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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

“The Year After” by Emily K

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Scarlet, orange, and gold hues glowed with the sun’s rays, located in small piles scattered all over the old mossy sidewalk. The deep blue sky hosted a few swatches of wispy, stretched clouds, weak attempts of masking the secrets of the void beyond. A fresh, crisp autumn breeze whispered through the air, my first taste of non-stale air in three years. Strands of my dark, tangled hair floated against the sides of my face, brushing lightly against my cheek until I pulled the strays back b...

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“Flamming Frogs?” by Silvia Skye

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire, I guess someone let out the mischievous flamlings. They were supposed to be in a fireproof room in the back of the Laboratory. The alarms kept blaring, as men in white coats ran around like the world was ending. I walked over to the tree and circled it, wondering how I was going to catch them without getting toasted. They were tiny little orange and red creatures that looked like a cross between a butterfly and a frog. They were perched on various branches, giggling. Gi...

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“Once Upon An Autumn Season” by O. Quenqy

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I step outside, the leaves were on fire. All the people are busy preparing for the Mid-autumn Festival. Up in the sky, birds flying towards south are visible. They must be migrating for winter."Good morning Mr. Nizar!" The twins, Max and Dave greeted me as I walk pass their backyard. They hurriedly went down the tree with fresh red apples in their hands. I suppose that tree is an apple tree. A small chuckle escape my lips realizing my dumbness."Happy autumn Mr. Nizar!" The twins said in chorus as they both reach out the apple in ...

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“Autumn Treasure” by Lisa Onion

Submitted to Contest #63

A little boy with short black hair and a gleam in his brown eyes roamed over the materials that he has before him. He took a bite of his pumpkin spice pancake while ideas swirled in his mind, filled with imagination. So many ideas played around in his head as he ate his breakfast but when he finished, he could not help but immediately get to work. Construction paper of various colors, glue, markers, crayons, yarn, tape and oh the amazing possibilities that he could do with this. Quickly, he got up from his place and went to put on a coat o...

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“The Mother That Could Have Been ” by Ayelet Portman

Submitted to Contest #63

“Carefully use the scissors to curve your way around the paper, and then—voila!” Lily finished the leaf cutout and put it on the table for her daughter to see. “Whoa,” Alyssa whispered, her eyes widening, as if it was the coolest thing she had ever seen. “How did you do that?” Lily couldn’t help but find her daughter’s amazement amusing. Lily laughed. “Do you want me to show you again?” Alyssa nodded, and Lily pulled out another piece of paper. As she was folding the paper over and over, she thought back to when Alyssa was first born. It had...

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“Thankful for Life's Little Things” by Yellow Flower

Submitted to Contest #63

I held the red construction paper in my hands. Ever so lightly I cut along the sharpie lines. My scissors gilded around the page. Finally creating a pile of hand made decorations. Once all that was left of my red paper was simple scraps, I grabbed the same in yellow and began again. Tracing and drawing different silhouettes on my paper. Grabbing my scissors, and cutting them out. Making a neat pile of my work. Then began the process again and again. I was determined to create as much as possible. I would use them and decorate my room in thei...

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“Late Departure” by William Tells

Submitted to Contest #63

The ground was getting harder and colder. “We need to start heading out.” Mom nagged at my dad. “Let’s just wait awhile” dad commented back before heading out before he got some smarts words from mom. Our neighbors, the Robbins had left a few months ago and we were the few idiots staying behind. They complained about leaving but they wanted to leave early to get good housing. The worms weren’t coming out as often anymore and the air was getting colder. “There’s more food for us since their gone,” dad would say when the robins left. “Hey mo...

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“Routine” by Stephanie Orrell

Submitted to Contest #63

I do not have the reason why we do it. All I know is that we always have. The day the frost nips under our plumes and bites through the leather of our feet is the day it begins. As if our brains are one instinctual entity, we take flight together, our wings spread regally and our breasts, soon to be raw from the constant wind, exposed to the crisp Ontario air of November. We will not stop until we get there. I do not know the way, but I know when we arrive. This year, the first frost bit as the sun rose, and we were off. There was not a...

