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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#66: Ready, Set, Go!

It’s almost November, and for many writers around the world that means the start of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. This wild challenge dares you to commit to writing a 50,000-word novel in just 30 days!

It’s an impressive feat, but it’s hardly the only way to exercise your writing muscles. If you like your writing in smaller doses but still want to build up the habit, today I’m going to challenge you to commit to writing a story from one prompt every week in November! (If you already do that, try for two, three, or even all five.)

To get you started, this week we’ll be focusing on stories all about challenging yourself. Whether it’s running a marathon, finally writing that novel, or just making it through a tough personal situation, challenge is what consistently pushes us to grow into our best selves.

And if you are giving novel writing a try, here are a few resources to help you along:

What Is NaNoWriMo? And How to Win in 2020
Join Reedsy’s NaNo Squad (with weekly live write-ins!)
Crafting a Novel Opening (workshop replay)
How to Write a Novel

This week's prompts

Start your story with one character telling another, “It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.”

Novel – 132 stories

Halfway through a fierce competition, your character is given the opportunity to cheat their way to victory: do they take it?

Short Story – 52 stories

Write about a character who makes a dramatic life change to pursue a goal they’ve secretly always wanted.

Novel – 120 stories

Write about a contest with life or death stakes.

Adventure – 145 stories

Write about a character who’s finally on the verge of achieving their lifelong dream.

Dramatic – 135 stories

Stories

“The Fall of Olia” by Lee-Ann Wahl

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” Those were the last words my mother had said before she died. At the time, I had thought she was saying it to herself, telling herself not to accept defeat even as she was cut down by the enemy. Now I am not so sure. Perhaps she was saying it to me too? “Commander Geonoff!” Someone yells as they barge into my tent. It is my first officer, Efrem Goulde. “They’re mounting an attack from the South!” Snatching my helmet from the table beside me, I pulled it over my head, tucking m...

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“The demon realm” by Pen Walker

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” Gerreth smirks. “Shut up.” I glare. “You were planning to die here, right from the start. I wonder how Jo would feel about this. She would be crushed.” He smiles. “Good thing she knows right?” I try to push myself up. “Oh don’t worry, I’ll let her know. You’ll be in no condition.” He raises his sword above me. The last thing I see is the glint of the blade diving towards me. “AHH!” I sit up quickly breathing heavy. “Hey, hey calm down. You're safe.” I feel someone’...

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“Developmental” by Gwen Grimes

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” “But it certainly helps, doesn’t it?” It was months prior to my great soirée. Harper, my counterpart, would not cease her nagging on my attentiveness to every possible detail and possibility surrounding this milestone of an event. “The end result will be the same no matter what. There’s nothing you can do!” “You know that isn’t true, there’s plenty I can do. And it’s not my defeat per se; I see it as a daring victory that’ll go down in history.” “Arthur, you must re...

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“Aella Ayer ” by Megan Faith

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re planning your defeat.” Those were the last bits of advice Aella heard from her grandmother before they fought their last fight together. …………………………………………………………………………………………. Aella was the youngest of the entire Ayer family, powers passed down from generation to generation. The Ayer’s heroes began with a woman who refused to take her husband’s name. She took her mother’s instead, much to the public’s outrage. Once her village discovered she had unimaginable powers, they let her do as she pleased.&nbsp...

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“Immolate” by K. Sabin

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” Sara’s gaze remained fixed on her lap, mumbling her father’s rule as she held his talisman. We had just tucked ourselves inside the cave’s dual entrances, cold air making its way from within as the ice walls held our backs up. Peering out at the sky, I note that the rain hasn’t stopped since last Sunday, making it harder than it should be to tell the time of day. “I don’t think you ever explained it to me,” I added. “The effort you put into something counts for nothing ...

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“PROMOTION” by Sriparna Bandyopadhyay

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” The stunt director’s voice was cool and reluctant. “No sir; not like that. Okay I take the risk… I mean accept the challenge.” The youth chuckled. The heroine was absent. The hero was furious while the group dancers were crestfallen and confounded. The dancers who were supposed to perform with the heroine had arrived well ahead of time as per stipulated call time. They were to move and shake around the hero alone and the couple too in a few shots; but that could have been done l...

