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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#69: Ties That Bind

We’re entering the season where families normally gather together in gratitude and celebration — and though many traditions will be taking a different shape this year, staying connected with those we love will remain just as important and meaningful as ever.

This week we’re going to explore the many ways that families influence our characters. Like it or not, our childhoods and the people who raised us have a strong influence on who we become as adults, which makes families a wonderful avenue for exploring backstory and building a strong character.

While writing your stories this week, try to think not just about the events taking place in your story, but the many years of family ties that preceded it. How do longstanding feelings, old wounds, and past events impact the conversations your characters are having now? And how will these events impact their relationship in the future? After all, your characters will be seeing these people for many years to come… Or will they?

This week's prompts

Write about a family adapting a holiday tradition to take place over video chat.

Holiday – 59 stories

Write about someone who falls back into childish behaviors whenever they’re around their family.

Kids – 66 stories

Write about someone who didn’t get along with their family as a child, but has since found an appreciation for them.

Teens – 112 stories

Write about a family’s first holiday after a parent has gotten remarried, and now there are new faces at the table and new traditions to be honored.

Holiday – 98 stories

Write about someone telling their family they won’t be continuing the long-standing family business.

Sad – 175 stories

Stories

“Patchwork” by Hope Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #69

There I was. Suitcase in hand. The awkward middle child, again. The door opened. Mom's brown eyes greeted me. I had always imagined her warm eyes melting into my smile. I stepped inside and plopped down on the couch, waiting for Hannah and Symphony. Sometimes I wondered why our parents named us like that. "Where's Jarryd?" I asked. "I sent him out for cranberry sauce." "And Dad?" A booming, jolly voice entered the room, "Hey, Marrie! How are you?" He hugged me, ponch to the side. I remember when I was a little k...

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“Would You Like To Proceed?” by ✰ 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐞 ✰

Submitted to Contest #69

I clicked the mouse on my keyboard and the screen lit up in a royal blue. Would you like to proceed? The screen said, its snotty attitude rubbing my misfortune in my face. No, I don't want to “proceed”. I would do anything to get out of doing this. I couldn’t bear to face my family. My breath shook as I moved the mouse away from the button. I couldn’t do this. I wasn’t strong enough. How could I face years worth of anger about what I had done. I had caused them pain, humiliation. But, they had done the same to me. My cheeks we...

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“Food Fight!” by Antonio Jimenez

Submitted to Contest #69

In the year of COVID-19, what is there to be thankful for? The young college student alone in his temporary “isolation dorm” gloomily pondered that question. It was Thanksgiving, and Mark Hamels was in quarantine after testing positive with a mild case of COVID-19. Quarantine sucks, he thought. The original plan had been for him to make the four-and-a-half-hour drive from the University of Washington in Seattle to Spokane, where his family lived, and spend a couple of days with them. That plan had been derailed when he...

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“Do You Love Me?” by You'd Think A Writer Would Have A More Creative Name .

Submitted to Contest #69

1534 wordsRated PG; gun violence, mature subject matterHa.That's the first word that came to mind. The first thing that rolled off my tongue when it happened. I apologize, dear reader. You just opened a book when this slip of paper fell out. Tell me, why are you reading Joop Ter Heul? Is it for a school project? Do you just like comedic, old Dutch books? Did you pick this up by accident? Fun fact, this book was a favourite of Anne Frank. Of course, you could always put this slip of paper back for the next person to find. But I have...

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“"Who's Your Hero?" My 6th Grade Teacher Asked” by Zahra Daya

Submitted to Contest #69

Trigger warning: Drug abuse and depressive talk. Her chest heaves and falls, this ongoing rhythm creating an atmosphere of serenity and stillness. The AC vent on auto just above her head, a caramel-brown piece of hair dancing in the cool air. I stop typing up my next speech that I am planning to give in less than a week and look at my mum. My eyes start to get blurry as I fixate on this piece of hair flying around merrily. Just as it is pushed to the right, the hair stops dead. Falls back onto her closed eyes. Oh no. Not again. My heartbea...

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“Love Peace and Tea” by Qurratulain Bukhari

Submitted to Contest #69

A wonderful warm feeling embraced her as she sat beside her siblings with a hot cup of tea in her hands and a glow of happiness in her heart. Tea with her siblings whenever they could be together had become a tradition, a much anticipated ritual that promised gossip, laughter, heart to heart talks and an all encompassing joy of just being together. "Oh ,how I miss your peacock dance ", she said to her brother Z, "the last time I saw you doing it was when you were celebrating the millennium "."It serves you right ,you interrupted m...

