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!

#41: Fuzzy Friends (or Foes?)

Hey, writers! I'm Tracy Gold, an editor, writer, and mom to a toddler, horse, and dog. And this week, I'm taking over Reedsy Prompts!

As an editor, I've enjoyed working on young adult fiction (like Amanda Searcy's Watch You Burn), non-fiction (like Gary Vikan's The Holy Shroud), and sci-fi/fantasy (like Nikki Richard's Demon in the Whitelands). Visit my Reedsy profile to learn more about me and my work!

My theme for this week is "fuzzy friends." From Hedwig in the Harry Potter series to Enzo in the The Art of Racing in the Rain, nothing captures hearts like a beloved animal. Animals can be powerful antagonists, too: just look at Jurassic Park! Perhaps what I love most about books featuring fuzzy friends (or foes) is that they mine the depths of the human heart by exploring how we interact with animals. I hope these prompts help you sniff out a good story!

This week's prompts

Write about an animal who changes a person's life (for better or worse).

Kids – 232 stories

Write about an animal species that doesn't exist in real life — an alien, new discovery, imaginary creature — it's up to your interpretation!

Middle School – 145 stories

Write about an animal who goes on a journey.

Kids – 69 stories

Write a story featuring an animal who subverts expectations (like a snuggly tiger, or something more magical, like a literal fish out of water).

Kids – 69 stories

Write about an animal who causes a huge problem.

Middle School – 99 stories

Stories

“Life of a Dog” by Stefen Sly

Submitted to Contest #41

The room felt airy as I woke up in my bed with my duvet wrapped aroundme. The atmosphere seemed damp and dull; perhaps my Central heating was on the blink again.I stretched and rose from the warm comfort of my bed and slide of my fluffy purple slippers and slowly, shivering walked over to my wardrobe and opened the creaking door and put on my cold but yet soft dressing gown. Radiator was rumbling and as I touched it my hand went numb with the coldness, it wasn't working again. As I turned away from the radiator and headed to...

Read story

“The Way of Aquinas” by D Lisk

Submitted to Contest #41

It was all very distressing.“But lobsters just don’t do such things!” said Wystan’s live-in mother Mum Olga, “It’s unnatural!”The lobster was firm upon the point however: he was determined to become a Dominican, just like his personal hero St. Thomas Aquinas. At first, Wystan and Mum Olga thought that their lobster Pudges was simply ill and took him to the veterinarian.“What is it, doctor?” Mum Olga said between sniffles, “A cold? Measles? Whooping cough?”“I’m afraid not,” said the doctor, “Rather extraordinary; nothing quite compares. It to...

Read story

“The Retraining of Sadie” by Tom Moser

Submitted to Contest #41

“Can somebody take the ice bucket out to the patio?” Payson asked, looking over his shoulder to see if anybody was listening. Payson was at the kitchen sink, refilling the ice trays with water. He saw John looking at something on the refrigerator door. “John, you got the ice bucket?” he asked, wondering how long John had been standing there.John quickly put his cell phone back in his pocket and said, “Sure, I’ll do it,” turning his attention away from the refrigerator. From the corner of his eye, Payson caught something going into his neighb...

Read story

“To Wish For More” by Rebekah Christensen

Submitted to Contest #41

The small quelea bird flaps her wings, the others racing ahead. No matter how hard she flaps them, so hard it seems as if the feathers will tear away, she’s too slow. She flutters to a stop, clutching a leafy branch. She’ll only take a quick rest, just long enough to steal some air back from the sky, and then she’ll catch up.***The tiny bird, an impossibly soft ball of brown fluff, had always loved the nest. The nest was all she’d ever known. The nest and the sky. Until she wasn’t quite so tiny and was more feat...

Read story

“Cleaning Coon” by Laura Sierko

Submitted to Contest #41

“Aw, guys, come on! If you’re gonna go through the trash again, at least throw it back in the bin!” Rocky’s heart sank. One more job for the night. His friends scurried off, and he sighed. No matter how many times he tried to educate his friends, they never cleaned up after themselves. But it was too important to Rocky to leave behind, so his little black paws scurried to do what his heart couldn’t stop him from doing. In a few minutes, the debris was swept back into the trash can, and with a few heaves an...

Read story

“First Words” by LeighAnne Ferreol

Submitted to Contest #41

Nobody knew I killed her. I was so careful about it. I planned it for years. Everything was planned down to the letter. I treated that bitch like a goddess this last year. Put up with all her nagging and demands, put up with the way she belittled me, put up with anything I had to to convince everyone I “loved her” too much to do it. He could never do that! Martin worshipped Debbie! That was what they were all saying to the police. I waited until the kids had graduated and left the house. I picked the perfect spot in a remote forest. My...

