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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#54: Second Chances

"Third time's the charm."

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

"Rome wasn't built in a day."

The English language is full of aphorisms that get at a universal truth: human beings aren't perfect, and oftentimes we need to keep trying (and trying again) in order to get something right.

This week's prompts all revolve around the theme of second chances. Whether your characters are circling back to something from their past, getting a start on something they put off for a long time, or simply in the process of learning after a swing and a miss, we're looking forward to the 'second acts' you come up with!

And speaking of layered characters, on August 12th, bestselling novelists Caroline Leavitt and Gina Sorell are hosting a free webinar on creating believable characters. RSVP here!

This week's prompts

Write a story about high school sweethearts coming across one another after many, many years apart.

Romance – 283 stories

Write a story about someone going back to school as a mature student.

High School – 88 stories

Write a story about someone looking to make amends for a mistake.

Adults – 223 stories

Write a story about someone struggling to learn a skill that in no way comes naturally to them.

Funny – 154 stories

Write a story about a TV show called "Second Chances."

Novel – 108 stories

Stories

“Car Crash TV” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #54

“Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready to play Second Chances with your host, Larry Loveheart!” The voiceover sounds as huge screens slide apart to reveal a set dressed as a bar. The six contestants sit on stools facing the cameras, drinks in hands, while the assembled throng dutifully applaud. From behind the counter, Larry Loveheart – yes, it’s his real name: he changed it by deed-poll – strolls out to greet the audience, his gleaming white teeth unnaturally perfect. He gives a huge wink to camera and begins his introduction. “How many peopl...

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“College at Last” by Mustang Patty

Submitted to Contest #54

I always did well in school. My grades never failed to make my parents smile, and my grandmother’s pride in me grew with each passing year. She started buying savings bonds for my college fund and swore I’d be the first in our family to go. So, in many ways, I assumed it was a foregone conclusion that in the fall of 1976, I would head to a prominent college with ivy-covered buildings. The dream grew more intense during middle school and my first two years of high school. Visions of sorority parties, football games, and professors with pat...

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“Dummies for Dummies” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #54

It was nine o’clock on a Saturday night, but Larry was already on his way home. The date had ended so quickly that he decided not to bother with ordering a meal and ignored all of the other happy couples in the restaurant. He went straight home and threw Leon onto a chair. They needed to have a serious talk. -That’s it. I’m done with this. I cannot figure out women. -You are being a bit too hard on yourself. -Six dates! Six dates in the last month and all of them done before a cheque hits the table. -You have h...

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“We Are Missing You!” by P. Jean

Submitted to Contest #54

(Write a story about high school sweethearts coming across one another after many, many years apart.)The heat is intense as I shuffle down our dusty driveway to see what crap the mail person has left for us today. It seems a pointless walk and yet, part of my mind always has hopes of something interesting, new or fun. An invitation to a book discussion group or a class from one of my near extinct hobbies. Mostly the mail is full of ads for politicians or services we don’t need or use.I wave causally to a neighbor, brush o...

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“Onward, Captain Midnight! (A follow-up to The Sacrificed)” by S. Closson

Submitted to Contest #54

The nefarious Captain Midnight shifted uncomfortably in the powder blue swivel chair, the aged leather of the yellow holster containing his death ray squeaked loudly as it pressed into its metal frame. The set he was on was staged like one of those hokey game shows you’d expect to find in the 1970’s instead of one of Turner Galactic Network’s prime time slots, but here it was in all of its glory. How he was going to fair in this trial was beyond him, but he had little choice but to try, his freedom depended on it. There was a series ...

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“Destined to be together” by N C

Submitted to Contest #54

I swept Anna off of her feet the night of prom. This was going to be the last time I did this. I was moving, yet I have not told her. I wasn’t planning to. I don’t know how she would react, so I wasn’t taking any chances. I was going to enjoy this last night. Anna and I had been going out for a year now, and she was the best girl anyone could ever wish for. Her long, wavy curls, cute personality, beautiful choice of clothes, she was smart and funny, and her beauty. She was stunning. I would never want to leave her, but due to my dad’s...

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“When Stars Align-Love, Orion.” by Stephanie Viljoen

Submitted to Contest #54

Since high school, Anna was always the pretty one. She had long blond hair, kissed with streaks of the summer sun. Her fringe made a perfect border around her oval shaped face and with every mood the color of her green blue eyes would change. She liked keeping it real with nude lip liner and a touch of light pink lipstick. Her lashes were carefully brushed with midnight black and her breath always smelled of fresh mint. Anna had a body that was nice to look at. With caves perfectly shaped and a body with all the desired curves. What mad...

