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!

#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 – 42 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 – 88 stories

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

Short Story – 66 stories

Stories

“Podcast: Returning to the Castle in the Sky” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #277

Benny: Good morning, Benny Sondonce here with my weekly podcast Behind the Scenes of True Stories of Fairy Tale Creatures. Today I am with Henry Gogmagog from the fairy tale saga The Story of Jack Spriggins. Let me be frank, Henry is huge. We had a struggle to get him in the front door. <laughs> But he is here with us now and we are going to be talking to him about his trespassing issues with Jack Spriggins. So, without further adieu, welcome Henry Gogmagog. Henry: Hello, thank you Benny for having me. Ben...

Read story

“the middle mermaid” by Fletcher Fox

Submitted to Contest #277

Look, when your father's King Triton, you have little say in your life. You performed for the fishes, pretended you don't eat half of them whenever you're not on display, dealt with the brunt of Dad's rage towards Ariel until the disfavored daughter finally deigned to appear, then swim off with your sisters to gossip about Pisces' new fin-building routine and whether eating snails truly did make your skin clearer. You've always been a side character, fourth-born of seven, and at first, Ariel's drama remains just that, drama. You were angry w...

Read story

“The Dragon Chaser” by Kate Simkins

Submitted to Contest #277

The Dragon Chaser stood on the shores of Atlantis, vigilant. She had watched these skies for years.Waiting. Anticipating. Knowing.The blood that ran through her veins was inextricably linked to the power of the Dragons and she knew in her heart that they would come, with a conviction she had never felt before. The last time they came, drawn to the power of the island, the tsunami from their wings was so large, it reached the mountain, devastating everything in its wake.It couldn’t happen again. Atlantis couldn’t withstand another attack.Kata...

Read story

“God Save the Queen.” by Jen Boyle

Submitted to Contest #277

Jess stood at the edge of the group of teenage girls. Only a close observer might have noticed that all the conversations, the jokes,the friendly jostling and hugging was going on around her. She was there ...but not really part of it. She had become expert at this blending in, and her fixed smile, her careful mirroring of the gestures the other girls used, the carefree hair flick, the head tilt, was designed to fool all but the most attentive watchers.Because Jess knew it was a very bad idea indeed to be noticed, or singled out, or not to b...

Read story

“Hard-Boiled” by Anthony Andrés

Submitted to Contest #277

Samuel Bogart wondered how many pints of ale he would need in order to forget. He knew it was more than eight. "Another one," Sam grunted to the elderly barkeep, who refused to comply unless his old eyes saw the money in advance. As Samuel reached into his pocket for the coins, his hand brushed upon a smooth, white fragment he stole from the crime scene. He knew his actions were against protocol, but he didn't care. The fragment was another reminder that life was no fairy tale.He came to Farrago Kingdom with a belief in second chances and th...

Read story

“Absence” by Jere Liles

Submitted to Contest #277

“Logan!”It was Shamus on the phone, of course, the self-proclaimed black sheep of the family—a designation he fought their youngest sister for like a championship title-belt, using reckless acts and messy situations that embarrassed the whole family (most especially the non-immediate members) as their ring. Both siblings were aloof and lax to ask for assistance, but the difference between the two of them was that their sister was angry and couldn’t care less what anyone thought of them—least of all family, and, incIdentally, that is exactly ...

Read story

“Busting Down the Barriers” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #277

Busting Down the Barriers Fred Bersentzen refused to allow a roadblock planted in front of him in his youth to stand in the way of his destiny. In fact, he decided to use the constant fight to reach beyond that which held him back to hit the bullseye on his target to success, happiness and fulfillment. &nbs...

Read story

“The Wicked Clown” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #277

Cece Pace parked her car along the curb and shut off the engine. She loosened her thick blond hair out of its bun so she could pull her hood up all the way to keep off the rain. Climbing out of the car, she closed the door, which sounded particularly loud in the quiet neighborhood. Most of the houses were dark and empty, its inhabitants either at work or at school. Cece was satisfied that she would work without being observed. She stepped onto the sidewalk and stood for several seconds, looking at the house she had parked in front of. It wa...

