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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

“The Bull” by Amanda Smith

Submitted to Contest #72

Sadie's hands shook as she read the letter, tears staining the eviction notice as she threw her ominous fate into the fireplace. She sat on the rug salvaged from a nearby dumpster last fall, running her fingers across the intricate swirls and spots stained with red wine and mud from the winter. Liam entered the small studio, a bag of apples and oranges in his arms, a scarf thrown aroundnhis neck. He said, "Looks like you've seen a ghost." "I think I did. It finally came." "The job?" Sadie stood, her knees cracking. for 24, she was fit. ...

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“All mine” by Lanena Bennett

Submitted to Contest #72

I had a friend in middle school,who would always tell stories. You could not tell if they were true or fake.so all of us kids just listened to mike as he went on an on about his family life.mike was the only child in his family. We just thought he was getting bored with his real life .so he had started to make up life events.butwe always s knew he was ok.Mikes family wasn't rich nor poor.we were all aware of his mother sales real estate daily.But,mike would tell use all the time .I am rich .when I turn 18 .I will have lots of money .and then...

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“The inheritance” by NK Hatendi

Submitted to Contest #72

An official-looking letter arrived in the letterbox, nestled among junk mail advertising the Christmas season specials. Inside Shupi found a summons to attend the reading of a will at a well-known local solicitors’ office in town. “Do you have any idea of who your benefactor is?” “Your guess is as good as mine Bill. I don’t know anyone who has died recently in our family. Certainly not anyone who would want to mention me in their will.” The meeting was in an imposing historic red brick building owned by Cookson and Mupane Solicitors. Bill r...

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“How She Became a Billionaire” by Andrew M.

Submitted to Contest #72

She was poor. She is rich. This is the story of how Kate J. became the youngest billionaire in the world. MacArthurton is a small town in California named after General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the U.S. troops in the Pacific during World War II. Babylonis is a slightly larger town in Montana named after the kingdom of Babylon. Katharine, called Kate by her friends, was an ordinary girl living an ordinary life in an ordinary town in MacArthurton, California. She was like everyone else; average height, lived in an average house,...

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“Rich in Hawaii” by Bobby Rick

Submitted to Contest #72

John Jacob is the biggest overachiever in the world. John had an older brother named James. John’s good at basketball and hockey and an extra little talent is that he’s good at sword fighting and also defends himself from gangsters. John’s family has an average paycheck but always reminds him to not think that he’s rich, and John has a stock account as a side project. John does relatively well in school and he’s a bilingual student who knows French. And he’s trying to get some money. Here’s how it all started.It was the Friday before winter ...

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“A Murder and a Revelation” by Damien Pearson

Submitted to Contest #72

As a child, my family was not close-knit. I never knew my dad's side that much because of their criminal involvement. Each time someone from my dad's side did something illegal, it made news headlines, and my family would talk about it around the dinner table. "Did you hear?" someone would say. Someone always responded, "Yep, he's gotten locked up again. The jail is his home." I always took my dinner and made an excuse to go upstairs just to avoid the chatter. At nights, I remember sneaking through the phone call log, dialing countless...

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“Scottish Manors” by Sara Blanch

Submitted to Contest #72

Heading to Scotland definetly wasn't on her bucket list, not for this introverted bookworm who had spent most of her life reading about travelling and adventures from behind the safety of her books familiar paper pages. She had no desire to go out into the world, she made her money writing articles and short novels all from the confines of her cosy hundred year old townhouse in downtown Sydney. With strong wifi, being within walking distance of multiple shops and with all the coffee she could possibly consume Andrea wasn't too happy to hear ...

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“The Bucket List” by Renisha Antao

Submitted to Contest #72

"1. Go to a club alone and dance as though no one's watching." Reading the first item on the list I look towards the entrance of the club with trepidation while recalling why am I here in the first place. It was just another normal day for me when an elite lawyer arrived at my doorstep bringing along with him the last will of an aunt I've never even heard of before. Other than being related by blood we are basically strangers who's paths have never crossed yet I was named as the sole inheritor of her entire wealth. Something I thought only...

