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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#4: Woodstock

Last weekend was the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the 1969 music festival that attracted an audience of more than 400,000 visitors, and was known as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music." Its a legendary cultural event, and a large variety of books and documentaries have been dedicated to telling the story of Woodstock. So this week, we thought we'd take inspiration from it too.

Each of the following five writing prompts are titles of songs that were played at Woodstock. As far as writing prompts go, they're pretty broad and open to interpretation, so we're looking forward to seeing the many different directions and stories they lead to.

This week's prompts

Write a story based on the song title: "Beside The Sea"

Fiction – 33 stories

Write a story based on the song title: "My Generation"

Fiction – 22 stories

Write a story based on the song title: "To Love Somebody"

Nonfiction – 46 stories

Write a story based on the song title: "You Can Make It If You Try"

Nonfiction – 14 stories

Write a story based on the song title: "With A Little Help From My Friends"

Nonfiction – 19 stories

Stories

“Opportunity” by Ramesh Leelasankar

Submitted to Contest #4

OPPORTUNITYStanding in front of Aravindh sir’s office today, I had a mix of feelings running inside me. Fresh memories going back to the days that I worked in his house. His family, the people that got introduced through him, the wonderful experiences gained through all of that and finally, the face of that great human called Aravindh sir, which is tattooed into my mind and soul. Aravindh Sir! - It is still surprising as to how a single individual can attract so much of people towards him and influence all of them with positive energy. ...

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“A Big Sensation” by Isabella Grey

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #4

“You stand accused before a court of your peers. How do you plead?”“Not guilty, your Honor.”Marlena could feel dozens of eyes on her, likely millions more behind the glass window of the news cameras, but she did not notice them. Her attention was fixed on the man who stood across the room, the man who lied so well that she was certain he had been in this exact situation before.And yet, here they were.Hardly a month had passed without a new trial broadcasted in the papers. When she saw the first news screening, the one that started it all, sh...

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“Love From Afar” by Asisha Joseph

Submitted to Contest #4

The first picture was of the wedding. The wedding of his brother-in-law.Wedge sat with his palm wrapped around the palm of his new wife, brown-haired woman in a plain but elegant dress. He had a smile on his face, a peaceful smile, Soontir thought—the kind that reflected the contentment in the heart. He probably had the same smile when he married Syal. The sentiment had definitely been all there. And next to him was Fayen, with his wife.Last time he'd seen her, she'd been pregnant with their first child. Tall, confident, kind—perfect fo...

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“ Ms DJ Can Play” by Simisola Owoyemi

Submitted to Contest #4

Adelaide teaches music in an elementary school. When she doesn’t do that, she spends her leisure daytime busking, and also works as a nightclub DJ. Her life simply is music. Laide grew up in Port Isaac, a small fishing village. Growing up with a guitarist mother and a father who is a fisherman helped Laide in developing great finance management skills. Although Laide loved her parents as much as she loved Port Isaac, it was pretty certain that her future was not seeded in her hometown.At the age of 19, Laide moved to Birmingham where she fur...

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“Run!” by Nia Chase

Submitted to Contest #4

Victor's group drove in a large van with a fake logo on the side. Charlie sat next to Victor who drove. Charlie's heart raced at what was to come, but it was the right thing to do and he glad he had backup.He figured he would let them sort this out and he can do whatever orders he was told. He never led a group before and Victor was trusted by many. Charlie was not going to get in the way of that all because he was Jasper's picked omega.Victor had other ideas.They arrived near the supposed whore house and Victor parked in a dark alley, facin...

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“Summer Vacation” by Lauren Tobin

Submitted to Contest #4

Janey stood at the window, arms crossed over her chest. She scowled and glared, hoping to pierce the veil of the fog with her eyes. Summer vacation, right, she thought. It’s like fifty degrees out there. She felt like a pathetic fairy tale princess trapped in her castle, the big luxury hotel being the castle and the shitty weather being her existential angst. Her mom acted all chill, like this weather was a good thing, “an escape from the oppressive heat of the central valley,” she’d said. Weren’t you supposed to have oppressive heat at the ...

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“Love at a Funeral” by Karen Kalbacher

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #4

A matte black suit ensured he blended in with the shadows. His tie was a vibrant purple in deference to the corpse who practically drowned his house in sweet-smelling heliotrope. Normally he skipped these things, too expected, especially with the scythe. He had to bring the scythe cane to funerals on the off chance someone could see him in the graveyard. Stupid, really, making Death visible in a graveyard. He pulled at the half Windsor knot of the tie in frustration at the oversight. Not a single Death had managed to catch Ben’s soul before ...

