Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

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

“Chronocentricity” by Lana Borza

Submitted to Contest #57

In the year 2222, a human organization emerged near the center of the North American continent in the nation that was then called the Reunited States and Provinces of DC. It was geared toward equality for domestic animals. The group’s leader, Lala Haddwell, had studied domestic animals for over two decades before she started her peaceful group, known as The Coalition for the Equality of All Civilized Creatures, also known as CEACC. The acronym was pronounced see-akk, and often spelled as Ceacc — having a capital c as opposed to being all in ...

Read story

“The Changes We Make” by Shaelyn Bradle

Submitted to Contest #57

“Finally!” Jared shouted from underneath the machine. Rolling out from under the contraption, he wiped the debris and oil from his hands down the work overalls and gave his assistant the thumbs up. Jon flipped the switch and the room filled with the whirring and buzzing of machinery. The dial indicators rotated wildly as the noise rose up, increasingly chaotic, until…Pop. With a final crash, the warning light exploded, shattering into thousands of shards. Jared and Jon, having huddled together in a corner, shielded their eyes. They looked up...

Read story

“The Will of Family” by Mich Ig

Submitted to Contest #57

This is the Will of Nicole Richard, supervised by Nick Railend. If you are reading this will that means that the time has finally come for this woman to pass. The people in the room should include Nick Railend, Jessica Benalf, Nancy Hoffmen, her children will not be present due to the fact of adult information. Tom Richard, Lillian Richard, and Thomas Richard must be present. My will is something that is entirely important and most likely important to those who are sitting in this room at the moment, but as said in the movie ...

Read story

“Granny's Will” by Teasa Williams

Submitted to Contest #57

To my Tammy, I bequeath my toilet bowl seats because you liked to sit your fat ass in my bathroom for hours sticking it up every day. Then you would go clean your tail with my good towels. Girl, you lucky I was too sick to grab you when I noticed you used my $30 rags to wash your ass. You need to go to that boy house you always complaining about and shit up his toilet and towels. To my granddaughter Pam, I bequeath to you my pots and pans, maybe one day you will learn how to finally cook and finally keep a man. Girl, only you can bur...

Read story

“Whatever happened to the piano man? ” by Evangeline Richards

Submitted to Contest #57

Daniel delighted at the sounds that would be made in his absence. He could hear them now. The outcries at being introduced to a lesson that no one would want to learn. Far more valuable than the grubby notes that lay in the bank under Daniel’s name. Of course, his absence would be sizeable. He was a big man. At the age of just 9 years old, he proved to be bigger than all the other boys his age, even at the most aggressive point in their growth spurts. He was tall. His shins were the size of “4 octaves on a piano”. This may se...

Read story

“Taken for granted” by Alwyn McNamara

Submitted to Contest #57

There was something in the wind that told her it was time. She sat down on a white wicker chair out in her beloved garden and began to think. The smell of Jasmine wafted through the air and she remembered her beloved husband holding her hand and strolling along through the neighbourhood on sultry summer afternoons. She smiled, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before she would see his handsome face and she wondered whether he would be the same as when she last saw him, or whether or not he would be his younger handsome self. She pondered the ...

Read story

“Fool's Gold” by Josefin Björk

Submitted to Contest #57

Eighty years is not a bad feat. Dominic had filled those years with hard, hard work. He had come to this country some fifty years ago. Not all immigrants make it, but he had. He sat by his beautiful mahogany desk, in the west tower of his vast estate. A tower was a bit tacky, perhaps, but he had wanted one. Like the castles back home. Thirty years old, fresh-faced and strapping, he had marched off to the mines. Hatchet slung over his left shoulder, staring straight ahead. Dominic had never been afraid of hard work, and he had always known ...

Read story

“Artificial Will Intelligence” by Corbin O'Skinny

Submitted to Contest #57

“Hey hun’, this website might be better than anything our lawyers can do,” Cathy said to her husband. “How so? Is it any good?” Andrew asked back as he walked across their kitchen to his wife. She was on her laptop at the dining room table. He left eggplants for their baba ganoush roasting in the oven. No matter how rich they got, he still loved to cook. Cathy still loved to garden. “Well, it looks better than doyourownwill.com." Andrew laughed out loud at that memory. “I was kinda likin’ that rocketLawyer.com site or maybe legalZoom. ...

