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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

“Storywallah” by Satadal Lahiri

Submitted to Contest #42

Not everyone graduating from IIT go on to become high earning executives in multinationals . A few like me get into other domains like writing and a few like Deepak or Phunty get into queer experimentations.Phunty had the uncanny knack of developing queer machines and systems no one had thought of before. It enamoured me as to how he gathered the motivation to work on outlandish projects all by himself with little or no help from the outside world.Phunty was a genius but always found time to read my blogs or short stories to comment on them ...

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“The Merrow / An Irish Fable” by Jack O'Brien

Submitted to Contest #42

Liam looked out over the calm sea and prepared his nets for the day ahead; the skies looked promising except for some gray, low hanging clouds far out to sea. “Aye, let this be a good day,” he muttered, “My press is as empty as a scoundrel’s heart.” “Mother,” he looked skyward “could ye see fit to bring me a wee bit of good luck today?” He often spoke thus to his beloved mother who had sung to him as a boy and told wonderful stories of Irish folklore. He was particularly fond of those tales which spoke of the merrow and morgens, enchanted m...

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“Hanakotoba” by Hernando Trevino

Submitted to Contest #42

What would you do if you could change the past? Would you try to change your upbringing? Would you take your life into a completely different direction? Would you right your wrongs? Would changing you past change anything at all? Maybe, just maybe, the past has to stay the way is it. My name is Asher Wolfe and I’m a Private Investigator. I work out of the bustling city of Los Flos. Making it work out in the big city definitely isn’...

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“The Storage Locker” by Liz Wise

Submitted to Contest #42

“It’s going to be dark soon," she murmured to herself as she rushed her youngest daughter, Katie, into the car. Being out this close to dusk was like the old days, back when you could stay out until all hours and the closest thing to monsters were muggers. "We are going for a quick drive to get your sister’s glove and will be back in time for a movie and popcorn!” she told Katie in an overly cheerful tone. She didn't want to leave her oldest, Lizzie at home but she knew if they had to run, she would be better off only having...

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“False Hopes” by Sara C

Submitted to Contest #42

It started when I was 16. The greatest love story I've ever known. We met at a Halloween party - I saw him from across the room, and couldn't keep my eyes off him. I was young, I was stupid and I was also very drunk. I spoke too loudly to my best friend at the time and the next thing I knew someone was asking me to stop shouting that I thought his brother was the hottest guy I had ever seen. I wasn't planning on attending a house party for Halloween, but my friend liked a boy and that boy asked her to come. I was walking from ...

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“Summer Time ” by Cynthia Starchasertenn@aol.com

Submitted to Contest #42

It was the summer of 85, it was gonna be a summer that would change my life forever but I didn't know what was gonna happen. I was on my way to spend the summer with my Grandma, my Uncle David, Aunt Brenda and my cousins Trina and Little David...we call him Bubby. They all live on the farm with Grams but in their own house of course. I was so excited, I love it there, Kentucky is so beautiful, the mountains hold so many secrets. I couldn't wait to see my friends Gary Lee, Shelia and her sister Rhonda, Cricket, (yes that's her real name...

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“Jesus Ants” by Fern Goodman

Submitted to Contest #42

Jesus Ants A week ago, I found an aggressive ant in my peony plants. I killed it just as I had slain armies like him in the past. I supply the healthiest, pest-free plants to my customers, even if it requires the extermination of a few bugs along the way. That night I soaked in the bathtub. I had just rotated onto my belly and noticed that the caulk between the tile wall and porcelain had become black in some areas. Leaning on my elbows, I ran my right index finger along a two-inch line of sealant to see if it would rub off. At first, I thou...

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“Rachel” by Grace Bell

Submitted to Contest #42

To Isaac,12th November 2066,I hope you can forgive me. It was my life, my work, but not my choice. They made me. They made me do it. I am sorry to put this thing into the world of you and our beautiful daughter. It is a dangerous being! Hayden cannot not, nor will not, (for I believe and trust in you) be let out into this world. I lay awake at night, wondering how I can live with myself. Now, that my work is completed, I fear the worst. Fearing each sound this creature might make, I slowly realise what I have done. I long to be free of the b...

