Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#50: A Moment Like This

Throughout this contest, we’ve read wonderful entries that provide sweeping overviews of characters' lives (such as "The Tree"), as well as submissions that offer glimpses into distinct life-phases (like "Time Bomb"). We’ve also been captured by stories book-ended by the start and end of one particular moment in time: such as "The Price of a Nice Guy" (a woman gets a flat tire and parks on the side of the road), "Who Speaks to Death" (a story told through a single text conversation), and "To You" (a 50th birthday party).

In the spirit of those last three examples, this week's prompts challenge you to embrace the short story's ability to really dive into and explore one single scene.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a proposal.

Valentine's Day – 211 stories

Write a story about an argument that seems to be about one thing, but is actually about another.

Dialogue – 121 stories

Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.

High School – 162 stories

Write a story told entirely through one chase scene.

Thriller and Suspense – 143 stories

Write a story about a summer afternoon spent in a treehouse.

Summer – 303 stories

Stories

“When the Sun is Possible” by Ema Fancher

Submitted to Contest #50

Sai wove her way through tight crowds. Loose pants covered her legs, and the jacket she’d stolen hid the serial number running down her forearm. Large pockets concealed everything she needed: knives, the device, and her Sun. She just hoped the disguise would get her to the gate. After that, all her luck depended on the device Slippery Wren assured her would mask her signal. She’d trusted Wren this far and he’d never let her down. This type of tech required a special level of skill though, it wasn’t guaranteed to work. But any c...

Read story

“Running from the truth ” by Neela Sanders

Submitted to Contest #50

My legs are weary and my arms are heavy, yet I keep running. Running from nothing, towards nothing. Running into being and away from it. Running towards happiness and away from happiness. Running from that which all humans consciously or subconsciously run from. I am running from the truth. I turn down the corner of Elm and Maple, watching the dark green sign draw closer. I clutch the wreath of ink black roses I’m holding to my chest, unaware of the thorns digging into my skin. Suddenly, I’ve reached the sign, adorned with flowers and photos...

Read story

“ESCAPE” by BATHABILE MTETWA

Submitted to Contest #50

“Come on Emma this is not the time to slow down hurry!!” Beccah knew they were going to be caught any second if they ran any slower. “We are almost there, we can’t slow down now”. Beccah dragged Emma with her freehand and ran like never before. The other hand was tightly clutching a mini backpack. They were both out of breath when they reached the fence. They had no idea where they were headed but they had to get out of there. “All we have to do now is climb over this fence; there should be a main road around here somewhere. We ...

Read story

“Summer Ghost Story” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #50

August 23, 1964. James, Christopher, Stephen, and Marten sat along the walls of the old tree house built by the boys and their fathers five years before, sweating in the enclosed wooden box under the late summer sun. The four twelve-year-olds were trying to enjoy their last bit of summer vacation before the start of school in early September. The thought of beginning seventh grade loomed over the juveniles like a storm cloud on a sunny day of fun. ...

Read story

“Nervous Acorns Fall First” by Carrie Kerns

Submitted to Contest #50

I inhaled through my nose. I kept the air inside of me for what seemed like years, but let it out as soon as I decided to open the gate and walk into my back yard. I don't know why I was so tense to enter my own backyard, but for some reason I couldn't shake the fear out of myself. Attempting to push the worries from my mind, I slid my shoes off and stepped into the cool grass. It tickled the soft bottoms of my feet. I continued further into the yard, and as I did, a strong gust of wind whipped the pink cardigan from my waist. I let it float...

Read story

“Base for a Day” by Amy Tran

Submitted to Contest #50

I lifelessly sprawled across my front lawn, occasionally rolling around in an effort to get as much dead grass in my hair as possible. I'm not quite sure why exactly my heart was filled with a sense of triumph whenever I felt all those wild strands sticking out of my hair. I guess I have a somewhat masochistic, rogue side that feeds on my mother's harsh scolding. Today, my brother ditched me to go to his friend's house. He's two years my senior, a ninth grader, and despite his cocky attitude towards me I believe myself to be his intellectu...

Read story

“Leisure Memorised” by Sachin Bakshi

Submitted to Contest #50

It was 17th June 2014, one of the hottest days of Indian summers. My friend who came back home from U.S. on 15th June called me and offered me to accompany him for a visit to his farm house in Siswan village area on way to Baddi from Chandigarh. I accepted his offer and we left Chandigarh at 10:00 a.m. . At 10:40 a.m. , we reached his farmhouse. There was a tree house in his farm, which his father had made by a team of people specialised in wooden crafts from Saharanpur. It was a dream tree house to see . I was mesmerized to see the beauty o...

