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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!

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

“Something's wrong with the target behind the monitor camera” by Chenchen Du

Submitted to Contest #24

You know the rumor about secret agents spying on your phones and laptops? If you somehow avoided the thousands of memes regarding FBI agents questioning your online search history, now I will inform you that it’s all true. We do exist, but please don’t panic or proceed to call the police. It’s not as if calling authorities will do you any good. Contacting the media is also a fruitless endeavor, it will be shut down as soon as my boss found out about it. Even if it somehow managed to make into the headlines, people will think it is one o...

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“As Boring as Martian Maize” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #24

The thinking behind it had been simple. Take two people who don’t get on, and force them to be dependent on each other for company and possibly for care. Not such a crazy idea. It has worked many a time, and no doubt will work many times more, but it didn’t appear to be working for Connor and Cameron. Rumours had spread that they had been close once, and there had been a massive fall-out (over a woman or over money or over both, depending on which version you listened to) but the one thing that mig...

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“Finding Denton” by Allie Pittman

Submitted to Contest #24

The oak doors swiveled on their hinges with a squeak and a grown that caused all eyes in the saloon to turn and look, and keep looking, at Petra Morlan.With her grey penetrating eyes ,and her lavender hair laying in a wave until just past her shoulders, and dressed in jeans, with knee high leather boots and a leather cloak that almost touched the floor, they all knew her, and those that knew her well, knew that gun strapped to her side was not one they wanted to see used.This saloon didn't attract most women, other than the poor gals that we...

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“In Her Dreams” by Nivedita Shori

Submitted to Contest #24

Nia woke up trembling. She reached for the lamp switch in a panic, toppling over the glass of water on the nightstand. Murmuring a silent curse, she picked up the alarm clock so it would not get wet. It read 4:07 am. She sat still in the darkness, holding on tightly to the duvet, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. It was a fierce dream! The fiercest she had had so far. Moreover, it was the eleventh dream. This was bad news. Her mom, an actuarial scientist by profession and an enthusiastic numerologist by choice, had first tried to dismi...

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“Sawbones Gap” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #24

I apologize for going off prompt a bit. My story does not take place in the Wild West, rather in the hills of east Kentucky, but I think you'll enjoy this disturbing tale nonetheless. The landscape of eastern Kentucky is worth seeing if you enjoy scenic places and Olive Hill is certainly as quaint as any small town can be tucked into a tidy corner of the Western Appalachian Mountains. There is a country road, simply known as Road #2 that meanders through the rolling hills until you happen on a small hamlet called Forgotten Corners jus...

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“Doggone It” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #24

I woke up and I was a dog. I was riding along my horse last night, but this morning, I went to bathe in the local pond and my reflection was clearly a dog. And not just any kind of dog, a Maltese. Great. I see my horse tied up to the porch post and wonder how to untie her (her name is Beau) and how I’m going to get all these here cattle to California in five month. Why a Maltese? At least if I was a Great Dane I might have a shot. My clothes of course don’t fit. They’re still laying beside the lake s...

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“Susan's Discovery” by William Webster

Submitted to Contest #24

On the eve of the event, Susan Wells, even though it was summer, slid her hands into her gray gloves before grabbing hold of the handrail at the top of the stairs. Dr. Young dug his hands deep into his white lab coat. “Susan, remember it’s important that you always wear your gloves. Don’t go out without them. They will prevent. . .” “I know Doc,” she interrupted as she turned away from him. “I’ll wear the gloves.” Sliding her sunglasses on she bounced down the steps with her auburn hair tra...

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“Magic No Magic ” by Dawn Mandzik

Submitted to Contest #24

“Who stole my locket?” Meg cried!The giggling and laughing suddenly stopped. The five girlfriends were in a tent in Meg’s backyard having their last sleepover before they went back to school. The last party of the summer and then they were in high school!“What makes you think someone stole it?” Sally, Meg’s best friend asked. “Because it’s missing. I had it in my purse and now it’s gone. That’s why!” Meg yelled, looking at her pals.“Oh, hold on.” The “Nancy Drew” of their group said. Let’s all calm dow...

