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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 Chances"” by Sabrina Roofe

Submitted to Contest #54

Amar groaned and dragged herself out of bed, her body still sore from the lengths she went to get this hiking job. All month she choked on probably a few thousand painkillers and got occasional suspicious looks from the convenience store owner for getting so many pills and bandages, at least she isn't a murderer, right? Well about that. She had completely screwed up and almost had her rival fall down the mountain. At least he didn't die, only a broken arm at best. You know what, scratch that maybe she is a murderer in the process...

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“A Moment of Happiness ” by Crystal Sawyer

Submitted to Contest #54

Trigger warning: suicide There he was. An absolute stain for sore eyes to behold. His baggy clothes struggled to conceal his large bulging frame. Long gone were the rock-hard abs of yesteryear. I lost track of him after his failed attempts to reconcile with me. We were not headed in the same direction. I had different needs and wanted the world. He could offer me absolutely nothing besides a baby out of wedlock. At some point, his entire existence simply disgusted me. ...

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“Round Two” by Goshawk 31

Submitted to Contest #54

By E.C. Haskell (~1200 words) I am looking at my friend and thinking about throwing a punch straight at her surgically-enhanced nose. Bam! I can practically see the blood gushing down her décolleté. I can hear the screams from the over-dressed crowd around us. I feel empowered. I … Won’t do any such thing. I mean, really, Jan and I have been friends for nearly thirty years and if she wants to ditch me for some guy she just met, I guess that’s her call. Only now I’m stuck, alone, at what promises to be the most boring charitable dinner ...

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“Blue and Green Meet Again” by Katie Spohn

Submitted to Contest #54

I'm stumbling along the street, weaving in and out of stands overflowing with fresh produce when a flash of bright green catches my eye. I consider ignoring the urge to look, because on some level I already know the sight that will meet my eyes, but as always, curiosity gets the better of me. Slowly, I drag my blue eyes away from the wrinkled pepper in front of me and force them to meet the bright green ones staring at me from across the street.Our eyes meet and I suddenly find myself lost in those pools of flashing emerald. It's been so lon...

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“An Unexpected Comeback” by Lacy Pierce

Submitted to Contest #54

“My Buddy lies over the ocean/my Buddy lies over the sea/my Buddy lies over the ocean/Oh bring back my Buddy to me…” It’s been over 60 years since I’ve seen him. My sweetheart of a man, Buddy Tolen. We had chaperoned dates throughout our last two years of high school. But then he got shipped off to the War and I haven’t seen or heard from or anything about him ever since. It really broke my heart. But I knew that he needed to do what he needed to do to keep our country free. So I went to work as a secretary and bus driver w...

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“Blackmail Is A Way Of Life” by Judith Buskohl

Submitted to Contest #54

Mary Ann's life was quiet and peaceful which now consisted of going to work and back home. She usually stop at a fast food establishment to pick up something to eat because on one hand she hated to cook and on the other hand, it was cheaper to buy a hamburger than to make a hamburger at home. Having some friends that at first kept asking her to spend the night out with them. She agreed twice and found the nights boring and the music especially loud. She was a home body person which was just fine with her. She spent most of her nights e...

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“Clearing Closets” by Tate Lenschmidt

Submitted to Contest #54

The Wellon County Youth Center looked just like it did ten years ago when Leigh last had the misfortune of stepping inside its shabby brick walls. She spent most of the summer before her senior year of highschool here and had stayed as far away as possible since. Her therapist called it "avoidant behavior;" she preferred to think of it as self-preservation. Yet here she was, back in her hometown, willingly volunteering at the youth center that had brought her so much grief. 'It didn't feel like grief at the time,' an unhelpful voice in the b...

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“Mistake or Fate?” by Nitya Meshram

Submitted to Contest #54

"I am sorry, but I am running a little late", was all Jin could gather on the other side as Amy blurted out words in a hurry Today was the big day Amy had been stretching her nights for. In the hustle, she left the alarm off and struggled to look presentable this morning. She sent her presentation to the office to have the setup ready and asked Jin to track the same. She grabbed her purse, watch, mobile, car keys and stormed out of the house. The day didn't start off well and was determined to be no good to her, for the heavy rains in th...

