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!

#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

“The Teacher” by Onessia Sandifer

Submitted to Contest #32

My name is Amie and I teach in a small town between two mountains. We are a quiet town and everyone knows everybody. Sometimes this can be good but believe me there are no secrets. Our town has always been quiet and self sufficient. Strangers don't stay long as we do not have much going for us.One day a stranger came and has turned our world upside down. It will never be the same,but we are adjusting. Now you are going to ask what did he do? He built a tower. That's all,a tower. Now people are disappearing and we have no idea why or where th...

Read story

“Histories ” by Caitlin Cmar

Submitted to Contest #32

The bell on the door rang softly as what seemed like the last customers of the day left the store, smiling and with their arms piled high with books. Sage closed up the cash register and debated leaving early. It was Sunday, after all, and most people in her small town were already home, just about ready to take their dinners off the stove. She doubted anyone would run into the store so last-minute, but some unseen force kept her feet planted firmly on the floor below them. Her father had never once closed up before the time that was airbrus...

Read story

“Moon To Pieces ” by Geoffrey Archer

Submitted to Contest #32

In the sky, the rim around the shining white circle was a golden light. Every evening she would stare out her window, forever preoccupied. Staring at the moon, she didn’t look happy except for a small spark in her eye hazel eyes. When she wasn’t taking care of the shop she worked in, she’d be sitting on the miniature chair she was given to wait instruction resting her elbows against the window sill and eyeing the night sky through the thin glass window.“Excuse me,” A tall customer kneeling over the counter announced to her. “...

Read story

“The Postal Worker” by Joseph Wilbur

Submitted to Contest #32

Peter is a man with a secret. To all appearances he is an average man. Average height, average weight, average hair, average family. He wakes up in his average home and drives his average car to his average job at the post office. He delivers mail to average neighborhoods to other average people living out their average lives. But Peter is far from average. If he wanted, he could have an above average life. For P...

Read story

“Memories” by Charlene Resolme

Submitted to Contest #32

It was the third sunny night in a row. Violet is part of the wedding-planning team, hoping that it’s all right on target. It’s a week until the ceremony begins; it’ll all settle out on a nice hill, with the orange and pink-colored sky and ocean as the background. The theme requested was floral and sunset, which was just perfect. A whole cabana had been placed with stringed lights, for the bride and groom to stand under. Orange, and white fading flowers are hung from nearby trees that emit a different vibe in the air. Many of the employees ha...

Read story

“Stardust Promises” by Nicola Campbell

Submitted to Contest #32

“A raspberry swirl, please,” asks the brown-haired boy from the other side of the counter. He smiles at me in a way I don’t see often in teenage boys, and I see a lot of them, what with working in an ice cream shop. I smile back as I pick up the spoon to get him his scoop. “That’ll be four eighty,” I say, and he slides a five-dollar note across the counter. “Keep the change,” he says, winking at me. Another smile creeps up my face, even though I do my best to suppress it. Without looking down, and without him noticing, I sprinkle some stardu...

Read story

“Presence ” by Linda Bakewell Bakewell

Submitted to Contest #32

Music was leaking from someone in the building. Elsewhere someone was desperately trying not to spread their emotions all over the accounting team. In the cafeteria, one of the cleaners was just getting a hold on their presence. You must understand that this kind of behaviour was not seen as acceptable although it was not particularly surprising, Mercury was in retrograde and it was always harder to hold yourself together when the stars were out of whack. ‘Watch the stars’ her mum had always said, ‘make sure you don’t make any big decisions ...

Read story

“"M" Train” by Madeline Saintsing

Submitted to Contest #32

April 17th is an exceedingly average day of the year. No holidays are celebrated on this day. No festivals are held. No momentous occasions of note save for the founding of the country of Bangladesh, which is certainly a big deal to the Bangladeshis. But this story takes place in the United States, specifically in the great city of New York. Even if April 17th were a date of significance, it still wouldn’t matter much to New Yorkers. For Patsy Novack, April 17th was also an exceedingly average day. She spent most of it sound asleep, bl...

