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!

#71: Sugar and Spice

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is baking cookies. Or, to be more honest, eating cookies — but you can’t have one without the other! From peppermint to gingerbread to iced sugar cookies, there are so many mouth-watering choices, and that’s just in my own culture. The flavors get even more varied and delectable as you head around the world.

But whether you’re a professional pastry chef in real life or someone whose cookies turn out looking more like lumps of coal, in stories our desserts can be whatever we want them to be. So get your imaginations preheating, because this week we’re going to be exploring all the different reasons and flavors that drive people to pick up the mixing bowl.

This week's prompts

Write about a group of people determined to win an award for making the biggest cookie ever.

High School – 62 stories

Write about someone investigating a break-in at a bakery. The only thing missing? A very secret ingredient.

Mystery – 106 stories

Write about two people who run rival bakeries, but fall in love during their town’s annual holiday festival.

Romance – 137 stories

Write about someone trying to recreate a grandparent’s signature baked good from memory.

Kids – 161 stories

Write about someone hosting a cookie exchange as a cover to hide the true reason for inviting one of their guests.

Dark – 141 stories

Stories

“ALL WEATHER” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #71

The 1513 Lorry came Jostling slowly heading towards amex bakeries. This road was awarded last year and was finished only six months ago. Now it is worse than it was before they started work on it. The road meant to last for five years lasted six months only. Actually, people were not surprised, Governor used the road to compensate his bakery friend that his company liquidated last year due to bad management. The man is marketer by education not an engineer. Initally, he just poured red sands on the road and left it like that, when people st...

Read story

“The Gelatin Powder” by Harlow Jones

Submitted to Contest #71

A young woman with a Superwoman stance to rival its founder eyed the bakery before her. Despite her being overworked, her uniform was as crisp as this morning’s winter winds. It always was. “They completely shattered the door and made a mess of the whole place just to steal a cupcake and a tub of gelatin powder.” Her squinted eyes, pursed lips, and cocked head were the holy trinity of her concentration. Then, her work phone rang. “Officer Morton speaking.” “It’s the lab. We got back the results on the powder.” The voice stopped. With her ...

Read story

“The Appeasement ” by Luiza Marcus

Submitted to Contest #71

Part oneI can remember that night but I can barely recall what happened after that incident which has changed my life. That terrible thing I did and all the decisions I took before I’ve committed that crime… I can’t say that I regret them all because they made me the human being I am today.Early in that night, before the evil even began, I took my long, red coat from the hanger –it was a very elegant coat- and I dressed up as I stared at my shoes. I grabbed a biscuit from the extended table which was settled against the wall and I poured som...

Read story

“Love ” by Melia Mendoza

Submitted to Contest #71

My name is Hope Hope Adams. I'm sixteen years old. I go to Eagle high but that’s not what I'm here to talk to you about. What I am here to talk to you about is my. Secret my deep dark secret I'm in love with my best friend but he is dating my sister. I know that Joe doesn't like me and that I have no chance with him but I love him. I love him so much I just had to try. I got the iea a few weeks ago to hold a cookie exchange for Joe and my family. "Hey Hope" I hear Joe say he jogged over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist....

Read story

“The Former Olivia Marie Foster” by Christy Sutton

Submitted to Contest #71

“Olive, maybe we could brainstorm about some normal activities you can participate in. I think you are probably ready. How do you feel about that?’ I am fairly confident she is not supposed to use the word normal in her sessions but I let it slide. Today is our twenty-sixth meeting. I have shown up at her office for half a year. Of course, I did not have much of a choice but I still made the effort to be here on time and never laughed at her ridiculous questions. I had only rescheduled one appointment over the past six months and that w...

Read story

“Take care ” by Ghashmira Ahmed

Submitted to Contest #71

The cold winter hushed in silent whispers across the dark night, it had snowed all day. Outside the piling snow appeared like a huge pillow tucked perfectly on the sides with leaves frozen on the ground, cold window knocked on my window as I balanced my phone between my head and shoulder. "Pick up!" I said to myself as a wide smile swept across my face. "Hello! this is Jaden Root office how may I help you" "Serena its Hailey pass it to Mom!" I said licking my ice cream spoon. Serena smiled, "Hey Hails! How have you been!" She said. I lau...

Read story

“Creations of the Mind” by Jasper Wood

Submitted to Contest #71

Trigger warning: blood, drugging The sound of ice skidding underfoot made Serena yelp and grab onto the frost coated metal mailbox with one desperate hand, the other clutching at the cling wrap clad paper plate of goods in the other. Serena's heart beat hammered away in her chest, like a loose hummingbird in a cage as she regained her composure, cursing harsh words at the bleak slick patch of ice that had caught her feet by surprise. It was the dead of winter, the time when the snow was crusted over enough to get away with ditching th...

