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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

“A second chance to learn some new things” by Jeffrey Hughes

Submitted to Contest #54

A guy, a two time loser as most label him, who is in his middle age has begun to learn again. He has begun to learn how to live responsibly. And he has started to a few more basic skills that helps him throughout his journey. Throughout this young man's life he has been through a rough journey. A journey that has many chapters. Which includes homelessness incarceration as well as some addictions.So everyone from his history has either given up on him. Or has labeled him to be too troublesome to have any faith in him to be of any worth to t...

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“Grandma Petunia's Misadventures” by Kya Ryanne

Submitted to Contest #54

Grandma Petunia had spent most of her retirement baking, going shopping, and doing an adequate job at quilting. At least she thought she did a good job at quilting. She entered a few in state fairs and things similar to it, but she didn’t pull out any of the blue ribbons or things like that. But by far, Grandma Petunia baked the best chocolate chip cookies known to womankind. It was passed down by her mother and her mother before her. Most of it was a guesstimate on what ingredients go where and what kind of measurements went where, but Gra...

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“A New Season” by Christopher Frank

Submitted to Contest #54

“If it won’t start, you have to pull the choke out,” Herb says pointing at black knob to the right of the steering wheel. “Pull it out, it starts, you push it back in. Got it?” Laney looks at her grizzled arthritic hands gripped around the steering wheel of the mower. “Got it?” Herb asks again. Laney nods her affirmation. Herb stands beside the mower leaning over as much as he can so he is shoulder to shoulder ...

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“The Essay” by Lucy Matthes

Submitted to Contest #54

Okay, so I’m trying to write this essay… you see where I’m going? Well, I need you help. Owls, that’s what it’s on, not quite sure why I chose to write about owls for my end of term essay but I’m stuck with it now. I also sort of like owls. Sort of. Abi said I was mad, delusional. “You’re writing about a really stupid, very cute big bird! Also, James have you ever even seen an owl before.” “I’d like to inform you that yes, James here has seen an owl before. James has also touched said owl-” I replied proudly before being cut off. Abi clea...

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“If I Could Share My Heartbeat” by Gillian W

Submitted to Contest #54

Azuka grunted as she used her mind to give life to a flower. It was incredibly tiring, but Rosi, the Goddess Of Nature, had made her do this. Rosi was a goddess in her culture, at least. Willowi, that's where she was and where she always has been. She's one of the most powerful Planters in the Reji. Reji means 'pretty and smart' and that was what most of the Planters were- pretty, and smart. But not her- she was much more intelligent than most Planters, but not quite as pretty. But mayb...

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“Fortuitous Mediocrity” by Aaron Farha

Submitted to Contest #54

Everyone wanted to be average. This was a society composed entirely of outliers. The average of all these outliers summed to a rather unremarkable person, your average everyday human. The average was something greatly sought after though because as stated, there were only outliers. The freakishly tall lived amongst the freakishly short. The devilishly handsome among, well, the devilishly unhandsome. People were either full blown comedians in terms of their amiability, or they were rather removed from society. I could go on but you get the po...

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“Piano Frustration” by Sapphire Burgess

Submitted to Contest #54

I glare at the notes until I get cross-eyed. The trill in particular seems to be mocking me. Not that there’s anything wrong with the trill, I mean I love a good trill, but it’s the grace notes that follow are bothering me. Now those are definitely there to spite me. Oh, how Mozart must be snickering at me. I take a deep breath in an attempt to regain myself. Not today, Wolfgang. Frustration will lead you nowhere, I remind myself. I used to think that that wasn’t the case. Truthfully, I still think that. Anyone could do some good wi...

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“Audrey Hepburn BOB hair” by Jacklyn Pang

Submitted to Contest #54

AUDREY HEPBURN BOB HAIR When I open my salon door for the first time, I beam with pride looking at the flowers from loyal clients. I picked one message from the branch of purple lily” Dear Jess, my hair will always be under your care. Signed by Veronica, and another card “ Remember it was thirteen years ago when you curl this hair. Smiling sweetly to myself ….. I was forty then. I need to pick up a skill or works to keep the expense after my divorce. I have moved into my paren...

