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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

“After the Forest” by Sara Franson

Submitted to Contest #5

Juliane skipped a rock over the cobbled streets of her small but ever-growing village. She watched it bounce between the cracks and fissures and roll to the base of one of the bushes that bordered her home. She sat on her stairsteps gazing up at the sun setting over the horizon of trees surrounding her town in a ring. Her gaze dropped to the edge of the forest and shivered. The other villagers were right. The forest was daunting and unnerving. She would never dream of going near it (later: she didn’t dream of going near it. She would walk th...

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“IT WAS NIGHT TO REMEMBER” by Azemina Klobodanovic

Submitted to Contest #5

I grew up in a patriarchal family where it was known who was "head" at home. Of course, it was a father. All asked him for everything, and my mother had a role to play at home, but a minor. She was illiterate, grew up in the village, and married in a city for a man whom this was not the first marriage. He had six children from his first marriage, who my mother ''inherited'' by entering into this marriage because their mother had died, so she additionally received also the role of step-mother. She was humble, listening to her husband wit...

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“The Last Eclipse” by Iliana Bond

Submitted to Contest #5

I knew that no matter what, we would fight. The war was beginning, and no one could stop it. I stared at the moon, almost completely covered by the Earth’s shadow, a shadow that would be our downfall. The crickets chirping innocently, and the porch swing squeaking without a care in the world. I opened my journal, I put the date on top of the smooth white page.Dec 3rd, 2102 I ruffled my hair black hair. My pen flowing as I wrote, so that anyone who survived would know my story. The eclipse is almost done. I say we have about another 30 ...

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“The Author Appears in Court” by Sam Frances

Submitted to Contest #5

“Does Ms. Rose intend on gracing us with her presence? Mr. Lasseter, were you not bringing her here today?” The judge peered over his glasses at Trick, disdain burning in his glare.“I could more easily control the tide by means of a bucket than direct the movements of Lynn Rose,” Trick replied coolly. The judge squinted at the boy, who kept his face blank and patient. Finally, he nodded toward the door. “Ah… that being said, if you’ll excuse me, Your Honor, I’ll call her.”But Lynn Rose’s timing was as infamous as her writing. As if directed ...

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“A DARK STORY OF FEAR ” by Maitreyee Joshi

Submitted to Contest #5

It was a rainy day; and that had raised Mrs Patel's anxiety. After the scorching heat of the summer, it finally started raining in the month of July. Puddles formed on the road in front of Mrs Patel's apartment; and tree leaves glistened with their emerald green after being washed by the rain. A string of rain drops hanging from the telephone and electricity wires shone with an occasional ray of Sun. Birds fluttered their wings after bathing in the puddles; and the wheels of the racing cars and two wheelers splashed muddy water on the walker...

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“Rites of Passage” by Michael Williams

Submitted to Contest #5

The curse had found Blake in his first year at the all boy’s high school. The class roster in each class remained the same throughout the day. For each student, his class was a second family. Rather than have a gym class every day, each student had their gym class just twice each week. The advantages were less locker room time each week and a longer gym class time. The extended gym class allowed for full basketball games and greater sweat production. Showers would be requir...

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“Two Forks” by Jillian Rose

Submitted to Contest #5

There were two forks. And that's how it all started.It is well beyond interesting, the human brain. How it works. How it organizes itself and creates a world out of our understanding of it. A world, not the world, mind you. But still, a world all the same. And in these two worlds, we live our lives. The one we experience because our of what our synapses are telling us about it, and the one that we physically take up space in. They work together, these two worlds, They take pieces from each other and form some sort of whole that is ...

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“The Shadows That Lurk Inside” by Jesus Chapa-Loya

Submitted to Contest #5

I opened the door and went up the stairs to my room. After finishing my homework, I came down to get some food. On the fridge was a note from my mother saying that she would be working all night at the hospital. I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and went back to my room. I played video games for a while until I saw that the sun was going down. Before it got completely dark outside, I turned on all of the lights in the house. I suffered from Nyctophobia, the fear of the dark, but unlike most people, I can see in it. I can see the crea...

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“Irrational Fear” by Marjorie Kabwe

Submitted to Contest #5

If love could throw stones, they would be very large boulders. Elise Brent-wood, a socially awkward teenager in her sophomore year, the queen of nerds and secretly one the leading players in the mobile gaming community, became love’s latest victim. On most weekends, she would spend her free time at home gaming or reading the most boring scientific works known to any average American teenager. But today the most dreadful thing that could happen to a introvert happened to Elise, neighbourhood barbecue picnic.“Alright Elise, you have two hours ...

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“Future Fears” by Jessica Martin

Submitted to Contest #5

Samantha startles awake. She is disoriented until her senses slowly start reconnecting her to reality; like the light from the streetlamp outside her window, the sound of the train rushing past her dorm room apartment, the smell of eucalyptus from the diffuser her mom bought her for her cold, and the feel of her jersey bed sheets damp with her sweat. As the puzzle of the physical world around her fell into place, the memory of her dream also takes shape. Samantha reaches underneath her pillow, her hand sliding back and forth across th...

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“A Shift in the Universe” by Ezra Lee

Submitted to Contest #5

Amaya strums on her guitar, the thin wires rubbing her calloused fingers. She closes her eyes and repositions herself on her bedroom floor. She knows the tune so well that she could play it from memory. It is a soft song with only a few lyrics, which she admittedly forgot a long time ago. Now, she only remembers the sorrowful sound of each chord.When Amaya was a little girl, her grandmother would always tell her to come over on Saturdays for tea. As they ate small pastries and drank bitter tea, Nana would tell Amaya all about her many great ...

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“Coming Home” by Sandra Lester

Submitted to Contest #5

It had been a long uphill trudge for Gena Carpenter. The day had finally arrived. She was moving into a place of her own. She was so grateful for this day, she was nearly in tears. How hard she'd worked for this day. It became hard to see to pack, as the tears welled up in her eyes. When she was finished packing her things into the bags that she'd purchased, she sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at the empty, bare cabinet where her belongings had been for the last four months. This is ...

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“"It used to be easier..." ” by John Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #5

"It used to be easier..." I thought as I worked my way up the aisle. I stopped to look down at the faces who held in wonder at the caricature I had become. Ten years ago, this wouldn't have entered my mind, I wouldn't be here, in this role, working to keep it all together, to keep from falling apart. The roar of the crowd, the “boos”, and being showered from everything from beer to popcorn, I swore I would never sink this low again. I remember why I’m doing this, and suddenly the sounds and faces fade away...

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“All Rise” by Michael Bertolone

Submitted to Contest #5

All Rise By Mike Bertolone 9:30 a.m., sharp. “All rise”, the redheaded court officer shouted. All at once, the courtroom of 50 upstanding citizens, attorneys, clerks and witnesses snapped to attention. “New York State Supreme Court is now in session. The Hon. Sarah T. Jamison presiding. Be seated.” Matt Johnson stood by the entrance door to the courtroom. He was a 17-year veteran court officer with little tolerance for the b.s. dished out by defendants, arrogant atto...

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“If Walls Could Talk” by Miya Jordan

Submitted to Contest #5

Gretchen Goulding watched as the sun set past the trees. The sun rays dulling to mix with the clouds creating a color spectacle of orange bursting into purple, creating a mirage of dreams in the evening sky. The brunette sat on the ledge of her window, she could hear her laptop chiming. People were still spewing hate. Something they wouldn’t have the balls to do to her face. Her face stained, possibly mirroring a clown, but nobody saw her that’s all that mattered. Her father was ashamed, to say the least, she had two jobs when going to...

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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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