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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#24: Genre-Blending

This week is a special edition of the Reedsy Prompts contest because our friends at Barnes & Noble Press are taking it over with their own theme, prompts, and special bonus prize! We'll let them take it from here...

With an abundance of content these days, it really takes a little something extra to keep a reader engaged. And one optimal way to do this is by blending genres.

When a story takes on characteristics of more than one genre, it’s not just about reshaping norms or conventions; it’s also about understanding what makes the different elements of those genres fit together. If the elements are treated with respect and appreciation, blending together multiple genres can have the positive effect of capturing your reader’s attention, and also maintaining it. This happens because it keeps a reader guessing, it subverts expectations, and it highlights narrative strengths.

For our takeover, we've put together five genre-bending prompts that we hope will get the creative juices flowing, strengthen and flex the narrative muscles, and sparks new ideas.

As extra incentive, we’re throwing in a $50 B&N gift card to the winner who best blends different genres in a way that feels fresh and unique. Good luck!

🥇 Winner

“The Ghostwriter” by Gabrielle Gerstley

🏆 Winner of Contest #24

“I can’t believe you live here.” “I know,” Sylvia says. She smiles and steps aside for me to drag my suitcase through the entrance hall. “There’s ivy trellises for chrissakes. Ivy trellises.” “I’m glad you like it.” We sit on her loveseat in the foyer. It is afternoon, and the sun is starting to wane and drip shade on the room. I take a sip of the earl grey tea she delivers on a worn gold platter. Her tea set is pretty, scalloped and covered in tiny, blood-red flowers. I rub my sweating hands on the velvet fabric of the sofa, hoping it...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Lylia, Malou, and the Intangible Impossibility of Imperceivable Physics” by Tori Routsong

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

“Dr. Niwwel, if you summoned the thing, why can’t you just send it away?” Lylia held her tongue. It wasn’t that Malou was stupid, and most of the time it wouldn’t even bother her, but she was running out of ways to explain an unexplainable being. “I didn’t summon it. I just created a way for it to access our world.” She peaked out at the dark hallway—the problem was there was no precedent. Did it matter if there was light? Could the creature even see light? And would staying quiet even matter? Lylia stroked her long, blonde hair as she thoug...

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“Deranged Minds” by Agnes Sharan

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

The sound of her heels echoed through the narrow corridor, the path taking longer than it usually would. Small doors, barely able to fit a child dotted the sides of the walls, holding in them some of the world’s most deranged minds. She could feel the guards patrolling shudder as they walked by, something in the air making their skin crawl. It's the thought, she had long before concluded, of sharing the same breath of the supposed good and bad guys. Almost as if they’d catch the same madness that had possessed these beings to commit the hein...

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“Little Red Balloons” by Matt Strempel

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

I can’t put my finger on why I murdered Jerry, because I lost my fingers in an accident. Accident. That is to say, Jerry hit the go button on the waste disposal unit while I was fixing it, and it munched my right hand off at the wrist. To be fair, the robotic prosthetic is about a thousand times better than my real hand was, but it hurt like hell at the time. He maintains I said, “Hit it,” but what I said was, “Quit it.” I was always telling Jerry to quit it. He was the most infuriating guy in the entire universe, I’m telling you. I should k...

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“The Possum” by Amanda Lewis Silva

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

The whiskey stung going down. Sheriff Houghton coughed back the cheap swill and took in a deep breath through his nostrils, taking in the scents of Old Delilah’s saloon. That one sniff carried with it the musty memories of liquor, twice chewed tobacco, and the unmistakable truth that it had been weeks since the bartender before him had seen a bar of soap. He quickly rejected the breath, pushing it out from his mouth with great force and slamming his empty glass onto the table. “You’re doin’ nobody favors here, Kipp.” The words came out in a ...

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“Tongue” by Mike Garrigan

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

I had been walking in the desert for what seemed like days. I was thirsty. My radiator went kaput somewhere on I-10 last night. No cell reception out here. The desert night comforted me—beautiful stars and comet trails. But after the sun rose, the temperature shot up far too quickly. By the time the sun was directly overhead, my legs felt like rubber and my tongue was swollen. In the distance, what looked like a town from the Old West arose. One dirt road split two rows of shabby buildings. “Water,” I said out loud to myself. I blinked ...

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“Affairs of the Heart” by Keyleigh Perham

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

Drip, drip, drip.The sound of the rain, seeping in through the ceiling of the small shack she called home, was keeping Marie awake all night. She sighed and rolled over, pulling the sheets above her head in a half-hearted attempt to drown out the sound. It was no use. With every minute that passed the dripping only got louder, more persistent. It was as if the rain knew how exhausted she was, not letting her sleep only to spite her. Working two jobs just to be able to pay the bills wasn’t exactly what she would call ideal, having to give up ...

