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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#6: On The Road

On September 5th, 1957, Jack Kerouac published On the Road — a novel based on his travels around the United States. It's viewed today as a defining work of the Beat generation. And fun fact: Kerouac wrote the book on one long reel of paper over just three weeks.

There's something about literature and road trips that work inherently well together. Just like road trips, stories must start in one place, and end in another.

This week, our prompts are all road trip inspired! And remember, it's about the journey, not the destination.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a family road trip.

Short Story – 22 stories

Write a story about a road trip taking place 300 years from now.

Science Fiction – 18 stories

Write a story about two people in a long-distance relationship, driving to a location mid-way between both their cities.

Romance – 23 stories

Write a story about someone who started a road trip ten years ago and hasn't stopped since.

Adventure – 22 stories

Write a story about friends taking a road trip they've been planning for years.

Adventure – 22 stories

Stories

“Sputtering On” by Emme Rose

Submitted to Contest #6

Her hands clutch the steering wheel, turning her knuckles white as her breath catches in her throat. Her heart beats a million miles a minute as her foot smashes the accelerator. The makeup stain on her hand from where she spilled foundation jumps out against the porcelain of her skin, but she doesn’t notice. While she drives, all she can think about is Jamie. Her Jamie. Vanessa met Jamie on a chat website for ABBA fans in 2017, and they hit it off immediately. “Voulez-Vous” was Vanessa’s favorite, “Waterloo” was Jamie’s. “Winner Takes It Al...

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“Gramama Knows.” by Violet Anne

Submitted to Contest #6

Jessica was so thrilled right now, that she was practically jumping as she sat up in her bed. This day wasn't an ordinary day, no - today, Jessica was going to meet her boyfriend. I know, it doesn't sound that exciting. You probably see your girlfriend or boyfriend more than twice a week, or something like that. But this relationship? This was different. Because for her whole entire life, Jessica had never once met her boyfriend. She was nineteen and never had her first kiss yet, but that's because she was holding it until she met Trevo...

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“Destiny and Fate Await” by Gail S Kibby White

Submitted to Contest #6

It had been months since I broke up with Ben. We first met one Saturday evening. A few friends and I were out dancing in a local singles club. He asked me to dance. I said, “Yes,” and we ended up dating for almost two years.Going through a messy divorce, he had moved out and lived alone. I foolishly disregarded the ‘red flag warning signs.’ We had a lot in common, and I enjoyed his company.Educated, handsome, tall with dark wavy hair, he was hard to resist.One night a year ago, we were in a restaurant having dinner. We sat sipping after-dinn...

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“Now I'm Home” by Addison Manning

Submitted to Contest #6

You’ve been driving for a long time. Not like this is weird, this has become a part of everyday life by now. Your in the middle of Mexico City, attempting not to get stuck in traffic. Finally, after a long wait in traffic, you turn into a hotel. You park your small blue van and quickly head inside.You book a room for the night and get handed your long-awaited key-card to your room. On normal nights you would stay in your van, but tonight felt different. You wanted to look at Mexico’s bright stars on a warm spring night, wishing for nothing e...

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“Curveballs” by Naomi A

Submitted to Contest #6

Molly Hamond loved her life. Why? Because in reality, she was living the dream most people just wished they could achieve. Okay, maybe not everyone’s dream, but she’d definitely defied the odds of a traditonal 35 year-olds life. 10 years ago she’d be stuck at a secretary job at an Insurance company in Atlanta, GA. Yes, there are much, much worse occupations you could be doing at 25. But there was also very little sense of adventure in your life when all your doing is answering phones and struggling everyday to get the copy machine to wo...

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“Amazing Journey” by Carol Rogers

Submitted to Contest #6

It had started as a joke between my best friend Andrew and I. He had said I would never leave our quaint little town of Hisbiscus so I set out to prove him wrong. I had just turned eighteen and was itching to explore the reaches beyond the tiny one-lane road I had been born and raised in. A car for graduation from my loving parents as well as a sizable amount of money to start me on my journey into adulthood set me up to take the leap to prove Andrew wrong. I tossed what few belongings I had gathered, thinking I wouldn’t be gone long, ...

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“The Wandering Quester” by Ella Blair

Submitted to Contest #6

“Let me tell you about the Wandering Quester.” Jax looked spooky, with the fire illuminating his elfish face. He leaned forward like he was about to tell us a secret. “Ten years ago, when we were but toddlers, there was a man, and an old street witch told him he was descended from a great dragon. Upon learning this, vanity and conceit began to consume him. He treated his neighbors and colleagues as if they were but grime underfoot. They believed they had to put up with him, or he would unleash his dragon powers on them. But they soon realise...

