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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

“Nuthatch Lane ” by Katelyn Davis

Submitted to Contest #44

Aina’s at the tree. Aina’s at the tree.Aina’s at the tree.Aina’s at the tree.When she woke up she was lying on a large Wingbeak leaf. The sand beneath her movedin a gentle motion and for a moment she wondered if she had somehow drifted off to sea. Aina dipped her hand down into the sand and was surprised at how smooth it felt. Cautiously, Aina put both feet into the sand and stood up. She was surprised to find solid ground despite the fluidity it seemed to possess. Aina looked up to find a massive Wingbeak tree and in its branches there seem...

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“A Cheat” by Elisha Arwynne Roma

Submitted to Contest #44

Aubrielle sighed as she stretched. She is returning from her trip to Italy a day early, wanting to surprise her long-time fiancée, Mark. A goofy smile was on her face as she stepped down from the airplane, already imagining what Mark would look like. She was hoping that he wouldn’t mind that she didn’t inform him of her early arrival, after all, this was to be a surprise. Truth be told, it was also asurprise on her part when her secretary informed her that the business trip wascut short because the clients had already agreed to the cont...

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“Home” by Margaret McCready

Submitted to Contest #44

“Home.” The word felt so good to say as I stepped onto the ground for the first time since my plane left Bermuda. People bustle around me making me feel lost in the crowd. Finally, on my way out of the secure area, I spot the very person I can’t wait to see, Greg. I run to him as fast as the wheels on my suitcase will let me and throw my arms around him. “You came!” I cry. “I couldn’t miss my girlfriend’s arrival home, could I?” I raise an eyebrow at him and we start walking in the direction of his car. “So, tell me all about it! The museums...

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“SELF LOVE ISN'T SELFISH. by: NAVYA BAGARHATTA” by NAVYA BAGARHATTA

Submitted to Contest #44

"It was a quite long trip" thought Ray who was returning from a one-month trip. At her early age she was a cheerful girl but as she grew up, she started becoming introvert. From past several months she was feeling a little depressed, so she thought of giving herself some time, just to seek some peace and happiness. So, she decided to visit Uttrakhand, in her opinion it was the best place to visit as she was venturesome and never used to step back when it comes to daredevil things and also she can expose herself to good vibes and positive tho...

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“Kingdom of Miracles” by Eyona Choi

Submitted to Contest #44

I flop onto the small square of dying grass that we call our yard, dropping my suitcase and resting my weary feet. The gloomy sunset is giving way to night, leaving breadcrumbs of scarlet clouds floating in the plumb-haze soupy sky. “I’m back!” I call. On cue, a little boy sprints up to me, yodeling, “You’re home! You’re home! You’re home!” at the top of his lungs. I warmly embrace him, inhaling that soothing scent of his- baby shampoo, the slightly burned orange-chocolate muffin he just g...

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“The Knitted Dolls” by O. Carter

Submitted to Contest #44

My absolute, for-ever, eternally favorite person was home. Finally. After a year of traveling around India, my aunt was where she belonged. She had left, she said, because there were people who needed her help. Less fortunate others that needed homes and food, warmth and love.I ran down the stairs, amazingly without tripping, and into her arms. "Oh! You missed me enough to run!" She likes to tease me about my laziness. I explain to her that I just haven't found anything that sparks a big interest in me. Except her. Her stories are the only t...

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“ Hart of Africa” by Fedorca Paula

Submitted to Contest #44

“Thank God I’m home. What a hellish trip. Hello? Henry? You home?”“Laura? Is that you? Where have you been? I thought you hadleft me. It’s been a month since you went to Angola to help your aunt.”“I know Henry, I am truly sorry; I’ve literally thought I would never be able to come back.”“I’m so glad you’re back home with me.”“Me too, darling. I love you so much. I’ve missed you”.“Henry, darling, if it’s not too much to ask, could you give me half an hour to shower and change into something more comfortable? Then I will tell you the...

