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!

#63: Autumnal

It’s finally fall in the Northern Hemisphere. While the leaves are being slow to change out my window this year, the air is crisp and the pumpkin spice products are out in full force. Time to break out the sweaters!

Beyond all the colorful trappings, though, fall is by definition a season of change. So as you craft your stories this week, try to think about how the events you’re writing will change your characters' lives, whether fundamentally or just a little. After all, even a seemingly mundane afternoon can be the turning point of your entire life…

And if you want to drink some apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte while you write, more power to you!

This week's prompts

Set your story in a coffee shop that’s just introduced a new line of autumnal drinks.

Fall – 161 stories

Start your story with the line, “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” (Whether this is a literal fire is up to you.)

Teens – 324 stories

Write about a character making fall decorations out of construction paper.

Kids – 45 stories

Write a story from the perspective of a bird migrating for the winter.

Winter – 128 stories

Write about two characters going apple picking.

Fall – 249 stories

Stories

“To Meet Again” by Rease Hunter

Submitted to Contest #63

As I walked out the door, I noticed that a crowd had formed around Clementine’s Cafe. I walked towards it to see what was going on, and that’s when I realized that Clementine’s Cafe had finally introduced a new drink. I couldn’t read exactly what it was, but the picture looked like the drink was tasty. I couldn’t wait to try it. I tried to find my way through the crowd. Even though I was very tall, it was still very difficult to see the sign. It didn’t help that more people were coming, making the crowd almost double. Clementine’s Cafe was a...

Read story

“Caramel latte” by Lea Cafuta Maček

Submitted to Contest #63

As I'm unsuccessfully trying to light up a cigarette, Paul is already yelling at me to sweep the leaves off the terrace when I'm done. ˝Sweep it yourself, I'm not doing the fucking Sisyphean task again.˝ As if this time of year wasn't bad enough by itself with itchy sweaters and ripped stockings, the new assistant manager decided to update the menu so it would be more season appropriate. We had to learn a shitload of new stuff overnight. What's wrong with good old Pumpkin Spice?! As I come back inside, he's telling me something about the...

Read story

“Coffee Connects Us All” by Art U

Submitted to Contest #63

Alya was typing frantically into the terminal, checking in code at the eleventh hour, right before midnight for the big launch. The ex-model turned software engineer who went on to become the lead on a project hit the commit button just in time. The wheels were set in motion, soon others across the world would read and review her code, hit approve. It would then get deployed, tested against code written by more people, halfway across the blue sphere, sipping their morning chai. As electrons buzzed, her code would then go, flashing across LED...

Read story

“Leaves on Fire” by Monica Chaddick

Submitted to Contest #63

Trigger warning: suicide By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I couldn’t believe what my backyard looked like. All of those beautiful dry leaves in their oranges, reds, and browns were glowing with the flames. The tree was close to catching, as well. Quickly, I grabbed the water hose and turned on the faucet. I began spraying down the house and the tree, then the flames on the leaves. I screamed at my ten year old, who had fo...

Read story

“Pyromaniac Puppy” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Bad dog. I go to the side of the house, I unring the hose, screw it in the faucet, and point it at the fire: The water comes out, but the fire doesn’t terminate. Damn it! Bad dog! So, I turn off the hose and the fire’s still there. I think of calling 911, but then I remember my son, Sean, got a chemistry kit for a science class with a fire blanket. I fi...

Read story

“The Hurting Fire Within will be Extinguished” by Crystal Ng

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. A hue of orange and just a slight tinge of a lemon rind radiated from the leaves of autumn. Henna smelled the breezy, cold air and let out a sigh of relief that made her shudder. She never felt this jubilant and free from the mere cast of fire stretched out in front of her. She wonders if she was finally from her own fire burning within her; the fire that kept her insane for months. "Well someone's looking fine today," Kera smiled sadly, "Finally up?" Henna hugged her coat tightly an...

Read story

“Leaves on Fire” by Macey Camp

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. We had been in the middle of summer and now suddenly the leaves were red and orange, with a hint of yellow and brown in them. Arkansas weather had to be the most bipolar state in the world if the temperature had dropped from 90 to 70 degrees. “This is scientifically impossible,” Kyler grumbled next to me as he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth. “Arkansas IS scientifically impossible,” I replied with a wince. The wind began tearing the leaves off the trees making...

