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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

“Red Is Creative” by Helen Grace Luceño

Submitted to Contest #44

Warning: Dark themes, viewer discretion is advised.Every second is a step away from tragedy.A dull thud reverberated through my head as I watch my brother's eyes widened for a second before melding into a crunch of pain, then crying. A four year old should not be crying in such pain in my eight year old mind, but I didn't find myself to care at the moment. The sound of the television was almost close to none, despite it being the loudest as we watched a cartoon show.My mother was cooking and mixing vegetables by the kitchen and I was standin...

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“The Way To Get To Prison Is This:” by Razvan Coloja

Submitted to Contest #44

When the bars closed in the evening with their familiar sound, she knew she had grown accustomed to them. It wasn't dark yet and her roommate - as much as she would have liked to call her that - was this five ton black woman that snored at night and rarely threw more than a grin in her direction. It wasn't cold, but the prison cell certainly felt like it every morning and when darkness set in. It must have been the color of the walls or the fact that everything was made out of steel that gave that impression - she didn't know for sure. The a...

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“My story of survival” by Christopher Lane

Submitted to Contest #44

Hi there! I am Chris and I am a brain tumor survivor. Yes, there are others and the number is growing by the day. But, not many of them can say they have survived for 42 years! To do that, you have to survive at a young age, which I did, at only ten months. My family noticed I was staring, I was looking off into space and then passing out. It was seizures. And, those seizures came with migraines. There was memory loss, there was lethargy, there was weakness, there was slow development.For 15 years, I struggled. I gave in to the fact that I w...

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“HYPE” by Earvin Eugene

Submitted to Contest #44

HYPEBy Earvin EugeneChapter 1: KeyOn an island there was mystic beauty. Majestic with beaches, palm trees, and clear skies. Who knew a legend would start here. Michael Brown was a man of the world. He was staying at shared home with other Americans and international individuals. They all came here with the same purpose of studying. It was part of this grant that advocated students to travel abroad to learn about new cultures. The material was complicated and conflicted with the relaxed atmosphere of Caribbean life. Moreover, classmates would...

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“A Bland Life” by William Elbert

Submitted to Contest #44

In the early morning when I looked in the mirror and was met with a scorching house fire. I became awash with flames and the slow realization that I, in fact, lived a rather bland life. I walked the same neighborhood and looked out the same window every day. I cooked and ate the same meals. I slept in the same bed and washed my face in the same sink. Nothing had or would change about my environment if I let it, except that the inferno had trapped me inside the four beige walls and white porcelain fixtures. I always told myself that one day I...

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“DIVIDED EMOTION ” by Wilson John

Submitted to Contest #44

The sour smell of a narrow gutter, the Shallow brightness of the half moon, the scaring noises of the midnight insects added to the gambling mind of Ritoye lying on his back quietly on the old mat made with cut out pieces of bamboo tree under his tiny roof. Hot tears slide through the v-end of his eyes sucket down to his ears. It was normal to be asleep at midnight of a day after the massive festival of Pava beans and sesame in respect to culture and tradition, but Ritoye was fully awake battling with t...

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“100 Years From Now...” by Anji Shah

Submitted to Contest #44

When I wake, the first thing that registers in my head is the sound of rain, drumming against the roof of our house. I stretch and sit up, yawning. I get up and head towards the door. I like seeing the rainfall, at least when I’m sheltered. My sister, Lilac thinks it’s weird. We’re twins. Our names don’t rhyme or sound too similar. Simple. Lilli and Lilac. My real name is Lillian, and my nickname is Lilli. It’s not spelled ‘Lily’ because the way ‘Lily’ is spelled just reminds me of those fancy girls way back, wh...

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“The Beginning of an Adventure ” by Annie Wang

Submitted to Contest #44

Ella concentrated on the swirling, violent hues of blue and green – reminding her of a painting of a sky she had seen in her dreams not long ago – and prepared herself to jump. On her right stood a boy named Ceil, his ashen hair falling perfectly above his eyes, not a drop of sweat on his boyish face. His visage showed no fear, and nothing about him would have given away that they were being chased had it not been for the large rip across his dirt-stained T-shirt.“You think we can make it, Ceil?” she yelled, her voice lost in the sounds of c...

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“1985” by Angela Britton

Submitted to Contest #44

On August 15th, 1985 a new addition came into Yvette's life. Although Yvette had a lot of experience taking care of a baby because at nine she was responsible for taking care of her brother which included getting up in the middle of the night to make his bottles, change his soiled cloth diapers, feed him , bathe him and some nights play with him until he decided to go back to sleep. Yvette even took him to school with her on the school bus once, no one even questioned it. Although she had previous experience and was excited about having a b...

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“Chose Myself” by Akriti Singh

Submitted to Contest #44

"And now, welcome on stage, one of the rising star of the music industry Miss AiSh...", These were the words I was always longing to hear. Today I'm one of the most popular singers in my country. It didn't happen suddenly, there was a day when I chose it. I chose myself over the bullying and harassment of the society. I belonged to a very old fashioned community, I was always surrounded by the taunts and curses due to my dark skin tone. In this century, this might sound weird or funny, but it's the whole sad truth. About 6 years ago, I was s...

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“Murder Mystery at the Convent” by Angela Morrissey

Submitted to Contest #44

I have seen unspeakable things in my life but the sight of an Anglican minister wearing a Hawaiian shirt capped with a clerical collar really takes the cake. Well, that and the stonewashed, denim jeans. Yet, here he is in my office. I wonder if this young, open faced man with blue-green eyes will fit into my secluded convent of sisters who still don the traditional black and white habit. ‘Well, Father James,’ I say, ‘we are not like any other order. We spend a lot of our time baking altar-breads, making vestments and a...

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“M a d W o r l d” by A. Quimby

Submitted to Contest #44

Christine Duvall was a young girl who saw the world as it truly was--dark, twisted, and cruel. She understood how to look past the façade that was everyday life. How the universe conspired against the human race, how it takes everything and everyone who you have ever loved, how it replaces happiness with an unbearable melancholy, a broken heart that will never heal, and the excruciating pain of the reminder of what once was. What seemed like a lifetime ago, she had suffered through not one but two tragedies; the loss of both of her pare...

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“A Nightmare” by M. Irfana Athiba

Submitted to Contest #44

"Fetch me some water Hasiya" ordered my grandmother. I would never listen to my grandmother's words as i used to think that she pretends as if she wasn't able to do her works on her own and she too won't make it as a big issue. So in a playful way i replied her that "I am busy in making invitations". I also said her that " Better you fetch the water on your own". She remained quiet and after few minutes She told me the quote of james baldwin "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imita...

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“The Skateboard is My Pillow” by Steven Pittaro

Submitted to Contest #44

"They said she was smiling, when they found her."I remain silent, unsure how to respond with anything besides anger. "Your mother fought her entire life, and handled it better than most. She's finally happy."I doubt that, I think, struggling to hold my tongue. My mouth remains closed, and eventually they leave. No final words. No last memory to hold onto. Just absolutely nothing. I don't remember the last thing I said to her. It was probably, see you next week, or something meaningless. The day of the death is always los...

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“THE LOCAL BREW ” by Faith Sanga

Submitted to Contest #44

The villagers gathered on 5th of May 2020 after the Kenyan Government broke the news about the abolishment of the local brews in the country. The reason for the abolishment was because it had killed many people making their children to be orphans and most students dropped out of school because of lack of school fees. Men also no longer cared for their families. The women were now the bread winners. They provided food, clothing and even paid school fees for their children. The rural areas were the most affected. The village of Siriat had thei...

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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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