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“Old School” by Kate Le Roux

Submitted to Contest #54

The beige veneer on the big oval table is peeling, revealing the tacky black glue underneath. The room is close and musty; maroon carpet tiles, greying plastic chairs. As Miles folds his arms, his leather jacket creaks and the students around the table turn to look at him. “Sorry,” he says, even though he is not. He likes his jacket; he doesn't care what the kids think. “Nice shoes, Old School,” says a young man in a tank top five sizes too big for him, headphones around his neck as if they are an accessory."Thanks, Fez," Miles says, gr...

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“She Chose Herself” by Christina Hall

Submitted to Contest #54

Miranda dug around in her make-up bag, searching for a specific lipstick that went great with her auburn hair and the electric green shirt she was wearing. Not finding it, she ran to her room, spastically searching for it. T-shirts and thongs that had been littered across her dresser wet flying as she combed through the mess.“What are you looking for?” Martin was reclined on Miranda’s bed, watching her with a lopsided grin.“Lipstick.”“What about all those on your dresser?”She didn’t appreciate the amusement in his tone. “Those don’t go with ...

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“do you believe in second chances?” by H. W. Autumn

Submitted to Contest #54

“Do you believe in second chances? Do you regret what’s happened in your life, and want to turn it around?” Second Chances. The TV show for dummies who messed up big time. Where they get to go on TV and get paid to fix their mistakes. Some get new houses, new jobs, others apologize in front of a crowd. One thing they all get is a new life. I don’t really understand how the show is so popular. The whole “everyone gets a second chance” idea is kinda dumb. Like, what happened to “you only live once”? People should be nice the first time, re...

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“Steel in Our Hand” by Ranya Navarez

Submitted to Contest #54

“Annie!” Fawn cried out to me in fear. Sparkling, aching blurs of clouds and night cut her face from my sight in swirling darkness. “Do not worry,” Kemper’s rough and hated Russian voice whispered. “She is not dead. Just trapped.” His whisper stung like a viper’s bite as he’d forgotten I could still hear in the overwhelming blackness. “Trapped?” Fawn questioned angrily, shooting lightning and thunder down on Kemper’s head in the one word. “She’...

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“The Reunion” by India Moon

Submitted to Contest #54

Forward Be Our Watchword.With Faith And Truth CombinedSeeking Things Before Us,Never Look Behind.The school song ran circles in David Zubair’s mind.Years ago, the wrought-iron gates of Cathedral High used to inspire awe. Tonight, they looked spidery and frail. Much like how David felt on the inside.As he entered the stone walls of his alma mater for the first time since graduation, he wondered what his life would have been like if he had spent it with Irawati Anand.She had been the brave one, the rebellious one. She was the smartest girl in ...

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“A Fresh Start” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #54

It is another humid Monday morning. Normally, I would be in my car en route to my job at the factory, but thanks to recent economic downfalls, my lengthy career as a forklift driver had come to an end. The factory recently declared bankruptcy, unable to reopen its doors after a global pandemic forced most businesses to shut down. Today, I follow another path; a path down my street and through a park on my way to...

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“Second Chances, Sponsored by Budweiser” by Sydney Bingham

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #54

“Annnnnnd,” Tr8z, the smooth-talking announcer with the high-shine platinum pompadour let the words linger until the electricity in the room grew thick enough to make our hair stand on end. “....It looks like Dy&n has struck out again! Unlucky in love and on Second Chances.” The camera panned over and zoomed in on Dy&n, whose wrinkled leather lips shook with heartbreak. “I need to try again. Please!” She gripped the announcer’s sleeve, and her body went rigid. Her eyes bulged and she sputtered like an h-craft engine before keeling o...

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“Guilt Doesn’t Make Good Second Chances” by Caroline Greaser

Submitted to Contest #54

The noise the tiny graphite pencil makes, as it drags its way across the uneven paper in the dimming light of the flat, is discouraging. The words aren’t quite right, but they’re as close as she’s going to get tonight. She groans and rolls out the muscles in her shoulders. They’re stiff and with a grimace she realizes she’s been sitting for far too long. She makes her way to the dingy fridge in the corner. All that’s left inside are a couple of half-empty takeout boxes and a carton of milk for the morning coffee. Despite Perry’s never...

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$50

Prize money

856

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 14, 2020 EST

Won by Mollie Rodgers 🏆

Title: Where the Water Meets the Sand

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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