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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#270: The Perfect Recipe

Writing can often feel like trying to follow the perfect recipe: with the right inciting incident, you can push your character out of their status quo or comfort zone, and if you sprinkle some challenges in there, you get character development. Then, you turn the heat up until you reach a boiling point — maybe you even toss in a third-act crisis — and just before it spills over, you add the finishing touches and plate it up.

But sometimes, no matter how carefully you stick to a recipe, things don’t turn out as planned. That’s when, like any great chef, you realize it’s better to forgo exact steps and simply season to taste.

This week’s prompts take inspiration from the world of food, so grab your aprons and preheat your ovens — let’s get cooking!

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of a recipe.

Short Story – 82 stories

Start or end your story with two people discussing an important matter over a meal.

Dramatic – 60 stories

Write a story inspired by the saying “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Angst – 59 stories

Set your story in a kitchen, either early in the day or late at night.

Short Story – 82 stories

Write a story about someone searching for a missing ingredient, literally or metaphorically.

Dramatic – 53 stories

Stories

“The Apprentice’s Journey” by Vincent H. Black

Submitted to Contest #270

It was almost dawn, you could see the glow of the sun on the horizon. He was looking through the window. The sun looked like it would rise on the horizon of another planet in the reflection of his eye. You could see the tiredness. The Master will come shortly. While looking at the rising sun, he was preparing how to explain that he was not ready again. Should he be ready? Yes! His eyes showed it. He was already having shivers, thinking about confronting him without a solution. It was 7 AM; the Master entered the bar. He saw the disarray and...

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“Putting the Pieces Together...” by Elaine Monaghan

Submitted to Contest #270

People who changed gender in the 70s and 80s were uncommon and rarely discussed as they are today. It was encouraging to see taboo topics becoming more openly discussed during our time, although it was still a slow process. It was a time for women to be more aware of their bodies, and copies of “Our Bodies, Ourselves” flew off the shelves as curious teenagers, like myself, wanted to know, but were still a little afraid to ask. However, I, along with many of my peers, still straddled the line between open conversation and silent embarrassment...

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“Ultra Nova Root” by Day Williams

Submitted to Contest #270

Mira Kalihar stood expectantly by the Czar’s table. The large man sat on a throne, and the Empress, a slim woman with long red hair who loved to wear her crown, sat at the opposite end of the long table on an ornate chair. Between them sat emissaries and ambassadors from other solar systems, each one present to petition the Czar for a favor. The Czar, who stood six and a half feet tall and weighed as much as an adult gorilla, was used to getting his way. He tried to show compassion in front of his dinner guests by saying, “Your husband...

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“Cheese Souffle ” by Charlotte Rushforth

Submitted to Contest #270

Marcie pulled a cheese grater out of the bottom drawer, and set it atop the counter, on a chopping board. She turned, opening the fridge, and pulled out a hunk of gruyere, a block of sharp cheddar, and a wedge of specially selected parmesan - she didn’t skrimp at the supermarket with the grana padano this time. No, this dish deserved the expensive ingredients. On her kitchen scales she weighed out 75g of unsalted butter, then set it aside in a dish to soften, putting the rest back in the fridge. She got to grating, humming as she did, ...

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“Chester’s Recipe for Quick Cash” by Andrew Darrah

Submitted to Contest #270

Ingredients: Five Star National Bank1 bank robber5 witnesses1 flashback1 twist1 coffee shop (with very strict bathroom rules)2 police officers Instructions: Preheat to Sunday at 10:37 PM Okay, this is it. For all the marbles. I get this… well, my plans can change. I won’t need to do… it. But if I lose? Yeah… I’ll need to do it then. He clicks. Holds his breath. Closes his eyes just for a millisecond. Says a prayer to any deity that will listen. And he waits. It’s only a second, and the results come in. And the results are disastrous. W...

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“All-Spites Cake” by Connie Lindgreen

Submitted to Contest #270

Hi, everyone! Welcome to my cooking channel! I’m really thrilled to share with you today a recipe from my latest best-selling cookbook. The Intolerant Cook: A Worldwide Guide to Bad Taste is available wherever fine books are sold. Today, we’re going to make All-Spites Cake. Also called Eternity Cake, this recipe has won praises and prizes in hundreds of contests. It’s easy to make and deserves a place on your table. I can guarantee that everyone will adore it, even babies and picky eaters. Those with allergies can breathe a sigh of...

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“Mother's Last Supper” by Sherri Shields

Submitted to Contest #270

One afternoon, Mom called. “Sherri, I’m really craving the Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole you make.” “Of course, I’ll make it for you. Just tell me when,” I said. We set a day and time for mom and dad to come over for the meal. At the time, Mom was 72 years old and I was 48 years old. She had had a stroke at age 64 when I was living in Iowa. I r...