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“First Flight Along the Flyway” by Wendolyn Walker

Submitted to Contest #63

The circle of life dictates the survival of all species. It tells us how to choose a mate, where to find safe abodes, how to replenish nutrients, and for some even when to take a trip. But I will ponder these facts at a later moment, for now, I must fly. I feel the call of a red trumpet. A yearning propels my wings towards the sweet nectar. Drifting closer to the source of the call, I am relieved to find that no others have found it. Polishing off those glorious tubes of nectar will add the much-needed weight for the annual trek. The air...

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“Murray's Migration” by Evan Rocker

Submitted to Contest #63

I’m just going to report it, Murray and I may have hatched in the same nest, but he’s no feathered specimen of intellect and I hope he flies into a window. Speaking of feathered intellect, I’m dictating this to my friend Ebony. She’s one smart chicken who can write. Also she will be sticking around this winter whereas I’ll be flying south. So for the reporters that will inevitably come around looking for the bird brain who wrote this, she’ll be here and I’ll be in Mexico feasting on tacos and tostados and hanging out with my other good &nbsp...

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“The Hard Month” by Savannah Lamkey

Submitted to Contest #63

Warbler's wings hurt from flying, the crisp air stinging her wings. She shot her beady eyes to the cold, white landscape stretching below. The snow was beginning to melt, leaving trees without leaves in it's hard wake. She desired food, using this desperation to power her faster, closer.. She flew to take the lead, feeling the air beat behind her as the other birds followed. The moon light illuminated the distant lakes, reflecting all the stars. Behind her another bird swayed, smacking into her tail feathers. She clacked her beak as a warni...

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“never ending story” by Snjeguljica 33

Submitted to Contest #63

I’m Klepetan and you may have never heard of me, it doesn’t even matter, now I’m going to tell you my story. I am a stork and I do not bring children as many people say, I just live an ordinary family life. Like so many other storks. Maybe now is the time to hear what I want to tell you, because I’m pretty old. Just last year I thought it was over, but here it wasn’t so I got another chance to get back to my nest. But this whole story of mine would make no sense if there was no Malena. Now you wonder who she is? She is my whole world. St...

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“The Other Side of Home” by Eunice Mensah

Submitted to Contest #63

I had lived a full season's song and some when we had to leave home with nothing but the feathers on our backs. I remember it clearly. It was the day after I caught my first wiggle, unaided. The leaves had crunched gently when I hopped on them. I showed my catch to Ma Gale. “Stop playing with your food..." she had chirped, “...There is not enough. We must get ready to leave”.So we had left, when the great-light rose from its nest, because home no longer felt like home. It was getting colder, darker, windier. I had to stay on the left flank w...

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“Moly's Journey” by Dorra Bohli

Submitted to Contest #63

I love this time of the year, it’s like I’m going home for what the humans call Christmas, I’d love to go somewhere nice, definitively somewhere snowy, with a mountain. I know exactly where I’m headed. I’ve always loved to travel alone, even though us birds don’t usually or never do that; but this is how I see it, I make the rules, I stop whenever I want, and go wherever I want, I enjoy all the little adventures, because believe me when you do a three to four weeks flight, it’s an adventure! Here I take off, it’s time.It will start to get wa...

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“Our Birds have Come” by Sushmita Bhowmick

Submitted to Contest #63

“Masi, they are not here,” Rishi said. I looked up and sure enough the trees across the road were glistening green. But the egrets were not there. Every year around the beginning of October, a dozen or more of them would crowd in on the branches of a particular tree. They pecked constantly and though it was not clear, if they were having a go at the flowers or fruits, they all preferred that one tree. I folded the newspaper and finished my tea. The early morning air was getting pleasantly cold. It was still a week or two for winter to s...

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$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!

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