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!

#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

“In His Eyes” by Montrell Burke

Submitted to Contest #270

CW: sexual content, physical violence, drink spiking, suicide reference I've been cheating on my wife for around six months now. Emma and I have been together for two years, married for about ten months. She's a wonderful wife, she does a fantastic job of taking care of me. Emma is also pregnant, she's around three or four months along. This will be our first kid and I'm pretty excited, but the pregnancy has been impacting her very negatively. She's sick almost constantly to the point where she's had to quit her job. She's been super irritab...

Read story

“Winter's Revenge” by Reese Rehbein

Submitted to Contest #270

Winter's Revenge The morning light crept through the kitchen window, casting long shadows across the worn wooden table where Emma and Ryan sat, their mugs of coffee steaming gently. The kitchen, with its cracked tiles and shelves cluttered with mismatched jars, was a familiar place for both of them, a sanctuary where countless conversations had unfolded. But today, the air felt different, as if something unsaid hung between them. Emma stirred her coffee absentmindedly, her eyes focused on a tattered, leather-bound cookbook in front of her. I...

Read story

“The Woodland Stranger” by Emily Morgan

Submitted to Contest #270

Lydia looked out across the lake, sketchbook balancing on her lap and grasping the gold necklace draped around her neck. She often found creative inspiration while holding the heirloom handed down by her mother. The cold, heavy accessory kept her calm and was oftentimes a source of peace from her tumultuous thoughts. The day was sunny and perfectly balanced, the slight breeze keeping the air from becoming uncomfortably warm and dissipating any hint of irritation before it could take root. Lydia looked down at the undeveloped lines runn...

Read story

“A Recipe for Revenge” by Brian Webb

Submitted to Contest #270

After making final arrangements for his father’s funeral, Lucas left the undertakers and headed back to the apothecary shop. Amphoras had passed away in his sleep the night before, following a long illness. On returning to the shop, Lucas pulled up a stool at the mixing table. With shaking hands, he broke the wax seals and loosened the ribbons securing two small scrolls of parchment he had found on Amphoras’ bedside table that morning. Sunlight filtering through the dusty windowpane over his shoulder revealed the un...

Read story

“Made In Heaven” by Tori F

Submitted to Contest #270

You never could understand why, every time I stood in our kitchen, for a good couple months, I cried. Like grief.How could I explain it to you? You, who love me? You who know me, but can’t quite comprehend why this kitchen is precious to me?I love you, too. That’s why.You don’t even like to cook, you say, with that funny smile that shows me you’re concerned.Well, I’ve gotten better about the whole weepy thing. At first, I was really emotional about it all, but it’s been a year, and I don’t cry about the kitchen anymore. That’s why I say it’s...

Read story

“Biscuit Hacks” by Lynne Boyd

Submitted to Contest #270

My grandfather always said we came from a long line of good cooks, and good eaters. It doesn’t take a detective to surmise the latter to be true. But I’m not here to talk about overweight excellent cooks, but to share my grandmother’s secret for mouth-watering biscuits. My mother never saw the need for homemade biscuits, felt it was a better use of her time simply to whop a can on the counter's edge. Watching Big Mama make biscuits in the early morning hours was like seeing an artist create the most beautiful sculpture, and I suppose, in her...

Read story

“Kitchen Mayhem” by Lorra Spitzer

Submitted to Contest #270

As the last light in the Cookie Café was switched off and the door locked, the utensils stirred, each anxious to begin the night's activities. “Psst,” whispered Spoon 1 from deep inside the drawer, “Spatula, is it safe to come out?” “All clear,” replied Spatula, hopping from the utensil holder and flicking on the kitchen light. Cautiously, the spoons, forks, and a pair of butter knives nudged the white wooden drawer until they all slipped out from the darkness. The kitchenware gathered around the marble center counter, preparing to take the ...

Read story

“Elfin Thyme” by H.J. Moberg

Submitted to Contest #270

Attempt thirty-one. Thursday.Me and my assistant Annieta stood by the monkey cage in the laboratory – a dimly lit basement – closely monitoring what was happening.The concoction had caused the monkey’s nails to grow several times longer, turning into claws. But not only the nails had grown.The concoction provoked a transformation. The monkey was bigger. Fiercer.The beast looked around, as if newly awaken, and then unprovokedly attacked the bars of the cage. The metal rang. Luckily the monkey wasn’t as strong as a forest elephant. After thirt...