Read story

“The Rattlesnake ” by Kameron Metcalf

Submitted to Contest #50

The wind blew by in soft gusts, carrying the gentle smell of freshly cut grass to Micah’s nose. The sun was out in full force, and he had taken refuge in the wooden structure that used to house him on days just like this so many years ago. The old treehouse had actually held up rather beautifully. He looked around at the beams and felt a smile spread across his lips as memories came flooding back to him. He was too tall to stand in the treehouse. At 6 foot 4, he was a grown man, and he considered briefly what it had been like to have ...

Read story

“Forgotten Moments ” by Meredith Heffernan

Submitted to Contest #50

It looked exactly the same as it did last year. Save for a few cobwebs in the corner, and dust collected on the floor, everything was just as I had remembered. I don't know if that makes me feel better or not, because it was not the same treehouse. Everything had changed in that treehouse.This is where we spent all those afternoons talking about our dreams, our ambitions. Now, it was just a shell of what it once was. A safe haven.The sun shone in through the makeshift window, painting the room an orange hue, yet it was darker than I've ever ...

Read story

“Solice in the Treehouse” by Pamela Alcasey

Submitted to Contest #50

Solice in the Treehouseby Pamela Alcasey I climbed up the ladder to the treehouse in a rush and sat down on the old coloring pages faded from the sun and the years. The breeze blew relief into my face and I let out a sigh. It was good to finally be alone in a place with good memories. Both of my boys, now in their 40’s played in this treehouse on summer afternoons. John, my husband built this treehouse with the help of our older son. They worked every weekend until it was finished. There were many injuries as a re...

Read story

“Spirit Board In Summer” by Marian Reiley

Submitted to Contest #50

"You gotta do it!" Darik said. "If you don't I'll tell everyone you're a weenie!" Billy, not at all interested in scary things, had been over to visit his friend Darik. The pair had been friends since kindergarten. Now they were sixth graders; almost teens! While there was no one else Billy would like to hang out with on a lazy June day, he hated when Darik made him do things. He wasn't going to chicken out though, not in their secret tree house. They had built it together in Darik's backyard, it was where they did all the stuff they didn'...

Read story

“the last day” by Rachel Alex Wall

Submitted to Contest #50

The tree house was well built, sturdy with a hidden trapped door that could lock from the inside. A balcony wrapped around it. The friends were standing on the balcony, lagers in hand chatting about the weather, how English of them. It was a hot day, about 1 pm. The group glistened with sweat. There were four of them, Abbie who was petite but tough. A tomboy. William, Tall, strong a natural leader. John a rotund boy with thick glasses and an asthma inhaler addiction and Wendy slightly smaller than William but taller that the others, a gymnas...

Read story

“An Unexpected Disaster ” by Fatima Sajid

Submitted to Contest #50

“There, I think that’s pretty much everything.” Gwen remarked, gazing at the furniture she and her friends had just brought up to the tree house in her backyard. Her parents had always known that their only daughter, Gwen, was a huge fan of nature and the outdoors. So, a few weeks ago, for her Quinceañera, they decided to gift her her very own tree house. Gwen was ecstatic. The following weekend she decided to call a couple of her friends over for a post-Quinceañera celebration.“Phew, glad that’s over with. That was exhausting.” Megan ...

Read story

“Lost Feelings” by Sahil Islam

Submitted to Contest #50

Summer afternoons are maybe the best time for children. Slight blows of wind, setting sun, ice-creams are the memoir of summer to everyone. But as we grew up, somehow the fun vanished in the air. I was no exception of this. This story is about me, who found that fun after being a grown up.I, Vivek, am an college student, tensed by the pressure of career. Yesterday I was a little bit spaced out, thinking of my childhood days. Suddenly a plan stuck into my mind. I made a conference call with my friends. They live in the same society as mine. I...

Read story

“Mischief in the treehouse. ” by Duckie Carson

Submitted to Contest #50

One afternoon, during a summer of young adventuring and cut knees, five of us headed off toward the murky river. Passers by would see a group of eleven year olds galavanting to what they assumed was a park, unaware of our hidden place beneath the trees. We had found it mid May, visiting almost every day, even decorating the place as our own. School art drawings hung on to arms of wood balancing upon tree branches sixteen feet above the forest floor. Jagged gaps in the wood, which one of us would scrape the skin of arms or legs on, acting as ...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

940

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 17, 2020 EST

Won by Emily Hemmings 🏆

Title: Life in the Trees

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