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!

#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 Little Girl Who Could” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #66

“I think I can. I think I can,” said the little train that could. “Whoo, whoo!” “I know I can. I know I can,” said the little girl and she did. This is the story of a train, a girl, a book, and time. Sometimes a person makes a dramatic life change in order to pursue a secret goal. Maybe the change was expected by people surrounding this person, but the reason leading up to it was not obvious. When we find out why somebody moves halfway around the planet or sells everything in order to live with very few material items, we ofte...

Read story

“Broken Verses 2” by Radhika Diksha

Submitted to Contest #66

So this is a spin-off to my story "Broken verses". My friend Yolanda and Prateeksha wanted to know what happens next. They were intrigued by the story. So this story is for them in a literal sense. And please do read "Broken verses" before reading this.Hope you enjoy it.The frame's glass was embedded on the side of my forehead. The glass had pierced my skin above my brow. A strange numbness blocked my senses and I felt the room spinning. I felt the blood trickle down towards my cheek and making its way towards the nape of my neck. I saw a fe...

Read story

“Irreconcilable Differences” by Amy St. Pierre

Submitted to Contest #66

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Logan asked, pen poised above the sheet of paper that he was about to sign. “Yes,” Kate replied. She stood leaning against the counter, arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes fixated on the Trump 2020 banner hanging outside the house, blowing lightly in the breeze. She’d never been more sure of anything.*“Don’t blame yourself,” Jenn had said ...

Read story

“Zero Hour Nine AM” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #66

Dorothy and I sold our business, downsized, and settled for a quiet life of keeping bees in the country. We were unloading removal boxes when our new neighbour, Mitch Wallace, introduced himself and welcomed us to Platteville. We had no idea that 48 hours later we’d be in hospital after watching him pursue his life’s ambition. Heaven only knows what Mitch would have witnessed if everything had gone according to plan. In his former life, Mitch had been an engineer, a police officer and ladies’ hairdresser. However, after his ...

Read story

“Aichen't Do This” by Molly Leasure

Submitted to Contest #66

Click.“That oughta do it. Nervous?”“More than you can guess,” Aichen admits. He tugs on the restraints at his wrists. “These have to be so tight?”“Part of the safety protocol.” The computerized voice is warm, almost human. It’s been programmed with perfect attention to colloquial speech, but it still lacks a proper bedside manner. The questions it asks are never followed up. Is he nervous? Yes. No. It doesn’t matter how he answers.“So if I win—” he begins.“—I’m not programmed with that information.” Two beady eyes blink behind a flat screen,...

Read story

“Limits and the Force of Blood” by Emmanuel Olaleye

Submitted to Contest #66

He had no sooner entered the arena, when he caught sight of Smart smiling at him from the VIP section above the roaring crowd. Everything had been perfect since he woke up that morning. But not anymore, as everything seem to feel wrong. The quirky smile that gave away at the edge of Smart's lips was something he had seen before, and it definitely wasn't something good.The last time Cosmos saw that smile, he lost his best friend to the cold hands of death, and he can sense that ambience hovering over him again.As he walked towards the ring, h...

Read story

“Legend is Michael” by Miguel Balinado

Submitted to Contest #66

The Madison Square Garden arena is filled with roaring fans, cheering for the landslide-favorite team, The New York Knicks.Our team is on the verge of another defeat at the hands of the reigning Eastern Conference champions.My jersey is filled with sweat and all of the sprinting back-and-forth finally taking its toll on my weared-down knees.Suddenly, I saw my wife at the arena stand with a colorfully-designed banner saying, "It doesn't count if you are already planning your defeat" followed by the words, "I LOVE YOU, MY LEGEND".The clock is ...

Read story

“Four Deaths + One Family = Not Good” by Bailey D.

