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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

“To Kidnap Is A Crime” by Artemisia Pearl

Submitted to Contest #42

WillAfter deciding to go with “not Rob” willingly, he tied a rope around each one of our wrists so we would be stuck together. He pushed us through the door and down the stairs. He shoved us into the back of a large van that was very different from his car. He slammed the door on us and we sat there, staring at each other. The van began to move, and we were off to wherever we were going. “Hi.” I say. I really am so stunned that I don’t know what to say. “I’m sorry. My first instincts were right. At first, I was going to cut his ear off ...

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“Rambling with a Poet.” by Len Mooring

Submitted to Contest #42

I met this poet, see. She was chewing the end of a pencil and seemed absorbed in the process. Maybe modern-day poets of the computerized variety, still keep pencils for the purposes of chewing. Well, you couldn’t get the same sort of satisfaction from chewing on a tablet, or whatever. Anyway, back to the poet in question. She was absorbed, as I said, and even though I was in her direct line of vision, she showed not one trace of recognition of this fact. Now, if she had been of the ordinary sort of bird that I usually rub shoulders with, th...

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“Supernova” by D. Holmes

Submitted to Contest #42

“You want me to murder you.”He stood facing the wall, staring at a photograph of her in a sunflower field.“Appreciate it!” she joked. “It’s not every day I ditch my common sense and wear a fancy dress just so you can stage a few pictures to post on Instagram. I even smeared on lipstick, for God’s sake.” He turned her shoulders to face the camera. “I’m not sharing these to Instagram,” he replied. “They’re for me to hang up at home.” “That’s even worse, I’ll have to stare at my face every day.”But she wouldn’t, he thought frantically. She woul...

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“Not Your Fault” by Claire Taylor

Submitted to Contest #42

My eyes are drawn to the lanky-looking girl across the room – specifically, her hands. She’s wringing them mercilessly on top of her long, bouncing legs. I don’t think she realizes she’s doing it. I can only look at her for a few seconds before I feel my leg start to bounce with hers. She’s anxious and I’m the one being thrown into a new home with no warning. I hear the man, d...

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“THE OUTCAST” by Patricia Buyu

Submitted to Contest #42

The OutcastI was born after a heart-throbbing love story between two young lovers went sour. My young mother had her whole life ahead of her, but I brought it to a stop. My coming was unplanned, unexpected, not welcomed, yet imminent. My mother met my father when she was still at the thresholds of her teenage years, still swayed by my father’s boyish cat calls along the high school hallways that led to their classes, ‘corridors of love’ they called them, and nicely written romantic letters that were always overpopulated with poetic expressio...

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“Back to Dreams Aphotic” by Mackenzie Littledale

Submitted to Contest #42

A Short Story by Mackenzie LittledaleInspired by a poem by Shona MossNarcoticOrland let out a primal grunt as he climaxed. He collapsed and rolled onto his back beside the foreign woman, whose name escaped him. “You can go now,” he said, losing interest in her. Orland moved to sit at the edge of the bed with his back to her so he didn’t have to see her delicate porcelain features out of sorts. Sneering, he reached behind to push her clothes in her direction.She gasped, clutched her clothes and hurried to dress. Orland followed her to keep he...

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“Dear Philippe” by ℙ𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕪 𝐻𝑒𝒹𝑔𝑒𝒽𝑜𝑔

Submitted to Contest #42

Dear Philippe, How long has it been since I last saw you? Oh… my dear friend. My love. Where have you gone? Do you sit in the clouds, spin a gust of wind around your finger as you watch us from above? Do you long for those sweet-smelling grass plains, for the places we used to sit, your arm around me? My heart aches when I think of your laugh, the sweetest melody, the way it rang like bells in the vast fields… I remember you told me that when you first saw me, you knew you had to be with me. I never told you what had happened when I fi...

