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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#3: Calling All Bookworms

This week, each of our prompts is loosely inspired by some of the most beloved literature of all time. Can you match every prompt to the book it takes its root from? Hint: the five novels are included in this blog post of books to read in your lifetime.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a teenager visiting the place where they grew up.

Dramatic – 31 stories

Write a story about a matchmaker.

Romance – 27 stories

Write a story about a parent putting their child to bed.

Adults – 32 stories

Write a story about an ordinary day in a person's life. Use their internal dialogue to make the story interesting.

Dialogue – 26 stories

Write a story about someone who wins a contest and the prize of their dreams.

High School – 14 stories

Stories

“Dylan” by Kristin Granek

Submitted to Contest #3

It's currently 9:34 PM.I try to put my children in bed between 8:00 and 8:30 PM. However one of my children seems to think that bedtime means it's time to stay up...forever! My oldest child, Dylan, is a tiny living nightmare when it comes to getting children to sleep. Dylan is six, and I would understand a six year old not wanting to take naps, and yes even not wanting to go to bed. But this little song and dance lasts roughly an hour to an hour and a half every night!My younger child is my daughter Avery. She's three years old and she falls...

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“Melody of Sleep” by Shachira S

Submitted to Contest #3

"Ayushi! Where are you? I can't see you?" Daksha called out to her daughter who was currently hiding behind the washing machine. She knew her daughter's favorite hiding spot where she hid all the time. "I don’t know where Ayushi is?" she said out loud. Usual silent house was filled with sounds of laughter and giggles. It was not a common occurrence. Being a working mother Daksha could not always spend her time with her daughter. Working as a manager of a team did not get easier even after 7 years of experience in the field. From today ...

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“Bedtime” by Alena Lorraine

Submitted to Contest #3

Let the battle of wills commence! She wandered among the hallways and rooms looking for her intended targets. It was the time of the evening that they all dreaded. Dinner had long been eaten, the scant homework was completed, and the remaining noise was the chatter from various electronic devices throughout the house. She stopped at one door.“I am letting you know that it is time for bed.” She said. Her 9-year-old son looked up drearily from his device. Once the words finally reached his brain, his eyes and mouth op...

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“The Same Thing Every Night” by Robert Winkler

Submitted to Contest #3

Joan walks into the room and sees her 8yr-old daughter, Sally, laying in the bed. She looks around the room, spotting the numerous electronics present. Internally, she bemoans their existence. She wishes she could remove them from her daughter’s life so Sally could grow up the way she did: with a simple life. Sally, for her part, looks eagerly at her mother. Her arms spread wide in anticipation of a hug, dropping her stuffed alligator onto the floor next to her bed. Her smile spreads across her face. Joan is a little surprised Sally is...

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“She's Tired ” by Kandace Keel

Submitted to Contest #3

It’s been a long day today. She’s been struggling with her studies because she hasn’t been getting enough rest as she should. Oh well. It’s time to put the little one to bed. “Ok baby, it’s time for bed!” she said. She picked him up from his highchair and headed to the bathroom to clean him up and to lay him down for the night. He’s a busy little person, but sometimes, it can be an adventurous time getting him into bed. She gets him cleaned up. She gives him a bath and boy it’s like a water park in the bathroom. There’s water EVERYWHERE. Her...

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“Bed Time Story” by Mike Dettmers

Submitted to Contest #3

Every day is a new adventure, Madeline reminds herself. It's four o'clock, and both Madeline and Emily are sick. The fever has been going around, and everyone they know has it. Madeline needs to cancel her five-thirty dinner with the boss but she knows ducking out is the express route to former employee. So she has to find a sitter, and fast. Jenny, her regular sitter, is sick. And so is her backup, Angela. Desperate, she texts Angela and asks if she knows a friend. But her friends are sick too. Angela does, however, point Madeline...

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“The End of a Nightmare” by Cari Sly

Submitted to Contest #3

The sunlight burns her retinas momentarily as she throws the covers over her head, attempting to escape the dread that washes over her. I don't want to do this anymore. Maybe if I run away....But he'll find me. He always finds me. And he'll kill me if I escape. Better get up before he yells.Shirking the covers over her shoulders, she slowly rises, and with her eyes only half open, she pulls a long-sleeved shirt over her naked body. She pulls her pajama pants on, and glances in the mirror. Finally opening her eyes, she takes herself in.Nothin...

