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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

“Second chance at #1” by Christopher Lane

Submitted to Contest #54

The Summer sun beat down on the field in waves. Sweat dripped from all parts of young men, eager for a chance at stardom. It was one of the places that just breathed of every Southern boy’s dream. Christopher, like every young boy in town, wanted to be a part of the action on Friday night. So, here he was at his first football practice, trying to impress coach Spivey and win a roster spot. He had never been in this setting before and had no clue what it took. But, he was learning quickly. What set Christopher apart from the other athletes wa...

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“Learning How To Run From Dangerous Murderers Guide ” by Spirited Wings

Submitted to Contest #54

Run. Keep running. My legs ache, trembling of exhaustion. Need to keep going. I can almost feel their cold, clawed fingers grasping my neck. That fear gives me a renewed surge of energy. Dusty roads lay behind me, and the thin, green line of the forest sluggishly came into view. Just need to get to the cool, safe island in this spiteful country. The bag on my back slows me down, but I mustn’t let go of it. The guys are depending on me. Sweat gleams on my forehead, my hair sticking to the back of my neck. I can feel the vibration of hooves a ...

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“Trial and Error” by Avani Mitra

Submitted to Contest #54

Delete. Delete. Delete. Undo. Undo. Undo. Shayna hit the backward arrow on her computer until she was once again looking at a blank page. Nothing looked right. The colors didn’t match, the patterns clashed, and the layout looked awkward. This was the sixth draft she had started and deleted in an hour. She was going to throw something. Better yet, at a person. Specifically, her mother for making her do this ridiculous task. She would never actually throw something at her mother, but it was fun to entertain the thought for the time being.&nbsp...

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“Half Time” by Khadine A. Dorsett

Submitted to Contest #54

Heart attacks are more likely to happen on a Monday.The only country in the world named after a woman is Saint Lucia.If you point your car keys to your head, the signal range on the remote increases (your brain acts as a radio transmitter).Beginner’s Luck is most likely nothing more than a fluke.That last one, the one about beginners’ luck, is the one that Shannon chose to skim over. She was reading a magazine article entitled “Random Facts” as she sat in the locker room waiting for the coach to come in from his meeting with the football tea...

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“A Fish, a Rabbit, and a Dog” by Kevin Leonard

Submitted to Contest #54

Raymond entered the lunchroom with an uncharacteristic sense of purpose. In his hands, he carried a cardboard box, held in a way that suggested its contents were unstable, fragile, or both. “What’s in the box?” Sam began to say, around a mouthful of microwaved meatloaf, when a patch of chocolate brown fur popped out of the top of the box. A puppy. Raymond walked towards Sam, the puppy’s ears flopping with the bump of each step. “His name’s Blue.” “Blue!” Sam reached her hands under the puppy’s armpits and lifted him out of the box. ...

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“Between failure and glee” by Linda Bakewell Bakewell

Submitted to Contest #54

Fondant can, and this is critical, get fucked. Disgusting overly sweet playdough that you can only ‘play with’ if your idea of creativity is roll it flat and drape it over things? Wanna make a delicious cake? We can ruin that for you, just add the devil’s spackle. There were three other people in the cooking class, a couple who were clearly using this class as a glue to keep their relationship together (unsuccessfully), and a little old lady is (conservatively) 1,200 years old. Why am I here? Because I am, arguably, the worst baker or co...

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“The Convolution Revolution” by Jayke Luland

Submitted to Contest #54

In a dingy, dark studio on the outskirts of Western Sydney, a mad genius is at work… “Cut” echoes through Tempeh productions as director Jim Jackson walks towards his actors. At the helm of the popular Australia TV show ‘Second Chances’, Jim is busy manufacturing what he is hoping to be one of the highest rated TV episodes of all time. The faux reality show aims to ‘reconnect’ husbands and wives who have been divorced for at least 1 year, with the hopes of rekindling a lost love. However, the entire show is fake, and Jackson has been hiring ...

