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!

#233: Dry January

Like many of my friends, I'm participating in Dry January this year. After the end-of-year indulgences (which, alongside many enjoyable beverages, included far too many forms of potato), spending a month abstaining from drinking feels well overdue. May as well slay one dragon at a time, right?

With that in mind, this week's prompts are inspired by Dry January, and other challenges of endurance — whether taken on by choice, or by chance.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character participating in Dry January.

Character – 33 stories

Your character, having abstained from their worst vice (big or small), finds new clarity.

Character – 49 stories

Write a story in the form of diary entries, written by someone who has set themselves a month-long challenge.

Narrative – 49 stories

Set your story in a bar that doesn’t serve alcohol.

Fluff – 61 stories

Set your story during a month of drought — whether literal, or metaphorical.

Dramatic – 38 stories

Stories

“Punchy Nirvana Under The Tree” by Emanuel Diaz

Submitted to Contest #233

A Punchy Biography. ---------------------------------------------------------------- "Once upon a time, in a little kingdom somewhere between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers, I was born. Siddhartha Gautama, they called me. Yeah, I had a fancy name, but my old man wanted me to be a king or a great warrior or something. So, my crib was decked with gold, and my toys were probably worth more than your house. But you know what? I got sick of that shiny crap real quick. All right, so picture this: I'm Siddhartha Gautama, born into this pal...

Read story

“Meat-eater” by Eleftherios Konstantinidis

Submitted to Contest #233

It was a cold winter night, and the streets of Soho were almost empty of people. The staff remaining in the stores were hurriedly putting the “closed” signs on, and the lights were gradually being turned off by people who obviously couldn’t wait to return to the cosiness and warmth of their homes. Very soon, the few people left around would be making their way to the nearest bus stops and underground stations. At that moment, Michael realised that he was the only person walking on Dean Street, the lights of Chinatown ahead of him getting ...

Read story

“A History Of Smoking” by PJ Town

Submitted to Contest #233

My father rolled his own – puny little worms of loosely-packed tobacco drooping from his lip while he went about his business.With hands that were calloused and clumsy from working in the factory, he would struggle to produce something stable and smokable. He did try using a magic rolling machine at one point – a tin contraption with a rubber belt and rollers – but it never caught on with him. I think the act of rolling by hand, however disastrous, was part of the pleasure for him.Before plastic pouches, he bought his baccy in pocket-sized t...

Read story

“Better with Bouillon ” by Aline Dufflocq

Submitted to Contest #233

January 2nd, 1996 Throw vodka out. January 3rd, 1996For Real This TimeJanuary 4th, 1996 I cannot wind up like Gran. Eighty year old woman blacked out floating in her pool at her birthday party ← bad. Could be fun? Sounds grim. January 5th, 1996This does not mean you will end up blacked out floating in a pool on your eightieth birthday party. BUT a month-long-stay-away from the good stuff will help “ground” you. Or whatever load of shit David used to say before he dumped you for someone with a sensible hair...

Read story

“Dear Diary, I’m serious this time.” by Macauley Moffatt

Submitted to Contest #233

Dear Diary,I did it again. Last night was my coworkers’ going away party at the bar down the street from the office. Everyone came, even my boss. The night started out ok, I guess; we left the office around 5:15 pm and headed to the Milky Hornthistle. It's a stupid name for a bar if you ask me. I didn’t choose the place; Ronnie did. That woman loves a dive bar. But anyway, we got there, and everyone sat at a big harvest table. The light was dim, and the room stunk of old rotting wood and spilled beer. Waves of nausea crashed came over me, an...

Read story

“How to Feel Better in 30 Days: The Gratitude Challenge” by Diane Sowl

Submitted to Contest #233

Dear Diary, Happy New Year! It’s been a while since we’ve talked. Close to a year in fact! Things have changed so much since last year, and here I am, again… but looking forward to this New Year and the fresh start it always gives! I’ve decided it’s time to challenge myself to really prioritize my mental health, so for the next month, I’m committed to writing in a gratitude journal (that’s you Diary). So here we go: January 1: Today I am grateful for my house. The temperatures these last few days have really plummeted, the lows have been i...

Read story

“My Dry Diary” by Ethan Johnston

Submitted to Contest #233

Day 1: This seems as good a day as any to begin an adventure. I told myself that I would not drink for the month of January. Also, I am going to pick up journaling again, so here I go. It’s been years since I could look at myself in the mirror sober. I don’t really know when it started or what happened. I just woke up one day and realized that I didn’t know when my last totally sober day was. I know I need to stop drinking, but I’ve never really had a reason to. Why fix something that isn’t broke, right? Well I guess it’s time to get honest...

