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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#248: From the Top

Often, one of the most difficult parts of writing a story is giving it a name. I've been known to agonize for days over finding the "perfect" title — because, like it or not, we do judge a story by its title. Those few words at the top of the page set the tone for what follows, and picking the right ones matters.

This week, I'm asking you to approach titles in a different way. Rather than writing your story and then choosing your title, we want you to start "from the top" with a just title and see where it takes you. I've selected some evocative titles from literature to inspire you — but don't worry, you don't need to have read the original works to respond to them.

This week's prompts

Write a story titled 'A Tale of Two Cities'.

Adventure – 34 stories

Write a story titled 'Paradise Lost'.

Angst – 70 stories

Write a story titled 'Desperate Remedies'.

Dark – 66 stories

Write a story titled 'The Wind in the Willows'.

Spring – 50 stories

Write a story titled 'Persuasion'.

Funny – 41 stories

Stories

“Desperate Remedies ” by Leslie Holsomback

Submitted to Contest #248

She can fix this. She can totally fix this. Easy. Right? It’s just a matter of tidying up, disposing of some questionable items, and hiding a body. So simple. People do this all the time. Well, serial killers do this all the time, maybe not housewives of tennis pros living in posh neighborhoods, but she can do it. If he had just behaved, she wouldn’t even be in this predicament. She’d be getting ready for tonight’s gala in downtown Atlanta instead of figuring out what to do with her dead husband’s body that lay sprawled out on the kitchen f...

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“Wind In The Willows” by Naya's A Writer

Submitted to Contest #248

The wind in the willows,Listen as it blows,The wind in the willows,The cause of which, no one knows. Sway does all the trees,In the soothing autumn breeze,Deep in the shivers of night,When the moon shows no light. The willow tree shivers,Along with the harsh gusts,The old oak leisurely withers,While the willow stands tall and robust. A chill runs down my spine,As I watch the river flows by,Shapely designed,Its words a sacred lie. A doe runs fast, yet silent,An owl screeches into the night,The wind bangs against my ear, defiant,The owl, this ...

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“The Wind in the Willows” by Navaya Zales

Submitted to Contest #248

They warned her against leaning into the whispers of the wind, warned her of their influence. But they must not have heard the voices that spoke to her, the words like sweet honey she stirs in her morning tea. She did not know where they came from and she often searched, both within herself and within the bright places, for promises like these would not come from a place of darkness. It was her mother’s voice at first. Her mother had passed to the next world a great many springs ago, a season...

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“The wind in the willows” by Nydia Caraman

Submitted to Contest #248

I finally walked away. The last two years have been full of lies, tears, and pain. I spent so much time screaming in the wind, talking to a wall and nothing was ever going to change. The look in his eyes said everything that his words were not. I don’t know what else I could have done or said to change the way things were. But he was more concerned with how people would see him if they found out who and what he really is and tried so hard to hide.How could I have been so blind and stupid? I suppose when you love and trust som...

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“The Wind in the Willows” by Carol Stewart

Submitted to Contest #248

Potentially sensitive issues/triggering content: child abandonment, family breakdown***Look, Auntie Em, the houses are screaming! Lacey tripped along beside me as, with Disney-pink bag on my back, and dragging my suitcase behind me, we entered the Deer View Estate. Nine years old and quite the creative thinker, only moments before she had told me her head felt like lava, and although it was true that temperatures had risen slightly these past few days, there was still a chill breeze and the April sky remained overcast.From across the street,...

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“The Wind in the Willows” by T. L. Manx

Submitted to Contest #248

(CAUTION: Story includes themes of physical abuse, substance abuse, sexual abuse, miscarriage, and mental health issues. Proceed at your own advisory.)I do remember being beautiful. I was loved once. I know I was. As a child, the young boys used to throw rocks at me, and my mother always told me that was how a boy would express affection."That just means they like you. You're beautiful, my love."I loved my mother. My father loved her very much as well. I know because her skin was miscolored and often swollen. After all, that is how boys show...

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“The Wind in the Willows” by Maura Morgan

Submitted to Contest #248

The Wind in the WillowsA Short StoryBy Maura MorganDaddy finished mowing the lawn, and Mama finished working in her garden. Then we played a game of badminton in our big backyard. It was after school let out for the year and before it got too hot to be outside. Daddy and I played as one team, and Mama was the other. Being only six, I wasn’t very good at it, and we didn’t keep score anyway. I got bored with the game and decided to do something else. Daddy’s shadow stretched long as he stood in the late afternoon ...