Read story

“The Presumption” by Aoi Ichigo

Submitted to Contest #57

It was a winter night. Johnathan was getting sick of tossing and turning in his bed, unable to fall asleep. His body temperature was on the higher side, the room was a little too chilly for his preference, he must have checked the heater a dozen times already. An hour passed and then two, the sound of the ticking clock grew louder and so did the howling wind knocking on his window every once a while. He surrendered his wish to sleep and poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat on his desk facing the window. The steam from his cup rose up a...

Read story

“I Hereby Bequeath” by Jean Goulden

Submitted to Contest #57

I Hereby Bequeath “To my beloved, wonderful daughters who have all the monetary resources they could need, my personal effects especially the childhood drawings they gave me for my birthday. To my husband Joe, my prize winning dalmation, in recognition of our spotty love. The rest of my estate, I leave to …” I can easily imagine Joe’s reaction when he reads her name, the sharp intake of breath, a flash of anger, a flush flooding up his chicken neck and spreading across his sunken c...

Read story

“Last will?” by Christopher Benson

Submitted to Contest #57

Pressing stop on the camera, Richard starts shuffling the papers together on his desk, and without looking up, tells his client, “I think I got everything I need.” “How did I do? That was fun!” exclaims his client James Kelley. In a somber tone Richard replies, “You were fine. Are you sure you want to do it this way? I have never been involved or associated with anything like this before.” Still with a smile on his face and almost laughing “Why would I care? I’ll be dead! Part of me wants be able to see their faces o...

Read story

“I Will... ” by Vincent Cruz

Submitted to Contest #57

I’m going to begin writing a draft of my will because I worry that I’ll die tomorrow. Although Sarah, my therapist, assures me that my fear is irrational. When I leave her office she tells me that I’m not going to die. “At least not yet.” My only daughter Lauren doesn’t know it yet but she won’t be in my will. Sarah doesn’t agree with my rationale about leaving her out, especially since the amount of money I’ve accumulated over the last ten years is a considerable sum. But it's my decision. Sitting on the bus I watch four...

Read story

“A Funeral To Remember” by Dolly Ogawa-Amsk

Submitted to Contest #57

We thought we were early but the church was filling up and we were lucky to find a space in one of the back pews. After my last conversation with Junior I shouldn’t have been surprised at the size of the crowd. When I was in high school, my family lived one house away from the Hopewell’s. The thing was we all knew that Junior was dying. He was born with a faulty kidney, in a time before transplants. So, he knew from the beginning that he wasn’t expected to survive much past his eighteenth birthday. It made it hard for his mother to...

Read story

“The Winning Shot ” by Kathleen Whalen

Submitted to Contest #57

“The year was 1957. Columbia High was played Union High for the District title and the chance to go to the state tournament. There were twelve seconds left and the score was tied 65 all. Bucky Richardson passes me the ball. I run toward the hoop and leap in the air. The ball dances around the rim and then, whoosh! It falls in! Columbia high wins! I am mobbed by my teammates as they rush from the bench and soon Columbia fans are rushing from the bleachers.”I had heard my grandpa tell this tale every Thanksgiving since I could remember. There ...

Read story

“Sculpting a Lie” by Melanie Sheehan

Submitted to Contest #57

“You have to tell them.” Oliver pleaded from outside the bathroom door. Sydney was on the other side, distraught. Tears flowing down her cheeks almost mocking the way her silver gown flowed down her legs. “Syd.” Oliver sighed in defeat. Sydney walks over to the door placing one hand on the doorknob and the other on the sink. She takes a few deep breaths before opening the door slightly. As she peeks her eyes through the crack, they're met by Oliver's. He offers a smile but his hazel eyes offer uncertainty. Sydney does a ...

Read story

Load more stories

$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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