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“Sweaty Hands and Date Plans” by Aqsa Malik

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #42

We sit side by side, not holding hands, but not not holding them either. It was that awkward stage in our relationship where actions were tacit, but still primitive enough to be carried out with extreme caution. God forbid one party made the wrong move, and everything ended as quickly as it had begun.So we sit, our hands slightly touching, one brushing the top of the other. Enough to create sparks, but not entirely enough to trigger a full-fledged hormonal awakening. Eesha's eyes flit to our hands, barely illuminated by the neon lights flood...

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“Arise Sun, Arise Moon. ” by Anja Z

Submitted to Contest #42

Dorothy Moon. That was her name. He liked how it sounded on his tongue and how the o’s made him think whoa. His first reaction to an arranged marriage was ughh, but once he heard that name it was like it was meant to be. Of course he never met her before, but yet it felt like he knew her. His dad has told him many things. First thing she had red hair and green eyes, second she was part of the cheerleading squad. Dorothy Moon. His … forever ….. always. Although he didn’t know how she looked and was bound to find out soon he w...

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“Closing the Circle” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #42

They were at it again. Don felt like running a marathon on a treadmill would be more productive. He never knew what the arguments were about. They went round and round with no finish line in sight.He said, “I don’t care about winning, Joyce. Can’t we resolve this? I don’t even know what this is about.”Joyce sensed Don’s change in attitude. “It’s always the same, Don. You don’t get it.”“That tells me nothing.”Joyce busied herself about the kitchen. “Why don’t you go then? Just go.”Don shook his head. “That’s it? That’s your solution? I should...

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“Turning back time” by Kira Krieger

Submitted to Contest #42

The night had been very long. Ambrose and Odin spent the whole of it looking up at the stars. They made-up absurd constellations, laughing themselves to sleep on a grassy hill facing the San Francisco bay. Odin awakened to the sun in his eyes. He glanced over to Ambrose, who was snuggled up in a ball with his bag of odds and ends. Odin swiveled his gaze out to the water. His eyes grew, and his jaw dropped. “Ambrose!” Odin stammered, pulling on the blanket under them. Ambrose clenched tighter before rolling over and squinting at Odin. B...

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“The Julian Maxwell Experience” by Ryan Lieb

Submitted to Contest #42

“Where the hell is Julian?!” Mickey had reached the end of his patience. “If he’s not here in five minutes I quit. I’m serious.” “He’ll be here, man, he just texted me that he’s on his way!” Caleb said. “He’s over an hour late already! this is bullshit.” Mickey brought his drum stick down on a crash cymbal with a force that would have sent it spinning to the floor were it not secured tightly. Instead, the stand wobbled violently for a moment before settling back to center. “Honestly I’m with Mickey on this one.” Hunter was sit...

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“what if?” by Priyanka Thapa

Submitted to Contest #42

Like every other child I was very close to my grandparents. Especially my grandfather who was like a Santa figure to all of his grandchildren. He used to read us bed time stories, make us swings in the woods and even cook for us some times. Every time he had new stories to tell. Since he had served in the army, he used to tell us stories from his days while in the army. They were my maternal grandparents. My f...

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“Mr. Checker” by Lori Colt

Submitted to Contest #42

“Thank you dear.” My mom says as she endeavors to tame her disheveled silver hair with her quaking, timeworn hands. I pull the car to the curb as she presses her palms to her lap and says, “Now who are you again?” Her voice a pale, shaky version of what it was when she was really still with us. We’ve been through this a million times, my mom Char and I. You’d think I’d get used to it by now but it never ceases to be unsettling. I turn off the ignition and take a long breath. I get out and walk to the passenger side, open the sedan’s doo...

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“The Return Journey” by Karen McDermott

Submitted to Contest #42

Maz switched her soya espresso frappuccino to her left hand in order to feed her ticket through the turnstile with her right. She strode to the end of the platform to await the train that would take her to Steph’s house.“Stephanie,” she corrected herself, not caring that her lips moved to form the syllables. She had her headphones in, so anyone looking would presume she was mouthing lyrics or learning a language, rather than trying to nail her half-sister’s preferred name. She had been so accustomed to abbreviating it in all the Christmas an...

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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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