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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

“A big pack of jelly babies, and a tiny result-altering plastic bag.” by Sam Reeves

Submitted to Contest #66

Suzie arrived at the school’s athletics track to chat with her friends before tonight’s training at the Running Club. She had known the four of them since their first day at school and they’ve been inseparable ever since. John and Ernie were long-distance runners and always excelled at the annual cross-country. Lily and Rob were the cutest couple of the school, always joined at the hip. By the sounds of their constant, but mostly harmless, bickering they sounded like an old married couple! “Hey guys. I just remembered the 400m race is two ...

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“Lavender Scented Paths” by Adilene Victoria

Submitted to Contest #66

P.O.V = Point of view from any outsider's perspective: The cobbled lanes swarm with people who blanket the narrow streets in layers of beige. The people in their tweed jackets with little clocks hanging out their little pockets or their frilly and puffed blouses with their fluted skirts. The people with their noses held high and their petite waists, their hair held back perfectly. All these people judging everyone with their snake like eyes in their renowned frames of life. All these people puffing o...

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“The Final Strategy” by Mariam Michalak

Submitted to Contest #66

Sweat rolls down my face. I can feel the tension in the air strangling the breath from my lungs. Either way forward would mean certain destruction. There was – is - no way to win, let alone survive, this next frontal assault. I take a shuddering breath in, trying to remain calm. We will lose this battle, possibly even the war. What does it matter what move I make now? The quiet slowly grows, and I welcome it for once. However, his voice breaks the small silence I had. “It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” Footsteps fol...

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“Housing Problems” by Tanja Cilia

Submitted to Contest #66

Whenever I tell people something that really happened to me, they always say I’m making it up as I go along. I am the Poster Girl for “Tell the truth, and nobody will believe you”. I spent my summers in what the townsfolk called the Ancestral Mansion. To me, it was just Nanna’s House – a rambling building built on a hill, with a whole wing preserved as it used to be in bygone times. There was just one room that was out of bounds – a room that was said to be haunted. This room was always cool in summer, and warm in winter. Whenever anyone ...

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“Teracotta Flames” by H.L Whitlock

Submitted to Contest #66

Teracotta Flames The sun rose to its highest, fixed in place staring down at the settlement isolated in grassland that seemed to reach out forever, beyond the sun. The settlement stood alone, a small island in the middle of a green sea. Large cones pointed into the sky woven out of colourful fabrics and dark leather. Strong ropes and posts prevented them from falling down. The tepees huddled together, finding comfort in their closeness, keeping the isolation of their world at bay. The community that inhabited this fabricated island were ...

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“Shadows” by ✎💎 ℂａŁ𝔢в 𝐖𝐄𝓲Ǥ𝐓 ♡💀

Submitted to Contest #66

I bent the rules of the prompt... just a little, don't worry! :)Ru gave me this prompt, link to her biohttps://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/author/r-k-d2defe/Prompt: Imagine you are somebody's shadow for a day. You’re running along the beach during the early morning hours, feeling the soft cool sand between your toes. Your feet touch upon the waves, the slightest bit, refreshing, compared to the heat of the sun. You are alone, or at least you think you are. You continue to run, faster and faster. I am forced to move with you...

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“COLLAPSE OF AN AMBITION” by Dawood Abbasi

Submitted to Contest #66

Ambitions are pretty to be made but hard to accomplish through lifelong struggle. When ever a collapse of ambitions occurs; all concerns of life and art overturn the pleasures and popularity. Jamal Khan emerged as an artist from a poor hamlet in the far southeast marshy areas of Lahore city. He possessed an innate genius of musical art. The tunes of the flute and rhythms of his sitar had magical stances on the hands of Jamal*. The throbs of the strings and notes of the flute scatter splendid imagination on Jamal’s blows and thrills. Almost a...

