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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#72: Shocking Developments

Have you ever heard that there are only so many types of stories in the world? Some people say seven, some say three, some six… Regardless of the number, the idea is that you can boil down any narrative into universal templates.

While it’s true that many stories do follow familiar structures (and understanding them can help you learn how to craft a compelling narrative), there’s so much variety in how those structures unfold that the best stories still feel fresh and original.

One of the ways writers manage this is by filling their stories with unexpected details — so this week, our prompts are all about characters finding themselves in situations they’d never have imagined. But to really get something unique, don’t stop there: ask yourself what would happen if your characters made each of the possible choices before them, then write the one that surprised you the most!

This week's prompts

Write a mystery where the detective realizes at the last moment that they have the wrong suspect.

Mystery – 117 stories

Write a romance where your character falls in love with the last person they expected to.

Romance – 193 stories

Write about someone getting a job offer they never would have thought to apply for.

Adults – 94 stories

Write about someone who gets an inheritance from a relative they’ve never heard of, but they’ll need to do something completely outside their comfort zone in order to collect it.

Teens – 144 stories

Write a science fiction story where all human behavior can be predicted — until your character does something the algorithm did not expect.

Science Fiction – 139 stories

Stories

“Some Earthly Habits Will Never Change” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #72

It had been less than 600 years since Christopher Columbus supposedly discovered America in 1492. Had he foreseen the future like Nostradamus: Great L.A. Earthquake: The first to strike California in the 2020s. Nostradamus, Quatrain 9:83 The sun twenty [degrees] in Taurus, so strongly the earth trembles. The great theater filled up is ruined. The air, sky and land darkened and troubled. When the infidel calls upon GOD and the Saints. I’m quite sure Columbus wished he would have discovered Canada instead. Nevertheless on October 12, 2022 the...

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“The Kiss Of Death” by William Bel

Submitted to Contest #72

What a lovely evening to wander amongst the living. The gentle touch of the sun on my cheeks is soon to be gone as the pale moonlight is the ruler of the night. I picked up my pace, rushed not because I was late to my destination - perhaps I was even early - but rather due to my dislike of cold weather. It made it seem as if I were surrounded by shadows of myself, reminders of my harsh, hollow touch. But you don’t want to listen to an old man go on about his inescapable darkness. It wasn’t long before I was standing outside his house’s doo...

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“Something new” by Vameerah Darren

Submitted to Contest #72

“Crap!” I bit my tongue to silence myself, coffee trickled down the front of me, leaving a brown trail on my used-to-be pristine white shirt. I inwardly groaned, of course, right before my meeting, my clumsiness decided to come out for a visit. Stumbling to the bathroom, I scrubbed furiously at my blouse, the brown smudge clung onto the fabric. “Oh come on!” I rushed back to my office, grabbing my jacket and zipping it up quickly, I wouldn’t look as nice as I had planned to, but it’d be better than my stained shirt. My heels clicked ...

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“The Pearl in the mud infested vocabulary” by Blessed Chileka

Submitted to Contest #72

Prologue First time I saw Elroy, ‘but I wasn’t in the mood of being hooked up with some nameless guys’. I didn’t even recall his face. Second time we met, and ‘In my sleepy eyes, he was this tall, skinny, dark guy who was just being too nice to someone who didn’t even consider him.’ Not this time around. Without an absent minded attitude or sleepy eyes, I realized I had missed something about Elroy. Which just flabbergasted me. He was not that tall or short. Neither was he skinny or that dark. He was, actually a well-endowed person. At the b...

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“Re: The Type He Likes” by Ruofei Tang

Submitted to Contest #72

“Your crush on Kyungho is too far gone for me to save you,” Junwen said dismissively, as he did with everything. He didn’t even bother looking up from his book. Yangshui was sitting on the couch next to him, having barely just breached the subject of liking Kyungho Lee. It wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting from his best friend, but maybe Yangshui should just stop being stupid, honestly; of course, Junwen would’ve become more aware of his crush before him, the one having a crush. “Do I even want to know when you figured out I had a crus...

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“The Void” by Christie Greenwood

Submitted to Contest #72

All that matters is the work. Everybody has different priorities, of course. Their entire lives are organised based on these. Things always happen as they were meant to be. All is as it should be. This is true for every human. Perlucidus, as per its creator’s endless wisdom, has seen to that. Ever since she can recall, Cody has been filled with the knowledge that she plays an important role in the puzzle that is humanity – that she matters. Like everyone, she is uniquely qualified for whatever might be her task. Perlucidus does not make m...

