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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#27: Agatha Christie

It's no secret why one of the most-repeated writing tips is: to read. You can learn endless craft wisdoms by reading the works of literary greats — and also lesser-known authors, too. Reading, in general, is simply a valuable way to improve your skills as a writer.

This week, we're pulling inspiration from the author behind two of crime fiction's most beloved sleuths: Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Yes, each of the below prompts relate in some way to themes, symbols, or other common elements in the writings of Agatha Christie.

Want to learn more about the Grand Dame of crime fiction? Check out our Agatha Christie reading guide!

This week's prompts

Write a short story that takes place on a train.

High School – 128 stories

Write a short story about a jury of people tasked with making a decision. (It doesn't necessarily need to be a court jury.)

Adults – 29 stories

Write a short story in which a specialist is called upon to carry out a job.

High School – 36 stories

Write a short story that ends with a twist.

Mystery – 155 stories

Write a short story that takes place in a quaint, idyllic, English village.

Fiction – 31 stories

Stories

“The Marriage Game” by Bryanna Wilbur

Submitted to Contest #27

*author note: yes this does look like my other story they are linked series wise. this series i am doing just for fun and i print them for my friend to read-thanks*Luna:“Princess princess get up it's time to get up you have work to do”“Go away”“Luna get your goddamn ass up” my maid said as she pulled me out of my bed (you see my maid also happens to be my best friend Lilly)“ ugggg why do i have to get up i'm a princess i should be able to sleep”“not Today is when your potential husband comes”“What that's today!?” i said get up and hurrying t...

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“Etched” by Callie Bennett

Submitted to Contest #27

A million scenarios flitted through Addie’s mind. Why she had accepted Chace’s offer of help to break into a building and take money for him was quite against her conscience. “I’ll take it Chace, but what do I need to do?” Addie whispered with an exasperated sigh. A smile smeared across Chace’s face at Addie’s words.“Your gonna make it into the CIA someday Adds, I just know it.” His voice revealed sincere thanks as he continued, “Monty said he’d persuade my parents to send me to a military school in Maine if I didn’t pass this emp...

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“All She Needed Was Reassurance ” by Anneka Geddes

Submitted to Contest #27

All She Needed Was Reassurance By Anneka GeddesLea looks down at her empty hands, the hands she’s convinced are not her own. Two strides to the left is her cloudy mirror, she lifts her ghostly hands and lets her fingers brush upon her cheekbones. The last time her mirror was clean was three years ago, the collection of dust has been growing since the day she lost all connection with the girl in the mirror. Lea’s absence of thought is interrupted by her sisters call from another room,“C’mon! We’ve gotta go soon, I’ll meet you outside.”It...

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“Girls' Night” by T. Shokrie

Submitted to Contest #27

“Honey!” Mike Bennington flinched at the sound of his wife Kate’s nasally voice, causing him to send his golfer, a normal guy with a horse’s head, wildly about the blue tee area of Golden Tee’s Coral Vista Hole 15.They were at Clancy’s pub, with his partner, Nathaniel, who had brought along his wife, Rachel, a usual Wednesday night in West Omaha for the couples. What was unusual about this Wednesday night, however, was the addition of his neighbor’s wife, Harmony, and they’re declaring tonight a girls’ night. The men were inst...

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“In The Hands Of A Psycho” by Joanna Artiaga

Submitted to Contest #27

I made someone a psychopath.He’s here. And he had come to end me.I could hear the tap of his footsteps, echoing through where I was, which felt like an enclosed room. His footsteps felt so far, but I could clearly hear his heavy breathing. I couldn’t think any worse than the thought that aside from him, there could be another one going after me.Where I was, I didn’t know. It was pitch-black. Dead and cold. I couldn’t smell anything but concrete and dust. The air was thick, too, but the coldness oddly was suffocating.Fear; it was something I ...

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“A Particular Classroom” by Jules Papesh

Submitted to Contest #27

“We’re going to be doing a little moral dilemma now!” A groan could be heard throughout the small classroom as the teacher announced her new assignment, her hand whipping across the board as the assignment was spelled out in a faded grey tone. Some notebooks were slammed shut, others were tossed carelessly underneath one of the light brown desks, but the need for paper and pencils was now gone, so the students in the small classroom all cleared off their desks accordingly. The short and happy teacher, with the name of Miss Gorgon, turned so ...

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“Happy Bird-Day” by Jonathan VanRy

Submitted to Contest #27

I slid over a patch of musty papers as I rapidly turned another corner, nearly sending me crashing into the third-story window to my left. I regained my footing without losing much speed, though. And good thing I did, too, because whatever bird-demon-creature was behind me was right on my heels, and I was barely making any headway getting away from him. The longer I ran though, the farther I got from it. Slowly, I built a distance between us.Finally, I skidded to a halt and dashed through an open door to the side of the hallway. I pressed my...

