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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#44: Just the Beginning

Two weeks ago, our theme was story endings. This week, we're circling back to the starting line and focusing on story beginnings.

From Zora Neale Hurston's "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board." To Jane Austen's "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." And George Orwell's "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Memorable lines stick with us because they're what propel us into the world of the story in the first place.

For more inspiration, check out our tips for crafting intriguing opening lines, and then dive into our beginning-themed prompts below!

This week's prompts

Write a story that starts with two characters saying goodbye.

Character – 248 stories

Write a story that starts with a life-changing event.

Novel – 175 stories

Write a story that starts with someone returning from a trip.

Character – 111 stories

Write a story that starts with a character-revealing something unusual about themselves.

Character – 142 stories

Write a story that starts by establishing its setting in a different time period — without explicitly stating what that period is.

Historical Fiction – 114 stories

Stories

“A Flat White and a "See You Later"” by Laura Albrecht

Submitted to Contest #44

I’m in line at Little Joy Cafe again. It’s 8:15 am, I have a work shift at 9. I don’t have time waste, but here I am, wasting it anyway. I check my phone notifications. CoStar’s horoscope is at the top. How do the planets line up for me today? The cracked skin around my thumbnail skims the screen of my phone as I scroll. Pressure in routine and social life. Trouble in love, sex, and money. Great. The line moves up, I’m only one person away from the counter now. It’s 8:16, I just want to get my coffee and leave.Little Joy is do...

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“True Love Has No Boundaries” by David Dicaire

Submitted to Contest #44

True Love Has No Boundaries Jaleel Karoob stood under the chaperone moon her long dark, curly hair slowly bouncing to the music of the night breeze and basking in the glow of the beaming moonlight. On the other side of the fence, Yosef Benin a handsome, slender individual stared at her with the courage of a lion. Their fingers interlocked, the grip powerful fuelled by love. “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” She always smiled when he quoted Shakespeare to her. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee...

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“The Time For Love” by Talia Vander

Submitted to Contest #44

“Are you sure you have to go?” she asked, her brown hair blowing softly across her face as she looked at him bathed in the glowing light of sunset. He gave her one of his signature smiles, heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. “I’m afraid so.” “Where will you go?” Worry laced her tone, but he noticed the tear crawling down her cheek, trying to make its way to the waves beneath their feet. “I don’t know. Wherever I’m needed, I suppose.” The waves moved the sand under him, but not his resolve. Time travelling is his life’s purpose, and for ...

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“Miami Revelations” by Vicki Wade

Submitted to Contest #44

“Hey, Dad, I’m going to be hooker,” is not something every father dreams of hearing. But in my case, it came as a blessing, because Dad knew I had to do what it took to get the job done right. Even so, the uniform was a bitch. It’s 1985 and the center of Miami is a cesspool of a swamp and not the kind of gators, mosquitoes, snakes and the garden-variety wildlife. This is the Miami that Scarface shit out after all the prisoners and miscreants from Castro’s boatlift became wards of Florida, giving new meaning to the words natur...

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“Becoming a prince” by Jesper Jee

Submitted to Contest #44

”The hardest part about becoming a frog was that his clothes no longer fit”Konstantine pondered this for a minute as he lay there, feeling his back grow hotter by the second. It was mid-day and the sun stood high in the July sky. Why on earth would that be the hardest part?, he asked himself examining the statement made by Roald just a minute ago. Surely, there were far more difficulties associated with becoming a frog all of a sudden. Forget about clothes; you wouldn’t be able to drive your car, go to work, book a table, make money, se...

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“GIFTED” by Iman Fatima

Submitted to Contest #44

GIFTEDJust one more day of normalcy, just one more day till being gifted. Just one more day till turning eighteen. I couldn’t believe I was going to get extraordinary abilities, one which normal humans couldn’t think of having.I wonder what gift I would get. It’s all random, our teacher says. But I disagree, thinking of the numerous rich and powerful people getting whatever gift they wanted. It’s all a conspiracy.My mother wakes me up and looks at me with concern.“You’re still thinking of the gifting ceremony tomorrow, aren’t you?” She asks....

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“Something Unusual ” by Lisa Hollis

Submitted to Contest #44

It is Monday, April 29, 2030 The time is 4:30 PM to be technical it is 16:30. At first glance, the building I am about to enter looks like a glorified hotel with every window exactly the same every shape and careful design in its place, every suite identical so there is no mistake, you can guess what any room looks like with 100% accuracy. Don’t let it fool you, it does look nice but it really is far more institutionalized than what meets the eye; upon entering, you must swipe in numbers and an automated voice will grant you entran...

