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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

“Tears” by Nat S

Submitted to Contest #42

Tears No one ever really knows when they are going to die. With the new technological advancements, it is easier to predict and prevent, but there was one group of people whom the machines could not Read. Many inventors have pored over books and tinkered with them, but no one could come up with anything. Mae was one of the Accidents, as they were called, an unrelated group of people whom the machines could not Read. Engineers, doctors, inventors, and many more were called in to...

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“Unco” by Kiyo Sy

Submitted to Contest #42

It's been a routine for them.They'd meet on this secret place of theirs, situated high enough that they were able to overlook the whole city. One'd spill and just monologue all of the problems they faced during that day, and the same would be done by the other.They were just strangers who vent to each other without strings attached and they both couldn't help but think that it would be for the best if things stayed the way it currently was. "So?" Noah started. One word would enough for the both of them to understand what the other impli...

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“A Change in the Weather ” by Sara Kay

Submitted to Contest #42

Chaos theory tells us that a tiny change in one system can dramatically affect the output in another; you know, a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazon and you end up with a hurricane in China? Always seemed a little bogus to me, even if the romantic child in me wished it to be true. But now, I can’t help but wonder—had Darla never forgotten her pen on my desk that one day, would I ever have found myself here?I ponder how a simple, seemingly insignificant event can lead to magnificent ones as I lumber through the garden. I pause to pick a ...

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“Patiently Waiting” by Diana Wilson

Submitted to Contest #42

Write a story with one character waiting for the arrival of another.We all are aware of the loyalty that exists between many owners and their pets, devotion and love are expressed by dogs and their masters to each other, if they have been given a caring loving home. This is the story of a dog waiting for his friend.Nicky was a tan, black and white border collie/kelpie cross. He had been picked up from the pound at Silverwater when only a few months old. He had intelligent eyes and a tail that never stopped wagging. His tail was so lush and t...

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“Story of my life” by Stella Elewa

Submitted to Contest #42

Summertime. It comes and goes but last summer was one to remember In that magical time at the lake we thought summer would last forever... And in some ways it has. After lizzy's funeral we learnt that Time doesn't stop for anything not even love and summer was only temporary but those moments we shared were eternal. The pain of losing a sister was a grief even love couldn't overcome. The pain was overwhelming for both of us and after a well overdued talk brad and I realised now wasn't the right time for us. There had to be distance, a much n...

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“You Can Run - Epilogue” by Alex Langcake

Submitted to Contest #42

It was a beautiful day, with sweet birdsong and not a cloud in sight, but Kendra couldn’t bring herself to appreciate it. One of the brightest souls had been burnt out, and the world should have been crying with her. He always loved the rain. She choked back a sob. Now wasn’t the time, she would be able to let it out when she got back to their… to her room. The hole where he had been wasn’t just in her heart, and although they hadn’t known each other for long, she couldn’t imagine life without him by her side. Just waking up was pa...

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“Horse Parade” by David H. Fox

Submitted to Contest #42

I was sitting on the edge of my bed, completely naked, and the girl was completely naked, the blanket covering her body to her shoulders. She was sleeping, and it was 10 in the morning. It was hot, the worst kind of hot. I tried to get up, and open the window. As soon as I got up, the inside of my head burst in a thousand of tiny explosions inside my skull. I made a groaning sound, as my head was a bobble-head for a good minute and a half. I made it to the window, opened it. The sun was shining remorselessly bright, and underneath it I felt ...

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“The Endurance” by Cat Buoncore

Submitted to Contest #42

A beautiful ship, The Endurance: long, sleek, and bound for the West Indies with a belly full of much needed trade-goods. Henry didn’t concern himself with the particulars of the cargo; he was off to sea for the first time in his 17 summers, and little mattered as much as that. He arrived early to the bustling port. In the soft light men grunted and stumbled, crates passed from hand to hand, and the wind fluttered rigged sails. Henry spotted The Endurance lashed to the end of the pier. Eager, he lunged forward, colliding with a stout gr...

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“Waiting for You” by L. Williams

Submitted to Contest #42

11 months. three weeks. five days. and 15 hours. That’s how long I’ve been waiting. And you think with me having waited this long I could surely last another 20 minutes. But no. See, get to know me and you’ll be surprised I waited this long. I am the definition of short attention span. It was easy to ignore it in the beginning, but the gaping black hole in my heart was always there, always ready to strike. Missing someone is strange. You go through what I have identified as 4 different phases. Denial. This phase tends to last for about ...

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“The Happy Skipper” by Edward S.

Submitted to Contest #42

Marci was only fifty-two. Her dark hair was still sexy with curls in a ponytail. She knew her daughter’s boyfriends still looked at her when she walked away, because she was in shape and had a booty; plus she watched porn sometimes and knew that there was a market for her. Still, Marci noticed changes in her face recently. Her skin was still amazing for a woman her age, so that wasn’t the thing. You could not break your mother’s back walking blind-folded across her smooth, yet classically tough face, but her reflection had been bothering her...

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“Hercules” by Phoebe Neighbour

Submitted to Contest #42

‘Finally, sweet freedom at last,’ Hercules thought to himself, grinning. ‘I’m not a prisoner anymore, I can pursue my dreams!’ Hercules had spent years watching a snapshot of the outside world, crying out for his chance to be in it, and now it was finally here. The door had been opened for him. Well, it had been left open, but Hercules could recognise divine intervention when he saw it. He trotted along the road now, the grainy bitumen leaving an imprint in each foot. The world was his to explore. Bright and frightening blurs of colour spun ...

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“The River Walk ” by Bonnie McD

Submitted to Contest #42

“If you go to the river alone and Adze will get you.” Grandmother warned me of many things that would come for me if I did not listen, and so I listened. Of all the monsters, the Adze scares me the most. I’ve seen one with my own eyes. You have probably seen one too, but you did not know what you were seeing. Amatefe promised to catch one and use it to get back at our teacher. She was horrible. When we got the spelling words wrong, she would shout and make us stand on our tables. Amatefe got them wrong every week. Sometimes I got ...

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“Faith and Hope Make a Waiting Man” by Ayra Siddiqi

Submitted to Contest #42

“I promise I’ll be back.”Norton’s grip on his father’s shoulders tightened. His own shoulders seemed to sag under the weight of those words. Would he really be back? Could he even dare to hope that he would?Mr. Reed sat there, his eyes blinking in monotony. It took a few more seconds for the words to fully register. Mr. Reed was old. He was seventy-odd years old. The skin of his hands was translucent. His blue-green veins were prominent. As clearly visible as his sky blue eyes. Fading but intent. And where everything else had withered, the i...

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“Another day in Paradise” by Celeste Kuun

Submitted to Contest #42

She remembers hiding under her bed when her mother reached for the bottle of whiskey. From a very young age, she knew that the amber contents of the bottle would soon result in an argument between her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, Arthur. So Ashley became familiar with the dark places in her house. She clung to the shadows, as one would to a life preserver. Shadows became her friend. The less the grown-ups saw her, the better. Ashley’s life mimicked the chaos at home, as neglected children’s lives often did. She often brawled ...

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“Hell Flame ” by Shian Sadman Soumik

Submitted to Contest #42

As Simon and Tyler passed around the old barn, the evening sun dissolved into the horizon. It was Sunday and it was unusually quiet as there was no emergency from the department. The two friends decided to catch up with each other and if possible recite some old memories they have lived through. There was this new cafe that has opened recently in the neighbourhood and gossip had spread about its pristine cold coffee. Therefore, in this nick if time they wanted a sneak peek into that cafe.The cafe was well lit inside and indeed it checks all ...

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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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