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“Wind in the Willows” by Chris Ashline

Submitted to Contest #248

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWSBy Chris AshlineThroughout history, there have been many tales and lore regarding creatures of all types. One such creature roams the bayous in Louisiana near a little town named Blue Stone. The townspeople have given this creature that has decided to reside in the area the name of the Willowwind. While none of the people have ever actually seen the creature, there are also some locals who have never been seen again. There are those who have been brave enough to travel out in the swamp for all kinds...

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“The Wind in the Willows” by Karla S. Bryant

Submitted to Contest #248

April is a fickle month in Philadelphia. Cherry trees and dogwoods burst open into an unknown future, not sure if their fragile pink blooms will flourish in the warming sun or wither under the shock of an unseasonable freeze. Still, every year they open their petals in colorful optimism. Spring is the season of promises that may or may not be met. Laura was not feeling optimism as she waited for the 8:15 train to Center City. She’d uncharacteristically slept past the alarm on her phone and rushed through her morning routine. That feeling tha...

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“Persuasion” by Christine Tapper

Submitted to Contest #248

Steamed Dumplings were a specialty in our house. Everyone thought that. And they thought Grannyma was the specialist. That’s because I told my classmates how clever she was at cooking.Some girls wanted to visit our home for dinner to taste Grannyma’s secret recipe. I stalled them with excuses.Last night I shouted, “Grannyma, why can’t you cook? This is no good.” I threw a packet of frozen potstickers on the stone benchtop. And stared at it, in disgust. “Ai ya,” she said. “Why talk to me like that.”“Because you won’t cook and won’t ...

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“Persuasion: The Bicycle Purchase” by Stacey Cooper

Submitted to Contest #248

The beginning of the spring season has arrived and a woman has decided that she would like to buy a new bicycle. She goes into a bicycle store and looks around. She spends time looking at a 3-speed bike, and a salesperson approaches. The salesperson asks, “This is a nice bike. Are you looking to buy a new bike?” The woman answers, “I’ve been meaning to get a new bicycle. With the start of spring, I thought it would be a great way to get more exercise.” The salesperson says, “Have you considered a mountain bike? They ...

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“Persuasion - A Cat's Tale” by Sofia Mullan

Submitted to Contest #248

Ziggy Starr the Third, or Ziggy as his human (whom he generously tolerated) called him, was not your average feline. He wasn't particularly interested in napping in sunbeams (far too predictable), chasing elusive red dots (tiresome), or meticulously grooming his already pristine fur (a waste of good napping time). No, Ziggy had a far more audacious ambition – to convince his canine companion, a boisterous Jack Russell Terrier named Bandit, that he was, in fact, a dog himself. The idea struck Ziggy one afternoon while Bandit was gleefully cha...

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“Persuasion” by Laura Camacho Frias

Submitted to Contest #248

I work in customer service. I am a mother of three. Negotiation skills are not a need but a must in my life. I spend my days between price reduction requests and angry customers on one side and dreams about video games and annoyed children on the other. I would like these to happen in different time slots, but thanks to the magical world of the internet, I do this simultaneously, no matter where I am. I usually navigate wishes, requests, and demands --independently of where or who they come from-- in a fairly relaxed way: I just run my ...

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“Persuasion” by Hannah Deegan

Submitted to Contest #248

Everyone told me I’d regret it. The way I reeled in woman after woman. Using each one for as long as I needed to get what I want before abandoning them. Heartbroken, confused, madly in love with me. Maybe it’s in my nature. Maybe I’m just a douchebag. My mother insisted that I remain pure until I find my person. My soulmate. I’m 35 years old. Human men have a hard time practicing abstinence that long, nevermind, men like me. Men with superhuman needs and desires. And my mother knows this. While she doesn’t look a day over 40, her real age ap...

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“Persuasion” by Bethany Walters

Submitted to Contest #248

“The Library closes in thirty minutes," a gravelly voice on the intercom announced. It was the time of day that Sarah hated the most. Groaning inwardly, she stood up from her chair and stretched. She was stiff from sitting so long, but it was worth it to spend hours escaping into different worlds. If Sarah could, she would live in the library. She stared at the pile of books on the table. There wasn't enough time to decide which books to check out and which ones to leave. Treasure Island was a reread, so that could go back, and the Ro...

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$250

Prize money

261

Contest entries

97

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 03, 2024 EST

Won by Honey Homecroft 🏆

Title: Paradise Lost

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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