Read story

“Librarians Are Magical” by Cheyanne Turner

Submitted to Contest #32

Wordsworth Silvertongue library was the biggest library in the county. Thousands of books lined the shelves which filled the two story building to full capacity. Sunlight poured in through the windows and warmed the Adult section on the top floor. Saffrin rubbed her temples as a patron’s shadow slithered off her desk and followed its owner towards the stairs. It moved like smoke that never rose from the ground and left everything it touched cold. “Finally, I thought he’d never leave,” Saffrin groaned quietly after a minute. She brushed her b...

Read story

“PJ and Pete” by Nicole Marie

Submitted to Contest #32

The metallic shutters over the couch shiver and a chill crawls up my spine, the only indications that Pete has arrived in my small, tidy apartment. I glance at the clock over the stove as the kettle finishes boiling and clicks off. 19:19pm. Right on time, as usual.I pour the boiled water into the pot, put on the lid and carry out the antique tea tray I’d inherited from my grandmother.“Hey, doll.” Pete’s smile is familiar and contagious. He lounges in one of the chairs by the dining table, one leg thrown carelessly over his knee, his trademar...

Read story

“Always By Her Side” by Janine Miller

Submitted to Contest #32

I can't believe he's gone, Jolene thought as she sat down on the outside porch for her morning tea. Keith was the love of her life and in an instant that life was taken from her.They were together for six years. Sitting down for morning tea and talking about their future together was their favourite past time. As she sipped her warm chamomile tea she was thinking about their life together while a single tear was released from her eye.Jolene just couldn't believe how it happened. Keith was out of town for work. He worked in construction. He w...

Read story

“Afterlife Tea” by Trond Ødegård

Submitted to Contest #32

"I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak ones. All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes."George Orwell's words about brewing the perfect cup of tea rang true in the back of my head as I poured the first cup. While belonging to separate schools regarding 'milk before tea' or 'tea before milk', Larry and me tended to adhere to the habits of the other person. I'd always been a 'tea before milk' guy - maintaining that this way one could easily regulate t...

Read story

“The Ignorance of Time ” by Keighley Kavanaugh

Submitted to Contest #32

Bert lived in a quaint house. It was made of brick and stained glass. The house was small with one bedroom, and one level excluding the attic. The exterior was an old mirror of the past. Long grass and dead roses lined the yard. Bert had no will or way to attend to the garden. For many years he had been too old to bend to the floor and his wife typically attended to the flowers, but she had passed nearly half a decade ago. He only needed this small house, for the past four years he had been living alone. The inside of the house, howeve...

Read story

“Next Tuesday” by Sophia Cusick

Submitted to Contest #32

My day starts off as it always does. I groggily roll off of my queen mattress, and enter my bathroom. I brush my teeth, wash my face, curl my hair, apply deodorant, and all of the other mundane morning things. I return to my room and put on my outfit of the day; today’s outfit consists of tight jeans and a floral blouse. After slipping my shoes on, I leave apartment 1b. The drive to work is quick and easy since it’s five in the morning. I clock in, and the day of answering high stress calls begins. “Please send help! My sister just fell...

Read story

“My best buddie” by Vicki Ellison

Submitted to Contest #32

One afternoon in September, I was fixing lunch for my children. I call them in for lunch,I have two children a 9 year old daughter, and a 7 year old son.As they were eating lunch,my daughter talked about playing with her dolls. She loves her doll's,I said that is wonderful baby girl,in which sometimes I call my daughter this.My son look to be talking to someone next to him,in a empty chair at kitchen table. I ask Chase,who was he talking to, "I am talking to my friend. His friend whom died two years ago.My son lost one of his best Playmate's...

Read story

Load more stories

$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!

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 ⭢