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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#242: Fine Art

Museums are magical places. There’s something so special about admiring art in sacred, silent spaces, together with complete strangers. In museums, time is suspended; you can forget about the outside world and lose yourself in the paintings, sculptures, and other artwork around you.

This week, let’s write some stories inspired by art and museums. Think about some of your favorite galleries, or consider creating a brand-new museum the world has yet to see. Let your imagination run wild, and maybe even try writing in a new genre. For this contest, the sky’s the limit!

This week's prompts

Write about a gallery whose paintings come alive at night.

Fantasy – 66 stories

Write about someone who accidentally destroys a museum’s most valuable artifact.

Funny – 30 stories

Write about an art thief who is struggling to commit the perfect heist.

Adventure – 31 stories

Write about two characters who meet and/or fall in love in a museum.

Romance – 98 stories

Start or end your story with a character who gets trapped inside a museum overnight.

Thriller and Suspense – 37 stories

Stories

“Death From Above” by E.J. Daniels

Submitted to Contest #242

As Lance sat at the desk waiting for the video chat to load he could hear his brother getting settled in. After a few shuffles of paperwork and the squeak of the worn office chair, Dane appeared, the disappointment clear on his face.“So how did the meeting go?” Lance asked. Dane tried to keep his composure, shifting in his seat, then looking into the distance, searching for the best reply. The ticking of the clock loud in Lances ear, his eyes wide, lips pursed. “Well? Will they meet with us or not?” he urged.“They laughed m...

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“Converging Lines” by Peter Wallace

Submitted to Contest #242

Converging Lines “Hi.” “Oh. Hello.” “I noticed you sitting here a few minutes ago and, well, you’re still here.” “That’s true. You see, I’m watching that museum janitor to see how long it will be before he moves.” “Ah. That janitor with the broom?” “Yes.” “I’m sorry to tell you, but that janitor is a very realistic statue.” “No!” “Yes. The first time I was here he, er, that is, it fooled me too.” “That explains a lot.” “That it fooled me?” “No. It explains why he doesn’t move. Now I want to get a closer look. Wanna come with me?” “I do.” Th...

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“Life on the Dead Planet” by Dan Can

Submitted to Contest #242

Zyrik wiped the sweat from his brow depositing a comet tail of white loam across his dark forehead. The skeletal remains of a once bustling civic center stood around him in a perfect circle. Dust devils danced amongst a sea of jagged rock outcroppings that rolled eternally across the plane like waves frozen in time. The digger-bot sat perched on the edges of the crater. A blemish scored into the landscape like a footprint in fresh snow. Zyrik watched ponderously as the sky blue robot -the only splotch of color on as far as he could see...

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“No Name Museum” by Ralph Emery Barhydt

Submitted to Contest #242

“I always thought that museum in the weird little building at the end of Harrison Street was odd, more than unusual, but it displayed incredible art. Masters all. I told my friends about it constantly but they could never find it. That used to make me so angry. I would rant and rave, jump up and down, wave my arms and beat my chest, but I would not take them there. It was ridiculous. They should just drive right to it and they were running a con on me. Hell with them.” Monet, DaVinci, Manet, van Gogh, Rembrandt, Gaugin, Picasso, D...

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“Paintings, Where do you want to escape today?” by Barney Defanfaler

Submitted to Contest #242

PAINTINGSWhere do you want to escape today?By Barney Defanfaler ‘Ah heck,’ thinks Barney as he hears steady footsteps plodding up the Windsor Gallery stairs and sees a flashlight beam coursing across the opposite wall. His wristwatch displays midnight. ‘Why is she so early? I’m trapped.’Barney runs around a corner into the art gallery's second-floor east room and hugs the wall. His head bumps into a painting frame, and he quickly grabs it to steady it.‘What the flip?’ he thinks as his hand sinks beyond the canvas. Barney turns to find a fami...

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“The Stroll” by Baron Crase

Submitted to Contest #242

The even rumble of the engine hummed quietly from beneath the hood of the parked Honda Civic, and smoke floated from the exhaust pipe as its headlights highlighted the brick beneath the apartment building window in front of the car. James sat in the driver’s seat, tapping his fingers nervously with the air conditioning blasting and the radio blared, “It’s amazing, folks, the technology required to do what they do… The information influx alone is insane,...

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“The Kiss ” by Miller George

Submitted to Contest #242

A tear streamed down Eva's face as she sat silently, taking in a painting illuminated softly by the ambient light of the empty room. She looked at every detail of the intertwined couple's bodies, softly merging delicately and intimately as if this embrace was their only sanctuary from the sad reality of their world . Lost in reverie, she traced the contours of their embrace with her eyes, feeling the echoes of her own tender moments intertwined with theirs. In her daydream, she didn't hear the footsteps that walked into the room or any words...

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$250

Prize money

262

Contest entries

118

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 22, 2024 EST

Won by Niamh O'Dea 🏆

Title: Do Not Touch

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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