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“Through the woods” by Christina Hall

Submitted to Contest #66

Roland stood stiffly against the rough bark of one the great trees of Wormwood Forest. He was standing on a blanket of vibrant emerald moss that crawled over the forest floor. Spotted mushrooms poked out seemingly at random, giving the illusion that he stood above the world of fairies. Wormwood Forest was not the sort of place he usually frequented. While the beauty of it could entrance a unwary soul, the darkness of men had long since taken it over.The road nearby was relatively safe in the light of day, particularly if those that travelled...

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“The Storm Mage's Gambit” by Mel Shield

Submitted to Contest #66

Sensing the faintest compression of the ancient slab under bare foot, Olaria thrust her arms outwards before bringing them tight about herself in a securing embrace. Swirling, yet soundless, a gust of air encircled the young woman, whipping up dust and tearing cobwebs from narrow walls and low ceiling. Like the eye she remained calm, concentrated, as the shielding storm raged on about her, catching the bolt mid-flight. A heartbeat later the obsidian tipped missile’s momentum shifted, casting it away to shatter against a wall. Exhali...

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“Your Princess Is in Another Castle” by Tyler Runde

Submitted to Contest #66

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.”Marcus took his eyes away from the castle and looked to Lumbert, and asked, “Doesn’t it?”“No!” Lumbert proclaimed, stepping back from the hillock’s edge to busy himself with tending to the horses, who hadn’t had a thing to eat the entire journey from Toderskül this far out into the Wastes and so had been huffing away irritably at the two men for the last five minutes.Marcus smiled sheepishly at his traveling companion and friend. He’d spent the previous night spit-shining the breastpl...

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“The Plan ” by Alya Kaikuahine

Submitted to Contest #66

"It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat." "Well, what else am I supposed to do? It's not like I can just march up to the queen and ask nicely to give us the country back. 'Oh, your majesty, can I have the country back? Oh, no, and you're going to chop my head off for saying it?" Grey grumbled beside me. "So instead you're going to have her make you her slave?" "Not exactly, more like…. Yeah, never mind that's exactly what I'm going to do. But I'm not planning my defeat, my plan is my defeat." ...

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“Ups and downs” by Tariq Saeed

Submitted to Contest #66

Hi,uncle,What’s up"Nomi greeted me .He was looking very happy and jolly.Nomi,what about your ,didn’t you rent it “.I asked.Uncle luck favored me, a business man hired my house for one lacs rupees. He had given me twelve lac of rupees as advance for one year, tonight I would take you for the dinner”Nomi invited me. In the evening I went to the restaurant in Which I was invited.A man near fifty years of age was sitting with Nomi. He introduced me to that person as he was new lessee Mr Victor.Sir,I know you “you were in Karachi”.Mr Victor ...

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“'Marketed ignorance'” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #66

Your Honour, Judging from the state of everything in this state, I strongly move the motion that the slogan of this state be changed immediately. It is certainly contributing its own quota to the backwardness of the State. All manners of evil is happening here and no force is curtailing them. Home for all. Could you imagine a name like that? member representing Nnewi south said. Your honour, we are in 21st centuary, we must by all means stop corruption that has taken roots here especially among us politicians. The problem of the state...

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“Pretty yet deadly ” by I'm Dru

Submitted to Contest #66

The warmth of it all was intoxicating. Her heartbeat went crazy as the blood was trickling down her face, onto her chin and down onto the marble floor. Why did this feel so good? Why was this easier and easier? Addicting. The crowd cheering made her feel the world spinning around her, like that one time she tried drugs. Would this be just as hard to give up on like the drugs as well? The constant craving for that feeling, but not the aftermath. She wondered what the aftermath would feel like, but for now, there were still four more people sh...

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“The Unfulfilled Dream” by Prachi Kumbhare

Submitted to Contest #66

I’ve always agreed to people’s choices and preferences, but when mine was at stake, I had no one by my side. Well, so that left me with nothing but to gallop. I’ve made compromises and settled even for less than I deserved, but not anymore. The water was over the head, and I had to swim to live. Letting myself sunk would have left me with nothing but the option of death.So here I am. Away from my past, my misery, my dearest mother, and the love of my life. But that is nothing in comparison to my freedom. This feels good and amazing!It’s such...

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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.

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