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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

“Will they listen?” by Laura Camacho Frias

Submitted to Contest #266

I was blond, as she is. My mother molded me into her girl's image: hair, eyes, and smile. I was a photograph of her daughter and lived my life in her pages. For months, I grew up in her mind, even if my experiences in her novel were limited to a week, which is not much for such an interesting character as I was. I was no regular thirteen-year-old girl living a happy, boring life, nor a conflicted teenager, and still, kids worldwide would see themselves in me. That was the plan. My life was not happy at first. I had argued with my father and ...

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“The Whirlwind” by Grady Simpson

Submitted to Contest #266

The Whirlwind David Manker’s conscience did not bother him about not attending church today. He deserved a Sunday off. He felt burned out from the same old religious ritual. Relax and fish—that’s what he needed. How could a day be any better than going fishing? If Deacon David could catch enough delicious Sunday trout, he’d invite the preacher to dinner. David chuckled at the thought of watching the preacher eat Sunday-caught fish. Unfortunately, Deacon David didn’t yet understand that what may seem boring is a gift of life and that life is ...

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“BAD MEATS” by J Miles

Submitted to Contest #266

It was supposed to be one of the most special evenings of our lives, our twentieth anniversary. Can you believe that? Me and Lucille have been together, hand in hand for over two decades now. I had planned everything, made sure it was perfect. Our anniversary is on October seventeenth, however, Lucille’s birthday is the following day, the eighteenth. It had always placed a certain level of pressure on the situation. Like a family who’s only child was born on Christmas Day… a lot of presents and attention paid to the special one. Tonight shou...

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“Just Another Day” by Maggie Bayne

Submitted to Contest #266

JUST ANOTHER DAY The day began like any other day. Sharon Taft opened her eyes wide enough to read the red digits on the clock. Reality struck quickly. It was Saturday, the first day of the weekend and it belonged to her. She could do whatever she wanted. Weeks at the Peterson Insurance Agency were filled with long workdays. As the assistant to the ...

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“The Perfect Day” by Vera N

Submitted to Contest #266

Sophia sat at her kitchen table, her laptop open to the meticulously organized schedule she had been refining for weeks. Today was going to be perfect. The kind of day that left you feeling accomplished, like all the puzzle pieces of your life had finally fallen into place. She glanced at the clock: 6:00 AM. Right on time. Sophia’s day was mapped out to the minute. She would start with a brisk jog, followed by breakfast at her favorite café, then a few hours of uninterrupted writing at the library, lunch with her best friend Ava, and finally...

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“Joan's day off” by Sarah Xenos

Submitted to Contest #266

Joan had something rare in her life: a day off. No errands needed to be run. The kids are off at my mum's house, and her husband is on a work trip. She planned to sleep in, take the dog for a walk, have lunch with Cathy, and end the day with a long bubble bath. Joan was suddenly jolted by the dog barking and then the screeching of an alarm. She grabbed her dress and slippers and stepped outside with the rest of the street, realising that the alarm from the shop across the road was just a false alarm. The police could quickly arrive on the sc...

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“Amantes Amentes ” by ATHINA PANTELI

Submitted to Contest #266

The clock on the white wall of the ossuary showed a quarter to five. Isidoros was tempted to lock up early. But before he could decide, a middle-aged man pushed open the door. Shaking off the rain from his coat, he approached the counter and placed a small box alongside a photograph. Isidoros glanced at the photo. Large eyes, a sweet smile, and long black hair. The woman in the picture was beautiful. A warmth spread through his chest, followed by a flush of embarrassment. He opened the large ledger and found her number—134. Amalia Petropoulo...

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“The Grandfather Gamble” by David Dean

Submitted to Contest #266

"The storm is worse than I expected," Mares said, shaking the rain from his coat as he joined the poker table. He was a tall, wiry man with a sharp nose and the keen eyes of a gambler. The room was dim, the low hum of conversation and clinking glasses providing a backdrop to the flickering lights above the table. The rain hammered against the windows, drowning out the distant sounds of the town. Carlos Biltong, still dripping from his walk there, glanced at Mares, who was shuffling the deck with the practiced ease of someone who knew his way...

