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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#57: Legacies

Everybody hopes they’ll be remembered. It’s a big part of why writers write, artists paint, and singers sing. It drives some to rise to great heights in politics or business. It’s part of why people have children.

But whether you hope to build a legacy through words, kind deeds, grand ambition, or a strong familial line, the truth is, we don’t always know how history will look back on us. All we can do is put our best selves forward, and hope that our integrity and values will resonate long after we’re gone.

This week’s prompts invite you to delve into people’s hopes for the future — and the legacies that may or may not be what they dreamed of.

This week's prompts

Write a humorous story about the descendant of someone remembered for an insignificant act.

Funny – 73 stories

Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.

Character – 119 stories

Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Angst – 170 stories

Write a story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

Science Fiction – 131 stories

Write a story that starts with someone writing their will — one they know people won’t like.

Dramatic – 183 stories

Stories

“On Chickens, Among Other Animals” by Margin 🌈

Submitted to Contest #57

I will not go into the chicken farming business. I keep telling myself that I won’t go into the chicken farming business. “But your uncle, and your uncle’s uncle, and your uncle’s uncle’s uncle — they were all so proficient in the avian arts!” I hear my mother say, while fixing a dinner of, you guessed it, chicken. I am fully aware of my family’s legacy, and I reject it. It’s just not for me. “But you could ride on the wave that your family has created — and then your nephew could go into the same business! It's practically a family tr...

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“The Historian's Tale” by Tamar Shapiro-Tamir

Submitted to Contest #57

I am a historian. I can trace back my ancestry nearly two hundred generations. I know my history—the good, the bad and the ugly. And there has been a lot of bad and ugly.My mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were all warriors. They lived their lives covered in blood, reciting the names of loved ones who had died. My brother takes after my mother, and already when he comes home on leave, I can see the pain in his eyes.And here I am, among my books, and I am safe, and I am happy. I am surrounded by stories from throughout history. Throu...

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“When The Cradle Falls” by Jana O'Dell

Submitted to Contest #57

The holiday is right around the corner which means nothing to me other than chaos, confusion and panic. Everyone stays stressed, I have to rush to pack for my trip home and I have to scramble to get all my work done before heading out of town. Every year it is the same thing- stress! My name is Brooklyn and I am an unmarried artist following my dreams in New York City. I add that I am unmarried because trust me, once I head back home and you meet my mom- she will make sure you are very aware of that fact. At least once a month she tries to...

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“Stone-Carved Truth” by Maahi Shah

Submitted to Contest #57

"Hey! I am Natalie Lopez." At least that's what I told her. I am Veronica Heathers, the daughter of Victoria Heathers and Liam Heathers. Heathers is my dad's surname. It comes from my ancestors who appeared to own the town of Heatherville, back in the day. Now it was run by the city's Mayor. My mom's last name was Lopez, she was Spanish, though her family and my dad's belonged to Heatherville. Since nobody knew our family from the name 'Lopez,' I was told by my parents to keep it going that way and to replace my honour to Lopez, temporaril...

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“The Rite of Succession” by Marian Reiley

Submitted to Contest #57

In an alternate reality, existed the Kingdom of Mara. It was more of a Queendom actually; with royal titles and lands being passed down mother to daughter. The current rulling family was the Denihah Clan. They were a fierce group of warrior queens who came to power after the current monarch's 3rd great-grandmother, Queen Dinah the Strong, had united all the fifedoms into a more powerful Kingdom. Since this time, there had been the beautiful prosperous capital city of Helas built around Denihah Castle. The people were prosperous and th...

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“Phoenix” by Lyra Abens

Submitted to Contest #57

My mother is a bird. I know this because when I stepped off the plane in Taipei, I saw a streak of crimson against the murky predawn sky in the shape of a bird. She glided towards me, her plumage sailing like a flag. Her wings flapped once, twice, sweeping over the half moon. I hadn’t been frightened. Not even when she landed on the tarmac ground before me, her eyes level with mine. She reminded me of a long-legged crane, except her feathers were every shade of red — scarlet and mahogany and sangari, the colours gleaming underneath the l...

