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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#70: To Err Is Human

The other day I realized I’d made a pretty big mistake in the book I’m writing. This isn’t anything new. Writers of all skills levels make plenty of mistakes — if we didn’t, editors would be out of a job — but it’s still frustrating when you realize you’re going to have to throw out a few thousand words.

But writers aren’t the only ones who make mistakes, or at least we shouldn’t be. In order for your characters to grow and be interesting as people, they’re going to need to make some bad choices of their own.

This week, let’s dig deep into all the things your characters can mess up, whether it’s because of a deep-seated character flaw or just a really bad stroke of luck. The sort of thing that will haunt them for years to come, fuel their deepest regrets, and form a cornerstone of their personality going forward. It may be tough to put them through the emotional wringer, but I promise your story will be better for it.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who’s so obsessed with a goal that it leads to the destruction of their closest relationship.

Sad – 154 stories

Write about a character who everyone thinks is guilty of something terrible, but isn’t.

Thriller and Suspense – 179 stories

Write about someone trying to atone for a mistake they’ll never be able to fix.

Angst – 192 stories

Write about two people who know they’ve made a mistake, and one of them wants to tell the truth but the other wants to lie about it.

Kids – 120 stories

Write about a character who’s so afraid of making the wrong choice that their indecision ruins the very thing they were hoping to keep safe.

Sad – 85 stories

Stories

“12” by 𝔘𝔤𝔬𝔠𝔥𝔦 𝔑.

Submitted to Contest #70

My life is precious, everything about me is precious. My world, my job, my little computer. I enjoy them and I would rather nothing change. This is my time of peace, my joy, I love everything. The only problem is-There it is? Did you hear it? Did you hear that little tick that threatens my life. I turn and there it is, I take a step forward but it is right ahead. I smile and it smiles right back, I sleep and it wakes me up. I need to get away, I need to run, I can’t let it catch me- I can’t. All my life it watches me, even on my greatest day...

303 comments 303

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“Morning of the Dancing Butterflies” by Amiable Sorceress

Submitted to Contest #70

I could never find a proper way to say this, even as the tears keep coming and I lie awake in bed. You betrayed me, and I thought we were going to have a life together. After a while, I throw off my bedspread and move out the door into the dome-like sky. The sky was always so beautiful back in the regular lands; here it feels fake. Everything feels fake, feels almost surreal, like at any moment now, I would wake up and find your honey blonde hair tickling me in the face, ready to wake me up. It’s too late to make a...

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“Veil” by Skyler Woods

Submitted to Contest #70

Fernando didn’t kill his son, Adam. But everyone believed he did. He had to clear his name and prove his innocence. He also had to rescue his son. Fernando spent time inside of a maximum-security state prison. But tonight was a special night. Fernando’s wife helped him escape prison. Fernando had bruised and bloodied knuckles from knocking the daylights out of a prison guard. Fernando never punched a man before. He fractured a man’s jawline and broke his nose.A few days ago, Fernando killed the Devil. Since the Devil is a supernatural b...

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“Time Travel with Death” by 𝕂𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕖 𝕎.

Submitted to Contest #70

What if you were given the chance to go back in time and fix your mistakes or those of others? Would you take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without a second thought? Or would you be a little more cautious (You could change the world)? What if it wouldn’t change anything at all? --------- Hi, I’m Death. It’s nice to meet you (Even though I've probably already met you, you just didn’t know). You may know me as The Grim Reaper, or La Muerte; it doesn...

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“Red Water” by Writer Maniac

Submitted to Contest #70

I leave a note on the table for Carter, telling him that I would be back in a few hours, and there was food in the fridge if he was hungry. Might as well be a good wife while I still was one. I hope that today goes well. I don’t want it to happen again. Picking up my car keys and house keys, I leave the house and lock the door. I slowly get into the car, taking care not to strain my right leg, and put on my seatbelt. Slowly, I drive out of the garage, and onto the road. Checking all my mirrors, and making sure that I’m f...

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“A Troubled Invention (Part 2)” by ✯𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫✯

Submitted to Contest #70

Title: A Troubled Invention (Part 2) Author: Haripriya Authors Note: Hello everyone! Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a happy Monday! Just a quick note, this story is part 2 of the story I wrote yesterday. So if you have not read yesterday's story, I suggest you start with that one and then read this one. If you have already read yesterday's story, you're right on track! I hope you enjoy the second part as much as you liked the first one! Under the dome, everyone was doing fine. Ok, maybe not everyone since that is a bi...

