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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

“Two lives” by Elora Stott

Submitted to Contest #42

Sarah returned home to her family from another day at her job and headed straight to the kitchen to start preparing their tea. She had a good job; she made a lot of money working in investment management by helping her rich clients make even more money. It meant that she led a good life, could afford everything she ever wanted for herself as well as her husband and two children. Each weekend Sarah had two days off which she often spent at play dates or kid’s birthday parties surrounded by yet more children and parents who loved to talk about...

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“What you do for love ❤️” by Elizabeth Peters

Submitted to Contest #42

As I sit here awaiting death, I can’t help but wonder how all of this could have been avoided. With the cold gun pressed against my temple, I can only blame myself. I had pure intentions, but of course, everything had gone wrong, and now I would pay the ultimate price. Of course, on the day Charlie and I would meet our adopted daughter, I would get kidnapped and shot. I need to start from the beginning, it’s only fair that I remind myself why this all started. Four years ago I met the love of my life, Charlie. They were the kindest, most won...

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“What Shall Surely Come to Pass” by Molly Douglas

Submitted to Contest #42

My mother stood facing the kitchen sink with her back to me.Her eyes were red and swollen and she was scrubbing at some small bit of burnt detritus sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. The sponge had been abandoned and she was attempting to use her fingernail, squinting as the late afternoon sun hit her face through the western-facing kitchen window. An errant strand of hair hung in her eyes and she tried to shake it clear. She wore thin white linen pants and her feet were bare.I remembered sitting between those feet as a small child. She...

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“Sharon's Job” by Mayara Sousa

Submitted to Contest #42

It was just another day as Sharon was walking the last block to her office. The building had seen better days. The windows caked with dirt, the original painting long gone, the rough gray of concrete on view. The building wasn’t much to look at. As Sharon’s job wasn’t much to brag about. She was a telemarketer. So her job was to convince people to buy things they didn’t want or need. But it paid the bills. The day took an unexpected turn the moment that she stepped foot inside. The apprehension in the air was palpable. But the office wa...

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“Sacrifice ” by April Lectrice

Submitted to Contest #42

Clemency stared up at the night sky, unsure of what caused her to do what she had done. As she felt gravity push her downward, she was able to see the stars shine brighter than she had ever seen them. It was strange, because the city lights should have been blocking out their celestial light. With that image in her head, Clemency closed her eyes before the breath was pulled from her lungs. ✯ “Are you sure that you are ready for this?” Moria asked. Clemency glanced at her partner, who was leaning on the wall beside her. “Yes. This ...

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“Say Goodbye, Don't Follow” by Tatum Palmer

Submitted to Contest #42

I knew my time was running out, I just didn't realize how quickly.I had been desperate. Tired, hungry, alone, and desperate. My parents could find no place for their gay son in their house, and I left them with no time to tell me so. I ran, ran, ran with thirty dollars in my pocket and turmoil in my soul. I remember that night, the comforts of Autumn took their final bow as the first snowfall of the year paved the way for bitter times.The sky opened up, and seemed to burst as a kaleidoscope of stars and snow took center stage. Flurries dance...

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“The Beginning of the End” by MJ Hancher

Submitted to Contest #42

He sent me away. I really wanted to bash my head into the steering wheel as I drove down the empty highway. The desert never really suited me. I had to return to Florida with my tail tucked between my legs. But I had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t going to draw things out by forcing him to continue living with me. Phoenix was truly his, and I had only wished for it to be our’s. The look in his eyes before he turned for the door had shattered something deep inside my soul. I had packed up everything of mine I could find and stuffed it bac...

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“Together in the Dark” by Lisa Slaikeu

Submitted to Contest #42

“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.” The quote was written in cursive in the center of the black chalkboard with white chalk in the Introduction to Philosophy class along with the current date in the top right corner of the board, the fifth of March. The window near the teacher's desk of the room showed a cloudy, dark gray sky. Students filed in, took their seats, and placed their textbooks on their desks while they waited for the professor to start class. Quiet chatter filled the classroom before the bell...

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“The Stray” by Tracy Felder

Submitted to Contest #42

SpringHome was a bowl of dry gray sand beneath the dilapidated remains of a wood-frame house on the corner of 22nd and Jackson. By the time Twitch was old enough to venture beyond the house he only had two remaining litter-mates, Chirp and Lila. Twitch was so named for the peculiar tic that rhythmically pulled the corners of his lips into the faintest hint of a disarming smile. They still relied heavily on their mother's milk, yet the milk was in short supply these days. Their mother was once a beautiful dog, red as an Autumn sunrise. ...

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“Unbroken Ties” by Jasmine Broberg

Submitted to Contest #42

The fluorescent lights shone bright in my eyes, forcing them awake. My limbs felt stiff and numb, as though needles were forced through every tendon in my body. I groaned, and stretched out, trying to free the rigidity from my bones. I frowned, and took in my surroundings. I was in a hospital room, the sterile smell only just now hitting my nose. I was sprawled across a white armchair, along a long row of hospital beds. The beds were mostly empty, except for the one right next to me. In it, there was a man. Something about him tickled my mem...

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“I Hate Waiting” by Ellory Reiling

Submitted to Contest #42

“‘Mark, this is a stupid idea. I’m going home. I’ll see you at the game tomorrow, okay?’ I started to stand from the table when he grabbed my hand.‘No, Henry. Sit down. They’ll be here,’ he said it with such confidence. I wished that I could have that amount of anything. I hated waiting, still do to this day. It seems like such a waste of time. Anyways, we’d been sitting there for a good ten minutes and the girls still weren’t there. Uncle Mark kept telling me that women are late for everything and all this other stuff that...

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“Our Man in Madrid” by Dalton Craig

Submitted to Contest #42

Each time the ritual was renewed, the sense of nervous energy that balled and knotted in his stomach reminded him of a blind date. The idea conjured up images from Don McLean’s “American Pie.” There he was, sitting alone in the outdoor seating of a bustling café as he was the “Teenage broncin’ buck, with a pink carnation and a pickup truck.” There he waited. It was entirely usual for his expectant guest to wait between five and fifteen minutes before making his arrival to the always populated but never too crowded café. His guest also took c...

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“from the forest to the tower” by Derek Brown

Submitted to Contest #42

The drop ship dropped them off just outside the jungle. It was impossible to get any satellite footage from the jungle, something to do with its’ biochemistry. But they could see that a few rivers and creeks crossed through it quite close to their destination which was a tower to east of the jungle. The area was no mans’ land. There was no claim to it. It was fought over but never claimed. It looked to be like earths environment but Baker wasn't taking any chances and kept his helmet on. His companion [blank] on the other hand took his off, ...

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“I knew I loved you” by Julie Adamson

Submitted to Contest #42

The savage garden song, you knew I loved you, before I met you, played not just in my head anymore but through the speaker of my husband's mobile phone. I had asked him to put it on his song list. It was how I felt about this little one who had been growing inside me. Soon I would meet her. I had to find out if our little peanut was boy or girl. Not that I cared what sex of my child was. I wanted to nest, do the nursery.I have so many beautiful memories of shopping, choosing items that my daug...

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“Affliction” by Rhea M

Submitted to Contest #42

The chrysanthemums were blooming beautifully today. It was the first time I’d ever seen such beauty in flowers before and I kind of wanted to stand here all day and stare at them for however long my two feet could manage to keep me from hitting the ground. I prayed silently that I could find more beauty today. Perhaps a cute baby dressed in something other than a onesie; a bird feeding its children; the end of a rainbow; or even the moon in the sky even though it's a bri...

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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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