Read story

“The Ghost” by Luccia Moraes

Submitted to Contest #71

Her stilettos click-clack against the piercing marble floor as she approaches a man in a rather outdated tuxedo."James!" The young woman shouts, "It's national cookie day!""It is ma'am?""And it's my birthday. Isn't it cool that my birthday is on national cookie day?""Yes, ma'am" he awkwardly replies, itching to abort the conversation."Do you know what that means James? It means a party!" She squeals and kisses him on the cheek. "Send these out right now, James, and I swear to God if you order me pigs in a blanket again like last year, when y...

Read story

“One Kind Word” by Amy G

Submitted to Contest #71

Mechanical whirring reverberated throughout the house, drowning out upbeat Christmas music playing from a boombox atop the refrigerator. “OH! What fun it is to ride!” the short, muscular brunette sang into her spatula. Sarah Philips pushed her mixer to its limit during the next verse of the song. Splashes of yellow batter adorned the walls of the bright kitchen. Thankfully, the floral granny apron she wore prot...

Read story

“Social crumbs” by Joan Marc Capo Payeras

Submitted to Contest #71

There were days when Aaron hated his live. Most of those days were when he was obligated by an unstoppable force to do the most atrocious action he could imagine. That day the force was his wife, and the action was socialize. Aaron was never a people’s person, he was lucky to meet his comprehensive wife when the elevator in the building they lived malfunction, and proceed to spend the next two hour of their lives having a forceful small talk and beginning to know each other. In the end everything turned alright, they married, moved to a lo...

Read story

“Cookie Royale” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #71

Agent 000 walked briskly through the street. He sidestepped through the crowds, making his way through the groups of tourists. He sighed. Sometimes he wondered why the rendezvous point was in Venice. It was jammed with tourists. His eyes darted back and forth, sizing up potential suspects. His hand gripped the gun hidden in his waist belt, ready to fire. He walked like this until he reached the steps of a large building. His nimble feet danced against the limestone, showing signs of his training. His muscles twitched, ready...

Read story

“Robbery at Classic Creations & Confections” by Lisa Segale

Submitted to Contest #71

The phone rang, pulling me out of my sleeping slumber. I blinked quickly, trying to get my eyes to focus, and sat up in bed. I looked at the clock on the nightstand, it read 3:06 AM. Who was calling me at three in the morning? “Are you up?” the voice on the other end of the phone asked. It was my Aunt Martha, the dispatcher for the police department. “I am now,” I replied, yawning. “Get dressed, someone broke into the bakery. Kyle is already down there,” Aunt Martha said before hanging up on me. ...

Read story

“Red Velvet Cake ” by Annelise Hawkins

Submitted to Contest #71

I always hated that bakery across the street.I hated the name, "Sweet Honey's,". I hated the smell of the red velvet cake. My least favorite cake, yet that smell alone could change my mind. Not that that was a compliment to the owner. I hated the fact that as soon as she opened her bakery people would come to her before me. Maybe I was just being petty, but god she really ticked me off. Could she not see that there was a bakery already on that street and just carried onto the next street? Everyone says that her sweets are delicious. Sure she...

Read story

“Winning by losing.” by Magnus Thomsen

Submitted to Contest #71

Our story begins, in small town, in late November. Where a bakery opened up, down the street from another one. In a small town like this, that was big news and everybody knew and talked about it, and what it meant. Competition. The bakery, that had been there for generations, had just been handed down, to the daughter, of the former owners, who had retired. Her name was Amethyst Thompson, Amy for short. She was 29 years old. Her parents had her, when they were quite old, having only found one another, later in life. Amy had worked in the bak...

Read story

“Cookies for Love” by Lama Diriyeh

Submitted to Contest #71

Long you mustn't wait Till one comes that shall Lit your heart And pull you out the pit She gazed at it hanging on the wall, as she did before every cookie exchange. I jumped on her lap. She smiled and stroked my back gently. “Come, let’s go Tweety” I purred indignantly. My name is Twilight. I’m not a silly yellow canary! She laughed and led the way to the hall. I have been with Valerie since her childhood. She was a lively girl, and a brave one too. She lived with her parents in a humble house with a very large garden. H...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

607

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 11, 2020 EST

Won by A.Dot Ram 🏆

Title: The Craving

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 ⭢