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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#32: This Magic Moment

Last week, we challenged you to write stories about life's ordinary moments. This week, we're thinking along the same lines... but with a twist. And that twist is: magical realism.

 

Magical realism is a literary style that weaves threads of fantasy into depictions of everyday life. For instance, a story might be about someone sitting on their couch and channel-surfing — that's the "realism." Then they might walk up to their TV and step right through it like a portal into a fantasy land. That's the "magical." 

 

An important distinction of magical realism is that it doesn't explain the fantastical elements or occurrences. The magic that's woven into the story just is: a character turning off the rain with the snap of a finger is as commonplace as another character opening an umbrella.We hope you enjoy the prompts — and if you're looking for a more in-depth explanation of magical realism, as well as some of the genres best reads, check out this blog post!

This week's prompts

Write about someone who works an average job — but incorporate elements of magic into it.

Fantasy – 76 stories

Write about a person who meets with the ghost of an old friend for tea every so often.

Fantasy – 111 stories

Write about two people in a relationship. One of them has special powers, the other does not.

Fantasy – 77 stories

Write a story that includes characters who are aware they are a work of fiction.

Fantasy – 74 stories

Write a story about someone who can pause time or re-live old memories at will.

High School – 65 stories

Stories

“Final Moments” by Charles Bowman

Submitted to Contest #32

Silas walked down the long corridor toward room K108. He was visiting Alice for the first time since she had been moved to this facility. It had taken all of his strength to come here today to face her. It wasn’t really even Alice that he was afraid of seeing, it was seeing what her condition had done to her.  As Silas got closer to the door, he could remember countless Sunday dinners at the local diner down the street from their house. Alice would always order the same thing, a chicken salad sandwich with apple pie and vanilla ice crea...

2 comments 2
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“Mr Finance” by Nicole Marie

Submitted to Contest #32

Based on a true story…It was supposed to be fun. We were finally doing it, finally stepping up to be adults. We had organised what little finance we had, trawled the internet, spoken to all the 'experts' in our lives and then, we’d done it. We’d stepped over the cracked concrete and browning grass that separated the sidewalk from the yard. Triumphant, we’d smiled at the man who greeted up with his very false teeth and thinning hair and asked about a car.Soon after, sitting in the tiny demountable that passed as an office in lot of the second...

5 comments 5
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“Jeffry's Gift” by Laura Austin

Submitted to Contest #32

  Jeffry watched as Lucinda pulled on her sexy tights, twisted her hair into a neat bun, and donned her bright red cape. It was going to be a long, lonely night. Since Lucinda had mysteriously developed her powers the year after graduating college, he had spent a lot of nights alone. Her super speed and strength made it easy for her to help those in need and fight crime, and although he’d initially agreed that wasting such a gift would be a tragedy, he’d regretted it ever since. He’d hoped that he would eventually get his own super...

2 comments 2
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“Trip to Heaven” by Samuel Jennings

Submitted to Contest #32

Me and my wife have been married for many years. We are an open book between one another. There have been many trials and tribulations, but there is just one that was hard to accept. It took a long time for my wife to try to understand the special ability I had in life. I have a special power that no one that I have ever met can do. My wife now sees this as a gift from God. I could say that I’m lucky, but I know I’m blessed. I get to have conversations with people that nobody else can have conversations wit...

1 comment 1
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“Surprise ” by Jackie Shutt

Submitted to Contest #32

Lauren twists the top of a pickle jar well she tries anyway. No matter how much she tries it won’t budge until she finally gives up and takes it to her boyfriend Paul.“Can you open this for me?” She offers the jar over to him.“Sure,” he gets a grip around it and twists hard. It pops and the faint smell of pickles fills the space. He hands the jar carefully back to her.“Thanks babe,” she kisses the air at him then turns and returns to the kitchen. She continues to make sandwiches for the both of them. Turkey and lettuce for her and ...

1 comment 1
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“THE ADVENTURES OF CHAD” by Christopher Rothschild

Submitted to Contest #32

Chad hefted himself over the final ledge, heaved his weight up and over, until he could flop his chest to the ground, and sort of wiggle the rest of the way. He wore lightweight armor, which seemed like it would make going up a mountain easy, but then he remembered steep mountain hikes weren’t easy in jeans, let alone metal. “How’s it goin’?” Wanda’s disembodied voice came from the magic mirror in Chad’s heavy pack. “Geez… us… I need… a minute… fuck…” Chad panted. “You need to work out more.” Wanda commented. “T...

1 comment 1
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“The Breaks in Electricity” by Shiella Chapa

Submitted to Contest #32

“When you said that we’d be breaking into the Medicinal Hall, I pictured a shit ton of people guarding the stuff. After all, it’s only in the Hall that this city’s most powerful drug, and most addictive one at that, is kept and made here. So tell me why there are barely any guards here. I brought all of my toys for a reason, y’know.” Jensen waves around his prized possession, a rifle that he’s improved over the years, in the air. I would’ve been annoyed by this behavior years ago, but at this point, I’m used to it.  “I told you it would...

