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!

#33: Bad Hair Day

The best stories are the ones that make us feel something; the ones that tap into some kind of universal emotion or experience. And there is one feeling that stands out as being particularly universal. More than joy, sadness, fear, or love. More than the excited nerves of a first day at school, or the sweet relief of a spring breeze after a long winter. Something that connects us all is the feeling of... a bad haircut.

This week, your challenge is to write a story that evokes the feelings of a bad hair cut. (Whether or not your story involves this actual plot is up to you!)

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character who can't make up their mind about something.

Character – 64 stories

Write a story about a character who's too polite to tell someone they don't like a gift given to them.

Funny – 49 stories

Write a story about a character making a big change.

Teens – 65 stories

Write a story set in a salon or barbershop.

Fiction – 70 stories

Write a story about miscommunication.

Fiction – 48 stories

Stories

“Like Hamlet ” by Audrey Obuobisa-Darko

Submitted to Contest #33

“What do you think of this one, then?” I’m standing in front of the mirror, turning on each side to see how best it fits. The dress hugs my torso perfectly, but I think it looks a bit funny at the hip area; I don’t have much to fill it up, I’ll be honest. The yellow colour might be a bit too bright for my complexion, though? I turn around a bit more, hoping he would notice the flattering illusion bateau neckline on my chest. Adam is relaxed on the bed behind me, right leg crossed casually over the left, a sports magazine propped high to...

Read story

“On the receiving end” by Marte Van Der Linden

Submitted to Contest #33

Just after midnight, Jen was called to the captain’s study for the sixty-seventh time in a week.“On my way!” She stifled a yawn and looked around for her coat. Curse all officers. It had been exciting at first. Adventure, excitement, new cultures. Every ethnographer’s dream. But lately the captain had taken to summoning her at odd hours in order to pick her brains. The captain was one of the most experienced and decorated in the fleet. He had fought in the Three Years’ War and won a stunning victory while outnumbered five-to-one, but the pro...

Read story

“Letters” by Cory Pines

Submitted to Contest #33

Dear Future Me, Today is a Monday, I hate Monday's. Today is even worst than most. I'm sure you know what I'm writing about, how can you forget something like this. Today is the day and I came out to my parents... I'm finally out of the closet, is it worth it? I guess you probably know. They gave me a long lecture about how sleeping with another male is a sin. So what if it is? If God doesn't like me for who I am, then why did he make me like this? It's not like I can just change who I'm attracted to. As any straight person to fall in love w...

Read story

“The Postcard” by Matthew McLean

Submitted to Contest #33

The street is lined with high-cut elm trees which provide shade for the children who play along it. They’re also a boon to Jerry, who on sunny days like today, in his dark blue uniform, enjoys the cool they offer. Gazing down the street, with its family homes and wide sidewalks, he smiles. He smiles because no one here has ever received the Postcard. Jerry has been working as a postman for 32 years and still walks his route despite all of the technological changes that have occurred in those decades. But no matter how advanced or smart the w...

Read story

“The Folly’s Dutchess” by Tess Sackmann

Submitted to Contest #33

Fall was the first season I ever had to spend without Julia. She died at the end of August, 5 years ago. Each time Fall rolls around without her, I think it might get easier, but it never does. Each year, as the leaves die, and the weather sharpens, and she's not here with me to enjoy it, to step on the crunchy leaves, drink hot cider, and tell me how cute I look in my beanie... each fall it's worse. This year, on the anniversary of her death, I go to our old favorite coffee shop. The one I usually avoid. Sit in our usual spot by the fr...

Read story

“Autocorrect” by Christine Johnson

Submitted to Contest #33

I order a glass of pinot noir and wait for Todd to arrive. It seems strange that he wants to have dinner together after our New Year’s Eve break-up.“It’s not fun anymore,” he had said as we watched the Times Square ball drop on a friend’s television. I had never been so grateful to live in the central time zone. At least my new year wouldn’t start with a break up. It would only end with one.“I need some space.”His last spoken words to me then and well, still now. He texted me last week.“Hey, can you meet for dinner at He...

Read story

“Colours” by Faith Sea

Submitted to Contest #33

Coffee or cream? I'm more of a tea person myself but when it comes to painting your new home it's difficult to decide what you'll be immersed in for the next few years. Colours can deeply impact your mindset. Scientists did a study where people were put into rooms with different coloured walls. The people were told to work like any other day and their feelings were recorded by the end of the hour. Red invoked anxiety in the workers, yellow was contentment and happiness, green increased productivity, while blue was the most calming colo...

