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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

“A Fairy Tale” by Aha Blume

Submitted to Contest #32

Once upon a time. Yes that’s right, that’s how this story starts. Because that’s how most good works of fiction start. Yes, that’s right. This is a story. Now you may be wondering, how is it that I know I am in a story? Well it’s simple. See because in this story, everything works out perfectly and we all live happily ever after, but if this were real life, that is the world you live in, everything wouldn’t work out perfectly. But let me continue. So as I said, once upon a time. There was me ...

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“Fake” by Joe Kerr

Submitted to Contest #32

Lexia walked down the polished, silver, dark halls. Everything seemed erie about the place. She was dressed in a long, blue satin dress, with a large train made from tulle. She wore a hood to keep from showing her hair color, the only thing that could ruin the mission of her and her best friend. The only thing that kept Lexia sticking to the plan was the fact that she would get the throne. Mother has been queen for too long already, she thought.Brooke, Lexia’s best friend emerged wearing a bright red dress, knee length with...

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“Chasing the Moon” by Tanya M

Submitted to Contest #32

I can’t describe the empty space. The in-between, where the misty threads of what I call myself danced over and around each other. Where thoughts were indiscriminate from dreams.I can’t fully describe the feeling when he started writing. As though bits and pieces were being pulled from the mist, sliding into each other, wiggling until they ran like clockwork. I can’t describe the feeling, because up until 4:35 AM on Tuesday, March 3, I did not exist.I shoot into existence like a comet, if there had ever been a comet so reluctant. I...

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“It Happened One Summer” by Jenny K

Submitted to Contest #32

“You know he’s a vampire because he’s so smooth!” Kaci’s mom said in reference to the character that appeared in the first scene of the movie they were watching. There was a twinkle in her eyes and a smile of adoration on her face, glancing once at Jesse before turning her focus back to the television.Jesse felt the burn of a blush on her cheeks from the comment and tried hard to keep from smiling, excitement sparking from the pit of her stomach like fireworks moving to every part of her body. Even her ears, she guessed, were red.&...

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“Silence in Court” by Peter McAllister

Submitted to Contest #32

“Hi” The voice was pleasant enough. “I am Scotty’s imaginary friend,” it continued, in as pleasant a voice as could be mustered by a middle aged, privileged, white imaginary man. The was nobody in the dock of the High Court, but there was a screen set up to disguise the identity of an imaginary person appearing at a trial via video link.“Scotty sort of conjured me into existence when he was about four years old. It was just after he had put a hammer though the aquarium his dad had.He needed someone to blame, so poof, I appeared as ...

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“The First Martian” by Dobby's Sock

Submitted to Contest #32

'The door made a slight groan as it was opened. She entered the passenger seat and sat down. But he did not know her, although she smiled at him.'Ralph pushed his chair away from his table and decided impromptu that a shower would do him some good. The last time he wrote a story of a runaway, a bath with the salts had done wonders to his head and helped him complete it. Fifty dollars to that story, he was convinced, must have been fetched by the magic of his style. He was also convinced that the two-fifty could have been his, which was award...

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“The Fourth Wall Between Us” by Everyday_ BS

Submitted to Contest #32

“Rhys?” There’s a therapist on one side of a quaint, welcoming room strategically designed to illicit feelings of warmth and safety and a young man opposite to her. “I would appreciate if you’d at least try and participate in this exercise with me. I know you don’t want to be here but I say we at least try and make an attempt at progressing the dialogue between us.” She speaks in a motherly tone. Legs crossed, notepad in her lap; glasses resting comfortably on her face. The man’s arms are crossed and he sits slouched on the left hand side o...

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“THE STAND MAN” by Russell Waterman

Submitted to Contest #32

The bed was soaked in sweat. Covered up to his chin in blankets, and the afghan blanket knitted by his recently deceased Grandma (may God rest her soul), Teddy Simon, lay sick, and dying. Last week the twelve-year-old was playing stick-ball out in front of his ten story Bronx apartment building with his friends Harold and Lenny. Teddy heard that Lenny came down with a bad case of the flu, or something bad, a few days later. Anyway, Lenny was taken to the hospital in one of those Ghostbusters cars, with bright lights and sirens, just to be sa...

