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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 – 33 stories

Write a story titled 'Paradise Lost'.

Angst – 70 stories

Write a story titled 'Desperate Remedies'.

Dark – 65 stories

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

Spring – 48 stories

Write a story titled 'Persuasion'.

Funny – 41 stories

Stories

“Paradise Lost” by Rachel Shailer

Submitted to Contest #248

Aggie sat in her favourite armchair, sipping a cup of tea that had just been boiled. She gazed out the window, watching the world go by on another ordinary day. Her apartment was her tiny paradise, filled with her most profound treasures, favourite trinkets, and secret memories. Her paradise contained the postcard that Harry had bought her on their first trip together in the corner of the room. He had seen it in a little tourist shop and bought it for her for the silly joke on the front. The picture was of two hand-drawn seagulls, with one ...

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“Paradise Lost” by K.J. Hanson

Submitted to Contest #248

“Can I take Paradise for a walk by myself today?” Layla asked with a perky optimism. “You can, dear.” Layla’s mother stopped washing the dishes to make eye contact with her youngest daughter. “Under one condition—you do NOT let her off the leash.”“But why?” asked Layla. She quickly followed up her question with a clarification. “I won’t, I just… want to know.”“Because I said so, and that should be enough.” Layla had seen her mother’s face scrunch in just such a way before. She was trying to be stern, but was als...

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“Paradise Lost” by Angela Heldstab

Submitted to Contest #248

TW: death (discussed, no description) Spring. The season of blossoms, beautiful flowers, a warming sun, awakening the grass that appears after the snow has melted. A time associated with the beginning of life, joy, and beauty. In the middle of a forest, where the snow hasn’t yet fully melted, where the trees block the sunshine, much appreciated in the summer, but a bit cool in the spring, there we find a cottage, next to a partially frozen river. Around the house we see wooden sculptures, artwork made from the wood of the forest, and proof o...

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“Paradise Lost (Bobby's Girl)” by Tom Whyte

Submitted to Contest #248

Bobby had gone to the B&Q DIY store for a new hedge trimmer. Both the lengthening leylandii and the consequentially shaded Sharon demanded action. As a sweetener, Sharon had agreed that a bigger cutter was now essential, given the neglect for the past two years of lockdown. Sharon knew that Bobby’s reservoir of motivation drained quickly and required regular replenishment. She was also painfully aware that Bobby was a gadget groupie, although, what necessitated all that stuff and what it did, other than hang in the shed, was beyond her k...

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“Paradise Lost” by Erik Brun

Submitted to Contest #248

"Captain, I think you should take a look at this." "As long as we've been out here, I wouldn't mind you calling me Anthony. What is it Evelyn?" "I'm a creature of habit, Captain. Helps me stay sane out here, I suppose" "Captain it is then, let's see what you got." "Might be something interesting. Forward recon shows some promising areas in the upcoming solar system. Possibly habitable planets." "What system are we scheduled for next?" "Looks like.... the Nahas system." "Nahas? Interesting name. Alright, let's make sure the scanners weren't d...

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“Paradise Lost” by Bernadette Beauchamp

Submitted to Contest #248

Four years old is way too young to make life choices.At least, that's what I tell myself when I try to console myself over the mess I made.I wanted a baby sister and begged and begged my parents for one, so there's no one to blame but me.My mom expressed that she had only planned to have one child, but she wanted me to be happy, so little Stephanie was born. I was so thrilled. She was lovely and precious and I vowed that I would be the most helpful, best big sister ever. I would do anything that it took. The beginning of our sister...

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“Paradise Lost” by Rubekkah Estero

Submitted to Contest #248

Brad The beach is the main drawcard of this town, or so they say. I lived here my whole life, until a few years ago when I went to University in Brisbane, and now, at twenty-one years old, I'm right back where I started. But apparently, I don’t get a say in what constitutes a drawcard. The coastline is protected by K’gari, the largest sand island in the world. Heritage listed. A real gem if you’re into that sort of thing. Camping, fishing, mosquitoes, sand flies, wild dogs, sand in your shoes, sand in your hair, s...

