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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

“Breaking Free From A World Of Snow ” by Malz Castell

Submitted to Contest #70

“Hi, I’m Brad and I’m an alcoholic. I’m also an addict. Today, I’ve completed two years of sobriety. Two years since I checked out of rehab. I don’t count the period that I was in there because I had no other option but to remain sober. But after that last day in rehab? That’s all me. Most of you here have heard my story. But for those who don’t, my rock-bottom, my breaking point, was the day I almost killed my wife. It’s funny, you know? I was high and drunk at the time. I didn’t even realize what I had done till the next night. And yet, th...

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“The Fate I Didn't Want” by AntMan 🐜

Submitted to Contest #70

The reason I wrote my life story for you was in the hopes that you, or possibly anyone could read it, and believe me. Everyone else thinks I’m a liar and a traitor, but in truth, I am someone just like you. I know what it is like to be human, but they don’t.My name is Nabilah. It supposedly means, ‘a person born to goodness’, but no one seems to care. I have spent the last two years on the run, trying to blend in, hide from what people think I did. They think I savagely murdered my own family, my sweet adoring family of two brothers, a baby ...

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“The Ghost of the Past” by Marcail Nevaeh

Submitted to Contest #70

“Where are you taking me?” I ask for the fifth time, as Levi leads me forward, a blindfold over my eyes. “I’m still not going to tell you, no matter how many times you ask.” He replies, laughter in his voice. Without warning, he stops walking and I smash right into his muscular back. I use my hands to push myself away from his back and I rub my forehead. “I just got a face full of shirt! Next time, warn me!” I call in the direction I’m assuming Levi is. I hear his snort and assume I got the direction wrong. I feel two st...

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“Truth can conquer anything” by 🕊 🎀 𝒱𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒽𝒶 𝒱𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁 🎀 🕊

Submitted to Contest #70

“We can’t keep running for our entire lives,” I told him, my face was still bleeding from the pistol that had almost fractured my brain. “We have no other choice, would you rather spend your life in a freezing, cruel, cramped prison where they will treat you like a savage beast or run for freedom. No matter the cost?” He had gotten me there. “Please tell me how we even got into all this mess?” Just a few days ago I wasn’t running for my safety, I had been a good citizen, someone people looked up to. Now. Well...I feel like a... c...

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“True Crime” by Jillian Oakes

Submitted to Contest #70

Trink and I stood over the boy’s motionless body. My hands were stained crimson, Trink’s still pristine. He always had a knack for cleanliness. “Dude, I- wh- what have we done?” The words had barely escaped my mouth when Trink grabbed me and wrapped me into an engulfing hug. “It’s ok, it’s ok,” Trink reassured me. “We just- you- we got a little carried away. This wasn’t supposed to happen…” His words trailed off. I started to speak before Trink squeezed me harder, sending me back into silence. “But it’s ok. I can- I can ...

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“Beyond Repair” by Zea Bowman

Submitted to Contest #70

The man was broken. That was all there was to it.He was going faster than he should have, and he knew it.He never meant for the brakes to stop working. How was he supposed to know? If there had been any possible way to save his daughter that day, he would have done anything to fix it.Without warning, a small blur of sky blue dashed in front of the ATV, blonde hair blown straight back by the wind, waving her short arms wildly.After being convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he was carted away to the jail, alone and depressed. His only hope ...

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“Inside The Room With The Grey Walls: Part 2” by 🎀 Ɪᴍᴀᴀɴ ᴋʜᴀᴋɪ 🎀

Submitted to Contest #70

Before you read:This is a part 2 of my original story “Inside The Room With The Grey Walls”, which I submitted a few months ago. You need to read that beforehand so you know what’s going on in this part!Enjoy!Recap:I open the door, and my eyes land on the woman sitting behind what was once Mr. Ayton’s desk. She’s typing on a computer, but that’s not the first thing I notice. No, it’s her deep red hair that catches my attention. She looks up from the computer and stares at me with piercing, sea-green eyes.Her lips part slightly in surprise. “...

