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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#244: Oh Snap!

Photography is the art of capturing light, and moments; a way to freeze time and observe the ever-changing nature of life, if only in a small way. Pictures serve as a testament to our experience, helping us remember, understand, and share it. From cherished childhood snapshots to historical photographs, artistic compositions, and even selfies, some pictures truly are worth a thousand words.

This week’s prompts are all about photographs and the stories and meanings behind them — just remember that, in this case, a picture is worth between 1 and 3 thousand words.

This week's prompts

Center your story around a photo that goes viral.

Funny – 29 stories

Start your story with a character staring at a picture they don’t remember taking.

Mystery – 73 stories

Write a story about a character who risks their life to take a photo.

Adventure – 39 stories

Write about a character who sees a photo they shouldn’t have seen.

Dramatic – 66 stories

Begin or end your story with a character taking a selfie.

Fluff – 33 stories

Stories

“Beware the Obvious ” by Anna Sauerbrei

Submitted to Contest #244

Rachel lies silently in her boyfriend’s bed, careful not to wake him. She watches the slight rise and fall of his bare chest, memorizing every feature of his body that she possibly can. It surprises her how hard it is to restrain herself from tracing every line of his sleeping body. The smell of his cologne fills her nose. Not too strong it’s gross but a very pleasant addition to her morning. She’s been dating Jasper for about 6 months now and has been happier than she’d ever thought possible. There were some dark times in her past, bu...

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“Turn a blind eye!” by Moira King

Submitted to Contest #244

Leah’s long white dress gently billowed as the wind blew in from the seafront. She stood near the cliff, staring out at the spectacular blue sea. Leah had never seen such clear water before. She marvelled at it. Is this really to be the view I can so easily enjoy every day of my new life? Of our new life? She smiled to herself and threw her hands up. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the sea and the sweet fresh air. Her body came alive. She felt born again. Footsteps approached. She could hear the sand shifting beneath each st...

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“Holding onto the past” by Rachel Williams

Submitted to Contest #244

Marian hadn’t thought about Jenna Lewis for about four decades now. Not until her and Alison were sorting through boxes that were tucked away in the attic of her old childhood home. Her own mother had recently passed away, leaving the countryside cottage in the hands of her children. So, here she was with her own daughter, sifting through old memories that had been laying dormant under lock and key. “It’s like a museum up here”, Alison said as she took stock of the dusty old room and all its belongings. “You’re not wrong”, Marian chuckled so...

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“Picture Perfect” by Maisey Mansson

Submitted to Contest #244

“Hey, dinner is in the oven when you want it. Your father and I will be back around 10. Is everything okay at the house? Do you need anything?” Mother’s voice rings out through the phone. “Yes, I’m okay. Don’t worry. Is Grey coming home tonight?” “No, he’s having a sleepover at the Harrington’s house over in Pine Meadows. I’m going to have to let you go. We are picking up Mitch and Kaitlyn right now. Call me if you need anything.” Dixon scratches at the door. I slide it open, and he steps out into the night. “Okay, sounds good. I ...

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“Big sister” by Sophie Parmaby

Submitted to Contest #244

The train screeched as it neared the its final destination. "Froxville!" The conductor cried out, although he usually he didn't bother. Typically most, if not all the passengers got off at the preceding town of Tretle, but today, there was one person who remained seated. At first he assumed the girl was simply asleep. That, he thought, would be a plausible reason as to why she hadn't gotten off at the last stop, but he realized his mistake when she rose at the name of the town, patiently waiting for the halt of the train. “Perhaps she doesn’...

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“Rory Saves The Day” by Sarah Galley

Submitted to Contest #244

We all have dreams, and some actually do come true like in this story for a character called Rory who loves football and plays in a team with his school friends.The week started like any other week for little Rory, a school child of 9 who lived in a small cul-de-sac in Silfield. He really hated going to school because he wasn't the most academic and he preferred playing sport. Rory endlessly watched videos of football skills on the internet when he could, sometimes when he should be doing homework or even at night under the covers on his iPh...

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“Dumping screentime” by Alex Lansey

Submitted to Contest #244

*Click, and send. Picture taken. *sigh of relief I posed shirtless, as I did every morning, taking extra care to look good today. To show my abs, my arms and legs I waited for the perfect time when the sun just edges over the opposing building, the supermarket, and strikes the window of my flat. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, and I stopped drinking just before lunch to dehydrate. To add to the perfection I did a set of exercises for each body part just before taking the picture. Three hundred and sixty-five days of the “Get Fit in...

