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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#277: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReedsyWicked to share your stories (and potentially get featured on our social accounts)!

If you’re a musical lover like me, you’ve probably marked your calendar for the release date of the upcoming Wicked film adaptation. With gorgeous costumes, a superstar cast, and new renditions of beloved songs like “Defying Gravity,” the movie is sure to be a treat for Wicked fans around the world.

I first saw the Wicked musical in my late teens, and although more than a decade has passed since then, I’ll never forget how much it moved me. In addition to its breathtaking special effects and impressive performances, the musical also has heart. It shows the origin story of a notorious fictional character, the Wicked Witch of the West, and explores relatable, resonant themes — from identity and self-acceptance to the notion of “good” versus “evil.”

This week, let’s conjure up some stories inspired by Wicked. Set your story in a fairy tale land, write about a misunderstood, overlooked character, or do something completely unexpected with the prompts… it’s up to you!

This week's prompts

Write a story about an outsider or social outcast who will do anything to fit in.

Angst – 40 stories

Start or end your story with two friends who become enemies/rivals, or vice versa.

Dramatic – 22 stories

Write from the POV of a fairy tale character sharing their side of the story.

Short Story – 110 stories

Center your story around a character who longs for something they’ve lost.

Dramatic – 86 stories

Write a story with the word “wicked” in the title.

Short Story – 65 stories

Stories

“Wicked Way with Words” by Tempest Phoenix Smith

Submitted to Contest #277

Lecker means delicious in my father’s tongue. Not to be confused with lecture which he often did, especially after my sixteenth birthday when he warned me about so many things.Do not borrow money—this will lose you friends. He meant lending, actually, and I still confuse this word myself all these years later despite my mistake being corrected again and again. I tried to get round this by giving money instead when a friend of mine was stranded in December for lack of money to purchase a transatlantic flight to visit her much-missed boyfriend...

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“A Wicked Whisper” by Asher Mathews

Submitted to Contest #277

The wind whipped at my cloak, nipping at my bare face as I trudged along the mountain pass. The familiar path was shrouded in supernatural darkness, and the full moon was hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds. As I neared a bend in the path, I noticed the mouth of a cave that had never been there before. The cave’s maw was like that of a beast, jagged and menacing, ready to devour any victim who walked too close.I hesitated, my instincts screaming at me to turn back, to pass, but I trudged on. As I walked on the opposite side of the path, ...

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“The price of popularity:” by Cohdee Dimarco

Submitted to Contest #277

By Cohdee Dimarco, 14 My breath shuddered as the icy wind lashed against my skin, its cruel touch biting into my thick curls now glazed with ice. I stood uncomfortably at the towering gates, their dark shadows looming over me. In the distance, children’s laughter and shrill screams echoed—grating on my ears like nails on a chalkboard. Desperately, I clasped my hands over them, trying to drown it all out. “Mika, are you alright, darling?” A warm, firm hand pressed against my back. I turned to see my soft-hearted aunt Susan, her gaze filled wi...

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“The Wicked Thread” by Alex Marmalade

Submitted to Contest #277

The first time Jasper touched the thread, the world didn’t ripple—it fractured. For a breathless second, it was as if the air cracked around him, spilling a silence so heavy it threatened to crush him. He crouched in the ruins of Silwood’s old tailor shop, where ivy draped the stone like a shroud and ash coated the floor from a fire no one remembered. He wasn’t supposed to be here. No one was. The villagers whispered about the tailor who had vanished years ago, leaving behind nothing but ruined fabric and stories of a...

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“Crows' Tale” by Conor Murcar

Submitted to Contest #277

Clouds stretched out across the sky like a blanket with golden light spilling through. A dirt path cut through an open field, its edges covered in lush vegetation and dotted with Black-eyed Susan flowers swaying gently in the breeze. In the distance, the gentle roar of a river flowed over the meadow’s quiet song. At the heart of the field stood a single red maple tree, its deep red leaves dancing against the cloudy sky. On one of its extended branches, two crows perched, their feathers black as midnight. The crows sat in silence, their...

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“When Harmonies fade ” by Amy Bowles

Submitted to Contest #277

Sally and I met when we were 12, in middle school. From the moment we clicked, it was like finding the perfect harmony in a song—natural and effortless. We became inseparable, unable to pick our outfits for school without calling each other to discuss, our closets spilling with brightly colored skirts and sweaters that we treated like pieces of a shared wardrobe. Our shared love for music bound us even tighter, and we both joined choir as soon as we had the chance. More often than not, we were paired for duets—her steady, velvety alto ground...