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“Second Chances” by Bruna Lima

Submitted to Contest #54

After a long day of work I finally arrived home. I put down my purse, changed into my pajamas and heated up some leftovers from Friday. I had plans for tonight but I canceled. Since James and I broke up I haven’t gotten out of the house that much except for work. As a marketing consultant, it’s hard to balance a work-life schedule and still have alone time. I sat down in my living room floor and turned the TV on. After zapping for a while, I came across a show called “Second Chances” that looked interesting. The concept is based on the idea ...

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“Second Chance for Love” by Aha Blume

Submitted to Contest #54

When I first heard about the new reality show, I thought it was ridiculous. Why would I want to go on a show to find love? Everyone knows those shows are not “reality.” Also, most of the couples break up after a short time. Only a really desperate person would go on this show. Right? So I ignored the call for contestants. So imagine my surprise when I got a call from a producer, telling me they loved my entry. I was going to be on the show “Second Chances.” “But I didn’t apply!” I said. “Your friends sen...

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“A Hope Against Regret” by Connor Andrei

Submitted to Contest #54

The rain cascaded down faster than the windshield wipers could push them out of the way. Martha squinted through the streaks of water that hid the highway from view. Not that there was much to see anyway — it was so dark that only the little pools of light on the pavement from her headlights were visible. She pressed her foot hard on the gas and sped on through the darkness. Martha didn’t have a destination in mind. She was just driving around, clearing her head. She needed it. It seemed like every day was another fight. Who knew raising a ...

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“Colossal Chance” by Mildred Achoch

Submitted to Contest #54

I hate being an intern at the Second Chances TV show. “The entertainment company boardroom is the new Roman Colosseum. There are lions and gladiators and death, lots of death - of reputations. Keep your mouth shut, ears and eyes open. We are about to meet the most ruthless gladiator of all.” That was the pep talk my internship supervisor gave me as we were preparing to go into the boardroom. I had been an intern for less than a month and I was equal parts impressed and traumatized by the behind-the-scenes happenings at one of the top TV ...

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“The Sounds of Beginnings ” by Melina Kritikopoulos

Submitted to Contest #54

Trigger warning: suicide I had always enjoyed waking up in my college dorm. I am, in every sense of the expression, an early bird, and I was accustomed to waking before my roommate, or anyone on my level for that matter. This practice, if one can call it that, had given me a sense of superiority; it was as if the symphony of noises that marked the morning greeted me, and only me. I studied in New York, but not at a large private school in the city, our campus was nearly an hour away from Manhattan. So these aforementioned...

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“Love's Surprise Party” by Tammy Hornbeck

Submitted to Contest #54

Love’s Surprise Party! Written by Tammy Varner Hornbeck Susan walked into the auditorium hosting the first high school reunion she had ever attended. She had missed the traditional five, ten, and fifteen, and twenty-year reunions of the Waxahachie Indians. After all, she wasn’t a true graduate. Two months before graduation, she made the fatal mistake of choosing to leave the group home she was living in to leave with her houseparents’, who were leaving the home to pursue their careers with Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. Every crisis she has...

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“Making up requires Mayhem” by Sophie Rowe

Submitted to Contest #54

My eyes watered as I rubbed the crusty symptom of sleepiness from my eyes. I am almost done editing the last episode for season two’s podcast. My ears prick as I listen for the right cue to put in the laser beam blast tweaking the start of the sound effect every nano second, because it just doesn’t sound quite right yet. Frustration bubbles up as I can’t place the SFX in between a moment that I know would be the perfect place. “Tsk.” I lean back into my chair, my vision straining from the laptop to all around me. I moved to London aft...

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“Cherry Blossoms ” by Avina Zane

Submitted to Contest #54

Dr. Maria steps into the bland white room and begins to read the patient's chart. Patient had a minor heart attack and was brought to the hospital after her family members found her unconscious. She had a fair share of hospital visits due to a weak heart. Dr. Maria looks up from her chart and smiles at the patient. "Hello there, Miss-" Maria looked at the chart again and took a step back. "Miss Christa Zhang." A smile blooms on Maria's face as she looks at the familiar but older face of her high school sweetheart. "Hi there. You look really ...

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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.

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