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“A New Path to Redemption” by Peter Allan Mariano

Submitted to Contest #54

*TW: references to rape* “Danny… Mission control to Daniel Wilson… hey… Danny!” Huh? What… what happened? My eyes refocused to the sound of laughter. I looked around and saw kids staring… and laughing… at me. Up front, Mrs. Garcia stood there, hands on hips, glaring at me. “Ah… sorry?” I don’t know what to say. The laughter continued. Wait… Mrs. Garcia? My senior-year Mrs. Garcia? Then it hit me. Teacher, kids, familiar faces… this IS my senior year class. Is this a dream? What’s going ...

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“Another Chance” by Jstr The King

Submitted to Contest #54

“Thank you for sharing that story Sarah, you’re in a safe place now. That’s enough for today,” my therapist tells me in his typical calm and relaxing voice. I grab my jacket off the chair, waving goodbye to everyone I pass. In such a short time, I’ve really managed to make some nice new friends. “Hey Sarah!” I turn around to find some girl from school approaching. I don’t even recognize the voice. I squint and cover my eyes from the overbearingly bright shining sun out today. “Why didn’t I bring my shades?” I think to myself. Once the ...

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“The Threshold” by Benjamin McQueen

Submitted to Contest #54

The air was thawing. Winter was surrendering to spring. The scent of the approaching season whispered through the air, and with it came hope. A hope that Fred had clung to for the past 8 years. A hope that had already been shattered several times in the last couple of months. A hope for one of the most powerful forces known to man. Forgiveness. The gravel road came to a terrifying, inevitable end. Fred just sat in silence in the driver’s seat, listening to the faint conversations of the grazing sheep and fighting the deep, intense desire t...

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“A Second Script. ” by Ramore991 Amore

Submitted to Contest #54

“Christ, this is awful”, he exclaimed aloud as he took another drag of his cigarette while continuing to read. ‘Second Chances’ was entering its eighteenth season and its executive producer, Robert Gibson, was busily reading a script for the premier episode. Gibson, a man of sixty-six years, was bald of average height, noticeably overweight, and a chain-smoker. He was a rather lonely man who had lost his wife some four years ago to illness. He had been the program’s executive producer since it’s inception nearly two decades ago. He stoo...

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“Second Chances” by Mary Etheridge

Submitted to Contest #54

Nursing is a difficult profession. There’s the long hours, the low pay, having to cope with doctors, never being able to find a doctor and the general layer of mystery fluids that would harden on your skin throughout the shift. Yes, there are many challenges nurses must push through, but for Amanda, the hardest was watching a patient die alone. It was especially sad when the patient had been kind. A genuinely good person, who despite their illnesses could enrich the lives of the staff that cared for them. However, this was definitely not the...

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“In the Shadow of a Bookshelf” by Megan Walsh

Submitted to Contest #54

Miranda sat alone on the couch and flipped through the channels. It was ten o’clock on a Tuesday morning. She had already shut the blinds and reheated her coffee twice in the microwave. She needed to clean the microwave, she remembered, then forgot. Months ago, Miranda would have berated anyone who watched true-life dramas in the middle of the day and especially in the middle of the week. How can they live with themselves? She asked her coworkers who stirred their coffees with plastic spoons. Their shrugs made them seem disinterested, but t...

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“Second Chance” by Judith Buskohl

Submitted to Contest #54

There was white puffy clouds floating by her as she laid in the grass dreaming about her boyfriend, Tyler who was trying out for a part on a television show named "First Chance". She had read over the lines with Tyler last night and it was about an actor getting his first chance on making it big.. Instead, of thanking God for his big break, the actor gets a big head and turns his back on God. It is suppose to be about how people thank themselves for the big breaks they get instead of thanking God who had been working behind the situation...

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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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