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“Rights Are For All” by MALIK 1

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat,” said Jenny to Missy. “We have been waiting for this day for years now and you are scared all of a sudden. What happened to the Missy I knew, the Missy who was fearless and brave. Come on, we have to do this.”, “Ya, you’re right. I have waited for this my whole life, I am not turning back now. Thank you, Jenny!”, “No problem! Let’s go.” So for all those people who don’t know what’s happening, here’s the story - Missy is a 21-year-old woman who is from a background where feminine...

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“Plans” by Nat S

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” The only response Marcus got was a chuckle. Rolling his eyes, he went back to working his personal project: a magnificent robot that would surely win the leaders’ approval. “I’m honestly surprised you aren’t more worried about her, M. You know she’s just below the cutoff,” The girl next to him said. Marcus just snorted. &n...

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“Recovery is a Temptation” by Amanda Wall

Submitted to Contest #66

"It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat, Manderz. I know you have it in you." This is a phrase that my mom uttered to me when I began my journey to recovery, and as a recovering addict, I can now appreciate it. "Hi, my name is Amanda, and I'm an addict. I was addicted to painkillers and crack cocaine for over ten years. Over a decade of my life, destroyed by thoughts of where my next fix would come from, how would I get the money for another dub, another percocet for morning so I won't be sick, and the constant struggle to h...

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“Following Me!” by Christine Hungerford

Submitted to Contest #66

The eerie, moist, ancient-looking cave may hope to scare me even more with its intimidating, voluminous stalactites hanging torturously from its gaping mouth. Like someone forced them there as punishment for something hideous done or just because it was perceived as guilty for a nonexistent crime. So, water slid down, each echoing drop reminding the stalactite of this hellish inescapability. I shivered. I wanted someone, especially close, right with me. I went to this cave many times as a child to study the stalactites for Science class, bu...

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“Fifty/Fifty” by Christopher Cayen-Cyr

Submitted to Contest #66

"It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat." Head Judge Foley spoke the words as Inmate A sat on the stool with his guitar, hopeless. He kept his head down, avoiding eye contact like a young Perseus afraid of facing Medusa. "If you want to live another day, I suggest you give this performance your all." The poetry of his song impressed me. Both inmates undeniably had talent, and that was all I knew. There were specific clauses in our contracts stipulating we could not look into their pasts under any circumstances to mainta...

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“Ready, Set, Go” by A Mehendale

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” He said it just before I left, the two of us sat in the dark, side by side and pinkies locked. “It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” Just that, a single sentence cutting through the night’s silence. An acknowledgement of a sort, the closest thing to a goodbye the two of us would allow ourselves. Of course, I didn’t understand what he’d meant at the time. Too weighed down by the thoughts of what I was about to do, with the uncertainty of my future, of the risk...

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“Deep into the Woods” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #66

I walked the empty floors of what had been my home for eight years on Beale Air Force Base in Non Commission Officers’ housing. The echo was unnerving, this home once filled with laughter was now void of any emotion as the inspector had finished his duty, signed the form and handed it to me. I was free. My truck was all packed, the cats were in the carry-all and Jordan, my big black Labrador was sitting there looking at me with her tail wagging. My divorce would be final in two more weeks and my ex-wife was already i...

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“City Dreams” by Kavita Rawat

Submitted to Contest #66

The bus was fully packed with people. Bodhi can smell the sweat lingers on their clothes. The smell of cow dung on their fingernails. There were mostly male inside the bus. She can feel the eyes of the men looking at her. Scanning her, trying to pinpoint from which village she is from. Where must be her husband? Where she is going alone? Bodhi can feel the bile rise at the back of her throat. It is the cheap petrol. It was three years back since she traveled last time. The day she came to ...

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“FULFILMENT OF A DREAM” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Submitted to Contest #66

Isaac was over 6 feet in height. At 40 he was ruggedly handsome though his hairline was receding. He had been a sportsman while studying law and had even won a marathon. He had also won oratorical contests while he was a student. After a spell of apprenticeship with a well-known legal firm, he had set up private legal practice in a downtown area. He would commute for work by car from his home not far away in an apartment. Isaac had good legal knowledge and clients would come to him based on his reputation. Besides legal apprentices he had a ...

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$50

Prize money

584

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 22:59 - Nov 06, 2020 EST

Won by David G. 🏆

Title: Mahalo King Cod Filet

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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