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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#5: Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway's novella The Old Man and the Sea was published for the first time in Life Magazine on September 1st, 1952. The story went on to win the Pulitzer Prize the following year, turning Hemingway into a bonafide international celebrity. And remember, this story was published decades after some of his now most famous works, like A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bells Tolls. A good reminder that it's never too late to achieve literary acclaim!

To celebrate the last full-length work published during Hemingway's lifetime, this week's prompts reflect topics and themes from some of his best-known works. (No need to have read any of Hemingway's books to use these prompts, but if you're looking to get better acquainted with his works, check out this Hemingway reading guide!)

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone who finds life meaning in an unexpected place.

Fiction – 34 stories

Write a story about two unlikely people falling in love.

Romance – 40 stories

Write a story about someone who decides to confront their fears head-on.

Character – 35 stories

Write a story about someone striving for a "comeback."

Adventure – 11 stories

Write a story about someone who is tired of their day-to-day routines.

Sad – 36 stories

Stories

“Break Away” by Olga Gridin

Submitted to Contest #5

People always hurried somewhere, cars rushed by, the red smeared lights of cars driving by to the next preplanned activity… Time didn’t stop for anything. And in the midst of it all, there was the look of a small child at a street musician as if the musician were some kind of wonder in the hubble-bubble of the city jungle. The street musician was clearly enjoying what he was doing. If only the musician turned to look at the entranced child, there would be magic. And if the child’s mother was not pulling the latter away, as she wa...

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“Maisey ” by Katelyn Riley

Submitted to Contest #5

A whisper echoed. “Mommy!” Elizabeth’s eyes scan, unbelieving. She hears it again, slightly louder, “Mommy, where are you?” Elizabeth’s hand reaches for the closed door. “I hear you baby!” She bangs on the door, craving her daughter. As hard as she tries, the door doesn’t budge. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she takes a few steps back and lunges toward the locked door. It falls to the ground and she falls with it. On the other side, there was no child awaiting her with open arms. Instead, a windowless hallway grows in front o...

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“Bleating Brooklyn Accents” by Elizabeth McNerney

Submitted to Contest #5

I announce last call early that night. Everyone is talking about some storm that’s supposed to be coming. Apparently the weatherman called it the Storm of the Century but you’d never know it was a big deal. All the men are finishing up the evening, ready to wander home and get up early for work tomorrow. They’re all joking about the clear sky, calling it a harbinger of the hurricane to come. I’m laughing along like always but also thinking that these days, I’ll f...

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“Hope's Existence” by Adam Ramer

Submitted to Contest #5

The door of her Honda closed with a thud, sealing her inside the lukewarm air laced with the scent of a cheap cinnamon air freshener and hand sanitizer. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against the steering wheel. If she had been new to this, she would have cried. She would have lashed out and beat her fists on the interior of her car until her hands were bruised. Now, there was only a sense of falling through thick, stifling air. It felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She’d just left a patient’s house. It was a routine homecare visi...

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“Untitled” by Corin Carpenter

Submitted to Contest #5

There was a buzz beneath his skin. Movement abated it, but the tremors of restlessness refused to cease. He’d already worn a ditch in his floor with his tireless pacing. It wasn’t enough. He found himself reaching for his keys, and was already walking out the door before he allowed himself time to consider that he needed to be out of bed by six the next morning. As he sped down the road, it occurred to him more than once that this was a waste of gas, and that he was far above the speed limit. He hadn’t bothered to put his seat belt on,...

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“Umbrella, rain or shine” by Christina Matheson

Submitted to Contest #5

I’m not sure when it started; the despair. I guess it had been the slow-building kind, filling in the pit of my stomach until it was overflowing and making me sick. Getting out of bed for a job I didn’t care for had never made things easy, but this feeling was something else. A marked solemnity each time I woke. I couldn’t seem to remember how to be happy. I laid there quietly, trying to keep out the day. All I wanted to do was sleep. I imagined myself heaving dirt over and over, the sound of earthy clumps landing with a heft over my grave. ...

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$50

Prize money

156

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 06, 2019 EST

Won by Yves. ♙ 🏆

Title: World Got Smaller

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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