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“Game of Life” by Eloriel O’Connor

Submitted to Contest #32

My greatest wish is to have control. Control over my life. Not a higher force of nature, not the writers who’d created me, I knew, who’d created all of us. I want to build my life-story. I mean, who doesn’t want to be in charge of what’s happening in their life?Writers gave me life, and now they see it as their job to make my life-story. My life started with me being a happy, dreamy girl. After a few years, they made it one colossal disaster. Every time I expected trouble ...

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“Dirty Laundry of Time” by Brandon Barkey

Submitted to Contest #32

I hate doing laundry.One time is okay, takes like ten minutes. But then in two days, it starts all over. It’ll be that way unto death. I wonder how many laundry baskets I’ll vanquish before then…I can’t go on like this. I have better things to do. A concerto to write, children to raise. Oh that’s right, my children are all gone…I hate silence. It’s always so silent when folding laundry. I’d rather die than fold another sock.I need help. Honestly, my whole life has become as predictable and dull as folding laundry. Maybe if I can find joy in ...

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“Hold onto Hope” by Sierra Aston

Submitted to Contest #32

I was fifteen when it first happened. I had been curled in a ball in the corner of my room, blasting music in my headphones to try and block out my mom’s screams, when silence fell heavy around me. The sounds of waves soon replaced the quiet. Then came the feeling of coarse sand squeezing between my bare toes. I was at the beach, or more specifically the small secluded beach that had been minutes away from my old house in California, a place that had become my solace from the ages of ten to thirteen. I had some of the best moments in my life...

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“A Night to Re-remember” by Adria Patton

Submitted to Contest #32

I never thought I’d say this, but your heart is my only wish. Every day I dream of what is called a we that includes you and me. I want to be your savior, your knight in shining armor. You can be my ruler so I’ll protect the empire. Meeting you was told to be fate, for you is it the same? Every time I’m with you it's always just us two. Others come, but you’re to stay because I’m taking you away. I’ll be your peter pan and take you to neverland. Who needs to be old when we can stop time and be together forever? Will you be mine? Will you say...

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“Time Stopping Lover” by Rey Malliza

Submitted to Contest #32

I just don't love you anymore, River. I don't feel the spark we had." That was the last thing his ex, Blake, had said to him before she left him for good. River loved this girl. He believed she was the love of his life. He was devastated to lose her, the poor guy stayed indoors for weeks. Not eating much, sleeping a lot, couldn't even bring himself to do what he loved. He grew very depressed. One of his friends called him to check on him, "Hey man, haven't seen you in a while. Are you okay?" came the deep voice on the other line. "Yeah, I'm ...

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“The girl with the magical remote” by Jessica Sanders

Submitted to Contest #32

once upon a Time there was a little girl and a magical remote she can pause and relive her life and go back in time the little girl one day came upon a plan that she wants to relive her Dreamland. living in a magical castle on a magical land with magical funny people and beautiful princess slippers upon her feet and 🤴 prince and kings in Queens and a magical kingdom. she one day stumbled upon her magnificent plan , she really want to relive her life her best life. So she lived in a beautiful mansion with a beautiful palace dorm and then it a...

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“When I Lost Him” by Patricia Weathersby

Submitted to Contest #32

What does it mean when the person who is supposed to love you unconditionally makes you feel worthless? I think about the times I’d crawl up the stairs to pack my bag, tears streaming down my face because the court of law forced me to go. Three days every other week, those three days that you had to be a father was too much for you huh? But this conversation proved to be too much for the both of us because here I sit, silent, praying for my lungs to keep breathing, for my heart to keep beating because the pain I feel inside is killing me.&nb...

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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!

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