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“Brushburn” by Colin Sharpe

Submitted to Contest #54

Brushburn Bon’ in sixty fo’, in Lake Charles, Lous-e-anne. A proud boy, proud son, proud father, proud man. Jim Boudreaux, known by his friends and his neighbors as Jimmy, wasn’t the smartest man, wasn’t the funniest man, wasn’t the baddest or the best, but he was a good man and a man of God. When he was three, he learned to fish. When he was seven, he learned to drive the tractor, and his father’s big truck, though he couldn’t get it out of first gear until he was 11 on account of the clutch and stubb...

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“Morgana and the Well of Wyrd” by Ian Wilson

Submitted to Contest #54

“Wrong note... Again,” said Taliesin, grasping his brow. Morgana grinned sheepishly and began the song again. Her voice cracked as she hit a note that was far too high for her. Taliesin cringed. Morgana halted.. “I should just give up,” she said. “Giving up never accomplished anything useful,” said Taliesin. “Keep trying.” “I’m pretty hopeless, aren’t I?” said Morgana. “I don’t think anyone is truly hopeless,” said Taliesin. “But I don’t understand it, Taliesin!” cried Morgana. “This... thing. My hands just won’t pluck the strings...

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“I Can Do This!” by Suzanne Urowitz

Submitted to Contest #54

Its been about four weeks. I've been trying to learn a new language for work. My manager asked me to learn french. Almost everyone else in the work place, can speak two or three languages except for me. What should I do? I've been up every night till midnight then waking up at 4:30 am. My skin looks horrible I don't even want to tell you about my eyes. Thank goodness we wear masks. It's cheaper than make up, less time consuming aswell. I'm going to have a test in a couple of weeks. I'm going to fail. Praying is not going to help me. I can no...

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“Tara's Redemption” by Prachi Pati

Submitted to Contest #54

Tara was ten years old that year. But it had changed nothing. “Tara! We’re getting late! Hurry up, or you’re going to hear it from me!”, papa thundered in his military voice, waiting impatiently at the door, smoking his second cigarette. “C’mon darling, it won’t be so bad. I know you’re my brave little daughter. You can do anything you put your mind to. There’s nothing to be afraid, and this is an essential life skill, kiddo..”, her mom tried to gently reason with her. “Then how come you never learned, mummy?” “Tara!! If you...

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“The Wedding Morning” by Nancy Mcatavey

Submitted to Contest #54

The Wedding Morning As a little girl, Peg remembered standing beside her father at the bathroom sink, his lone face reflected in the square mirror. She watched as he added a bit of water to his shaving mug and used the brush to whip up a soapy lather that he spread over his ruddy checks, his neck and chin. The long fingers of his right hand wrapped around the handle of the straight edge razor; his left hand pulled the skin taunt, smoothing out the deep lines of his face. And then, with small quick strokes, t...

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“The Sand Pits of My Mind” by Brandy Heathcote

Submitted to Contest #54

When I was young, we lived in North Carolina. I loved it there. Chasing lizards, beach combing, digging up whatever I could find in the sand dunes on the beach were heavenly to me. I could watch the beach oats ripple in the wind for hours on end and never get bored. Even though we left when I was still fairly young, North Carolina has always been home to me. I used to build sandcastles right at the water’s edge and dig a deep moat that would fill up with water in the wet sand. Then, I would dig up sand shrimp in th...

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“To Have IT” by E Deven

Submitted to Contest #54

There were people who had It, and people who didn’t. Normally those that didn’t greatly outnumbered those who did, so those without never really had cause to care. The general philosophy ran along the lines of the less magic in the world the better.The midwife assisting at the time of Gwendolyn Collinine’s birth took one look at the blonde-tufted, brown-eyed, pale-skinned baby who wailed almost immediately, and shook her head at divine planning. The seventh child of Analiese and Colton Collinine was obviously without It, and i...

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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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