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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

“Paradise Lost” by Jane Andrews

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #248

Trigger warning: domestic violence, mental health The mind is its own place, and in itselfCan make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. (Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1) Some say that Signor Dante’s Inferno is a most accurate representation of Hell. For my own part, I would argue that Man makes his own Hell when he ignores the corner of Paradise he finds here on Earth and lets himself instead succumb to fatal passions.The cell from which I write has become my personal inferno, for Heaven is where she is and she is not here. They say I will han...

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“Paradise Lost” by E.L. Lallak

Submitted to Contest #248

On a leisurely Sunday excursion through the verdant French countryside of Bellefleur, where emerald fields roll velvety to the touch and unfurl their plush sprawl beneath the azure sky, lies a grand rustic farmhouse that appears plucked from the pages of a whimsical fairytale. Newlyweds Aurelie and Lucas Dubois are desperately looking for their first home, hoping it will be the last. With a mistaken turn down a winding, dusty dirt road, their haphazard path unwinds to a hidden gem where their dreams are destined to take root on fertile land....

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“The Wind Harp in the Willows on the Mystical Coast ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #248

Everything was connected, especially here in the wilderness life.Emma rode her red mare, Ginger, along the trail next to the creek. The wind under the forest canopy seemed to whisper of secrets and ancient times. She heard the air hum through the willow reeds like music from a harp. The rhythm of light rain pattering on the fir boughs, and the perfume of the fir needles, carried the essence of life growing and blooming.The windowless shack in the wilderness of 1898 where four skinny children lived with Emma’s Mama was already half ...

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“Persuasion” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #248

Sy never wanted to tell people where he was from. It’s not that he was ashamed of growing up in the Bahamas, quite the opposite. It’s just that he knew people would look him over--a handsome but standard young man in his 20’s--and think, Really? The Bahamas? Nobody ever knew anyone who grew up in the Bahamas, but everybody had an idea of what that kind of person would be like. Charming, warm, and above all, special. People knew the word “exotic,” but they had no idea what it was supposed to mean. It might as well be palm tree wallpaper...

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“Paradise Lost ” by ♡ Tana ♡

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #248

My late husband never did give me his green thumb. I remember when we first met, I was amazed at his ability to coax life into blighted tomatoes, pray seedlings into sprouting in lackluster soil, and convince frostbitten blueberry bushes to produce gallons. My late husband grew up on a ranch in Southern Texas, and his sweet drawl and lazy eyes persuaded me to have not one and not two but three drinks with him that sleepy summer night in Alabama. He was visiting the University of Alabama where I was a student and had lived all my ...

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“Desperate Remedies” by LeeAnn Hively

Submitted to Contest #248

The Golden God was beginning the languid descent towards his home beyond the horizon, casting a brilliant tinge across the embankment sheltering the trees. The river, a smooth glass of serpentine fluidity, reflected the blazing orb as it neared the jagged peaks that devoured it every night. On the shore, a man as stout and squat as the rocky escarpments surrounding the valley advanced with unwavering resolve, his broad brow furrowed with worry as he pushed onward into the formidable landscape.In the dimming radiance of a setting sun, Druk, w...

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“Persuasion” by T. S. Parnell

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #248

Twelve years old is the minimum age to enter the annual calf scramble. But none had ever taken home a calf. The fifteen-, sixteen-, and seventeen-year-olds were more experienced, and usually faster and stronger. Caleb Duskin caught one when he was thirteen, but he already had a mustache and played linebacker on the freshman football team. Lily Parsons turned twelve on July 30th, the day before the deadline to enter a name in the drawing to participate. Two days later, after the ten names were drawn, Lily’s mother got the phone call. “Hello,”...