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“Gen's Recipe Book” by Sophia Par

Submitted to Contest #270

Blueberry Muffins to get what you want This recipe book will log my recipes, and how well they come out! Growing up a vegetarian, I always felt left out in discussions of my passion, but I have learned that cuisine is for everyone, and this book will one day be passed down to anyone who enjoys baking as much as I do. This recipe guarantees not only warm, delicious, and addictive bites, but also provides an aroma no one can resist. Each blueberry perfectly stained the golden muffin surrounding it with the perfect color, and the softest textu...

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“Lobscouse” by Terry Silk

Submitted to Contest #270

‘Two pounds of corned beef and smoked ham each, stick’em in a pot with a bay leaf and cover it all with water.’ He’d never wanted to be a cook. He’d joined the Royal Navy in the hopes of making his father proud, his mother happy, his brother inspired. He’d enlisted as soon as he’d passed for a sixteen year old and set off as a seaman on an old, rickety cow of a merchant ship.He’d felt mighty proud of himself. By the time he’d made it back to the port town he’d once called home, two years had passed. ‘Simmer the pot for a litt...

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“Taste Test” by Elle Hartford

Submitted to Contest #270

Hello, Reader! >AuthorElleHartford< is sharing a recipe with you. Log into the app to see the original recipe and >AuthorElleHartford<’s notes, along with a special message just for you! Aunt Agatha’s Surefire Recipe for Five-Alarm Stump-’Em Mystery Chill(i)The editor says: Always the favorite recipe in the annual Do it This Way And You’ll Never Be Wrong Literary Cookbook! If followed very carefully, this recipe is sure to impress. Too much stirring and the dish becomes boring; too many details or clues, and the rest of the...

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“Jenna's Famous Bread” by Virginia Coleman

Submitted to Contest #270

MONICA DO NOT READ THIS! DELETE THIS FILE AND OPEN THE SECOND ONE I SENT YOU! Hey Monica, you’ve been asking for me to bring rolls for ages so I figured I would send you my bread recipe. That way you can make them for the next family gathering. I know bread is intimidating but I am going to leave you notes so it should be easy. If you have any questions I am only a text or call away. Bread making isn’t something just for little old ladies! It’s a life skill, 20 year-old “pretend adults” can do it too. Preferred Ingredients 2 Cups warmed Milk...

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“A MEAL FOR THE HEART A MEAL FOR THE TRUTH” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #270

One year ago, I was set free from prison and returned to Harbor Bay to seek forgiveness for what I did. That didn't turn out well. Forgiveness was the last thing these people wanted to give me. I was almost killed by the brother of my late friend Willow. I wanted to kill myself because I couldn't stand the pain and the hatred. My mother stopped me. My mother told me her forgiveness was her love and protection for me. She was the person I always needed. She also told me I need to learn how to forgive myself. We left Harbor Bay never to return...

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“The Unbearable Lightness of Being Blue” by Jon Saviours

Submitted to Contest #270

IAn Epicurean Tour of The United Provinces of Spitzbergen The year... well, the precise year escapes me, as does much that happened on that peculiar voyage. What remains, cemented onto memory with briny permanence, is the lingering sense of desolation and the undeniable pull of the archipelago known as The United Provinces of Spitzbergen. A land of unremitting gray, an outpost birthed from cartographical mistakes, a place where melancholia bloomed more freely than the sparse wildflowers clinging to the wind blasted cliffs. Let me not dwell ...

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“THE LAST LUNCH” by Tatjana Jancic

Submitted to Contest #270

THE LAST LUNCHThe meals in our house were used as a fighting arena where my brother would pick a fight with Dad over the most trivial matters to vent his frustrations and anger over God knew what and made us want to run far away from their vicious exchanges of cataclysmic proportions. Their specialty were fights during Christmas Eve dinners and Easter lunches – the solemn occasions were ruined, the past holidays viewed as unpleasant events we tended to forget as soon as possible and the forthcoming celebrations were anticipated with apprehen...

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“The Final Meal” by Sabrina Furthermore

Submitted to Contest #270

“My love?” I asked desperately, begging for her words to be a lie. How could I, how could I be the one to end her life.On a fretful morning during our final dish, our final discussion began. And by the end I would have eaten her, mind and heart.“With this dying body, I must discuss what I want you to do” Her shaky hand trembled and quivered, holding onto mine. For years she’d fought a sickness only a few could escape from. And for years I stood by her side.Her plate, full of ordinary nutrients, hid the taste of the crushed pills fed every mo...

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$250

Prize money

336

Contest entries

133

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 04, 2024 EST

Won by Jay Wayne 🏆

Title: Add Vodka to Taste

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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