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“The Interview” by Marcail Nevaeh

Submitted to Contest #69

“What do you mean you’re quitting?!” My father bellows in fury. I had thought it would be going better than this…my father has always taken pride in the family business. I just hadn’t realized how much it meant to him...but this is important to me! I don’t want to spend my whole life working for an oil manufacturer. I guess my dad had other ideas. I want to go out into the world and find an interesting job. One that will bring me joy! “I mean that I don’t want to work for you anymore, Father.” I tell him plainly, hoping I ...

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“South African Christmas Traditions” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #69

I was around 11 years old when my father remarried. In choosing what parent to reside with by order of the divorce decree I chose my father who was granted full custody. There were several reasons why I stood firm to live with my Pops. The main reason was the fact that he earned 6 figures. I truly enjoyed the big house, my friends, school and I wasn’t even sure did my mother know I existed. My mother enjoyed the taste of Martini’s morning, noon and night. Her favorite saying after the first sip was Shaken Not Stirred and she repeated that Ja...

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“A New Life down Under” by Barbara Burgess

Submitted to Contest #69

Joe sat at his mother’s dinner table poking his dinner with his fork. Jessica put her hand under the table and gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. They both looked at each other. “Joe, are you coming down sick with something? You’ve hardly touched your Sunday Lunch. Jessica has nearly eaten all hers.” “Go, on Joe, tell your Mum.” Said Jessica. “Tell me what, Joe?” “Well, Mum, I was going to talk to you a while back but could not find the right time to do it.” “What is it Joe?” “Jessica and I are getting married.” “What, after five years of l...

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“Send in the Clowns” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #69

“I expect everyone will be there.” Emmett drove south on the 41. “I’m with you. Stick to your guns, Emmett.” “Yeah, that means a lot, Grace. It wouldn’t be a holiday without some kind of verbal fisticuffs. I just can’t pretend anymore.” “You shouldn’t. It’s your life. ” Grace took in the sights as they drove through Sarasota, Emmett’s home town. He hadn’t been back since he left for college. His family’s roots went back a century. Circus roots. He pointed at the Ringling mansion, Ca’ d’Zan. “Let’s tour it this week. Amazing place. A lot of h...

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“The Obstinacy ” by Bareera Samra

Submitted to Contest #69

The darkened room was only lit by a few shimmering candles that were making shadows on the wall. In the candle-light, a woman could be seen sitting on a sofa across the table. She was middle-aged, wearing a long purple robe over her clothes, and her mysterious black eyes were gazing in the girl’s honey colored who was sitting across her. She was a young girl, around thirteen, dressed in a frock, and was glancing around the room, surprised by it’s darkness. ‘Lisa.’ The woman called in a husky voice. ‘Mum? Why did you bring m...

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“Family Business ” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #69

“You wanted to see me, Uncle Tommy,” Peter said as he walked into the office. Don Tom Buono smiled, the kid looked just like his old man- Tom’s best friend at one point. “Pete,” the old man said, he greeted the young man with a hug accompanied by an envelope slipped into Peter’s jacket pocket. “Have a seat, young man.” The don took his chair behind the great mahogany desk stacked with papers between old photographs of frie...

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“Not My Lie” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #69

Jason took a deep breath as he leant on the window. The meeting room was just down the hall, but it might as well have been a million miles away. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t get his legs to work, couldn’t push himself away and turn and walk. Come on, he thought, walking is easy. Even children can do it. Yeah, thought the knot of fear in his stomach, but children don’t have to walk into that meeting. The plan – the great plan that he’d been concocting for weeks – had been to arrive early, so he could be the first one in the ro...

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“Rites and Rights of Passage” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #69

“Call me when you have a real problem buddy.” Arthur couldn’t think of a good response to that statement from one of his best friends – Fred. So he quickly made up a story of how he was in the middle of creating his latest painting, and he didn’t want the paint to dry before he finished what he was doing. So he had to hang up. There was no such painting at this time. After they both hung up at about the same time, he had to agree with Fred somewhat. He was being offered the plum job of being the well-paid CEO of a very ...

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“It's a Promise....” by Yellow Lemon

Submitted to Contest #69

"But mom, Twinkle started it!" Michael cried out. "Liar! You said that my hair looks like a beaten up bush," Twinkle's emerald eyes shone like diamonds as she spoke. Michael narrowed his eyes, "Then who said that I look like an old man?" "I was joking, Michael!" Twinkle replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Then I was joking as well." Micheal simply said, deciding to irritae Twinkle as much as he could. "Mom! Please tell him to stop!" Twinkle requested. "No, mom. Ask her to say sorry." Michael pushed aside his bangs, clearly having no intention...

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$50

Prize money

510

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 27, 2020 EST

Won by Kate Le Roux 🏆

Title: To the Lowly Dove

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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