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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

“Fugitive, Guard” by Lily White

Submitted to Contest #5

Putting her hands in her skirt pockets, Katie Zima walked quietly for a while. I don’t have duty tomorrow.. Maybe I can go back to the Rowdy Raven for a few more drinks. She looked up when she heard ravens cawing at each other. Smiling softly, she made her way to the bar again, taking much less time than it took to get her friend out. Sitting back down, she ordered another drink, listening contentedly to the music and chattering. "Hello there." Said a voice. She gla...

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“Anywhere ” by Gaia Sicolo

Submitted to Contest #5

The orange light of the sunset seems to soften as it washes over the neighborhood, rows after rows of the same suburban houses. For a moment they look like perfectly squared, immaculate cubes of bright whites and pinks, then Harper blinks and every detail that makes a house comes into focus: terracotta roof tiles, the texture of the plaster, an array of aligned windows. Right as they think there should be flowers poking from behind the glass they spot some from the corner of their eye. Their best friend, Neta, is standing next to them, one f...

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“Love Knows No Bounds” by TANYA A.

Submitted to Contest #5

“Order up!” Ron yelled. Trisha was so tired that she could not see straight, but she made it to the counter to get her customer’s order. She had worked a double today at the diner because Brenda, the other server, called in, yet again. Plus, she could use the extra money. The books for this semester’s classes were crazy expensive. Trisha, or Trish as everyone called her, was in her last year of school to complete her bachelor’s degree. She wasn’t your traditional college student, at the age of 26, but she figure...

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“Angels and Demons” by Julianna Murray

Submitted to Contest #5

"Angels and Demons. Enemies since the beginning of time. But why? No one really knows.""Then how do we know we're enemies?""I'm not explaining our entire history to you child."I huff and cross my arms over my chest. The old lady turns and walks away. I guess I'll ask someone else then. I turn and walk out of the building. I walk around in the darkness,little red lamps light up the sidewalk and street slightly. I end up at one of the elders houses. I knock on the door. Its pulled open roughly a minute later."What do you want?"An angry voice a...

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“The Lost and the Found” by T O

Submitted to Contest #5

Cal... It has been three years since the war. Three years since I lost my family. Three years since I lost all I had to live for. Aug. 2, 1999- I strolled down the wet, musty street, and looked over my shoulder as I heard the rumbling of what I thought was a car. But as I looked back, I realized it was not a car, but a heavy machine. A tank. It seemed to tower over everything in sight, seemingly a hundred feet tall. I stood there with my mouth gaping open, eyes wide, and a thought in my mind, why is the tank here? I didn’t know that day...

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“Exorcism by Fire” by Barbara Mealer

Submitted to Contest #5

Shelby stood at the edge of the precipice, staring at the rocks below. It would be so easy to step off, enjoying the few seconds of total freedom on the trip down before the hard stop at the bottom. Too easy. Maybe that was the reason she kept walking away and going back to the hell she inhabited. Today she should get rid of a demon or two…or so she hoped. The narrow winding path from the overlook dropped steeply to the valley floor. She veered into the woods where she hid to keep from being hurt. An hour later, she strode across the open fi...

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“Fear is just a piece of paper!” by Pooja Thube

Submitted to Contest #5

Jake, 8 years old, was a brave boy most of the time. He does not fear to dive in the deepest swimming pool. He never fears the heights of skyscrapers. Spiders were his best friends and he had no fear of cockroaches or math tests. Jake doesn’t fear the dark; on the other hand, he painted his room in the shades of black. He could face every adventure. So, Jake was a really very brave boy for his age. But there is one thing he afraid of!Only mom knew Jake’s fear. He was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. He was adorable and mom-dad loved him...

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“Childhood Memories” by Riley Whitecotton

Submitted to Contest #5

The thing about childhood homes is that they are depressing. Some homes were worse than others. There was never a time in which Jade had ever enjoyed even thinking about going back to where she was born. It may have something to do with the neighbors who hated her or the school that taught her to trust nobody. But, as she stood in front of the two-story house, Jade knew that the reason she dreaded this day had nothing to do with the community around the home. It had all to do with that house. It sat as a monument to all the things she...

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“So, Be a Writer” by Debra Williams

Submitted to Contest #5

She was troubled. Worried even. She didn’t know whether she should or shouldn’t. She turned her head toward the clock. 10:10 PM. Late for her. She reached into the top desk drawer and took out her reading glasses and propped them on her nose. She’s going to do it. Whether she should or not. She thinks really, she is going to do it. Despite that feeling in the pit of her stomach. That sinking feeling that is always there, especially these days when absolutely nothing is certain. She got through that first paragraph. She didn’t even know what...

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“WITHOUT YOU” by Msoo Aondoakaa

Submitted to Contest #5

CHAPTER ONE LIMERENCE IMPERFECT PERFECTION best qualified the love duo Drake and Diana. Love lived with them. They inhaled and exhaled love, ingested and digested it, slept and woke with it and saw it in each other’s eyes. Fate crossed their paths on a day Diana left l...

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“Burn it Down” by Trischa Buhler

Submitted to Contest #5

Olivia Madsen woke up most mornings from a tumultuous night of tossing and turning. She had an itemized list that she had to go through - she didn't need to follow the written list line by line anymore, but it was tucked into her bedside table, just in case she needed it. Each item had to be followed in order, and you weren't allowed to skip to an item without doing the one previous.Item one: Open your eyes. Sounds like just about the easiest thing in the world...most mornings it's easier to do than the morning before. She looked up at the w...

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“I Got a Hug From a Stranger Today” by Ruben Stemple

Submitted to Contest #5

My life is suddenly boring. I once held a job that brought daily challenges, each one bigger and more exciting than the last. I was the grab the bull by the horns, whatever it takes guy. I would charge in anywhere with a calculated combination of knowledge, corporate funding and bullshit to get the job done. I have done proverbial battle with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, fashion models, and even once with honest-to-God royalty. I cared about my job, knew everything about my clients, and had the answers before the questions were asked...

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“The unoiled hinges” by Fatma Tabassum

Submitted to Contest #5

Miriam gazed longingly at the potted azaleas on her kitchen’s window sill, pink and bright, blossoming boisterously. It wasn’t the blooming flowers which captured her attention every morning, when she would sit beside the kitchen window, with a cup of steaming coffee, but memories rooted to them. Memories of far lost days when life didn’t feel bland, didn’t feel a dreamless night and when she and Nathan had planted the azaleas- it was his favorite. But today, she wasn’t glaring at them to rekindle her memories. Apart from the fragrance of th...

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“Pennie Gets a Life” by Daniel Brown

Submitted to Contest #5

Dishwashing wasn’t the intended end-all-be-all for Pennie Udeba but neither her student loans nor her books for class or rent would pay for themselves. It turns out living in a fifth-floor apartment five minutes from campus has more drawbacks than she previously imagined. In fact, she has realized within her fresh three months she’s lived away from her father’s house has been a succession of heartrending firsts. One of them, in her first month out of her dad’s house, once he drove Pennie to her new place, has been the adrenaline-pumping...

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“Courage ” by Anna.J. Shevardina

Submitted to Contest #5

It was a rainy day and the sun was hidden behind thick, gray clouds. The streets were almost empty and only a few people were outside. They were running towards their cars or homes to find shelter from the rain that was yet to come. There was only one person that did not run, only one person who stood their ground and kept working; that person was Tony Maple.Tony was a young man only 19 years old. His physique was average and so was his clothing. He did not seem special. He was not a person you would turn your head for, to be fair though he ...

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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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