Read story

“The Botanist” by Hannah Martin

Submitted to Contest #233

(The following had been transcribed from French. Inconsistencies may occur, and some translations may be invalid.) August 1, 1901 The lands here are strange, bustling with life and color, and yet everything is poison or wants to kill you. I’ve just arrived, clambering out of a sailboat traveling on the Amazon River. I felt sick, so my first impressions were blurry. I hadn’t been on a sailboat before then. Once I recovered I took a look around. My guide said there was a camp with food and water up a tree-covered mountain, so I set my si...

Read story

“The Nutty Bits” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #233

It was a night like any other. Wet and soppy. Maybe not like any other night.Batrius was in a mood. For food. Whatnots? Why not?“Blast this joint! What ails me?” He opined. “Got to spruce this place up!”“Rinky-dinky-do!” yelled Blattodea. “Here’s to whatnots, and why not!”“A plague on you, Blattodea!” yelled Batrius. “All you want is to go blotto! I’m into realfun™ The finer things. Linen, polite company, scintillating conversations…”“Boring people, useless ideas, things that don’t chug-a-lug?”Batrius smacked her one. It was just a touch tha...

Read story

“The Empty Glass” by Bex Goos

Submitted to Contest #233

Henry Fletcher paced his home office. His computer fan whirred gently as a backdrop to the staccato rhythm of his feet marching back and forth across the carpet. He could hear his wife in the kitchen doing the dishes. He’d made dinner, so she was cleaning, per their deal. He was supposed to be finishing up a presentation for tomorrow. It was a big deal. He’d been working on this ad campaign for months. Blood, sweat, and tears. Not to mention swears and coffee stains. Come on, Henry, come on. Get to it. Just sit down and fine tune the damn t...

Read story

“If There are No Men on Mars Then I am Not a Man” by Len Rely

Submitted to Contest #233

I have not spoken to another human being in twenty-five years. I was at that time, the best astral projectionist on the planet, able to extend my consciousness an almost unlimited distance away from my physical body, and so I was chosen to search for extraterrestrial life, living or extinct, in a place where men cannot go. It was the most pressing question on the human mind and what fools we were, for as long as my body lies preserved unconscious in a lab I am unable to return to it. I canno...

Read story

“Dampening Spirits” by Hannah Hope

Submitted to Contest #233

Sometime after midnight last night, I stood outside and toasted to the rain. I kissed the air, sticky with broken firework smoke and noisemaker echoes. How thoughtful I feel in these moments, on these annual nights of commiseration. There is no better party than one where my guests can’t count my liquor cabinet trips because they can’t even count their own. I woke up this morning as I wake up all mornings, dusty-brained and trembling. But, so did everyone else! On New Year’s Day they’re all just as bad as I. Though their shaking is superfici...

Read story

“Dry January at the Book Club Meeting ” by Ellen Neuborne

Submitted to Contest #233

Without wine bottles, Maura’s black lacquered coffee table looked decidedly naked.She moved the charcuterie board and La Croix cans around to better use the space but couldn’t shake the feeling that it was unfinished. Like a formal table without bread plates.“Maybe they’ll bring their books,” she muttered, tossing her own copy of The Honey-Do Murders onto the empty surface. The book skidded across the open space and stopped barely short of the table’s edge. Maura sighed. It would have to do.It was Ina’s idea to make the January book club mee...

Read story

“Whatchamacallit” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #233

“It is possible to be perfect!”He looked at me like I knew what I was talking about, or was he just humoring me? “Look at it this way. When was the last time you had to return…oh, name something you like, electronics, computer, whatever?”“Everything usually works?” he replied helpfully. “Even in the smallest details? Like a computer keyboard. If even one key doesn’t work, is the whole thing useless? So, you are saying that people can be like that?”“Sure. Why not?”He shuffled around, opening a kitchen cabinet. He puts my favorite mug in the w...

Read story

“Seat filler...” by K Fields

Submitted to Contest #233

The decadence of him was captivating. She craved his touch, his scent, his conversation. Elation was not descriptive enough to illustrate just how he made her feel. And sometimes, it was just his presence that fascinated her spirit. It was like her very essence was defined by his existence. And she could not catch her breath at times. She often smiled at the thought of him and could not bare to imagine her life without him… in it… But &n...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

230

Contest entries

78

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 19, 2024 EST

Won by Ariana Tibi 🏆

Title: Vegan Hamburgers

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 ⭢