Read story

“A Heavy Tole” by Nancy Richards

Submitted to Contest #33

Here I sit with my twelve dear friends, celebrating our tenth year together. I started this group because my husband and I retired to a place where I knew no one, zip, zilch and 2000 miles from our families. Amazingly our college graduate sons, came with us to this isolated place and fortunately, we all managed to adjust. My first acquaintance was Pam the owner of the sewing shop where I had replaced my sewing machine after its destruction in a horrific car accident on our way to our new home. Pam was irrepressibly positive and sup...

Read story

“the choice that could change my life” by Emma Friedman

Submitted to Contest #33

Hi! I am Sarah Anila Sharma. I have always wanted to start a diary, but I never seemed to have the time. Now with my college classes ending, and Winter Break starting, it seemed like the perfect chance. I live in Nashville Tenessee, and I study Animals at Belmont University ( well, I am graduating tomorrow!). I am 22 years old, and I was born on June 21, 1999. I live in a 4- bedroom apartment with my BFFs: Aashna, Anne, and Sophia. We have been friends since 1st grade, so our history goes WAY back. We call ourselves the S&A squad, and I ...

Read story

“The Last Haircut” by Matt Strempel

Submitted to Contest #33

I took my seat in the red leather barber’s chair and waited for the cape to be draped around my throat.For two hours I’d been standing in line with every man in the city, or so it had seemed. All of us in varying states of scruffiness, respectfully standing, chatting about what was coming while we waited for our turn at Carlos’s Cuts. Now, finally reclined in the chair, the feeling of weightlessness in my feet was euphoric. Jimmy was in today. I closed my eyes and listened to his breezy banter while he tidied a man’s head in the chair n...

Read story

“The Wrong Fish” by Katie Eagan Schenck

Submitted to Contest #33

“Hey Carl! I’m at Ralph’s Diner. Just let me know when you get here. Bye!” Sally hung up the phone and sat down at a table to await her date. The diner was hopping with its usual Friday night crowd and Sally enjoyed people watching while she waited. There was a young couple over by the jukebox, browsing the song options. A family of four was ordering milkshakes in a booth by the door. Through the window, she could see people wandering aimlessly among the classic cars that always parked there for the weekend. Despite their age, the cars...

Read story

“Trains, Hairs & A Scissor ” by April Summers

Submitted to Contest #33

“I told you...It was 7th Avenue not Savant Avenue! I thought I made that clear when I called you earlier!”I screamed into my crappy old cell phone as I speed walked, looked more like I was sprinting but that's an exaggeration, through the busy streets of Tokyo. Dashing here and ducking there. I heard a weak reply of sorry from the other end and that pissed me off even more. “I even texted you.” “Well...I didn’t really check my texts you see…”“YOU WHAT!?” “Gah! I’m really sorry!” “Great!” I said as I went down the sta...

Read story

“Color, Permanents and Gossip” by Sue Marsh

Submitted to Contest #33

Color, Permanents and GossipSuzanne Marsh“I really should have named this Salon de Gossip, Soap Opera de Salon not O'Neara'sBeauty Salon. Honestly, you would think the women of this town would have better thingsto do than gossip. Sadie Thompson is coming in this morning for her cut and tint, shehas more gossip than anyone else I know.”O'Neara disliked gossip; Sadie always told some really juicy gossip, her favorite was the one about Mabel Merriweather. Mabel was always causing a ruckus of one sort or another. She was also on the schedule for...

Read story

“The Choosing” by Emma Welsch

Submitted to Contest #33

Being feminine. If you're born a female, this is your only goal in life. In this world, all that matters is looking beautiful and feminine enough to make your way up the social ladder. At age 18, the kingdom's girl's life long work of looking pretty comes down to if a boy in a line of prestigious suitors chooses us to be his mate. Of course, there are other factors in who they chose but that's the main one. If one does not choose a girl, then that girl is doomed to working in our kingdom's mines, or working for the staff at the castle i...

Read story

“The Traveler” by Arthur Tiberio

Submitted to Contest #33

It was a lonely three nights. Which seems a rather obvious thing to say, until it became clear that it was not Her absence which made his heart feel cold and drifting, though at first even he supposed that this must be the answer. Not for the first time, Johnathan Vale stared gloomily at the black expanse behind his window, unsure of the legitimacy of his pain. He was certain of two things. Firstly, he was alone. Whether this had made him happier was a matter of lingering debate, since at one point he'd also been utterly convinced that stron...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

296

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 20, 2020 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: Pennies and Years

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 ⭢