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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

“ Life changing event – Shema leaving the house” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #44

Life changing event – Shema leaving the houseShema left Verma family and fled with a guy! That was the news in the neighbourhood that spread like fire. “Oh really but why?”, “ Its unbelievable!”, “ she should not have done that!” . “That’s mean “ , these were the reactions of the neighbours. But why was everyone reacting so much?Well, lets introduce Verma family here. Verma family consist...

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“A Dream Weaver ” by 𝔸. Triangle

Submitted to Contest #44

Authors note: So normally I don't write author's notes, so this is quite new to me. I was challenged by Rhondalise Mitza to write about something positive. As she would've put it "Where's the love in the world, Anna?" Well, Rhondalise, it isn't in my writing but hey, I tried to write something so happy It would make you puke rainbows and fart butterflies. Well, here's your positive short story, enjoy it in your honeysuckle garden atop cloud nine as you enjoy fine dining with your adorable dogs from Narnia. Dreams litter the night sky like st...

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“A Sunflower” by Alby Carter

Submitted to Contest #44

The dark shadow clouded around my figure again, but it was getting weaker. I no longer succumbed to her menacing voice, as I had for much too long. Her perfectly chiseled cheeks beckoned me, but I was getting stronger. I might not outlast the spirit that had trapped me for so long, but I had a different focus now.I smiled the most genuine smile that I'd had in a long time. The spirit had no control over my emotions.“Goodbye,” I whispered, without the slightest hint of regret in my tone.“You don’t mean that,” the spirit played with my hair co...

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“Ignorance and Bliss ” by May Mills

Submitted to Contest #44

Ignorance is bliss, but ignorance is still ignorance. Two weeks ago, I was walking to my car in the nearly empty company parking lot; I had decided to take overtime. In a tech company like this, women like me were typically looked down upon, cast aside, and/or ignored, we had to work twice as hard to get half as far as the men. So, a little overtime would look really good when it came to giving me a promotion. After all, it’s not like I had anything better to do on a Tuesday night. I reached into my coat pocket for the keys to my d...

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“Someone returning from a trip – “Sarika and Omkareshwar”” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #44

Someone returning from a trip – “Sarika and Omkareshwar”Sarika our neighbor came one fine morning, to give Prasad to us that she had brought from Omkareshwar. We knew that Sarika was very fond of travelling and had visited most of the places in the world both in India, as well as abroad. She believed that “Travel” is the most effective way to grow mentally, physically as well as emotionally. When we asked her about her trip, she was more than happy to nar...

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“As The Clock Struck Zero” by Arya Preston

Submitted to Contest #44

An artless merlot. Vigilant in its nature as it stained the sterile carpet with child-like innocence while panic seethed into the air, besmirching the lungs of many aboard. It wasn't the violent jolts nor the abrupt descents that frightened her, but rather the frenzied roars of horrified men and women who pushed and shoved along the slender aisle towards their supposed saviour. Fear plagued her thoughts as she sank into the stiff seat. Her daughter squirmed against her strong grasp, babbling along to a nursery rhyme that drowned beneath...

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“PROMISES UNFULFILLED” by Asianzu Victoria

Submitted to Contest #44

She had been there through the dark and tough times and just as the mist clears in the morning, I had run away from her. I couldn’t bear to say a proper goodbye; I had silently listened to her sobs throughout the night. But duty had called and I had sworn an oath, my heart bled at the sight of leaving her. What could a man really do?We all have choices to make in this world, and every decision we make in life catches up to us one way or the other. I wasn’t blind to what awaited me when I decided to join the army. I knew a day would come when...

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“Sukhi - An unusual Character ” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #44

“ Sukhi – An unusual character ““Sukhi” was a strange man. not only from his looks but from his behaviour and entire personality as well.The first time, we saw him he was dressed quite weirdly. A total white safari suit , with a strange cloth tied around his head like a turban,. A brush like lean moustache , big hairy eyebrows and a wheatish complexion in totality, made him look like a participant in some fancy d...