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“Late” by Dawn Cook

Submitted to Contest #3

She walks down the busy street, she's missed the bus. This happens frequently, she's not a morning person. She has no other choice, but to walk to school. The morning air is crisp, it is chilly, this is typical for the Fall. She steps over a puddle, making her way down the street. She weaves in and out, trying to avoid people. The sidewalks are busy in this area of town.As she walks along, she comes to an intersection. On the corner is a little girl, no more than eight. She is crying. Feeling bad for the girl, she walks over.“What's wrong?” ...

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“A Typical Day In The Life of Ella Dunn” by Ella Dunn

Submitted to Contest #3

I'm not sure why I woke up so early that morning. Maybe it was my sister, bouncing the ball against her door in the next room. Or maybe it was my soggy back end, soaked by a fallen water cup in the middle of the night. Whatever caused me to wake up, I was grumpy either way. I threw the sweat-soaked sheets off of me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My foot landed on something squishy and I closed my eyes in terror. Please, not dog poop, I prayed, please not dog poop, please, God, not dog poop! I tentatively opened one eye and looke...

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“Thelma” by Marcus Johnson

Submitted to Contest #3

THE POUNDING USUALLY BEGINS JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. Muffled, it comes through the windowless walls in short deliberate bursts. They come in patterns of three. However, the time between strikes happen at odd intervals, leaving me unable to estimate when the next series of hits will come. So it leaves me tense, as I wait for each series to blow. Had the pounding happened in some time interval that made sense I think the whole occurrence would have passed me by, possibly even aiding my sleep. But I find myself staring at the my wall from where the...

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“Another Day” by LA B

Submitted to Contest #3

And yet again, she is pounding on my door. One of these days, she’s going to break the wood, and then she’ll have to spend more money she doesn’t have to replace it. “Devin!!” she called, interrupting my thoughts temporarily, though she could never completely remove the negativity from my mind. Here we go again, was my only thought, my eyes taking in the intense environment. My sister and mother had an argument the night before, and my dad and I had escaped. Unfortunately, it seemed we were both stuck here with no excuse to leave until...

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“Godwinks- Through Daddy's Eyes” by Mary Wood

Submitted to Contest #3

The electrifying sparkles in his eyes those last moments of his life- will forever be transcribed in my mind. The weekend of September 23, 2016- he had accomplished his last item on his bucket list- he went to Miss Michigan to watch our granddaughter compete for the title of Miss Teen Michigan. He was delighted and full of pride as he watched her compete for the title, walking across the stage in her beautiful deep pink evening gown- as she dazzled the stage his eyes were on her as she approached the microphone; watching his face you may hav...

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“Chore Day” by Josephine Byrne

Submitted to Contest #3

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beeeeeeeeeeeep! “What!” exclaimed Nicky Troy as she slammed her hand down on top of her alarm clock. It was chore day and on chore day everyone wakes up at 7:00 sharp. Today was no different, Nicky hobbled out of bed, put some clothes on and headed to the kitchen to see the chore chart. The chore chart is the chart on the wall that gives everyone their chores, it rotated weekly and this week Nicky had the worst of them all. She had to go shopping with her mom. Her mom could spend all day shopping if she wanted to and with t...

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“A Nice Saturday Drive” by Corey Hansen

Submitted to Contest #3

Lisa was planning a drive to a rural town on Saturday and asked if I’d like to come. She is a realtor and had met a potential new client while hosting an open house. This new client had been drawn to Lisa primarily because she was a woman, expressing her belief that a woman would do a far better job of selling her properties. After a nice chat, she agreed to look at the properties Saturday; the reason for the drive. I had nothing pressing and thought a drive to the mountains sounded like a nice break from the usual traffic battle I face ever...

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“A Day In The Life Of Heaven, PI.” by Marie Maher

Submitted to Contest #3

Thursday 05-30Knock, knock, knockin’ on Heaven’s door. That’s what’s playing on my radio as my alarm goes off. And actually, I ought to have a sign outside my office door to that effect. People ought to come knocking. After all, my charges are very reasonable; and divorces, debts owed and missing persons found are all catered for. And, yes, even missing animals. Mike Heaven PI will take anything on. ...

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$50

Prize money

130

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 23, 2019 EST

Won by Joshua G. J. Insole 🏆

Title: The Things That Do Not Float

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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