Read story

“A Purrfect Plan” by Victoria Lendon

Submitted to Contest #41

Eve-His wide blue eyes pulled me in like a black hole. They were captivating, adorable. As was he. His little black paws, and the way he nuzzled into my leg, everything about that damned kitten compelled me to adopt him. I called him Hades, after my favorite Greek deity. When I took him home to my girlfriend Anna, she was delighted, and took him into her pale arms like a baby. She cooed at and cradled the tiny creature happily. If only I'd known that the sweet little kitten would grow to tear our world apart. It started small. When Hades was...

Read story

“Python Snakes” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #41

I’m not into Ophiology the study and science of snakes in specific. It’s a branch of herpetology that is exclusive to snakes. Another word used for this field is “Ophiodiology” and we call that weird person who does this kind of job a Pee-Wee Herman “Ophiologist”. Remember herpetology is the science of reptiles and amphibians”. As a matter a fact! I don’t even like snakes since what happened in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is described in Genesis, Chapters 2 and 3. The Lord created the Garden specifically for Adam, the first man, w...

Read story

“Wolves” by April Lectrice

Submitted to Contest #41

I walked out of my den. Alana and the rest of the pack was beginning to gather, preparing for the first hunt. Being one of the lesser Betas, I was able to slip into the group without being noticed.Our Alpha, Alana was going over the strategies. “The Omegas will chase the deer out and try to separate a few from the herd. Then the group of betas that I assigned a moment ago will emerge from the tree at Birdbeak Peak. Then they will continue the chase to where I will be waiting with Dalka, Olgrum, Torbik, and Alis at Fox Hole Hill. We will clos...

Read story

“DOG” by Sandra Claros

Submitted to Contest #41

The animal certainly had no name.It was chubby, brownish and furry.Was it a dog.That is the problem, because it was not a dog, as I got mistaken about his origin, because he was not a real dog, or, let me say, I thought it was.But it was more than that.U called it a devil.Yes, dear reader, you will give the reason when I explain this story.At the beginning of the writing process, the so called dog, was still sleeping.After four and a half tablets of valerian pills, correctly dissolved in four and a half glasses of water, according to th...

Read story

“For better or for worse.” by Roxie Van Der Linde

Submitted to Contest #41

The moving truck stoped outside Quinn's apartment block and hooted. She popped her head out of the sitting room window and smiled down at Ben. Ben, her boyfriend for three years and now her fiance, had asked her to move into his townhouse with him. She was so excited to start this new adventure with him."Quinn lets get a move on," Ben shouted from the street below.Luckily she had thought ahead and hired some guy to do all the heavy lifting. Quinn walked into her bedroom with some liver spread. In it was a sleeping pill for her french bulldog...

Read story

“An Uninvited Guest” by Emma Levin

Submitted to Contest #41

“Louie! Get out here!” Jesus Christ, of all days, today. Melanie was exasperated. “LOUIE!” She took a deep breath. “COME HERE NOW!” Her voice might be hoarse before the party, but goddamnit there might not even be a party at this rate. “I’m in the bathroom, sweetie!” Louie sounded miles away. “COME OUT NOW! I NEED YOU!” Melanie was a little too close to her neighbor’s property to be shouting this loud at 10 am on a Saturday morning, but desperate times call for desperate measures.“I SAID GET OUT HERE!”“Are you dying? Did somebody die?”...

Read story

“My miracle ” by Sophia Howcroft

Submitted to Contest #41

I love animals. They're all special and unique, not to mention cute! While all animals are awesome, I especially love dogs. Not just any dog, my dog. My beautiful puppy is an eight-year-old English Mastiff, and yes, I realize I said puppy while she's been a full-grown dog for the past six years. Nevertheless, she'll always be a cute, tiny puppy to me, even though she was never technically tiny. Now, this is just an overview of my beloved Bella. A string of words that are pulled together, hoping that they make some sense. I wish I could prope...

Read story

“The Other Half” by Paramie Jayakody

Submitted to Contest #41

Rage. That was all he felt. Pure, unadulterated rage of a kind he never felt before. Briefly, some corner of his mind noted that the others were looking at him with fear, that his skin had started to heat up, smoke curling up from his body as his temper mounted. Some disinterested part at the back of his brain heard the panicked whispers around him. Of course, if he was to shift to dragon form right now and torch this place, they would all die. He didn't even care. He looked around at the devastated, burning world around him a...

Read story

“Rosco” by Celeste Kuun

Submitted to Contest #41

Can we all just collectively, as a society, agree that as soon as you put a parrot in a cage, it becomes a hellspawn? I can’t even say I blame them. If humans commit crimes, we stick them in cages. Birds are stuffed into cages for no discernable reason.My mother loves birds, especially parrots. She has what she, very optimistically, calls a “menagerie.” It is in fact just a giant aviary with five parrots living in very close quarters. Did I mention this aviary is positioned very thoughtfully in our living room? It makes it near impossible to...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

614

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 15, 2020 EST

Won by Jack Basson 🏆

Title: A Cat of Ganymede

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 ⭢