Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#266: The Write Stuff

Hello, fellow writers! Before diving into this week’s contest, I have an exciting announcement to make: the Reedsy Book Editor, our beloved (and free) writing app, is now Reedsy Studio! This cozy space is designed to be your creative haven, where you can make boards to sketch out your wildest character ideas, set goals to help you reach the finish line, export your stories with beautiful, customized typesetting, and so much more.

Studio is a gorgeous, functional book editor where your creativity can truly flourish… which brings me to the focus of this week’s contest. If you’re an aspiring author like me, you’ve probably experienced writer’s block at least once in your life — not to mention all the distractions life seems to perpetually throw at you. So, this week, let’s write stories inspired by artists and the creative process. Whether you’re the world’s biggest procrastinator or have been waiting for inspiration to strike, there’s bound to be a prompt below that speaks to you!

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone who wants to give up on their career right before their big break.

Short Story – 39 stories

Your protagonist discovers that everything they type comes true. What happens next?

Short Story – 54 stories

Write from the POV of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author.

Short Story – 92 stories

Your protagonist has the perfect day scheduled — but things don’t go according to plan.

Short Story – 40 stories

Write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method.

Short Story – 57 stories

Stories

“Character Assassination” by Patricia Jablonski

Submitted to Contest #266

Character AssassinationHe’s at it again, and the sun’s not even up yet. Take your hands off the keys, asshole. Breathe. This guy, he thinks he knows me. Making me dream about casting my net wider and breaking out of this crappy little burg. How embarrassing. Why doesn’t he know that’s not me, for God’s sake? After all, he set me lose on the page in this neat little town—one he thinks is boring—and then decided I didn’t fit in here. That I needed to be troubled—a malcontent. What a crock. There’s nothing wrong with this town. I mean, not that...

Read story

“Drafted and Doomed” by Michael Palmieri

Submitted to Contest #266

Cliff woke up and looked around. “Damn it! I’m still here!” he muttered. This was the third time he had woken up at this farmhouse, and he was getting annoyed. Cliff was well aware of who—or rather, what—he was. In moments like this, he hated it. Cliff was the author’s designated main character until the final draft was written, at which point he’d be swapped out for the intended, crafted protagonist. “What was wrong with the last draft?” Cliff yelled up at the sky, as if shouting at a god. He often wondered if the author could even hear him...

Read story

“Second Guesses and Sunsets” by R.S. Daniels

Submitted to Contest #266

Waves crashed against the rocks hundreds of feet below him. Daring a brief glance, Bishop held the rope tight. White tips formed in the interminable blackness wrought by the coming storm. Poseidon still hungers for me, he thought. “Not then, nor now. No second chances for you, you old bastard.” The flicker of light against the window ledge led his way down the stone parapet. Peering inside the circular room lit by oil lamps, at first appearances, it was empty. As Bishop craned his head, first left then right, a ribbon of sky blue material ca...

Read story

“Heart Divided” by Suzanne Jennifer

Submitted to Contest #266

Nestled in the charming town of Willow Glen, Jack, a young man, made his home among the endless fields of lavender and rolling hills. Jack’s likable personality and charming sense of humor attracted the residents of Willow Glen to him, including the ladies, which lead to dramatic romantic entanglements. He was a good catch. He genuinely wanted a serious relationship. To love too much was his fate. His heart was as fickle as the breeze.“I don’t want to be fickle. I want to settle down with one woman.” Jack lifted his eyes skyward beseechingly...

Read story

“Token Best Friend” by Grace Penton

Submitted to Contest #266

It's never fun to realize that you aren't actually in control of your own life. Its even less fun when you discover you aren't actually even a real person at all - you're just a person created by some other bigger person and jerked around on marionette strings to their bidding of the plot. The absolute least fun thing about the whole scenario is there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I am confined to the restraints of the world given to me by the author, which itself wasn't that bad before I managed to develop what is called "free wi...

Read story

“The Prometheum Enigma” by David Dean

Submitted to Contest #266

Beatriz and Tonel met during a press conference, both determined to uncover the truth about the pyramid. While Tonel was focused on the scientific implications, Beatriz was driven by her journalism. She was curious about how such an object could appear without warning and what it meant for humankind, by which she meant her friends’ perspective. Their first conversation was marked by mutual intrigue. Beatriz’s sharp questions challenged Tonel’s technical explanations, and he found her perspective refreshing. Soon, they started spending time t...