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“PARADISE LOST or FOUND?” by Viga Boland

Submitted to Contest #248

That went well. Don’t you agree? I do. So simple. Quick. Painless. Good for you. You certainly made the right decision. Yes, I know I did, although it wasn’t easy. The children fought with me for months before they finally accepted that I’d made up my mind…as I’ve done all my life. I understood their viewpoint but this time, I had to do what was right for me, even if it hurt them. I wish I had done likewise. Instead, I let mine convince me to do this or try that. They talked about the benefits of one option over another and even they c...

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“A TALE OF TWO CITIES” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #248

In the bustling streets of Celluria, life pulsed with urgency. Red blood cells streamed like scarlet rivers along capillary avenues, their swift passage a testament to the ceaseless rhythm of existence. Each cell, a tiny traveler in a vast network of pathways, carried the precious cargo of oxygen—a duty woven into the very fabric of their being.The city of Celluria sprawled before us, a sprawling metropolis teeming with life and activity. Every corner was alive with motion and purpose, from the bustling arterioles to the winding capillaries....

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“A Tail of Two Cities” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #248

The tiny suburban city of Branchberg had many appealing qualities, but a dog park, sadly, wasn’t included on that list. Still, Banshee’s favorite word was spoken at least twice a week, making her tail wag so hard, she’d often find herself wanting to chase it. PARK was only a ten-minute car ride away in the neighboring city of East Isle. Truth be told, the drive was just as much an adventure for the pretty fawn pitbull as the actual romping she’d be doing with her friends once they arrived. She hung her head out of the window and let her jowl...

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“Desperate Remedies” by Martha Kowalski

Submitted to Contest #248

Community Hospital – Cardiology Department Diagnostic & Treatment Confidential Conference Room RE: Case #00411325, Name redacted, Age 20 (DOB redacted) Diagnosis: CardiomyopathyMedications: ACE inhibitors (prescription details redacted) Proposed Treatment: Heart transplant from out-of-bounds donorNotes: Patient currently is on list of above medications and extra dosage of Community-issued suppressants. Patient responds well to medication but shows no improvement in heart function. Still a...

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“Desperate Remedies” by James Vogner

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #248

This story includes sensitive topics including mental health, gore, and self harm. I didn’t tell my mouth to rip the flesh off my arm. I didn’t even let myself think about it. Instead, I concentrated on the muscles just below the cheek. I tightened them with no more expression on my face than if I were reading the newspaper. Dark red blood began to squirt into my mouth and onto my face. I could feel Brian panicking, but his voice was quiet, like a man trapped in a padded room about to be filled with gas. A warmth filled my mouth, and a text...

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“The Wind in the Willows” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #248

Lost in her thoughts, she sat all too long staring out of the bay window; her coffee turned cold, but she didn’t notice, nor did she care. Hours had gone by, staring, alone with the worst feeling she had ever known; was it grief? It hurt so deeply, she was certain there was not a word ever spoken or penned to describe it. Self-pity was a fairly foreign concept for her, yet somehow it felt acceptable and safe. Maybe she’d stay right here for a while, sad and confused; this was worse than grief, wasn’t it? Despair. No, not an effective de...

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“A Shimmer on Sunday” by Hartford H

Submitted to Contest #248

She didn’t seem to hear me, but used the light on the acrylic glass for a mirror to check her bangs. Her computer flashed something, the screen faced the other way so that public couldn’t view it. The immigration official fixed her glasses while viewing what had come up. Air Conditioning pumping through the vents proved to my ears just how large the Valon Customs Entry Port was. Much bigger than Brentwood. “It looks like you’ve overstayed your visa.” She looked in my direction, but it was clear that her eyes were focused on the glass. Not mu...

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“Paradise Lost” by Liza Anne

Submitted to Contest #248

Emma stared out the window and tried to memorize the scenery as it passed. She could see the flourishing greenery, but in all honesty, she couldn’t determine any of the details. Not through her tears. She refused to blink or close her eyes all at, knowing that the moment she did the tears would fall without stopping. The train’s journey wasn’t smooth and Emma was jostled repeatedly at its sudden lurches. She wished they would reach her destination soon. Only then could she truly leave everything behind. But...

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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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