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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#42: End of Story

Reaching the end of a story is a bittersweet thing. Upon reading the final word of a particularly good piece, you’re often hit with a sort of story-hangover: the ache of wanting to stay in the world of the tale, yet knowing there’s no more story to be read.

A truly excellent ending can mitigate that pain — which is why, as a writer, it’s crucial to nail the end of your own stories! Of course, this can mean different things for different pieces. A great ending might underscore a story's theme, or it might pose more questions than it answers; it all depends on context and execution. For more info, check out our tips for crafting a memorable ending here, and then dive into our ending-themed prompts below!

p.s. — We're hosting a Live Copyediting Workshop! On May 20th, Editors Tracy Gold and Julie Artz will take to YouTube to copyedit passages submitted by writers like you! For a chance to have your writing featured, click this link to register for the event and you'll receive submission instructions by email.

This week's prompts

Write a story that ends with the narrator revealing a secret.

Mystery – 162 stories

Write a story that ends in the past.

Teens – 68 stories

Write a story that ends with a character asking a question.

Narrative – 260 stories

Write a story that ends by circling back to the beginning.

Short Story – 214 stories

Write a story that ends with one character waiting for the arrival of another.

Kids – 199 stories

Stories

“Shovel Cave Wildlife Center and Museum: The Nest Inspection” by Joey Reservoir

Submitted to Contest #42

“Johnny’s daddy takin’ him fishin’ when he was eight years old. Then came a girl, through the front gate, with a fishin’ pole. Daddy said, ‘Johnny, we can’t just leave he behind.’ And Johnny cried, ‘Take Jimmy Johnson, Timmy Tomson, take my best friend Moe, but don’t take the girl. Don’t take the girl.” The music blared as rangers Merritt Harrison and Doug Shiner rode through the tall dense forest of Shovel Cave, Oregon. Their job was to check on a local goshawks nest. “Man, this song is great.” Merritt remarked, turning up the old stereo. M...

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“THE CRAZY KID” by Julieanna Zhang

Submitted to Contest #42

The Crazy KidOnce there was a kid, a crazy kid. His name was Apple. A little crazy for the name, but that's just like this kid. Apple thought crazy thoughts, and did even crazier things. Don’t believe me? Once Apple wanted to be a fairytale, so he took some fairy wings and a cat tale and told his mom that he was a fairytale, and another time Apple’s dad asked him if he wanted Strawberries, and he said that he’ll make them. So Apple took a straw and some blueberries let’s just say it didn’t turn out well. If you still don’t believe me (but yo...

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“Mission Failure” by Josie Banner

Submitted to Contest #42

Sam woke up in a cold sweat. Although, that wasn’t any surprise to him. He sat himself up, staring at the wall of his tent, flapping in the Antarctic wind. He took a few deep, icy breaths before getting his gear on and leaving the tent. His tent was one of 30 others, all strapped to the ice and surrounding a few small, snow-covered buildings: the weather station, the mess hall, and a lab. The thermometer he had on the outside of his tent read -27 ° F. Wading through the freshly fallen snow, he entered the mess hall, grabbed a plate of food, ...

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“Lions Sleeping In The Hearts Of Lambs” by Rose Gaspard

Submitted to Contest #42

You don’t know his name yet. But you will. His name is Percival Patrice Piddle, and in a few minutes he will be on every television screen in the country. That’s right Pee Pee Piddle. Standing in the darkened space waiting for the lights to come on, Percy remembered the horrible moniker he carried from first to 5th grade. Pee Pee Piddle. Children were horrible little jerks sometimes. “Places everyone. Lights in five minutes”. The disembodied startled Percy out of his revery and brought him back to the moment. Who would have thought it, Percy...

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“The Bird and the Stone” by Kristine Murdock

Submitted to Contest #42

Her name meant ‘bird,’ and mine ‘stone.’ Well, ‘noble stone,’ at least. I met her five years ago at our home school co-op. I got as close to hating her as I could without actually crossing that line; I wouldn’t be able to live with my conscience if I did. She felt the same about me. We would avoid each other continually. Glares from across the hall, and competitions to be the smartest in the class were normal. She thought I was a wimp and a pushover. She was stuck up and a show-off--I have her permission to say that now, since she has long s...

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“Typical Injustice” by Sarah Demary

Submitted to Contest #42

A dark alley…really? Typical. It is as if he wants to be killed. I thought shit like this only happened on television. However, he proves my thoughts wrong, by turning out to be the exact moron in the movies that I watch. Perhaps, he knows that for two weeks I’ve been here, watching him, studying him; trying to figure out how an evil man like him gets to continue to walk this earth. I’ve been living in my car for two weeks, because my mom kicked me out of her house. Actually, I think that I sort of kicked myself out of my moms "house of reli...