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“Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon” by Amanda Van Regenmorter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

The town woke to discover Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon had sprung up overnight, tacked onto the end of their only meager road in gaudy glory. The western-most, barely settled settlement of Gomer’s Gulch could only be considered a town in the most generous of estimates, but the people who lived there, mostly foolhardy prospecting men and a smattering of desperate families, called it a town all the same. They already had a saloon, of course; a handful of men camped anywhere long enough al...

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“Our Hands” by Jess Wood

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

It’s hard to say when I first noticed, but it must have been there, always. It must have watched when I was first brought home, swaddled in blankets, when our parents got together and left us lying side by side in the cot. It was there as we cried and as we laughed; as we took our first steps. It was there when I pulled on my welly boots, yellow with duck faces, yours red like the fallen leaves, and we ran outside to jump in as many puddles as we could find. We streaked mud on our faces like war paint and played until you had to go home, the...

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“Welcome Interruptions” by D Drummond

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

Welcome InterruptionsOn the thirty-third day in the deepest black Daltz woke once again to the gnawing of the navigator. His presence rummaged in her mind, as insistent as it was unsubtle. Swearing softly at the uncaring confines of her hab, she was surprised to find her eyes watering, her wince having drawn frustrated tears. A month of broken sleep and zero privacy could do that. Still drowsy, she fancied she could feel phantom fingers on the inside of her skull, mapping the contours and wrinkles of the bone.‘Itching powder for the brain.’ ...

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This week's prompts

Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.

Science Fiction – 70 stories

Write a sweeping romantic tale of two lovers who must overcome the horror of being hunted by an unseen foe.

Romance – 87 stories

Write a murder mystery with an amateur sleuth who must navigate a fantastical world in a quest to discover the truth.

Mystery – 38 stories

Write a thrilling adventure of a special agent who is harboring a paranormal secret.

Thriller and Suspense – 47 stories

Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.

Fantasy – 51 stories

Stories

“The Ghostwriter” by Gabrielle Gerstley

🏆 Winner of Contest #24

“I can’t believe you live here.” “I know,” Sylvia says. She smiles and steps aside for me to drag my suitcase through the entrance hall. “There’s ivy trellises for chrissakes. Ivy trellises.” “I’m glad you like it.” We sit on her loveseat in the foyer. It is afternoon, and the sun is starting to wane and drip shade on the room. I take a sip of the earl grey tea she delivers on a worn gold platter. Her tea set is pretty, scalloped and covered in tiny, blood-red flowers. I rub my sweating hands on the velvet fabric of the sofa, hoping it...

Read story

“Half of Forever” by Morgan Elbert

Submitted to Contest #24

“Christ, One! What the hell were you thinking?” the voice came through the hud slightly distorted. Nothing had been right on the Doppel Station for days, maybe weeks. It was difficult to keep track of time in this lifestyle. There were no nights, no days, and essentially no schedule. Work needed done when it needed done and it didn’t matter if the men were tired or hungry or whatever other excuse they might concoct. One tried to focus his mind enough to remember when the issues had arisen. He knew it was during Twen...

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“Beasty” by Morgan Elbert

Submitted to Contest #24

Eyes closed. Her hands were moving over the wet clay that spun rapidly beneath them. She didn’t smile. Her face was stoic. Chiseled, yet appearing soft. A look only the best sculptors can create; the gentle, careful padding of flesh over bone. The clay had gotten on her tank top that stretched tightly across her stomach. It splattered her lovely arms, pale enough that I could see the blue lines of her veins. I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on Wren, down to the smallest detail. I re...

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“Lylia, Malou, and the Intangible Impossibility of Imperceivable Physics” by Tori Routsong

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

“Dr. Niwwel, if you summoned the thing, why can’t you just send it away?” Lylia held her tongue. It wasn’t that Malou was stupid, and most of the time it wouldn’t even bother her, but she was running out of ways to explain an unexplainable being. “I didn’t summon it. I just created a way for it to access our world.” She peaked out at the dark hallway—the problem was there was no precedent. Did it matter if there was light? Could the creature even see light? And would staying quiet even matter? Lylia stroked her long, blonde hair as she thoug...

Read story

“Deranged Minds” by Agnes Sharan

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

The sound of her heels echoed through the narrow corridor, the path taking longer than it usually would. Small doors, barely able to fit a child dotted the sides of the walls, holding in them some of the world’s most deranged minds. She could feel the guards patrolling shudder as they walked by, something in the air making their skin crawl. It's the thought, she had long before concluded, of sharing the same breath of the supposed good and bad guys. Almost as if they’d catch the same madness that had possessed these beings to commit the hein...

Read story

“Dear Ruslan ” by Jubilee Forbess

Submitted to Contest #24

Dear Ruslan, The doctors told me you wouldn’t remember me when you woke up. I walked into the hospital room and saw you and I felt like crying but I knew we had better things to do. So I sat by your bed and held your hands and I tried to will you to wake up but you still haven’t. I know you will, though. I’m writing you letters in case you don’t remember me. Or yourself. Or you and me and what me mean to the world. Because it’s all bigger than me loving you and you knowing why. I’llalways love you even i...