Read story

“The Pineapple Men” by Cari Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #277

I’m on my elbows in a progressive muscle relaxation when my nervous system is ripped through by a frantic pounding on my front door. I rush to the window and see Taka leaning his head on my door, still banging his fist."Damn— Taka? What—shit," I start to motion at Taka but he's already stomping in. He smells pungent and sickly metallic. His clothes are soiled and there's a bloody balled up jacket around his lower arm. He appears as though he just survived close proximity to a bomb."Antibiotics! I know you didn't finish 'em. Where!?" Taka's s...

Read story

“All is well in the wicked woods ” by Jeran Viray

Submitted to Contest #277

We all know what happens in the woods after dark. The dense fog will slowly roll in, the shadows will take on life, the sounds will become sharp and overbearing, every twig snap a panic inducing plea from body to brain to run far and fast. The moon will shine its light just enough to make out the shapes of the monsters in the trees who have come to play. Knowing these things and choosing sunset to venture into these woods is a battle between bravery and stupidity. It’s a war I have become quite accustom to in many ways in my life. Tonig...

Read story

“The Lost Children” by Grace Ann Brown

Submitted to Contest #277

The woods got lonely in the winter. The tree branches, usually dripping with greenery, were stark and black against the night sky. The life that the forest was usually teeming with was tucked away for the winter. The squirrels that liked to tap dance on my roof were in an acorn-induced food coma. Even the mice that I usually swatted away with my broom had sought shelter for the long, cold nights. It was just me, alone, in my cabin. I was making myself soup when Laura called. "Hello, dear!" I squealed into the phone. My daughter rarely call...

Read story

“The Big Bad Wolf” by Dita Dow

Submitted to Contest #277

It’s always the same. Folks hear “wolf,” and their minds conjure fangs and fury. Big, bad, savage. No one ever asks why I do what I do. No one cares about the facts. That’s fine. Facts don’t matter to most people. But they matter to me. This is my side. ***I found the first pig in a meadow, not far from the edge of the woods. A pathetic excuse for a house sat in the clearing—a pile of straw barely held together by a breeze. I crouched in the brush, stomach growling loud enough to shame me. It had been days since my last mea...

Read story

“Hell Hath No Fury Like a Glaciate Scorned” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #277

“I’m home, Electra. I picked up that generator you wanted,” Agent Ellis Eaton yells. Ellis looks around the kitchen. Battered pots and pans litter the floor. The refrigerator door has been ripped off its hinges. Torn photographs are scattered like confetti. Electra’s copper bracelet lies abandoned on the kitchen table alongside a note. Ellis, Love was the energy that gave us the strength to battle against the storm seeking to drive us apart. Now, my heart, like the storm, has broken. Ellis hurriedly dials his partner's number at the ...

Read story

“A Kind Voice” by Sam W

Submitted to Contest #277

There was an art to it— to letting go— and Regina had lost her touch. She no longer enjoyed it, this luring in hearts, treating them softly and then pushing them away, leaving an ache— or sometimes a wound— as one leaves a parting gift for a childhood friend. She remembered the last one, a trickster god centuries older than she was. What a smile that one had; it still made Regina laugh to think of it. It made her laugh to remember how they used to dance among the stars, his joy coursing through Regina’s veins like fire. Regina stood up...

Read story

“Wicked Lies Will Only Get You So Far” by Paul Hellyer

Submitted to Contest #277

‘Ah, David, thanks for coming!’ His friend Anatoly said, after opening his apartment door. David reached forward eagerly to shake his friends’ hands, before kicking off his shoes in the hallway.‘Let’s play some Anachrony.’ Muttered Anatoly, rifling through a glossy stack of boardgames. But David began to feel like he was being driven into a corner. The game took hours to play, and without fail he always managed to finish with half the score of his friend. His mind frantically began to look for solutions to the i...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

328

Contest entries

121

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!

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 ⭢