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“the end of the tour” by Masha Kurbatova

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #44

It’s no bestseller, but enough people bought the book for thirteen east-coast bookstores to host me for an evening. It shouldn’t have been a three-month affair, but independent book publishers and piss-poor planning are synonyms. My agent told them yes of course I’d be okay spending five empty days in a Holiday Inn in West Virginia between readings. Whatever, I’m lucky to get a book tour at all. It was thirty people in the audience on a good day, about thirteen most of the time. By the time I loop bac...

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“War” by Crystal Lewis

Submitted to Contest #44

“Hole sweet hole,” shouted Danny, grinning through the mud and muck, an eternal optimist. I wanted to shoot him. It was one of those cold, rainy days that haunted us. The rain would pour down intermittently, just enough to catch us off guard. One good thing about the trenches was that it kept the worst of the wind off us, but it still drove the rain across. It was days like this that command told us to stay the most alert. “This is German territory. They know this land better than us and are more used to her crazy weather.” Easy for them to ...

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“THANATOPHOBIA. (Conclusion to Goodbye.)” by Agnes Ajadi

Submitted to Contest #44

“Can things get better? Yeah, you only have to let go of the fear.”If only! If only it was possible to reverse time, if only! Everything will still be very much intact. I won’t be this broken. I won’t be ruled by my many “what ifs?” I won’t be this lonely – the one thing I dread most. It wasn’t of my freewill to tell him that. Mars wouldn’t have. And I don’t know who I became then. I was just controlled by that strange feeling then. I can’t even decipher what it was. And as weird as it sounds, I still have that feeling but do not know what e...

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“The Euripides Requiem” by 𝗢wen 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #44

[Note: This story touches heavily on issues of depression and suicide.] By the time we had returned from the beach, the Earth was gone — in its place was an expanding ring of debris like a rusting sickle. We knew, of course. We’d known for months. But we hadn’t been prepared to see it. To really see it. The captain had taken the Euripides into a solar orbit manually. The AI, after trying to find an orbital insertion point around a missing planet, had fallen into a hopeless loop. In time, the rotation engines fired up, preparing to bring...

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“The Rain and the Reverie” by Tula Singer

Submitted to Contest #44

My mother came into the kitchen with a blank face. I was sitting at the table, having a toast with olive oil and cheese and a glass of cold water. “We’re leaving,” she said, and sat on the chair across from me. “We’re going to move in with Ahmad in New York.” I set my glass of water down and hid a couple of tears. “What?” “I am tired of Cuba, mi amor. I can’t anymore. I’m tired of going to millions of stores just to get detergent or tomato paste or butter…of waiting months to eat an egg or a piece of cheese. But why are you so surprised? Whe...

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“The Right Path” by Zea Bowman

Submitted to Contest #44

You know, I'd hate to kill you.But I will.The funny thing is, you think you don't know who I am. But you do. I assure you, you know exactly who I am.I am you.I wish I could save you, I truly do. But he has taken over my mind, my spirit. And now I must kill you.Oh, I'm sure you have many questions. I will answer them all in good time. First, I think I'll answer the most important question: How am I to kill you?It's very simple, really. I won't go into details; it'll be more exciting that you don't know what's coming. But let me say, it will n...

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“Just the Beginning” by Vicky S

Submitted to Contest #44

Shivering, despite the cloak draped over his shoulders, he strolled through the camp, his boots squelching in the thick mud and his wavy hair blowing in the cool breeze.“Good day sir!”, one man called out as he went past, bowing deeply.He nodded his head in response, trying to smile but his face seemed to have frozen. His stomach felt tight, almost as if it were tied in knots.“Some meat, sir?”, another man asked as he walked past a camp fire, a joint of meat turning on a spit above it, the aroma reaching his nostrils, making his stomach want...

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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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