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“Little Red Riding Hood (as Told by the Wolf)” by Alice Wooten

Submitted to Contest #277

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (AS TOLD BY THE WOLF)ALICE WOOTEN Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard of the story “Little Red Riding Hood”…cute little girl with a red cape. Sounds pretty innocent, right? Well, all that shines is not gold is what I say. You’ve heard it said that there are two sides to every story, well here is my take on this precocious, little cutie. So let me start by setting the stage. My name is Lone Wol...

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“A Woodcarver's Tale” by Deni Bee

Submitted to Contest #277

It was like looking through the wrong end of those scopes that sea captains use to view objects from far away. Squinting a bit, I observed myself stumbling toward a set of twin stones. At first I was confused, but it was gradually coming back to me, all the pain and sadness; and in great waves it threatened to engulphed me. I closed my eyes and her smiling face wavered tantalizingly before me. She was asking me to leave my work for a moment and come see what the little one was doing. Watching as I entered our cottage, he...

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“The Other Side of the Story ” by Deyanira Gomez

Submitted to Contest #277

The journey to the massive city took over a week. I followed behind every single one of Eli's footsteps, from the grove all the way to here. Each night, Eli and his party members would sit around the fire, their voices carrying under the moonlight. They’d take turns sharing their favorite memories of the city, their laughter echoing through the trees.The fighter’s voice always boomed the loudest. “The seven-spice meat skewer with seven types of meat—nothing beats it,” he declared, poking at the fire with a stick. “One of the meats is ostrich...

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“The Evil Queen ” by Angela Cerecedes

Submitted to Contest #277

In Real World: A mom is getting her daughter ready for bed. The daughter asks her to read a Princess story which she often asks every night, but the mom decides maybe it's time to read another story. A book called The Evil Queen, but the daughter doesn't like the evil Queen because she's mean and scary. She knows the story the evil Queen wants to kill the Princess because she was jealous of her beauty. The mom explains that is one side of the story there are two sides. The daughter doesn't understand, how could there be two sides? The evil Q...

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“I Columbine” by Ian Craine

Submitted to Contest #277

I COLUMBINE It started like they all did before time immemorial, handed down to awe and fear and shock. A liminal creature from the nether world, and known as Hellequin. He preyed on girl childs caught on the turn. Their fathers fretted at the change in them. While he, alone or with others, wandered the limits of ancient villages seeking his semi-willing victims. I have ...

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“Sebastian’s Revenge” by Kyle Cox

Submitted to Contest #277

I picked myself up from underneath the tree where I was resting and climbed onto my best friend. My horse Bessie. I looked up at the horizon and saw burgundy clouds floating softly underneath the bluish rays of the sun. The skyline of the mountains looked like drinking fountains for the gods, as they spat glittering water from their peaks. I stared in amazement; as aqua flowed beautifully down those mountainous peaks and disappeared in its crevasses, like it had been my first time seeing Unitas, its nature, and all its glory. I looked ...

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“For Him, I would” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #277

I was born at sea.To a captive mother who screamed me into the world in a dungeon below the deck of a pirate ship.You’ll say it’s impossible, but I remember the smell of the ocean hitting my nostrils as I came into the world. I remember how the waves rocked me to sleep. I remember looking up at my mother and watching her take her last breath.You have heard a great many things about pirates, I’m sure. Thieves. Pillagers. Ruthless. Bloodthirsty. Giant hats, gold earrings, an eye-patch that hides a violent wound.It’s all true, of course. But th...

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“Lost That Lovin' Feelin'” by Pete Gautchier

Submitted to Contest #277

Prompt: Write from the POV of a fairy tale character sharing their side of the story. Lost That Lovin’ Feeling People who have seen me say that wherever I walk dark clouds vanish. In their place I leave rainbows and flowers. My name is Melody. I have one purpose. That one mission is to bring joy, peace, and love to the dark and dreary places I am assigned to visit. Usually my assignments are straightforward leaving me quite full of elation and satisfaction. But there was one town that over the years ...

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“Snow Dagger” by Juniper Ritchie

Submitted to Contest #277

Living in the castle was like settling down in a house of broken glass and needles—uncomfortable and dangerous. For people at the Queen's disposal, she was a necessary cruelty to everyday life. I had been lucky enough to avoid her for most of my life. People at my station weren’t invited to grand galas or extravagant balls. All I had were the acres of dark wood that stretched across the castle grounds.I should have known something was wrong that night when she summoned me in person. Her rage rattled down the cold halls, which echoed like a p...

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$250

Prize money

323

Contest entries

120

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 22, 2024 EST

Won by Troy Phillips 🏆

Title: The Three Little Pigs Incident: A Building Inspector’s Report

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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