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“I invented you” by Olivia Fairfax

Submitted to Contest #32

...as a bullet pinged off the brickwork behind them.“Come on Anita. Can you make it over the wall?” he croaked barely able to speak. A burst of gunfire rattled in the silence of the night. His chest was burning, his breath rasping...Lance clutched her around the waist and with the last of his strength hoisted her onto the rough stones of the wall. “Go, go” he tried to shout but his breath was all but gone.“Lance give me your hand.”“I'll be too heavy for you. You go. Tell them what's happened. Tell them I just couldn't make it.” He was about ...

1 comment 1
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“Breaking Through” by Laura Simmons

Submitted to Contest #32

 John sat at the kitchen table, swilling the last of his third martini.  “I’m leaving you! For good, this time!” exclaimed Cheryl in tears.   “What! I would never act that way!” declared John to his friend, Bob. No wonder Cheryl is leaving me; I’m a lush.”  “John, you know you can’t help your actions. You’re a character in Sharon Adams’ novels. So is Cheryl. “  “Sharon Adams’ schlock novels.”  “Sharon Adams’ lucrative schlock novels. “  “I don’t underst...

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“Different Proposal” by Gordon Petry

Submitted to Contest #32

A Different Proposal Here I go again. Who am I? I’ve had so many names, so many identities that I’ve lost track. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one. Yeah, that’s right, I’m talking about the guy upstairs, the one who’s supposed to have some control or at least some idea of what’s going on. It’s like whatever whim comes into his mind, that’s what happens next, no plan, no clue where anything is going or how one thing relates to another. Complete chaos, that’s my world. It’s not like I haven’t tried my hardest. You think the big guy with his...

1 comment 1
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“Rotalumis” by Nicole Daniels

Submitted to Contest #32

So you know when people say they have no control over their life? They feel as if everything in their life is just off and they have no idea of how to take that control back? Well to them I'd say come live a day in my life and let's see if you feel the same. I literally have no control of my life. At all. I mean yes, I have free will and the ability to do things like go to the bathroom and eat, shower..sometimes. However, it's not up to me. There is something or someone else controlling the people in my town, maybe even the entire world. We ...

0 comments 0
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“Appear to Disappear” by Anitha Sankaran

Submitted to Contest #32

The frills of the black chiffon trouser which Amanda wore waved in the air in unison with the motion of her walk. She felt the shadow of it come after her. Within a hundred steps, she sensed that it is not the frills of the fabric that is chasing her. The woman's clairvoyance made her stop walking and turn back. She saw a person at a distance of about a hundred meters walking into an apartment. Nothing felt unusual in that deserted street. But her instinct left her mind unsettling. She gazed around the road once and scanned the surround...

5 comments 5
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“Shirl and John Jo - A Classic Love Story” by Elise Henry

Submitted to Contest #32

“It's too much John Jo, really it’s just too much!” Shirl was standing on tip toes leaning as close to the window as he could without actual falling out. “John Jo,  you listening to me darling. ….. Have you seen them down there?  Look at them all eager eyed and keen…..”Shirl carried on watching the small but growing crowd that had begun to gather around the entrance to their apartment building.… like little yapping lap dogs, just waiting for a glimpse of one of us…I mean…it’s just pathetic.” Shirl swung round an...

6 comments 6
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“Pen and Paper” by Fernando Alvarez

Submitted to Contest #32

“I wonder what she’ll make me do this time. I’m exhausted of her making me kiss you passionately. My lips are so worn out that next time we touch they will fall off.”  “That is your biggest concern? Kissing? Do you have any idea how many times I have died for you? For your love? Well, more times than I can remember.”  “Stop being such a griper.”     “A griper? Really? I have fought dragons and gotten my left arm reduced to ashes. I have been eaten by a giant ant, excreted into a nest of deadly acid-spitting...

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“Submission 435” by Grey Oberst

Submitted to Contest #32

“Ah! Look who’s finally here!”Rodney looks over at you, smiling and getting Jack’s attention by nudging him with his elbow. Jack looked up from the book he was reading, an odd expression on his face.“Reader! Wasn’t expecting you, to be honest. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you for some time now, y’know.Jack stuck his hand out for a handshake, but hesitated. With a sheepish smile, he retracted his hand.“Sorry, I guess that’s not really possible, huh? With us not being physical and whatnot, I mean.”“We could always ask Author to write ...

0 comments 0
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$50

Prize money

403

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 13, 2020 EST

Won by Thiago Loriggio 🏆

Title: The Tragedy of the Trainee

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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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