Submitted to Contest #66

Cole was all she had. All she would ever have. Troy was all she needed. All she would ever need. Beck was all she wanted. All she would ever want. And that was her downfall. --- Three years ago, Cole Lockwood sat in front of the desk that was placed in the corner of his room. Country music played faintly from some other area of the house. Most likely from his mother. He crumpled his paper, ruining yet another science experiment idea. “Argh! This dang assignment is going to kill me!” Cole tossed the crumpled-up paper in his small tra...

Read story

“Becoming” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #66

Spindle, shuttle, weft. Warp, woof, shaft. It never stops, the relentless clacking clack of the shuttle sailing forth and back. Factory work. The never ending weaving of tapestries on loom after loom as far down the mill as eyes may see. Endlessly busy, we have job security with a bullet. We start early and work our way down the line. The beginners, the newbies, called worms, are at one end. Old timers, OTs, tend the other. And then they’re gone. ‘Nuff said. But it’s a fact we’re all worms. Even the old timers don’t know what they’re doin...

Read story

“The Three of Us” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #66

Our family has always liked to joke – except it’s not really a joke – that we were known as The Firm long years before the Royals took on that nickname. But of course it’s not said disrespectfully. We are all monarchists and heaven help anyone who says otherwise. It’s one of our traditions. One of the few I could talk about. And we use words like Prince and Princess about ourselves, too. I was always Dad’s little princess. Nothing was too good for me. He sent me to an expe...

Read story

“The Empty Cup” by Ben To

Submitted to Contest #66

It was the 18th hole of the Austin Valley Open, and Hugh Grace had a one stroke lead. He could finish this final hole with a par and still win the tournament. It would be his first tour victory, and along with the over-sized trophy he would receive a 1-million dollar purse. It began to lightly rain as Hugh and his caddy, Sam, hustled up the final fairway and into the rough. The wind whipped at their umbrellas as they began to search the tall grass for Hugh's golf ball. As they hunted for the ball, Sam was all smiles. “You wer...

Read story

“The Walls” by L M

Submitted to Contest #66

One of us commited the crime. One of us did not. One of us will be banished from the Safe Zone, while one of us, will live. We are the entertainment of tonight’s live show, with deadly consequences. Except, it’s not really up to us to decide who lives. It’s up to the community. Using the evidence brought against us tonight, one of us will be deemed guilty, while the other liberated. A case of mystery and betrayal. They won’t listen to either of us. Murder has always been considered the worst crime to commit throughout history, but mor...

Read story

“The Script” by Iris Silverman

Submitted to Contest #66

“Mary Waverly! Supper’s ready!” My 5’1” blue eyed, platinum blonde-haired mother was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her apron on, every hair miraculously held in its place behind her pastel pink ribbon of a headband. Somehow, after making homemade macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole, and sweet corn bread, her linen pants were spotless, and her pink button down was free of wrinkles or food stains. I shook my head at the memory of her attempts to teach me how to cook like her. Flashbacks of her reprimands played in my mind a...

Read story

“THE JOURNEY ” by Taiwo Bello

Submitted to Contest #66

Melissa Effiong was on the verge of anger, seeing all the distant relatives at the reading of her mother's will. They were never there when her mum was struggling with the intense chemotherapy due to the advanced stage of her ovarian cancer. Was she in the position of questioning how her uncles, aunties, cousins, and numerous relatives were never there for her mum? She didn't exactly have a smooth relationship with her, but she was at least there for her during the advanced stage of her sickness. Or was she not? Of course, she was there, she...

Read story

“The One Who Survived” by Trinity Womack

Submitted to Contest #66

Amber watched as Jessi was carted away, her body covered with a white sheet. What had happened? The rest of the contestants stared at each other in unmasked horror. Jessi was dead. The host of the contest, The One Who Survived, glanced at them all and smiled. “As you can see, you now have a better motivation to win the contest.” Amber stared at him as a shiver went down her spine. “What do you mean? We were told that Jessi’s death was an...

Read story

Load more stories

$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!

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 ⭢