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“I'm Home” by T. B. Atlas

Submitted to Contest #44

It was the brightest day I’d ever seen in months. I stood on a hill, at the precipice of the woods, and in the distance, the house where I lived stood in a clearing. My family would be inside, with my wife boiling a pot of venison for dinner. My son would be in the back digging deep in the soft ground for frogs.I wouldn’t know what to tell them.The clouds almost parted, revealing the shimmering silver sun beneath. Winter was ebbing, covering the grassy laden paths of the forest with slush. And when morning came the fog came with it, creeping...

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“Mistaken Identity” by Amy Strong

Submitted to Contest #44

Throwing her bag on the couch, Ellen took in the stillness of the room. She wasn’t sure what she expected however after being gone for 3 months she thought some sort of fanfare had been in order. Looking over at her answering machine, she saw the blinking red light. Her friends thought it was too old school to have an actual landline in her house, much less an answering machine. They had not been the subject of a very active stalker either. She hoped they never understand her need to get unplugged and go away.Pushing the button to listen to ...

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“One Night” by Mohammad Hamza Zakir

Submitted to Contest #44

The phone rang unexpectedly. It always does.I woke up with a start on the living room couch, simultaneously reaching out towards the coffee table where I guessed my phone was lying. Thankfully, it was right there. One look at the caller ID was enough to make me get up. I pressed the green icon on the screen and looked around. The television was on, with CNN on mute.“Gabe, you would not believe who I just ran into,” came the excited voice from the other end. “I’m not sure if you….never mind, you’ll find out for yourself soon.”I sighed. Typica...

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“Business as usual” by Marjolein Maassen

Submitted to Contest #44

He slowly loosened his tie and let it fall to the bed. It landed next to his unopened suitcase. He knew he should be unpacking his things. It was past midnight – courtesy of a delayed flight – and his alarm was set to go off in less than six hours. Instead, he just stood there. Staring down at his trolley suitcase – tightly packed to maximise the available space and avoid having to check in any bags – and his silk tie, its deep maroon colour contrasting with the white of his cotton sheets. At the very least he should move his suitcase to the...

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“Wanderer’s Musings” by Fumi Ersan

Submitted to Contest #44

“I think I’m a psychopath.”My voice echoed out into a lonely room, the sound of my own words resounding back into my ear. I look towards the side to see the reaction of my companion, to which she just looks blankly back at my face and replies.“What brought about this conclusion?”“I mean, think about it.” It all makes sense if you’ve really thought about it.“I have thought about it, and figured out that it’s easier for the both of us for you to explain it.” She places down a book she was reading onto the side; well, she wasn’t actually readin...

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“Stuffed” by Jen Todd

Submitted to Contest #44

I eat cotton balls. Not swabs or rounds or cloth, just balls. I eat regular food too. I’ve never turned away a cheesecake or pizza in my life, but there is something about the fluffy simplicity of a cotton ball that makes me want to feel it inside my mouth and ingest it. This started not long after I was in a car accident as a young child. Dr. Williams, my shrink, thinks it’s a coping mechanism, but I know lots of screwed up people and none of them eat random objects. Although who’s to say their coping mechani...

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“Blind Eye” by Trent Thomas

Submitted to Contest #44

As I walked towards the large neon sign flickering in the dark alley, I couldn’t help but notice the words ‘color fantasy’ buzzing in and out of existence. The letters were bright red with a blue border making them pop out at me. As I neared the door, I noticed the years of rust and paint flaking off onto the concrete doorstep. I knocked twice and pulled my hand away, watching as paint chips floated to the ground. &n...

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“Tobacco Road” by Melanie J. Walker

Submitted to Contest #44

I drive the truck of a dead man. A man I met over twenty years ago. A man that became a second father to me. One that would fish with you by dawn, and tip back the whiskey with you at dusk. That’s where I met him, actually, at Woody’s Tavern down by the swamps. I was twenty-one and barely legal. He had just moved to the area, hearing the fishing was good and he was looking for a low-key place to retire to. Maybe low-key was the soul connection I was needing, what made us fast friends. We sat at the bar that night, him crying in his beer over...

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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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