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“the Return” by Gabrielle Hunt

Submitted to Contest #44

"Hey, honey, its me. just calling to let you know I'm boarding the plane in about 20 minutes. I can't wait to see you. I love you." Eli hung up the phone. Man that's really weird that Sydney didn't answer. She usually always answers my calls, he thought to himself. Eli Watterson was returning from a business trip in Los Angeles, California to New Orleans, Louisiana. God, had he missed his wife. Not a second went by that he didn't think of his dear wife Sydney. It had been at least two weeks since he seen her and was well over due for it. As ...

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“ALICE IN WONDERLAND 2019” by SHOMA CHATTERJI

Submitted to Contest #44

ALICE IN WONDERLAND - 2019 Alice was an incorrigible dreamer who dreamt when she was awake and dreamt in her sleep. It was a childhood ‘gift’ she could do nothing about or, rather, did not wish to wash off. Her dreams had made life away from home pleasant and cheerful. Her dreams were golden sunshine and liquid honey, because she never ever had nightmares. She had no idea about what nightmares were or what they were like. Her dreams were moonshine and pattering rain, slanted pencils of sunlight filtering in through the glass-covered Ven...

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“Settled” by Keith B.

Submitted to Contest #44

Alex stood outside of the door to the house he grew up in. The sunset glowed behind the large green trees across the street. He could smell steak and sweet corn coming out from the house. His mother was waiting inside. He was excited to show her the pictures of his trip. He’d been away for a whole month. The trip was glorious and somewhat life changing. It was the first time he took a trip outside of the U.S.He put the key in the door and walked inside. The delicious aroma from the kitchen hit him harder as well as the warmth he always felt ...

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“The Storm” by Helen Molly

Submitted to Contest #44

Bailey opened the door to his apartment, closing his umbrella while doing so. It was a cold, rainy night in the city of Kansas. Lightning lit up the sky, bolts streaking across. Thunder rumbled as Bailey shut the door and stepped inside. He took off his dripping rain jacket, hung it on its hook, and sighed heavily. He was glad to be back from his work trip. It was a week of talking to clients and making connections with potential buyers of the company's stock. He loved his job, but sometimes it was exhausting. Dropping his things on the tabl...

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“Coming and Going” by Tara Bronte

Submitted to Contest #44

Part 1Whoosh! An airplane landed swiftly down onto the dusty ground. There was a man in a torn, old looking suit, but who? The World War 2 had just finished after a long time of tragic ,and recently a lot of extraordinary things are just suddenly happening. The man was looking tired and with agony yet with a smile. That's when I realised that he was my best friends brother who fought in the World War 2. Although I didn't want to ruin such a heroic day for him but I just had to spread some tragic news. Before I told him about it, I of course ...

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“Mysterious Disappearance” by Zakaria Attioui

Submitted to Contest #44

Amber unlocked the front door and used her suitcase to push it open. She prepared her arms to hug anyone who ran towards the door thinking her little children would be waiting for her at the door after hearing her car park in to the front garage. She was wrong—the house was quieter than outside her home. “Honey, I’m home,” she said, closing the door behind her. She tossed her jacket to the closest couch. After four weeks on a business trip, she was ready to wrap her children around her arms. She glanced around the living room—the couches and...

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“Ended Up Making the Decision ” by Hannah Jao

Submitted to Contest #44

The 1966 Mustang pulled up into the driveway of an unusually tall house. A girl with long gleaming brown hair and beautiful brown eyes stepped out of the car, Marilyn, was her name. She walked along the gravel path, the ground crunching with every step she took. She reached out her hand to knock on the door, but it swung open before her hand met the wood. There, in the bright light, stood a dashing young man by the name of William.“Can I help you?”“No, I mean yes, can I come in?” stuttered Marilyn.“Yeah, I guess,” William mumbled, under his ...

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“Broken Soul” by Nkiruka Ezewuzie

Submitted to Contest #44

I killed my boyfriend's brother. I was 17 years old when I met my boyfriend. My brother was the child that my parents always wanted. I was just a thorn in their flesh and a stain they wanted to erase. It wasn't exactly my fault that I turned out as a rebel. I desperately wanted their attention and since I couldn't get it being the good child they wanted and decided to turn into the black sheep. My brother's name was Richard but I called him Ric. Ric was the star footballer in our school. He was everything. He was a star student and also amaz...

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$50

Prize money

790

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 05, 2020 EST

Won by D. Holmes 🏆

Title: A Gamble

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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