Read story

“The six ” by Uniquely Drea

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The brisk air of October stabbing at my face in little prickles causing it to lose it sensation of the slightest feeling, even as I placed my hand upon my face it felt foreign. I felt a presence as if something were watching me, I glanced up looking around in the crowd of New York city and right across the street stood a man, he wore a long pea coat and his hands were placed in his pockets for a moment his eyes met mine before disappearing into the crowd. I turned on my heals and b...

Read story

“Falling for Fall ” by Tammy Radecki

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The colors were a vibrant array of a pallet of fire red and burnt Orange. Summer faded away while I slept. just a few short months ago, I was in a accident that left me in a hotel isolation. With my sleeping and healing, I had missed summer altogether. I had many visitors but nothing could compare to watching summer fade from warm days of sunshine to crisp mornings and evenings sitting my a fire with hot cocoa or cider. While I lay in my bed, I dreamt of my memories of fall days. We enj...

Read story

“Blue Lightning ” by Angelica Black

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The smoke lifted high into the darkness and the crackling of the blaze carried out into the silence of the night. I was in a trance; I couldn't look away if my life depended on it. Did I do this? No, I couldn't have.The sirens knocked me out of my trance and I backed away, slowly at first, before finally turning and running inside.I stared at my hands. This wasn't my fault. 'I told you it's not safe here. Your power is too much for you to control at the moment. Now, how are you going to...

Read story

“I Knew Armand” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #63

I Knew Armand By Heather Ann Martinez By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I had forgotten what they looked like this time of year in the United States. It had been a year since Armand’s unexpected death. It had been a year since I went into hiding. I have spent the majority of the last six months editing vlogs for friends who have been biking across Colorado. As much as the federal agents said I shouldn’t, I’ve been hiding in plain sight. No one out here is looking for Vesna Lombardi, wife of a now deceased Ita...

380 comments 380

Read story

“Collateral Damage” by Guinevere Yates

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire!" Janine exclaimed, still trembling from the adrenaline. "I was watering the plants in the window, I looked up, and saw three guys pouring gasoline all over the leaf pile!" "Did you get a good look at them? " Sgt. Ryke asked. "No, They were wearing Halloween masks. Go figure!" "Any Tattoos or identifying marks of some sort?" "Nope, they looked like teenagers." Sgt. Ryke sighed, "Unfortunately, without a positive ID, the chances of catching the...

Read story

“Rebirth” by LeighAnne Ferreol

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The dark smoke billowed from the fire pit like a welcoming chimney from a cozy cottage. The ashes floated up and danced in the cool autumn breeze. The smoky smell filled my body and made me feel warm from the inside out, cleansing me of the evening chill. I hoped the fire could cleanse me of him too. I watched as Jenny poked the leaves around with an old, broken rake handle. The fire roared powerfully. It was ready. She smiled and bounced over when she saw me. “Is this the last of it?...

Read story

“We Cared Only Briefly” by J.M. Patrick

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. There was smoke first, or the smell of it, sharp and determined through the vents of the classrooms, and then whispers, hopes that classes would be cancelled, that the front hallways were burning. We were in no danger, they assured us, the fire wasn’t close. Just focus, just pay attention to the equation. We couldn’t see much from the windows, only the reflected lights of firetrucks, red, yellow, red, yellow, and then they closed the drapes. By the time we were dismissed we could see th...

Read story

“What if an Actor Murdered His Mom—and Got Away with It?” by Mohsen Baqery

Submitted to Contest #63

- “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. How many times do you want me to repeat that?”- “But one of the neighbors believes that they saw you running away before the fire was out. Do you have anything to tell us about that?”- “They must’ve been mistaken, officer. I was running away to ask for help because the fire was too close to the porch, and my mom was lying on the floor unconscious.”- &n...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

907

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 16, 2020 EST

Won by Masha Kurbatova 🏆

Title: come to atlanta!

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 ⭢