him by Frank's medical physician, time is not on Frank's si...

Read story

“Starlight carousel” by Chiara B

Submitted to Contest #231

The summer’s sun disappeared and the world turned a dark shade of blue until it eventually settled into a profound black. It was night. The stars lit up the sky and gave the moon a pleasant company. They twinkled, and it almost seemed as if they were telling each other stories across the cosmos. The air smelled of fresh pine trees and the hair on Marla’s arms stood up as the wind brought the smell into her nostrils. On a hill not too far away from her shone a golden light: the Starlight Carousel. Its light shone brightly and confiden...

Read story

“Hope and Tears” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #231

I keep telling myself, “Please, don’t do it,” but I find my voice falling on deaf ears. What’s so bad about suicide? People kill themselves every day, so why shouldn’t I? I have a happy life. A home, a lovely wife, two children, and financially well off. It’s the American dream come true. Why shouldn’t I be living it? Who am I trying to kid? I may have all that, but what does it really matter? That’s all the American Dream is. A dream. What’s real is I’m not happy and I haven’t been for several years. My thoughts about suicide aren’t spont...

Read story

“It Could Be...” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #231

Young men dream, but old men have visions. I am approaching what is considered to be old, yet I still dare to dream. I dare to dream of the best of things. And I dream of you. I dare to do this despite the trials and tribulations of a life well lived. It is the only way I can see to keep living a life well. This is not entitlement. None of us deserves anything other than that which we have carved out of the raw rock of our lives. The simple truth is that we have to see it before we carve it. To attack the rock blindly with no purpo...

Read story

“The Bench” by Jacinth Tojong

Submitted to Contest #231

My eyes shoot open, ears ringing from the blaring, siren-like sounds coming from my phone that beckon me out of my dream state where everything was perfect and right and blissfully blind. I scramble to turn off the alarm, desperate for peace and quiet, when I realize I didn’t need to set it in the first place. It’s New Year’s Day, a Monday morning. The office is closed. Wonderful, I think, an entire day to throw myself a pity party. Great start to the year. I’m summoned out of bed by Finn (or Huckleberry Finn when he’s being bad and prancin...

Read story

“The Viper” by Jeremy Stevens

Submitted to Contest #231

It was finally here, the day they’d all been waiting for: our eighth grade end-of-year field trip. The sun was shining and the birds were singing, and the school bus was agog with excited chatter. They were so excited. I tried to be. I was dimly eager about our trip to Darien Lakes amusement park, simply because I’d never been to one, an amusement park, that is, but I was more focused on the water slides and bouncy houses and the ferris wheel, and the ring tosses and balloon popping ---I could win Sharon an enormous Panda...

Read story

“Pluto, the Rat and the Birds.” by Rose Lind

Submitted to Contest #231

Beware Swearing.Happy New Year! I said that about 8 am. I'm not sure really of that time, as the kitchen clock hands frozen at sixteen past one, and the loungroom clock hands, fast runners, said sixteen past eight.I could not be bothered to press my phone button on, to find out the real time via satellite, as I enjoyed the quiet and solitude of the morning light, and New Year's Day is only another day. For example, if I had a partner, they would receive a kiss every morning, no extra passion on the morning of Valentine's Day! It's just anoth...

Read story

“The Confession” by R.L. Lamm

Submitted to Contest #231

"Remember, when they chanted your name and your business in the streets? 'Masseratelle has a secret!' they sang, they cajoled. 'Masseratelle has a secret!' It is the New Year, today, Masseratelle. Yet it was in the old year that you kept your secret. Your secret and mine. The secret we all kept, until we couldn't any longer. The Bishops and the Cardinals, Masseratelle! You spoke for them. You were their public voice, delivering the words of the Papacy and the councils. And when they heard your voice tremble, in November, all the ...

Read story

Load more stories

$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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