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“KEYNOTE CATASTROPHE ” by J.D. McDonald

Submitted to Contest #266

KEYNOTE CATASTROPHE J.D. McDonald Shortly after I published my book on raising quail, I was invited to be the keynote speaker at a Bird Club. The event took place in a town located four hours' drive from my home. Since we were unfamiliar with the city, Karen, the club's representative, suggested we meet early at a local restaurant near the main highway. She invited us to grab dinner there and then follow her to the event. Karen said that the club would cover the cost of dinner for my husband and me before the meeting. Because Karen...

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“Afternoon Date ” by Lucien Tibay

Submitted to Contest #266

Tom watched the door open and he smiled wide at his date. “Hiya! Wow, you look great!” He smiled wide feeling his face turn to a bright pink. Natalie smiled back, looking down at her bright, spring dress. She closed the door to her apartment and off onto the city’s streets they went. “Thanks for hanging out with me, today! I’ve been so busy with work, I forgot what a day off feels like! So, what’s first on our agenda?” “I was thinking we can get a quick bite to eat at this Parisian style place, then head to the movies for this comedy I’ve he...

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“Plant and Shoot” by C.C. James

Submitted to Contest #266

It was the Butterfly Gardener Event that was open to the public and Master Gardeners in the local area of Humbum and Syrein were definitely excited about it. This had been the first event that she ever heard of that included gardening activities and seed exchanges. Her passion grew over the past 5 years in regards to gardening landscaping photography and permaculture as a whole. Moreover, the importance of community gardens became her focus although she didn't live in an area that had much understanding of this or outwardly supported movemen...

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“In the Depths, We Found Each Other” by Mawsy Walshe

Submitted to Contest #266

Evan Thompson had spent his entire life running—from his past, his mistakes, petty crimes, and twisted childhood. But he wasn’t going to let any of it define him anymore.Growing up as an orphan, never finding a family outside of the Agency, each day felt like a relentless drill preparing him for another disappointment. Being raised without the warmth of family, left him with a profound distrust of the world and everyone in it.But this year, Evan had made a promise to himself: he would no longer wait for the world to accept him; he would carv...

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“Grandpa's Dream Vacation” by Burton Sage

Submitted to Contest #266

Grandpa’s Dream VacationbyBurt Sage It’s a bright and warm (for February) afternoon and the Haskell foursome of Dad, my golf professional brother Tim, my ten year old son Jim, and I have finished a rare round of golf together at the Eagle Valley Country Club. Tim has missed a tournament cut down south and come home. He wouldn’t miss the opportunity of a family round—Haskell’s just didn’t do that. Grandpa’s here, too, in his custom golf cart. But he doesn’t play anymore; he rides along and applauds as we play. “When you can’t hit your driv...

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“The Prodigal Daughter” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #266

The cuckoo clock chimed seven. Douglas listened to it all the way through before getting out of bed. He glanced at his reflection in the dressing table mirror. Not too bad for an old man of seventy-five. His bearing was erect, his steely blue eyes clear and sharp and although his hair was silver verging on white, he still had plenty of it. He showered, shaved and dressed and was in the kitchen by seven thirty on the dot. He started the coffee maker and began to heat the water for his boiled egg. He set the egg timer and went to consult the w...

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“Shadows” by Amelia Corbeau

Submitted to Contest #266

Locals say that their island was raised for the artists and the dreamers. That the slow-paced nonchalance of their days gives way to nights of bright and boneless sleep. That their clean air, their forested labyrinths and lush bracken breed the inspiration for free thinking. The living etched from the tedium of their pebbled shores is scant and humble, but it grants the space to create. Their rhetoric is their anthem. A lighthouse amidst a chicanery of violent seas. A lilting promise that beckons those who have only ever watched f...

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$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!

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