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“Night of the Flaming Cow” by Zilla Babbitt

Submitted to Contest #24

The Bahai-Rama was awash in light and laughter. Swirling, bubbling lights swept over the crowds of beautiful people, bursts of fire exploded in the face of the yellow moon above them, and music of all kinds rumbled from the corners of the yacht.Women in gauzy yellow butterfly dresses flocked around men in high scarlet collars breathing fire. A man with three monkeys hanging from his shoulders stood on his head and sang a love song to a blushing lady whose neck and face were painted in gracefully whirling, gleaming colors of bloodred and mell...

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“Wake up” by Yoomi Ari

Submitted to Contest #24

May my lover be the light of my future. May my lover be the one to help my heartbreak. May my lover do the impossible. May my lover take caution. May my lover slow down for me to catch up. May my lover be me. That’s what she said!- okay not a joke.They say to love someone else, you need to love yourself. What was the point in loving yourself when yourself, you are ugly. Your wild heart may live a life but these were the days that killed the spirits built inside of you. You would meet up with her, laugh with her, live with her, nurture h...

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“Life on a Station” by Corey Melin

Submitted to Contest #24

Gorgin walked the corridors once again to make sure everything was okay. “Why do I have to continue to check out the station when we have systems set-up to make sure everything is in order on the station?” he asked the commander of the station, Morgan. “Just do it,” said Morgan. “You never know what can get past our systems way out here in space. There is a lot of unknown things out here. I’m tired of explaining to you each time it’s your turn.” Now, Gorgin was walking through the corridors, and checking out room after room. “Wh...

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“Salem” by Maggie Deese

Submitted to Contest #24

Salem He sprints away, not daring to look back, his footsteps echoing down the hallway like distant gunshots. He just had to get to the back stairway and up to his office on the second floor, where his EpiPen was stashed. It was the only solution at this point. He should have injected himself hours ago when he felt the sensation crawling up his back. Stop it, he hisses in his mind, It’s too late now. Stop thinking about what you should have done and just go. Get. That. EpiPen! He continues to sprint down the hallway, listening for the franti...

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“Space Oreos” by Julia Vonalean

Submitted to Contest #24

They'd finally run out of oreos. It took months, but finally, finally, they'd run out--the last one accidentally ejected into space. Sirius stood stewing in front of the glass window of his ship. It wasn't his fault the oreo had been in that little cup he'd tossed in the trash. Oren was the one who had hidden it there, figured he'd never find it. He hadn't. Obviously. Which was why it was floating in space right now instead of in his stomach. Sirius scowled at the speckles of light drifting out of the immense black. "Go see the sta...

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“Cloudy with a Chance of Fog” by Maria Gelman

Submitted to Contest #24

From the corner of my eye, I saw the suspect. Crap. I needed to act natural. I could not mess this up.I kept my pace steady, even when he fell in line behind me. Taking out my phone, I called my supervisor."Hello?""Hi, I'd like a cheese pizza, please.""Agent Tay, is everything okay?""No, no peppers.""Is the suspect behind you?""Yes, pepperoni is fine.""Do you need backup?""I mean, preferably, I could go with some peppers...""Where are you?"My eyes landed on a random house in front of me. "I'm at—"The phone was ripped out of my hand, and in a...

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“The War of the Feather Duster” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #24

“I never thought it was possible for a person to be so damn arrogant!” Zed screamed as he slammed the front door of his house. “Your ass better stay on your own damn asteroid or I’ll kick it all the way to one of Jupiter’s moons!” Through the blinds of his window, Zed glared at the abyss of space outside his personal asteroid upon which his house sits. His eyes zoned in on the house of his one and only neighbor, Mandy. Across the asteroid belt, he saw Mandy’s front door fly open and her step out in a space suit with a brick in hand. She thre...

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“Alien” by Ash Brinton

Submitted to Contest #24

“What’s your planet like?” the little alien asked wistfully. The alien was two feet tall, with a tiny blue curl on the top of his head. By the time the alien was an adult, the curl would be about eight feet tall, sticking straight up like a bright blue mohawk. The rest of him would be only four feet tall, and I wasn’t sure whether the aliens counted the curl as part of their height or not. This species was either really short or really, really tall. “It’s beautiful,” I responded, thinking longingly of home, “When I was little, everythi...

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“Westward Changeling” by Ivy Y.

Submitted to Contest #24

Jeb sat on his horse, looking back over the covered wagon train. They had traveled many miles over the past months, and still had many to go, but spirits were good. Only a few members had been lost - some to sickness, one while fording a river, and one who was just plain old. They were still 200 people strong. So far they had managed to avoid running into natives, and he thought it safe to say they would make it before winter set in. Not his worst trip, not by far. Jeb was a known wagon master, paid by large groups to ensure safe route out W...

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$50

Prize money

293

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 17, 2020 EST

Won by Gabrielle Gerstley 🏆

Title: The Ghostwriter

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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