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“To Love Somebody” by Seema Menon

Submitted to Contest #4

Everyone perceives love in his/her own unique way. Some describe it as a mad delusion whereas some identify it with sacrifice and surrender. Few cynically call it a barter system that hinges on negotiation and compromise. But there are also certain individuals who believe it to be grand and splendid – like F. Scott Fitzgerald who said, “I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything” as well as Maya Angelou who wrote, “Love recognizes no barriers”. Simple words, yet so profound. And I do agree with them. Why? I can elaborate.Love ...

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“The Real Christmas” by Pooja Thube

Submitted to Contest #4

Joe was a kind boy. He used to help everyone in need. He doesn’t want anything in return. He who takes Joe’s help becomes his friend. Joe was not selfish at all. Everyone adores him. Joe has best friends- Anna, Mike and Billie. These four kids were hardworking and well behaved. It was a cool winter night. The freezing wind was blowing. Only 5 days remained for Christmas. Everybody was preparing for it. Some people were decorating their houses, some were cleaning the garbage and some were buying gifts. Joe, too, went for shopping with his fam...

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“21st century children” by Helena Mei

Submitted to Contest #4

21st century children tell me of things that occupy their life; friends, instagram, sports, snapchat, dates, youtube. And they tell me they show instagram pictures to their friends, they snapchat their sports activities, they show youtube videos to one another on a date. What a web of intertwined images, I once thought to myself. I wondered if there was a relationship beyond the lucid reality we hold in our pockets. So I sat there in the distance, under the lonely Sun, and watched. I watched my friend curl her long raven hair with movements ...

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“THERE CAME A BIG SPIDER” by SHYAMALA BHUVANACHANDRAN

Submitted to Contest #4

There Came A Big Spider…Chandran, after reading an item of news from The Hindu paper said aloud “Because of these people only, it still rains on earth”. Bhuvanaa busy in her morning chores, heard him say something, turned to him with a questioning look. He read out the news item loudly for her – “Kaushal, a multi-billionaire turned philanthropist by setting aside half of his wealth for charity. Bhuvanaa told him that of late, quite a few are very lenient – particularly from the corporate sector and spared a chunk of their bounties for social...

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“NEW MOON” by Jay Kasperbauer

Submitted to Contest #4

“Gentlemen.”“Mornin’.” The deputy said. His son politely nodded at the waitress.“Care for coffee this morning?”“Yes. Black.” “I’ll have the same with a little cream if you got it.”“Sugar?”“No thanks, ma’am.”“I’ll be back in a hurry to get your order.”“Thanks.”“I often wonder how many times I been here in my lifetime.” The deputy said to his adult son. “Care to take a guess?” The son asked.“Hard to say. Damn near every day when I was first gettin’ started out as a junior deputy. Not so much anymore.”“Ya? Why do you think that is, da...

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“The Daughter of Sedna” by Kirsten Baltz

Submitted to Contest #4

Amai’s aged hands deftly pressed the lampblack into the hole in young woman chin with the fine ivory needles of her trade; a gift from her husband from long ago.“Ah granddaughter,” laughed Amai, “you are doing so well.”“Really, Aana?” The girl’s eyes were filled with tears, but she did not allow even one of them to grace her cheek.“I do my dearest Kiiska.”The girl cringed again as the needle bit into her olive skin once more but grinned despite the pain.Amai remembered her first tattoos from so many long nights ago. She thought of ...

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“Into June's Eyes ” by Daniel Brown

Submitted to Contest #4

Based on the prompt, “Beside the Sea- Mountain”.Into June’s EyesBy Daniel BrownThere’s a universal understanding that June’s eyes tell a thousand bonfires worth of stories that are harrowing and fanciful, hideous and gorgeous, dark and bright. She is heterochromatic which means her eyes aren’t the same color and she once joked each eye has its own individual timeline of stories. One captures the warmth of autumn and the other encapsulates the bitter and beautiful essence of winter; I ask about the autumnal one and she giggles before obliging...

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“Wedding Blues” by Olga Gridin

Submitted to Contest #4

Tina raised her glass. “Let’s drink to love.” Barbara said, “Define love.” Barbara’s fiancé touched her hand. “It’s the feeling of unity between two people.” Barbara looked at him. “Only unity?” “Care for each other creates a sense of unity.” Grandpa Joe said, “Well spoken, Steve. Feminine feelings are fragile. When you and Barbara exchange vows next week, don’t forget that women are more sensitive than men, and they need caring words and gentle gestures.” He looked at Tina. “M...

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$50

Prize money

134

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 30, 2019 EST

Won by Tula Singer 🏆

Title: Lela

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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