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“Viral Brew: A Tale of Friendship, Fame, and a Misunderstood Moment” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #244

Alex and Sam’s friendship began on their very first day of kindergarten, right outside their new classroom. Sam was struggling with her emotions after her mother had left, her tears flowing freely. That's when Alex, a fellow classmate, approached her with a kind gesture. He rummaged through his backpack and produced a handkerchief, offering it to her with a gentle nudge. “Here,” he said softly. “Take this to dry your tears. I’m feeling a bit scared too, you know,” he confessed to Sam in a hushed tone. The girl with fiery red hair and striki...

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“ Let's See What Develops” by Brian Bywater

Submitted to Contest #244

Let’s See What Develops“Earth to Ron. You didn’t even hear me come in did you? I have been watching you standing there starring at that photograph and shaking your head. Anything I can help with to put you in touch with today’s world?” “Sorry Derrick, I was literally lost in space. Can you remember where we were last night when I took this photo?” “You realise it is a photograph of a dark night taken on a very dark night. I may as well be looking at a blackboard.” “Yes that’s the one, where were we? I do not actually remember taking it. It c...

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“Picturing a Gentle Soul” by Carol Hopkins

Submitted to Contest #244

Picturing a gentle soulIt showed up on Facebook, that picture of me and my brother, Chris. A family member had posted it. I had never seen it before. Yet, I was told I’d taken it. It was taken soon after our mother died. Now, he too is gone. His life stolen by an impaired driver as he was driving home from work. The photo was both a comfort and a stab in the heart. In it he’s smiling despite the grief he carried. I remember that day, but not the photo. He was going through a separation from his wife of eight years, amplifying his heartache. ...

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“Photograph of Forgotten Trials” by Phoenix Fox

Submitted to Contest #244

In the dim light of Tripp’s attic, where memories gathered dust and secrets lingered in the air, Briggs and Tripp were on a quest not just for camping gear, but for traces of their youth. The attic, a time capsule of their shared history, was cluttered with remnants of days spent playing sports and nights dreaming of adventures yet to come.Briggs, tall and lean with the scholarly look afforded by his glasses, and Tripp, slightly shorter with the sun-kissed hair of a lifelong athlete, were now men in their late twenties. Yet, in this space, t...

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“Musings in Sepia Brown” by Larisa Mendez

Submitted to Contest #244

*Mild allusion to corporal punishment* I’m not sure what I’m looking at. I mean, I know it’s a photograph, taken in what’s likely the late 1970s or early 80s, grainy, featuring me, my two brothers, my sister, and my parents. My mother never believed in the “Sunday best” wardrobe customs of the time and place, and so my sister and I are dressed pragmatically, in matching red corduroy overalls with white tees, also collared with brown corduroy — seemingly the branding palette and texture of that age. My brothers are toddler- and infant-sized...

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“Waikiki, 1996” by Jeff Macloud

Submitted to Contest #244

“What’s this?” Bram asked, holding up a beautifully framed eight by ten photo he had picked off the sofa table. He had never seen it before. Juni looked up from her spot at the kitchen counter, seemingly thrown by the question, and squinting. Bram loved that his wife routinely surprised him by rotating the pictures and art in the house. It wasn't unusual for him to find pieces he had not previously seen. It took Juni a moment to answer. “You don’t remember,” she asked, now smiling, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel and swinging it back o...

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“Never Been to Hackensack” by Mark Bastable

Submitted to Contest #244

KarlSo Kay’s ancient parents are there, and Hils and Danny with our baby granddaughter, and Mel, Kay’s friend-from-way-back. Mel only eats white things but she can drink any color and she’s chosen the Olive Garden to go full spectrum.Me, I’m hitting the Pinot.Kay’s saying, “You should have seen the costumes! I was Mary Poppins and Karl was the chimney sweep – like, Dick van Dyke? Karl – you have it on your phone?”I look for the photo. She leans over to see.“It was later. That’ s September. Scroll down.”I scroll down and…“Oh, my God, Karl!” S...

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“A Face from the Past” by Sara Potter

Submitted to Contest #244

“Grandpa, I didn’t know you and Grandma had your honeymoon in New York City!” Cindy called out to her grandfather. She had opened a box that was labeled simply “1960s” and found a manila envelope labeled “Honeymoon, New York City, 1965.” She and her grandfather were trying to organize and clean out her grandparents’ cluttered attic. Cindy was going to help her grandparents by digitizing the photos from their nearly 60-year marriage. Part of her motivation for helping with this project was to pull out photos for a slideshow at their big 60th...

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$250

Prize money

239

Contest entries

91

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 05, 2024 EST

Won by K.A. Murray 🏆

Title: The Party

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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