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“Doppelgangers” by Josie Penny

Submitted to Contest #42

The German word doppelganger came from German writer Johann Paul Richter. It means “an apparition or double of a living person.” Also known as “double-walker.” A doppelganger is a supernatural/paranormal occurrence. You have a one and 135 of having a doppelganger. A doppelganger can be living or dead. If it is dead it is basically you that lived before you were alive. A dead doppelganger is known to give malicious advice and come from the under-world. They will usually be your evil twin. If you see your doppelganger it is usually an om...

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“The Battle of 1543” by A S

Submitted to Contest #42

The Battle of 1543I look out my window in adoration of my beautiful land. It was 1543 when the ‘Battle Between Cats and Dogs’ arose. No one knew why we were such rivals... I guess it all started when the jester broke into the castle. He was a young fellow; bright, quite handsome, but also the prankster of the century. He used to sneak into the castle at nights with the intention of using our place as an inn. I would go to the basement at night to lock the doors, never trusting that the guards did it right. The cat might have been clever, but...

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“True Love's Kiss” by Kai Dalcassian

Submitted to Contest #42

The five of us ride relentlessly through the rain, ignoring the incessant drizzle that is a nuisance to horses and humans alike. There’s no sound except the clop of the horses’ hooves and the steady drumming of the rain on my metal helmet. I don’t mind the silence. We gave up on talking a few miles back, leaving us to do our best to ignore the damp and the cold. Prince Simon rides at the head of our little group, proud as always, trying to keep some of his precious royal dignity about him. Right behind the prince is Adric the Strong, his bul...

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“Chasing Moonlight” by LeighAnne Ferreol

Submitted to Contest #42

The pebbles pattered lightly against the glass. Rose couldn’t help but smiles as she heard them. She made her face blank before going to the window, she didn’t want him to know how happy his visits made her. Jackson stood beneath the tree by her bedroom window. She opened the shutters and looked down at him. “You’re here again?” She asked, feigning boredom. He smiled up at her and nodded. His honest, eager face made her heart flutter. She was glad the dark helped to hide her blush. She cleared her throat. “Well, what do you want this time?” ...

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“Where Were You?!” by Christine Hungerford

Submitted to Contest #42

A shout of “Where were you?!” reverberated throughout the hallway. I turned, cheeks hot and eyes widening, as my best friend, Pascal, rushed towards me. Her two-inch high heels clacked loudly on the beige and black tiled cement floor. Teens parted like the Red Sea, some of them whimpering and then scrambling to retrieve their dropped pencils rolling under and sheets of paper flying around her tanned, stick-skinny legs. &nbsp...

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“With love, Adina” by Sathvika Sitaraman

Submitted to Contest #42

Summer is my favorite. The brackish air, the warm nights, the sticky smell of melting ice cream. Everything about it is perfect. The dry wind caressed my hair, gently unravelling my carefully done bun which sat comfortably atop my head. My sundress wrapped around my sunburned legs, the lacy fabric giving me comfort. My toes wiggled in the hot sand, my hands digging into the soft earth. I was happy, peaceful, and so free. August 10th, my special day. The day I turn twelve. And the day that was celebrated perfectly. ----------------------...

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“Arrival” by Anne Connell

Submitted to Contest #42

She rose early, just as the midwinter sun was starting to stream through the window. It was warm and snug in her bed – leaving it was a chore. She pottered out to the kitchen, put the kettle on and started to think about her day. Her thoughts were interrupted by a demanding meow. She poured some milk into a saucer and placed it on the ground. The kettle boiled and she poured the bubbling water into the tea pot. She smiled – the bubbling hot water always looked so alive and joyful. She took the tea pot out o...

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“The Crane” by Sean Roulet

Submitted to Contest #42

The Day of the Wedding“Rose has always been late. Why would this be any different?”He heard the comment and wondered if Rose was being fashionably late, or if this was going to be a foreshadowing of something else. All the guests were sitting down, and looking busy as they perused the handout paper with the ceremony details, and softly spoke to each other. It was impossible to see outside from his vantage point.The engagementShe typed his full name into the website, curious to see what he looked like after all these years.&nb...

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“Karma” by Maggie Willis

Submitted to Contest #42

John. He was my sister's boyfriend. I didn’t like him much. He seemed to be so evil, but Leiani really liked him, so I just let it be. One night after her date with him she came home crying. “Leiani! What happened? Are you okay?” I asked Leiani was hysterical. She couldn’t even talk, she was crying so much. I sat her down on the couch and turned on Stranger Things, then I went to the kitchen and got her favorite ice cream, vanilla, out of the freezer and gave it to her. Her blanket was already on the couch and when I came back sh...

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$50

Prize money

903

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 22, 2020 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: The Firebird's Answer

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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