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“Paradise Lost” by Joe Holek

Submitted to Contest #248

Marv Kelly was in the Southwest National Park on the island of Tasmania searching for a ghost. The scientific community thought he was a dreamer, wandering after something that had gone extinct nearly one-hundred years ago. The view of his peers did not deter Marv, he was sure the beast still roamed the island. Two years ago, Marv heard a bark in the park. It was a piercing sound making the hairs on his head and neck stand on end. It was a call from a beast who was no more, the bark came from a thylacine. Marv went to the park religiously, ...

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“Paradise Lost” by Susan Lamphier

Submitted to Contest #248

Millie shifted in her wheel chair, and rolled over the slider threshold onto her little porch. Her porch was shared with the woman next door, with a small fence between the two. Millie's half of the porch had a pole with two bird feeders and a hanging flower basket. Around her, several filled suet cages hung from the railing. There is just room left for her wheelchair and a small side table. Time has not been kind to Millie, but she was of an age where she knew her days are numbered. She struggled with her health, but her birds were her sanc...

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“Paradise Lost” by Marina Savva

Submitted to Contest #248

Many of you, as children, would look out of the window at night before you went to bed. You would wonder how the man in the moon was doing; wonder if he was real. Many of you who believed would then wonder why he spent all his days watching you through his telescope; you were scared. And at that I grew heavier, more sombre. For I knew this little man and he was not quite so small. He was a man like any other who, watching you all through his hole in the sky, saw you all living in a big paradise which he felt he’d lost out on. A long, long ti...

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“Paradise - Lost” by Noted Moments

Submitted to Contest #248

John woke up to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight peeking through the windows of his beautiful home. He looked around, taking in the sleek, modern design and the lush greenery outside. But something felt off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, which made him feel uneasy. As he got out of bed, he noticed a stranger sitting near the wall, wearing a warm smile. "Good morning, John!" the stranger said. "Welcome to Paradise!" John's confusion deepened. "Who are you? And where am I?" The stranger handed him a small package. "I am o...

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“Paradise Lost” by John Healey

Submitted to Contest #248

“Of course, it is only the eventual reprieve that makes an orgasm enjoyable at all.” On screen I see the train has been delayed once more. Beyond the roof of the station, a heavy downpour falls onto the tracks. It is late afternoon and only us two, sitting side-by-side. “Depression, guilt, suicidal ideation… these play precisely the same role, precisely the same function as sexual release,” the stranger continues. “It is all merely a break from the status quo, a chance for our minds to escape themselves and explore alternative modes of exi...

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“Paradise Lost” by L.M. Kronis

Submitted to Contest #248

Trigger Warning - references the following (in order of prominence): * Death + Human Remains* Mental health* Religion* Verbal abuse * Substance abuse * Suicide* Child death Documents → Testimonies → Scanned → Diaries-Journals → Lucy Townsend → Excerpts of Interest Thursday Mama said the cows were mean again. They won’t let her milk them so she fights with them and comes home late. When Mister Hayes dropped off some meat, I heard him tell papa his goats are mean too and gave him no milk for breakfast. --- Tuesday Father Morgan was tir...

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“Paradise Lost” by Kailey Wilson

Submitted to Contest #248

**TRIGGER WARNING** Suicide/Poor mental health inferences and topics discussed. Whenever "paradise" comes up, most people think of a place. Some serene, tranquil, calm scene where you can escape all of your worries and find peace. What if it's not a place though? What if it's a state of mind? Or what if it's an object? Maybe even a person. To find true paradise, you have to find the source of your own serenity. But what happens to a person, when they spend their lives searching for paradise, only to realize all too late that it had been next...

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“Paradise Lost” by Jae Po

Submitted to Contest #248

Day 1, on my ownThe others have gone. After marching for days, we’d stopped for a few minutes to rest. I closed my eyes for what felt like seconds. When I woke up, I’m not even sure if on the same day, they were gone. I looked around and saw no one in sight. We’d been marching in lockstep and following our commander without question, as we’ve always done. So, I hadn’t bothered to pay attention, nor was given any information, about where we were or where we were headed at the time. I noticed that, it had clearly rained as I had rested, which ...

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$250

Prize money

257

Contest entries

96

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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