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“Promise” by Aaina Aleszezyk

Submitted to Contest #72

There’s a knock at the door and as hardly anyone visits me, I know exactly who it is. “Hey Damian”, Mr. Sharks, the postman barked. “Hi Mr. Sharks”. Mr. Sharks never drops letters in the mailbox, he prefers handing the letter personally to its recipient. He is short, fat and kind. He lost his family in a car crash twenty-two years ago. Currently, he lives alone in a small house. “Here is your letter”. “Thanks. How are you doing, by the way?”. “I’m fine, thank you. Have lots of letters to deliver, I’ll catch up with you later”. “Sure, have a ...

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“Justice!” by Hala Ali

Submitted to Contest #72

Unforgiving, the heat radiated off everything standing in the suns way, that didn't stop Althea from pursuing a living. She was perched on one of the many rooftops, observing the Chronis's mansion. Her muscles ached from staying still for so long, but she couldn't leave until she got all the information she lacked. After all, she wanted the mission to move smoothly; she wasn't about to lose her most valuable customer yet. The mansion was a hive, bustling with servants preparing for tomorrows moon festival. Proteus Chronis has taken it upon h...

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“The Q Factor” by Roger Crane

Submitted to Contest #72

“What is the most unpredictable thing in the universe?”—a question of the SagesPROLOGUEJaedo WokjakTo my good friend and Counselor, KoesunI know how concerned you are about the rioting on Delta One, since you have direct oversight of the penal colony on Galapar and would feel the effects of a change in your numbers there. I understand that it is not a pleasant duty for you. It truly is unfortunate that you were brought into the picture by these leaks because there is nothing to worry about, but since you now know something about our program,...

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“Let's Be Young and in Love?” by Cassie Poormokhtar

Submitted to Contest #72

When we got assigned as project partners in English class, I never expected to care about who she was outside of class. I never expected to care about who she was in class if I’m being honest. If someone had told me two months ago, all I’d want to do is be wrapped up in the smell of Remington Wade’s freshly washed hair, I would have laughed for a good six weeks. But now? Now I was in her bed, kissing her with my hand inching its way up under her shirt. Her hands gripped my hi...

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“My George Clooney” by Mou Sukoshi

Submitted to Contest #72

“So, George Clooney tells me, ‘Cooking is very easy. I can do it. You can certainly learn it before you marry me.’”Siddharth smiled from across the table, “You must have mastered culinary skills, then?”Maitri threw a dirty glare towards him and let out a long breath.“You let such sexy husband material slip through your fingers?”“He wasn’t that great a catch”, Maitri chewed and spit out every word through gritted teeth.Pulling back from the table, she straightened, inhaled sharply and declared, “And more importantly, I hate, hate, hate, absol...

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“The Wrong Affair” by Emma Taylor

Submitted to Contest #72

I deserved him. My body was cold, and it needed warmth. My insides empty and my smile appeared only on my lips, missing my eyes. I had forgotten what it felt like to have fingers run through my hair, to have a person stand back and admire me like I belong to a wall of fine art. In the moment it was simple. An action without consequences, movements without repercussions. It was only the two of us existing in our tiny world. His smooth skin rubbed against the cracks forming across my face, and my dry hands measured the width of his growing c...

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“Patterns. ” by Lee Doe

Submitted to Contest #72

Humans were designed to be predictable. Designed: planned or conceived in detail or for a specific purpose. Predictable: Able to be predicted. Like a number sequence. Number sequence: a list of numbers that are linked by a rule. 2, 4, 6, 8... Designed, predictable, linked by a rule. And my personal favorite. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55... At first glance, the numbers look random, not designed, unpredictable, unlinked by a rule. If a human were to look closer, their intuition could detect a relation...

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“Unlikely Love” by Night Fall

Submitted to Contest #72

This is not a story based on the promptThis is a eulogy that I never made, to the friend that will always hold a place in my heart.For all of those who have never been heartbroken by the lose of a pet, you are both blessed, and completely missing out. I pity those who don't have a dog living in their hearts.My Tissue lived 16 long years. She was there for my entire life, through everything I ever went through, I knew that as soon as I came home, a bouncing schnauzer would greet me at the door. People often think that pets don't matter, we sp...

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“I am here to interview for a job” by Sambulo Kunene

Submitted to Contest #72

I spent so many years in college hoping to get over the blues. My parents were well off and I did not need to be in college. I had a trust fund and my future was secured. It only was with my friends begging me to join them that I started to realize that there was more to college than I previously thought. I met many good people and I wrote many good papers to justify my presence in higher education.I also surprised my parents because I became a very good student and took the surprise factor from them. They worried that I would become a drug ...

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$50

Prize money

687

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 18, 2020 EST

Won by Julie Ward 🏆

Title: Currents

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!

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