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“The Feeling of Midnight Diners” by Sarah Guerrero

Submitted to Contest #6

Prompt: Write a story about someone who started a road trip 10 years ago and hasn’t stopped sinceAuthor: Sarah Guerrero Midnite diners were the bread and butter of long-time road trips. They had greasy, delicious food, a usually wonderful waitstaff and no fucks to give. The best part of the diners was, of course, the feeling that they gave you. It was a mix between too present and not there, when you’re so tired but wound so tight that you’re either gonna fall asleep in your hashbrowns or have a breakdown in the bathroom. It created this per...

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“Along the Coast Road” by Don Ferguson

Submitted to Contest #6

In the spring of 1998, my best friend and I set up a trip to drive the pacific coast highway. Jay lived in a small town in Illinois, and I am in Las Vegas, Nevada. It took a few weeks to set up the trip. Jay flew into town on a Friday night; I went to the airport to pick him up. I had bought a new Jeep Wrangler; this was to be our ride on this trip. As he picked up his luggage, we talked about what we would need for this adventure. Where is the old truck he asked? Walking to the parking garage, over there, I said, pointing t...

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“9/11” by Anna Blass

Submitted to Contest #6

I throw myself on the couch. After a long day of work, this is my preferred method of relaxing. I let myself sink into the cushions, letting the soft stuffing of a mattress soak up all my aches. I groan as the phone begins to ring. I get up slowly, stomping over to the receiver. “Yes?” “Sarah, this is Danielle. Just checking to make sure you’re ready for tomorrow’s trip.” “I told you, I have a very important conference tomo...

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“Dream Trip” by Débora Evilaine

Submitted to Contest #6

It was still six in the morning when me and Crystal finally got inside Dan's red pickup. It was old and scratched all the way from the headlights to the backseat doors, a little incident result of a cheating indicent that Dan swore to God he wasn't part of, the same way he swore to us he could still drive that old thing. And the same way his ex girlfriend didn't believe him, we couldn't believe ourselves when we accepted to ride that."Oh come on, I've told you already," Dan said as he turned the keys confidently, stepping on the accelerator ...

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“Underlands” by Michael Lacey

Submitted to Contest #6

“Ugh, I can’t wait til we pick up Sara and Billy,” Mary says in her most earnest voice. I try not to be offended every time Mary brings this up. You see, we’re on a road trip, but not just any road trip. This is THE road trip to end all road trips to a place not even on a map—except for the underground one I got from some junkie who had no idea what he had. It’s both a relic and a compass for the few real adventurers left in the world like myself. I say, “epic,” but now the trip feels like a game of Monopoly, threatening to end the fri...

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“Cousin Morris” by Edward McNett

Submitted to Contest #6

“Albert!” “hmm?”“Albert!!” “I’m in here, for Chris’sake”“Don’t blaspheme, honey. Are you packed?”“Uh huh.”“Let me see, do you have everything you need? Where are your socks in all this mess?” (throwing things out of his suitcase as she talks) “Mother, stop!”“Well you can’t go two weeks without wearing any socks; even if we will be out in the boondocks.”“I don’t see why not.”“Because it isn’t civilized, and we are civilized people—even most of your father’s relatives are” (with a deviant smile; aware that her husband has just entered th...

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“Vicki's Last Road Trip” by Megan Young

Submitted to Contest #6

Summer of 2007. It was the summer before my junior year of high school. I was sixteen. She had just turned ten years old a couple weeks before. Our parents told us that we were going on vacation, but wouldn’t give us any hints as to where we would be going, so we all packed for anything, but mostly swimsuits and tank tops since we some how thought we were going on a cruise. We all piled up into the suburban, eight of us in all. The two youngest in the very back seat (which we all fought over), the two middle in the middle back seat, and the ...

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“The Noses on Mount Rushmore” by Dee Sylvia

Submitted to Contest #6

When I was a child our family of seven went camping in New Hampshire. It rained for five days. The tent leaked. We woke up cold, damp and miserable. My leg contracted a rash which turned out to be ringworm.I made a promise to myself to never go camping again. At seventeen I fell madly in love with someone who loved to camp. He put together a brilliant plan to go camping across the country. We would go with another couple and sleep in small “pup” tents. We would drive in a huge old Ch...

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$50

Prize money

107

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 13, 2019 EST

Won by Annabel Hynes 🏆

Title: Gone West

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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