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“The Bottler” by Natalie Nicole

Submitted to Contest #24

His cellar is dark, but the Bottler knows its cataloged contents better than anyone. He peruses the shelves which contain his private collection of bottles, his fingers carefully lingering on one in particular. This specimen is a larger bottle that has been rubbed and polished enough that the cheap, gold veneer is changing color and wearing through. For a moment, he becomes abstractly aware of the darker emotions he once possessed and their associated memories, but it is difficult to reconstruct them. What remains in the bottles tell the sto...

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“The Promise” by Anthony Avina

Submitted to Contest #24

PreludeThe rain pounded the small stone home outside of the city of Corinth. The storm raged and the winds howled, and yet Lamia couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the storm’s presence. All she could feel was the warm radiance of the god laying in bed next to her. His powerful arms wrapped around her body, making her feel safe and secure in the home. “You more than any other mortal, have captured my heart,” Zeus said sleepily, a smile on his face as he gently stroked the hair out of Lamia’s face. “My heart is yours, now and fore...

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“Fairies in The West” by Hannah Green

Submitted to Contest #24

As I departed the carriage that I rode in for nearly two weeks, I took a breath of fresh mountain air. It was a little hard to breathe. But what was I expecting from the elevation here in Colorado? I guess I am going to have to get used to it. I looked around for the woman who married my brother. I have yet to meet her, but my brother has told me much about her. She was, in his words, a lovely woman who was short in stature. She had a spirit about her that could rival any man he has ever met. He said in his letters that she reminded him of m...

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“Bank Job” by Mickey McLaughlin

Submitted to Contest #24

Wood splinters pepper my face as another chunk of the door frame is blown off by gunfire. We barely managed to drag Chubbs in when the shooting started. “Spider,” I shout over the storm of bullets “get him in the corner and put some pressure on that wound!” She hefts him into a nearby corner and begins inspecting the wound as I throw a table against the deteriorating bank door and take position at the nearest window. Glancing out, I see that Chubbs had dropped the money on the porch after he took that shot in the gut. Just in front of our ho...

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“A Moment in Time” by Sk Virtue

Submitted to Contest #24

Charlie bounced the ball against the side of the log cabin. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.“Charlie will you quit bouncing that ball! It is making such a racket and has woke Clara up from her nap!” Charlie’s mom yelled out the door of the cabin.Charlie sighed. Ever since his sister had been born, he had to tiptoe around everywhere. He couldn’t run through the house anymore. Clara would wake up and cry. He couldn’t pretend he was Sherriff anymore and play shoot 'em up. Clara would wake up and cry. Now he couldn’t bounce his ball against the house...

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“The Farthest Reaches of Space” by Lucille Greye

Submitted to Contest #24

“Who would believe that I, the great Lish Ryn, would be brought to my knees by the little Nadyr?” Telen Fogg, the tall android sighed. “Lish. How many times have you said that exact same thing? Look. So what if Nadyr got the Zarkot first? My friend,” Telen smiled, “this can only be good. We can easily steal the Zarkot back from him. It’s most likely in his ship, the Angyl, and it probably isn’t even protected.” Lish spun her pilot’s chair away from the cockpit’s window and faced Telen. Her long, golden hair framed her face. With the co...

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“The Human Condition” by Megan DeRouin

Submitted to Contest #24

I woke up disoriented, but they told me that would happen. The air felt different, my lungs ached as I drew it into my body and feeling slowly returned to my extremities.I guess it was my turn.I sat up and all the blood rushed to my head, I put my hand on the edge of the stasis pod.Steady Jewel, steady.I flipped my legs out so they dangled about an inch or so above the floor. I scooted forward and tried to stand up. It took a moment for my muscles to remember and for my knees ...

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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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