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“Just Deserts” by Warren Beatty

Submitted to Contest #27

Rhonda Sellers, new Associate Professor of Finance, grabs Allan's crotch hard so there's no mistaking her message.“Allan, I want to sit in on your statistics class this fall. If you stop by my apartment three hours before class - you can do it, I checked the schedule - I can assure you a pleasant time while you tutor me. I got divorced four years ago and have had no man since. Nor have I had one appeal to me like you do.”Taken aback, Allan, a married man, decides to play the situation straight. He tries to ignore her hand, smiles, says, “Sur...

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“Miss Katherine” by Indrani Talukdar

Submitted to Contest #27

“Completely batty,” Parul mashi was saying as Miss Katherine’s dirty half-a-dozen ululated in a dissonant chorus for the twelfth time that afternoon. Although Miss Katherine lived in the huge bungalow beyond the boundary wall outlining our backyard her voice shot through like a machine gun report.“Tony baba’s mother is visiting,” Usha said knowledgeably, bending over unwashed utensils in the kitchen sink. Tony was Miss Katherine’s nephew, her brother’s sole progeny. Miss Katherine’s canines didn’t seem to like her flat-nosed chubby nin...

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“The Neighbor” by Gianna LaMar

Submitted to Contest #27

We all have neighbors. Sometimes they can be a bit weird or creepy, but I assure you that they will never be like this one. Everyone calls her “The Neighbor” or “Risky”, her real name is Risk Raven. Most won’t take her seriously, but anyone who is like me would know. They think she’s a legend, but I know she is real, and this is my story...“Foo” I blew. But something didn’t seem quite right this year. The wind howled, the snow was dropping colder than usual, then it got really foggy. The night was very queer. “What piece do you want?” Mom as...

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“RED IS THE COLOR OF MY TRUE LOVE’S BLOOD” by Margie Ricca

Submitted to Contest #27

Red is the color of my true love’s blood. It also was the color of the walls, the floor and my new starched white dress shirt. Damn!Pressure! Pressure! Pressure!Now, I am pacing. I hate when I pace. Barbara should not have said the things she did. Now look at the trouble she has gotten me into and the trouble I am going to have to go through to clean up this mess.I must admit though, I didn’t see this coming. How was I to know she wanted to break things off? After all, I apologized f...

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“Survivor's Guilt” by Robyn Welborne

Submitted to Contest #27

It was a particularly breezy December’s Eve here in the busy city of Tanglewood Michigan. The streets were roaring to life before the sun could even reach its halfway point above the horizon. Headlights shone everywhere, lighting up the city like a well-decorated Christmas tree. The store fronts beamed with the standard red-and-blue neon signs in their windows. Earlybird’s waited outside in their heated cars for the right moment to hop out and rush inside before the chill had a chance to nip at the napes of their exposed necks. On the ...

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“Maybe We Should Have Listened to Romans 12:10” by Catherine Schroder

Submitted to Contest #27

I only went to mass twice a year. Christmas and Easter. I admit, some years I’ve even skipped Christmas (how could you not, when there’s so much else to do?). Despite this, I wiped my hands on a towel to get all the french fry grease off them so I could prepare to pray without getting my pristine white dress dirty. I pushed aside the McDonald’s bag that I had made Christy go out and grab from down the street in the midst of my first mental breakdown, rested my hands on the table and kneeled down in front of it. It was only a matter of time u...

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“Our Last, Tonight” by Tiaja Gundy

Submitted to Contest #27

It was the middle of the night. Maggie couldn't help but toss and turn as she forced herself to sleep. She was too emotional. She had just broken up with her boyfriend of three years and was taking it pretty hard. The tears continued to fall on her pillow as if rain to the ground. She felt broken. She couldn't put into words the pain she had felt and wanted them to end. Finally her eyes had closed. A deep sleep is what she was in. She was dreaming about her current state of mind. Dreaming about the fact that her heart was smashed into a thou...

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“Decisions” by Amelia Coulon

Submitted to Contest #27

Yun Li watched at the door while her husband, Chao typed furiously away on the computer keyboard. If caught downloading these files, they would go to prison. Or worse.If not so important, Yun Li never would have involved Chao. Her brilliant husband worked a good job at an electronics company, yet he risked everything to help prove a theory. Unfortunately, she acted like a dog with a bone and could not stop obsessing once the idea came into her head.“How is it?” she asked anxiously, afraid the security guard they eluded would walk their way s...

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$50

Prize money

379

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 07, 2020 EST

Won by Natalie Frank 🏆

Title: Seaglass

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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