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“Broken Legacy” by Y N

Submitted to Contest #57

Once. Once upon a time, my name was spoken to be feared and admired. I was rumored to be a demon that defeated an entire army with his bare hands. Once, I had a family who cherished me, and a little sister I had to look after. Once, I believed that my name would be spoken for generations to be admired and loved, and to be known as another hero in the line of history. However, that didn’t happen. I had decided to visit home for the holidays. I was excited to see my younger sister again, who was about ten years younger than me. It was alrea...

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“GRANDMA'S DIARY” by PAMELA ABWAO

Submitted to Contest #57

GRANDMA’S DIARY “I lie on the couch. One of my eyes is almost shut. Derek gave me some milk on my blue saucer but, Paddy the family Labrador retriever came rushing forcing me to jump and observe as he licks all the milk. Derek came in picked the saucer and took the beast out of the room. I I study the children as they come in. “Hey Derry, ...

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“REMEMBERED ” by Vickie Culbertson

Submitted to Contest #57

. REMEMBERED Transported into a future I was no part of. It has been twenty years and I have cryonics and time travel to thank for this experience. The definition of cryonics is the practice of freezing a person who has died of a disease in the hopes of rest...

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“Lif” by Samria David

Submitted to Contest #57

“I thank God I’m alive…” I am not that big a fan of Frank Sinatra but this song and these lyrics make my eyes brim with tears. I swig the drink in my hand trying not to shame myself in public and ask Rosa for another round. “You okay buddy?” she asks while handing me over my drink. “Just one of those days, you know how businessmen’s lives ar...

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“The Return of Yesterday” by Brennan Bilberry

Submitted to Contest #57

It was 1962, Keith Miller is very proud of his happy little life. He has a wife and a son. He has a stable job in accounting. And frankly, he is very content.One ordinary day his son, Derek was being very stubborn. "Father!! I want to go to the carnival it will only be here for one day the entire year." Derek whines. "I know, but your father has some very important work to finish" Keith's Wife Beth chimes in. "No, It's alright dear I will take him to the carnival if wants to go so badly" Keith smiled at his son lovingly "What do yo...

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“Debt of Ingratitude” by Mary Jo Fortes

Submitted to Contest #57

To my beloved family, I leave you… Should I really go through with this? I know that they think I am some kind of millionaire, having worked so hard and not having a direct heir to whom to leave my estate. Lord knows, my brother and five sisters’ children (many of them) are all still looking for a piece of the proverbial pie. The thing is, most of them have received their pies— a car pie, a college tuition pie, a wedding pie, a house pie, an Auntie-I’m-broke-again pie—then come back for more, and never returned so much as a ...

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“A Sea of Bitterness” by Mary Pennington

Submitted to Contest #57

Her lungs ached as she inhaled deeply. She cracked her knuckles and reached again for the pen, though she still had nothing to write. She knew what had to be done, did it really matter if they hated her if she was dead anyway? It seemed like they already did. They were all a bunch of greedy slimes. She had saved every penny and put all of them all through college, never asking for anything in return. Anything they asked for, she gave. They all had these great jobs far away, so far that they wouldn’t visit, and when she tried to visit they ...

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“The Incorrigible Will” by Robyn Kruger

Submitted to Contest #57

Whenever people hear the word “will”, they imagine a sickly old man with watery eyes and pipes coming out of his nose and maybe his mouth. Purple blotches marr the wrinkled skin on his boney hands with yellow nails. He gurgles in the back of his throat, before coughing onto his hospital gown and putting the curse of God on his money-lusting family. He dies on a pile of billions in a marble mansion filled with Van Gogh and the sort, a pretty nurse packing her belongings after cleaning him day in and day out, and the attorney talking courage i...

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“Where There's A Will There's A Way” by Lavinia Hughes

Submitted to Contest #57

WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAY By Lavinia M. Hughes BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS: 1989. My name is Eva Wingfield and I’m glad to be able to tell my story. I am often marginalized as the spinster in the family. “Oh, Aunt Eva has nothing better to do. I’m sure she won’t mind babysitting for the kids.” (Five!) “Aunt Eva’s a little eccentric, don’t you think?” (within my earshot at the last family reunion) “I wonder why she never married. I heard she was...

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$50

Prize money

676

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 04, 2020 EST

Won by Iona Cottle 🏆

Title: Et Tu?

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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