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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

“No Questions Prohibited” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #72

When Jastor wakes up he has questions. And lots of them. This room--with it’s bare brown walls, this threadbare blanket, raggedy and too small for his body, the pale orange of the sky outside his window, the remembrance that he has to wake up to get to Uzoa, the mining factory where he works--is a giant question mark. He can almost see it hanging in the air as he stares up at his ceiling. He knows that this is his room, that this is the blanket he’s been using ever since he was a child, the last relic of Mama, that the orange is the same ...

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“Crash or Jump?” by Prachi Pati

Submitted to Contest #72

I could see the blue of the ocean to my right. The car sped up along the highway, turning at the bends sharply. But I wasn’t afraid. I knew I’d be at peace finally. I took a swig of whiskey from my flask. I thought back to all the conversations and the numerous phone calls that I had to take while driving. My wife never understood the importance of being idle. “You’re a useless, lazy bastard!”, she would scream. Always calling me when I was driving. Because that was the safest time to call. The software made sure of that. I...

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“Kormin's win” by Leon Moore

Submitted to Contest #72

Humans themselves have never evolved but, the world they live in has never stopped changing. Astronomers and scientists alike were correct in their assessments, the sun had depleted half of its energy — earth was now changing, the Antarctica and arctic regions had spread, covering at least fifty-percent of the planet in glaciers, hundreds of millions of people were killed in the process. New technologies were being thought upon in ways on how the people of earth could survive, but that very thought had changed the moods of people. Widespread...

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“Wormhole” by Rudra 💥

Submitted to Contest #72

"He doesn't have a shadow! He doesn't have a shadow!" Celeste's perpetual voice screamed from beneath her mind while her lips remained glued. Her nonplussed body sat at the chair paralysed, looking at the man with the mysterious vibrance as he gazed at her with omniscient integrity.The night sky sparkled from the light of tiny illuminations scattered like sown seeds in a field. The air grew cold beneath the atmosphere as the veil of darkness fell on the fragile boundaries of the exosphere. Celeste gaped at the outstretching domain of darknes...

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“The Dome ” by Kat Morris

Submitted to Contest #72

Anna Underwood had never known how The Dome really worked until she found herself on set in her first live episode being snogged by Travis Ullman, who the public had voted to be Anna's lover, even though he was already married. Anna hadn't been the least bit attracted to him and had been mortified when the viewers voted for her to have sex with him in the jacuzzi on their third date. She had no idea just how much The Dome controlled the lives of cast members. Fans of the show were convinced that parts of the show were scripted, that it was a...

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“Oblivion” by Cool Kiddo

Submitted to Contest #72

The doors slide shut with a subtle hiss. I admire the view provided by the elevators projection system as it rockets up to Jo’s loft. Jo has been gone in oblivion for the last few millennia, and it will be nice to catch her up. Who knew that such a short span of time could be stretched for so long. Even then, a lot has happened in the brief time she was gone, and she does need her best friend to come over and enlighten her. I still can't believe the omniscients have revealed it. I burst into Jo's loft to see a familiar sight. She is sprawl...

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“Happy Pills” by Jacob Warren

Submitted to Contest #72

It was nighttime. The group of friends were still dancing as they walked along the sidewalk, having just left the discotech. They were all impeccably dressed in the latest fashion, having all shopped together that day. It’s what they did every Saturday - brunch, shopping, dinner and dancing. It was permanently on their schedules. A schedule that was made for them. In stark contrast to their easy, carefree mood, spherical drones buzzed quietly around them in the night sky. Each of them the size of a bowling ball, the street lights re...

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“Test Subject 117” by Ramore991 Amore

Submitted to Contest #72

117 stared at the monitor. He saw once more the endless columns of repeating zeroes and ones. It was once more time to decipher. That was his designated role and had been for as long as he could recall. Only today was different. His concentration waned. The previously innocuous clicking of the keyboards of his compatriots all around now was driving him to other feelings. This discontent and restlessness was something he had never felt before. He stopped and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he intentionally looked away from...

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“The Mind” by Hayden Fireman

Submitted to Contest #72

The Mind It was an unremarkable day, as always. Everyone did as they were predicted to do, to the slightest tensing of a muscle. As William returned to his house, located at the top right corner of the Cube he lived in, he was reminded, as always, of the sorry state that the world was in. The intercoms came on and gave its “friendly” reminder: “Citizens of this Cube, remember that you must remove your microchip from behind your left ear and store it inside its charging port for the night.” Will has a very uncommon mindset. He...

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“Panoptikon Error 7” by Stephen Langford

Submitted to Contest #72

Think, but not too much. Devon shuffled along his everyday route from the factory to his apartment, just as the Panoptikon knew he would. The neural band on his wrist showed the dull green line to indicate behavioral normality. Earlier he’d remembered to pick up a tin of condensed milk for his mother, and a minute later a message scrolled across the band’s display: INVENTORY OF MILK LOW. CONSIDER BORROWING FROM ROTHSTEIN. He’d docilely gone along with the suggestion to bother the widower across the hall for the prized commodity. Rothste...

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“The Human Way” by Khristina Rada

Submitted to Contest #72

Planet Earth Year 2060 Rya-To We arrive to the outskirts of the planet called Earth. It would seem the inhabitants of this planet have not advanced their technology enough to detect our arrival. Not to mention it would be hard to see our ship with the cloaking apparatus activate. If the inhabitants happened to glance our way, they might see something odd, a ripple here or there in the sky but could not say exactly what they saw. "Gya, make sure we run a continuous scan of the planet. I do not want to be ...

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“Status Update Pending” by Amanda Van Regenmorter

Submitted to Contest #72

“Good morning Katherine,” said PAN the moment before her eyelids fluttered open. Its voice, gentle and genderless, issued from the walls. Music followed the greeting, this time a vibrant concerto. “Thanks, PAN. Perfect song, as always,” she said and threw back the covers to begin her day. She was grateful her parents could afford her PAN-integrated dorm. The Predi...

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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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