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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

“Six Months, One Week and Four Days.” by Marsha Webb

Submitted to Contest #54

Jessica leaned against the window, she had been watching the world go by, allowing the hypnotic rhythm of the train lull her into forgetting the emptiness of her life.The train pulled into the station, Jessica glanced at the sign, one stop to go, suddenly she saw him. The colour drained instantly from her face, her stomach twisted into a tight knot and a wave of nausea washed over her. She had to get off the train; she rushed to her feet and grabbed at her bag. “Excuse me, excuse me.” Jessica pushed passed people as politely as she could wit...

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“Faded” by Kylie Wallis

Submitted to Contest #54

Three completely unexpected things happened to Chloe Maddox when she turned twenty-five and it seemed to happen all at once; her younger brother Jayden confessed that he was gay, she found the perfect apartment to rent, and her grandfather told everyone who mattered to him that he had cancer. Sure, it wasn't all good news, but she hoped that everything else in her life from that birthday onwards would end up being more positive than negative...Chloe ran a hand through her new shortcut hair, liking very much how it framed her face. Her friend...

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“I Never Stopped Loving You” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #54

Past: Everyone at school called us The Golden Couple – not because he was the star quarterback and I was the head cheerleader, but because everyone who saw us instantly said that here were two people in love. Our yearbook marked us out as the ‘Couple most likely to get married’ and, at the age of eighteen, that’s what Todd and I thought too. When we said goodbye as we left for our separate universities, both of us meant it as an ‘au revoir’ and not an ‘adieu’: we were full of promises to write and call and to visit as soon as possible. We m...

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“Only Coffee” by Barbara Eustace

Submitted to Contest #54

Rachel looked at herself in the mirror. Why the hell was she so nervous? It was only coffee. But after so long. He’d contacted her on Facebook out of the blue. ‘Hey. Remember me? Fancy meeting up? Coffee? Talk through old times?’ Of course she remembered him. They’d been an item back in the day. He was young and good looking, she was young, drawn to those blue eyes, that ready smile. Yes, and she supposed she’d been attractive back then. Then she’d gone to college, uni, and well, ...

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“Mistakes” by Tvisha Yerra

Submitted to Contest #54

“It’s my fault, isn’t it?” Justin stays silent, not bothering to look me in the eyes. “Justin, say something.” I keep my voice from cracking. “I don’t know, Katie.” Justin mutters. “What do you mean? You should know.” I lower my voice. “You should know,” I whisper. “Does it look like I do?” I don’t reply this time. “Kat, look at me.” The anger is building up in Justin’s voice. “Does it look like I do, Katie! Hm? You tell me. I obviously don’t know!” He grabs me by the shoulders, making me look at him. I press my lips together. “This is...

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“Wonderful World” by Pamela Saunders

Submitted to Contest #54

“Dear God, thank you for being my Father in Heaven. Thank you for all the things you give me every day so that I can live well. Thank you for letting me talk to you. And I'm really really sorry for letting you down, yet again. Thank you for giving me the chance to start again every time I go wrong. So please help me to do better starting from right now. Thank you for listening and I know you will help me if I listen to you. So please help me to listen hard and to know how to do what you want me to, so that between us and everyone else who kn...

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“Ever Been on a Road Trip with a Ghost Before?” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #54

“Can you not go so fast?” Damien, my best friend, asked me as we sped along the highway at sixty-five miles per hour to his parents’ house.He struggled to stay in his seat at this speed. “The speed limit is sixty-five miles per hour--so I’m gonna go sixty-five miles per hour,” I said.“Why are you so concerned with following the law now? Didn’t you commit murder three days ago?”I glared at his translucent ghost body. Big mistake. The moment I took my eyes off the road I accidentally started swerving and almost hit a Honda. Gripping the wheel ...

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“IN MY BLOOD” by Jo S.

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #54

“Five,” Pops says, holding out his dirty palm to the customer. She looks up from her phone momentarily before dropping some coins into his hand. She was expecting a few more words from him. The corner shop bell dings as Phone Lady leaves. “Five dollars,” I correct him. “Of course dollar. What else? Koruna? Everyone know dollar,” he huffs at me. “It sounds a bit rude if you only say ‘five’,” I scold. Gently, though, I don’t want him to start yelling. Pops ignores me and turns back to his book. I sigh audibly to show my...

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“My Old Love” by Basil Boi

Submitted to Contest #54

“Jenny?” The smooth, dreamy voice that I knew all too well had just spoken my name once again. His smiling face flashed in my mind as I turned away from my desk. I was met with those dark beautiful chocolate eyes that I had stared helplessly into when I was younger. “T-tom.” I choked out. Everything seemed to come back all at once. All those long-forgotten feelings from my young love. The arguments, tears, that drunken mistake that ruined it all. That night I cried for hours, heartbroken. Then those dazzling butterfly feelings flooded...

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“Far Far Away” by The-Burrowing-Owl- Author

Submitted to Contest #54

Flint sat with his back pressed to the marble walls of the school. They were cold in the early morning air, but they were dry. Dew littered the grass of the garden in front of him like diamonds dropped onto emerald ribbons, but the roof above the walkway had blocked the rain from last night. A steadily approaching metronome of heeled boots made his skin prickle, but he refused to turn his head. He figured that staring at the newcomer would be awkward. Flint rose to his feet when she was nearly on top of him. “Good morning.” He offe...

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“Of Red and its Irony” by Lizzy Burt

Submitted to Contest #54

Is that him? I nearly drop the loaf of bread, on its way from the shelf to my cart. Time stops as I inspect the man halfway down the aisle. His hair is just as red and curly as I remember. He looks a little more muscular and less scrawny from the last time I saw him. Goosebumps raise on my arms as I think about those hands that used to stroke my face and wrap around my back. A red t-shirt matches his hair. Red was always his favorite color. Red was the color of the dress I wore to my first prom with him. He couldn’t stop staring...

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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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“Month by Month” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #54

Month One Ronan looked at the slip of paper in his hand, then up at the cafe, then back to the bit of paper. The letters all matched up, so there was no avoiding it. This was the place, and the time. All he had to do was walk in. Or he could walk away. No-one knew he was here, so no-one would know if he just left. He didn’t have to do this. That was what shops were for, as he always said. With a sigh Ronan headed inside, the clipping clutched in his hand like a safety blanket. It was old-fashioned he knew, checking out groups in the lo...

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“Learning to Light The Match ” by Rebecca Lee

Submitted to Contest #54

The house was dark. The sky outside was dark with flickers of flashing light. A storm had decided to blast Jonesboro, Texas, and in the process slammed some trees to the ground, and knocked out several power lines, including the one in front of Zola and Chris Akins’ front gate.It was a summer day, and storms like these in Texas were typical, and normally, Zola, age 43, was prepared. She would have the flashlights charged up and set up in the kitchen, lanterns with batteries would light up the whole house and that would be it.But not today. T...

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“Little Ribbons ” by Molly Sickle

Submitted to Contest #54

I crawled up the stairs to my apartment, feeling the boundless nothing taking hold of me tighter with every step. I was hollowed out, empty, yet there was a tremendous heaviness that weighed me down. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. A piece of the world had just been ripped out, stolen away, so why are all my neighbors walking about as if nothing happened? I wanted to scream at them. How could they not feel it, this horrible grief that plagued me? Why me? Why her? I was so tired, so exhausted from the pain she left me with,...

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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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