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“Evergreen -- Cavetown” by Elliot Thomas

Submitted to Contest #70

It was nearing midnight, and I knew it was going to be another sleepless night. I was wide awake staring at my blank, white ceiling, a Panic! song blaring through my headphones. I stood up on my bed and traced my fingers across the ceiling. Smooth. It would make a great canvas. I put on my art playlist, a mixture of some of my songs and an assortment of my favourite songs and artists. I let a few songs pass, letting myself be absorbed into the music. Polaroid came on, and my lips curled into a smile. I felt my heart sync with the beat. I squ...

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“Room #133” by Kevin Leonard

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #70

In the White House there are an estimated 132 rooms. Of course, estimated is a bit of a misnomer. Certainly there is some precise number for which it is true to say: “That’s how many rooms are in the White House”. Officially, that number is one hundred and thirty two. Some of the rooms we know, like the Oval Office, or the Situation Room. Stately rooms. Nameworthy rooms. Another thirty five are bathrooms apparently, if you believe the official figures. Seems like a lot, doesn’t it? The Taj Mahal’s only got eleven. But I’m sure the government...

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“Quick Thinking” by Makia Long

Submitted to Contest #70

Warning: Contains Explicit Language Shit. Shit shit shit shit fuck shit fuck. Holy fucking shit. I killed him. I fucking killed him. What the hell am I supposed to do? How are we going to get out of this god-forsaken mess?? Roan gripped the steering wheel with all his might, knuckles turning white. Blood was splattered all over the front of his car. The mangled corpse could still be seen lying in the middle of the road, though it hardly looked human anymore. Sitting in the passenger seat next to him, was a dear friend, Shyan, who was s...

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“Calculated” by Leya Newi

Submitted to Contest #70

Happiness. Safety. Love. Security. Peace. Respect. Acceptance. Enough food. Clean water. A warm home. These are the things every human being wants. Except that one person. All he/she/they want is to make my life miserable. They don’t deserve those things. Or perhaps you’re thinking they’re not human. Their house is always freezing. They never eat. They’re silent and moody, they don’t want friends. That’s what you’re thinking right now. And here’s the moment when you deny it. You say that makes you sound like an awful person, that may...

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“Love is stronger than hate ” by 🕊 🎀 𝒱𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒽𝒶 𝒱𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁 🎀 🕊

Submitted to Contest #70

This is about Kevin when Rachel leaves, if you haven't read Regret and Mommy's girl you might not understand the story.Have a wonderful day or night!!!I remained shocked after she left, never in a million years would I have imagined her uttering those exact words. They would haunt me my entire life. ‘Rachel, don’t go… please’ I told myself, I wasn’t comfortable telling her.I tried to persuade her to stay with me but she stormed off all of a sudden after so many years of living happily with me. She was gone… left from my sight, vow...

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“The Eternal Youth” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #70

It wasn’t my missing “La Prairie Skin Caviar” that annoyed me as much as the way Robert wore his baseball cap back to front. Admittedly, he had a lot of energy for a middle-aged man and he was fun to be with, but boy did he lack any sense of responsibility. My wake-up call came when he’d disappeared on a fishing trip for two weeks. I received a letter from our mortgage provider informing me that Robert had withdrawn £20,000 in cash after remortgaging our home. I was speechless when they discussed the new terms, however I questioned the circu...

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“In The Dark” by Kylie Wallis

Submitted to Contest #70

Tessa Mayfair fell for her next door neighbor Zayn Bennet. From the moment she first saw him moving stuff into his new home with his parents, she was hopelessly lost. He was tall and strong, with brown hair and dark blue eyes. She learnt other things about him, as he now attended the same high school, Eastmoore Lake.They had two classes together: Art and English. He enjoyed basketball and quickly became a most valued player on the school team. He was friendly and outgoing. He owned a cute little dog called Ralph and had a much younger brothe...

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“The Damage Is Done” by Tyler Runde

Submitted to Contest #70

It took me years to realize why Garrett no longer came to family reunions. His parents still came, just without Garrett, and even at the age of five I could discern the grim, thin-lipped set to their faces, the way that they would laugh and converse with other family members, but would always keep themselves apart from everyone else at a particular distance. Me and Garrett were an odd pair. Sure, we were cousins, but he was so much older than I was and we each had other cousins who were much closer to our own ages. Yet, he’d chosen to hang...

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$50

Prize money

731

Contest entries

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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