Read story

“Who's story?” by Ella Jones

Submitted to Contest #266

From the second I got out of bed that morning I had been plagued by this unsettling feeling. A sort of unstable feeling; like even the ground under my feet could change or fall away at any moment.I brushed off the uneasy feeling and went to the bathroom to start getting ready - I was meeting my friend Jess for coffee in an hour. I tied my curly brown hair back into a ponytail before splashing some water over my face to wake myself up. I dried my face with a towel; as I pulled the towel away, I noticed something about my reflection. I lo...

Read story

“ABRACADABRA” by Rose Lind

Submitted to Contest #266

Warning: Sexual References, Cussing, Swearing and Drug use and Mental Health referenced.I have always steered clear of Romance writing. I mean, the mushy, sentimental kind that some writers – mostly myself - shy away from. However, this week's writer's prompt happened to be that theme - Romance! It seemed pretty straightforward - boy meets girl, they fall in love, have some tension and conflicts then ultimately tie the knot - right?The recorded announcement at the train station stated, "The Brisbane City and Caboolture Train will arrive in a...

Read story

“The Ever-Changing Romance” by Chance Cansler

Submitted to Contest #266

Hello, my name’s Emma. I’m 28, I’m a graphic designer living in New York City, and I’m pretty sure my life is being written by an indecisive author named Logan. How do I know this? Well, it’s a long story—one that keeps changing. It all started on a Tuesday. Or was it a Friday? Honestly, the days blur together when your reality shifts as often as mine does. One minute, I’m working on a logo design for a new eco-friendly smoothie bar in Brooklyn, and the next, I feel a strange tingle at the base of my skull. Suddenly, I’m not in my apartment ...

Read story

“Another Try” by Israel Olmos

Submitted to Contest #266

The autumn wind shifted, bringing the smell of rain. “Is she here yet?” Mustafa asked. He fidgeted with his hands. Thomas knew he was itching for his pencil. “Why, are you nervous? I’m the one who’s got to talk to her. You’re just moral support” Thomas said. He put on a quick smile and smacked Mustafa on the back. But it was ...

Read story

“A Cursive Tale” by Molly Shortle

Submitted to Contest #266

“Tarquin, are you there,” Hyacinth whispered. The darkness was overwhelming, she quite literally could not see her fingers in front of her face. I mean they were in front of her face now, and she was wiggling her fingers, but nothing. She strained her ears, every sense she had on high alert. Had they actually managed to lose the creature this time? She stumbled forward, hesitatingly putting one foot in front of the next as she stretched her hands out and did a cautious 360-degree circle with her arms, trying to get a feel for the space. “Tar...

Read story

“THE RELUCTANT MUSE” by Glenna Agnew

Submitted to Contest #266

THE RELUCTANT MUSE Mitch sat in front of his laptop propped on his oak roll-top desk. He opened several pigeonhole drawers at the back of the desk, looked absently inside them, and then closed them. He typed a few more words, then closed the roll-top desk carefully and lifted the lid just as carefully, listening as the slats of the sliding cover traveled along the tracks on the desk. He repeated this several times, after the third time he stopped and backspaced the few words he had written and typed a few more. He was working on deve...

Read story

“Climb Every Mountain” by Odiseo Quintin

Submitted to Contest #266

A travel day customarily launches an out-of-town vacation week. When everything goes according to plan, our transportation connections line up perfectly and we easily leave behind all the workplace stresses. Having said that, reality may very well write for us a somewhat different story. These “vacation hiccups”, however uncomfortable, can provide for an adrenaline rush that multiplies the chances that future memories of this time away never fade. The basis of excellent storytelling is exactly this phenomenon. Having retired in Mexico a doze...

Read story

“Gus's Party Clothes” by Gil Harris

Submitted to Contest #266

GUS’S PARTY CLOTHES by Gil Harris“Looks like a great day. Fog has blown away. Sky is blue. I’ll do a few things around here until lunch time, hit the food truck downtown for some tacos, then come back and meditate. Need to recharge my brain after last night’s partying. Then an afternoon body surfing at the Main Beach.” Gus told himself after sleeping in and standing on the porch at 10:00 on a Saturday morning. Last night had been a late one. He and his friends...

Read story

“The day my world collapsed” by David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #266

The day my world collapsed I must have been six years old when early one morning my mother came into my bedroom room with her eyes shedding a stream of uncontrollable tears. Her body was shaking with emotion. She grabbed me and held me close, planting kisses on my face and hair. It was several minutes before she said. “He left”. At first I had difficulty in understanding what she meant. Slowly I realized she was talking about her husband, my father. “What do you mean he has left”. “ My darling, he has abandoned us”. I have a younger sister. ...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

282

Contest entries

108

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 06, 2024 EST

Won by Derrick M Domican 🏆

Title: inspirAItion

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