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“It's Only Forever” by Katelyn Wright

Submitted to Contest #42

Haela found herself humming as she worked. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d hummed at all, let alone unintentionally, but she supposed it made sense. Jon had just stopped by the clinic for the first time in nearly two months, and they were going to spend the evening together. Jon had originally wanted to spend the entire day together, but despite the human nurses urging her to go, Haela couldn’t just leave in the middle of her shift. Jon had...

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“Abyss of Dawn” by Ibk Adebayo

Submitted to Contest #42

Click, click. Something felt wrong and Aria could sense it: was it the lack of warmth, the draft of icy air prickling her or how greasy and unwashed her scalp felt? A blinking neon red light captured Aria’s attention; the periodic shutter rousing her from her regular daydreams. For the first time, she noticed the cold, carpet-less floor beneath her bare feet, making her rub her hands against the creamy soles of her foot. Shifting her attention again to the light (which faintly illuminated the darkness of the room), she watched it. It was on ...

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“My Fifteenth Birthday” by Cate Donley

Submitted to Contest #42

My Fifteenth Birthday “Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday, dear Teddy, Happy birthday to you!” I open my eyes. It’s all so . . . beautiful! No one told me there were so many breathtaking colors. I never knew that candles burn orange to red and back again. I look over at my friends. Darcy has the greenest eyes! And Lana’s hair is shockingly red, just like the flames on my cake. My cake! It has so many colors, including—what’s that one called? Some kind of blue maybe? It will take me ages to learn all these col...

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“PenPal” by Lexus Russell

Submitted to Contest #42

"Jae! Over here!"The girl turned around with a smile, seeing her friend waving ecstatically at her. She dropped the sign and ran up to the boy yelling, "Hyunie!", both of them hugging the life out of the other, "So, Jae," He said, looking around at the new area, "What do you have planned for the day?"The girl smiled up at the taller boy and scratched her head, finally letting go, "Are you hungry? There's a bubble tea cafe a few blocks from here."Jaehee Seo was a girl born and raised in the United States. Her mother, the sweetest woman Jaehee...

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“Would You Like To Dance? ” by Duschia Bodet

Submitted to Contest #42

Once upon a time, a nation had two princesses. One was beautiful; the other was ugly. Now, don’t tell me that everyone is beautiful in their own way or that beauty comes from within. Even if you believe such things, the fact of the matter is that everyone who had seen this princess, thought she was ugly. Consequently, for all practical purposes Princess Helga was ugly, and no one knew this better than Helga herself. Her younger sister, Rosaline, had dated countless suitors. Many had proposed, but Rosaline hadn’t accepted any until now. The k...

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“Chroma - A Study in Nightmares” by Lyra Meyers

Submitted to Contest #42

The sky is grey.It’s not the grey of storm clouds. Not the pale grey that comes before heavy rainfall, nor the kind of grey that tells you to stay inside with a warm cup of tea. No, the sky is the dark, stony color of pencil lead on paper. It’s the color of ash.A girl runs as fast as she can down the street. She is not safe, she knows. Nowhere is safe anymore. She sneaks glances over her shoulder as she runs. She wishes she hadn’t.There are people following her, their pace far too quick for what looks like a shuffling gait. All of them are f...

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“Happy” by Bec Stock

Submitted to Contest #42

I couldn't hear what the marriage officiant was saying. Perhaps it was something about loving each other until the end of time. Or perhaps it was something about building a marriage based on respect and love. But at this point I didn't care. My mind was swirling with thought, my palms sweaty (so sweaty my fiancé actually let go of my hands to wipe his hands on his pants leg), and my heart pumped too hard in my chest that I could hear it in my ears. He was smiling at me. That smile I loved so much. That smile that drew me to him. Why was I he...

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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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