Read story

“The Missing Link” by Burton Sage

Submitted to Contest #270

The Missing LinkbyBurt Sage It was June, 1963. Jobs were scarce. I had just graduated with my Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from NYU and was looking for my first job. My degree in Electrical Engineering was kind of misleading. If I had had more room on my resume, I would have described the revolutionary changes that were occurring in my field. It was no longer about motors and generators and transformers and long distance energy transmission. Now it was all about solid state physics, signal processing, both optical and electr...

Read story

“A LIttle Bit of This and a Dash of That” by Pete Gautchier

Submitted to Contest #270

Prompt: Write about someone searching for a missing ingredient, literally or metaphorically. A Little Bit of This and a Dash of That When I was a little tyke, I used to follow my momma everywhere. Most of the time she would be in the kitchen preparing meals for the day, baking sweet goods and even canning or pickling vegetables and some fruit from our garden. My momma was loaded with energy, especially when it came to food preparation. “Yeah, I am a real dynamo,” she would sarcastically say. One day when I was literally ...

Read story

“How to Make a Delicious Dish of Revenge” by Elain Sho-Avei

Submitted to Contest #270

How to Make a Delicious Dish of RevengeWritten by: A. A. Revenge is a dish that’s always been in my life—a comforting presence. Even as a kid, my mother told me stories about her high school years and the horrific things she’d do to those who wronged her. She told me that she slit the throat of the girl who stole her boyfriend. She torpedoed the life of a co-worker’s teenage daughter because that co-worker got the promotion. And there’s been worse. But, it is still important to me. So, I’m here teaching others how to make a sweet, ...

Read story

“How to be a Yoga Teacher” by Julie Price

Submitted to Contest #270

This is a long recipe. Grab yourself some ceremonial grade cacao, a vegan bliss ball or four and find a comfortable seated postion. If at any time you start to tire, take child's pose, rest as long as you need. Return to your reading when your body tells you it is ready, all the while observing your thoughts, sensations and of course, your breath. Let's begin.Ingredients:A sizeable amount of money for your teacher training, more about this laterA lot of yoga pants, black and neutral tonesMicro tops with flowy bigger ones to layer your lookFr...

Read story

“For Immediate Relief of (Existential) Discomfort and Pain ” by Larisa Mendez

Submitted to Contest #270

For Immediate Relief of (Existential) Discomfort and Pain Excerpt from The Covens’ Guide to the Transition: When You’re in Middle Age and Your Worlds Are Colliding and A’flaming, Chapter 10, “Helpful Recipes To Keep You from Homicide When Your Ill or Dying Parents, Teenagers, and ‘Reply-all’ Co-workers Take You to the Brink of the Void” 2 tablespoons baking soda 1 cup of water2 whole lemons2 teaspoons of salt1 shot of tequila1 pillow (preferably quality down and at least full size)1 sketch or journal book1 dog (or a cat, or a...

Read story

“Recipe for An Unknown Stranger” by Oveta Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #270

Ingredients A comfortable fall evening in Los Angeles, CA 1- Lovely married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Davis; the woman is a teacher, and the man is a graphic designer 1- Brick six-story apartment building with a cloth arched entryway located on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, CA A young man at the apartment lobby desk About thirty people standing in front of the apartment building Loud mumbling of unhappy apartment residents Old Spaghetti Factory Restaurant, located in Santa Monica 1 -Scene from the 1980 movie The Hunter starring Steve ...

Read story

“Brandy Cinnamon Bread Pudding” by Chris Cosner

Submitted to Contest #270

When my lips first touched the love of my life, the world vanished. I felt only tender warm pressure and tasted a rich multidimensional sweetness. My teeth tentatively pierced a texture like no other, that resisted but gave way only to rush at me with renewed passion. I owe so much to the pretentious guy who bought dinner that night and suggested we deconstruct the dessert menu, but I've forgotten his name. I'm sure I went home with him, or he with me. How could we not after that encounter? My coup de foudre, however, was not a cute dud...

Read story

Load more stories

$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!

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 ⭢