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“Living As Kings” by Jovan Ivančević

Submitted to Contest #72

Looking down from the great fortress under the famous Tower Clock on his home town my “walking manager” was very satisfied as I was chasing various odors around and Paco was following me. I thought this fabulous day and stroll all over this side of the river, my side, would never come. Strangely he didn`t come to walk us for a fortnight. Usually, he came every two or three days, across the river, but no news for so long. I was ecstatic, when the front gate opened and his tall figure petted me, but strangely, his face was covered with some ma...

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“Jesse’s Girl” by Byron Rylee

Submitted to Contest #72

“You’ve been sentenced to life without parole. May the family of Jane Salazar find peace in knowing justice has been served.” GUILTY. I didn’t do it. Everyone believes I'm a cold blooded killer, and the evidence says they’re right, but I didn’t do it. I know they all say that, but I loved this girl with every ounce of my soul. It was just one night. One night that I wasn’t with her and now she’s gone, and I’m the prime suspect. Jane Salazar is...was my beautiful girlfriend. From the first time our eyes locked, ...

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“Another Achievement” by Moraeyah Arañez

Submitted to Contest #72

It was late at night and the cold breeze sorrounded the streets when Alice Andrei a writer of a young age finished her 9th story, her dream of becoming a writer came true due to his supportive parents Ester and Dan. It was always Alice's dream to become a writer. They lived in a quite neighborhood somewhere in Chicago. Alice grew up in a happy family they lived a simple but happy life, few minutes passed as the smell of curry enveloped Alice's room, "You haven't eaten yet my Girl your pen could wait but your food couldn't." Said Mrs. Andrei ...

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“Burnt Offerings” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #72

Burnt Offerings “Who is he?” “My Uncle Robert. I first met him when I was a young girl. We all went on a safari to Africa and he was already living there. He was quite an odd man really, different, but very kind. And he absolutely loved Africa, the savannahs, animals, and just the culture of the country. My dad, your Grandad, told us that his brother was extremely rich from oil – I don’t know if he found oil or worked for oil companies or anything about how he actually made his money”. “Did he always live in Africa? How come I’ve never hea...

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“Myrna's Estate” by Nancy Hibbert

Submitted to Contest #72

Staring at the letter, Alice didn’t know what to think. She’d never heard of Aunt Myrna. Why would the woman list her as a beneficiary to her estate? The letter was from a lawyer’s office and looked legit, but who was Myrna Lewis? Better call her mother and see if she knew anything. “Mom, I just got this letter from Dewitt and Swayne about a Myrna Lewis. Have you ever heard of her?” “Myrna Lewis? No. Wait your father’s saying something.” Coming on the phone, her Dad asked, “What is this about Myrna Lewis?” ...

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“Inheritance” by Sarcneal Mayson

Submitted to Contest #72

It was Christmas season, and Alex Orto just finished his shift at work; he was already excited to go home and read his books, which he ordered online. He was always fond of them since he was a kid; knowing things around him and understanding the world and different perspectives still fascinated him."Christmas season couldn’t get any duller," He murmured, adjusting his glasses as soon as he arrived in his apartment from work. “Same shit, different day." He checked the time, and it was already 7 pm, and he can already hear his stomach rum...

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“Alaska Air” by Geoff Peterson

Submitted to Contest #72

Claressa was not an adventurous person. She hadn’t been on a plane in years and she had forgotten the feeling of her stomach sinking when the front of the plane suddenly pitched upwards and she was pressed back into her seat. She had a feeling of release when she thought, “If the plane crashes, I’ll certainly die.” She got this way on takeoff and landing. For reasons unknown to her, the flying part seemed the most safe. She wasn’t scared of flying, she just didn’t enjoy it. The flight was short, under four hours. Just enough time to w...

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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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