119 comments 119

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“Time is Running Out...” by Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #70

“We’ve got the results, 母!” Kazumi cheered. Warm sunlight jabbed at the old woman’s eyes, which made her close them tight. They stayed closed for a long time until the woman opened them again. Her lips curved into a smile, the biggest she could manage. “This is huge! They could’ve found something.” the man said, his mouth curved into a grin.He dusted off his tie with his hands, then fixed the belt on his pants. Kazumi wore a suit for the occasion, the fanciest he had. “Alright, see you late...

254 comments 254

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““Being safe is not always better than being sorry “” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #70

“Being safe is not always better than being sorry “ “Ana” the protected , naïve girl has always been too dreamy about her whole life in general. Her larger than life dreams often kept her docile spirit anxious. She would often wake up in the middle of night, with her heart racing like a wild horse, breathless, with her head spinning , her stomache getting upset , feeling nauseated and a fear that its her last night and she would be rushed in some ambulance to some ICU of the hospital and she would breathe her last with everything...

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“For the Flame” by ꊰꏂꋬꋪ꒒ꏂꇙꇙ ꊰꄲꉧ

Submitted to Contest #70

Silence. Then, footsteps. Many, many footsteps. A village of people on the move — no, a city. Hundreds of shadowed figures slipped through the trees. Through the dark forest they trudged, their path only faintly lit. One headed the pack, leading the way through the dense trees. A small ball of flame lingered above their hand shedding a weak light. Scattered among the crowd were others with hands alight to show the way. Despite their numbers, the city was silent, save for the sound of footsteps. Not a person spoke, a child cried, or a horse s...

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“A Bottle of Red Rum” by Yolanda Wu

Submitted to Contest #70

Kier twisted the quill, not even noticing how the ink dripped onto the parchment and bloomed across the page like black blood soaking through thin fabric. A bundle of claustrophobic feelings choked his throat – the more he tried to swallow, the worst it became.He tried to write, but his hand was trembling too much – unshakable spasms.Dear Lentan… The ink smudged.Dear Lentan… Too illegible. Dear Lentan… I deeply apologise. No. My most sincere condolences. No. I understand you do not want to be hearing from me. No.Kier rubbed at his templ...

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“Demonomania” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #70

The clock ticked away, quiet and slow. White walls, white floor, white ceiling. Bars on the window, a guard at the door. Fluorescent lights overhead. Bare table, naked metal chairs. All bolted to the ground, of course. Mirror on the wall — fake. People on the other side, clipboards and notebooks in hand. Silence in the room. “How’s she doing?” “She’s fine.” “Is she safe?” “She’s somewhere safe.” A silence. “Nice family?” The doctor nodded. “A nice family.” “What are their names?” The doctor shook his head and groaned. “No...

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“The Prince” by Lilliane Wei

Submitted to Contest #70

The story I’m about to tell you today is one of our histories. But the place, the people, everything you’re about to hear, has all but disappeared into the pages of history. The only thing left of Verlian is stories. Some stories are meant to entertain us, some are meant to guide us, some are meant to touch our hearts, and some can do all three. I'll let you come to your own conclusions about this one. This is just one among many stories but that does not make this lesson any less important. Remember all that I say and heed my words lest you...

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“The Price of Popularity ” by ✨Abby ✨

Submitted to Contest #70

Have you ever been so caught up in a goal that you lose sight of what's most important? I didn’t know it at the time, but one of my greatest thrills would soon evolve into one of my greatest regrets. I was in middle school and, like everyone else, just trying to fit in with the rest of my classmates. My best friend, Cassidy Taylor, was…err… how do I put this gently… a nerd. I was too, but had dreams of being one of the “popular girls” someday. I often tried to do cool things or wear cool clothes, but somehow, al...

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“~ Anymore ~” by Stevie B

Submitted to Contest #70

I began seeing the woman who would later become my second wife before my first wife and I had broken up and separated. It was right at the time I was about to turn thirty and felt the fleeting dreams of my youth dying, and quite frankly, was having my first of many midlife crises. So, how did I deal with it? Well, I admit, very poorly, to say the least. In other words, I handled the situation like a heartless heel. The “other woman” had been one of my guitar students for a brief period of time in the summer of 1983. The reason her music l...

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“Switzerland” by Scout Tahoe

Submitted to Contest #70

On my birthday he brings me flowers. A thin bouquet of sweet apricot-colored carnations. A million little delicate petals that smell of small-town grocery stores. The white papery tag is still hooked to the plastic but I don’t dare look at it. The flowers are real, dripping water into my palms, but the gesture is fake. He holds my hand in the doorway and kisses my ring. A fake ruby the size of a thumbnail that he gave me for my last birthday. I hate the way it reflects in his eyes but I have to wear it when he visits. He never mi...

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$50

Prize money

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0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 04, 2020 EST

Won by Irene Rebello 🏆

Title: What you made me.

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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