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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

“Secret Uncovered (part 2 of the ghost of the past)” by Marcail Nevaeh

Submitted to Contest #72

I take down the smallest duffle bag I can find, I won’t be able to carry a huge suitcase around town. I’m not sure what led me to run instead of pleading my case, but I felt like I needed to avenge Levi’s death, and I can’t do that from a jail cell. I look around my room, wondering what I should pack. Obviously not everything can come with me. I pack as much clothes as I can fit and that I think I’ll need, and then I pull out a scrapbook from under my bed. A single tear traces it’s way down my cheek as I open it. On the first page is a pictu...

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“Victory to Thee” by Nandan Prasad

Submitted to Contest #72

The moonlight reflected of Lovelock’s glasses, casting a thin line of white light on the newly plastered wall. He tilted his head to the right, watching the line shorten further and further, till it was nothing a bright speck, passable as a shiny fleck of paint. He took another pull of the cigarette he was clutching, relishing the sweet, watery taste that could only be classified as a poor shade of yellow. He checked his watch, stamped his cigarette out and strode out of the building. It was like any other Camp; square, grey, low-ceilinged, ...

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“Attempted Murder” by Zoé Nöel-Lemieux

Submitted to Contest #72

“New case, Noëlla.” Thump. A stack of files in a manilla folder lands on the desk in front of me, sending my papers flying. Great. Now my spotless office has papers everywhere. I huff and look up to glare at my boss’ departing back. “No case summary?” He turns back, talking a few strides into the office and closing the door behind him. That’s the good thing about being one of the top-ranking detectives in our firm, I get an office to myself, unlike others such as Otto and Schorlek who have to share one. It gives the privacy and thinking spac...

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“A Leap of Faith” by Philip Clayberg

Submitted to Contest #72

I took the mail out of the post box, and started sorting through it as I walked up the stairs to my flat. The flat was in an old building in North London. The best I could afford on the salary I had.“No … no … definitely not … another bill; great … no … don't have money to donate to you … no … wait a second,” I said, and stopped just inside my flat, staring at one envelope.It was an airmail envelope from an address somewhere in New Zealand. I knew that New Zealand had two major islands (North Island and South Island), but that was about the ...

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“Annabeth” by Kate Winchester

Submitted to Contest #72

A huge stack of piping hot chocolate chip pancakes complete with whipped cream was placed in front of him and with it a cold, tall glass of milk to wash it all down.“Thank you.” Xander said.“You’re welcome, dear.” The waitress responded. Xander had come to love the quaint diner. He knew all the wait staff now, and they treated him well. He breathed in the chocolaty, buttery, syrupy smell of perfection. Saturday was the only day where he could sleep in, eat breakfast at the diner, and read a book. It was his...

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“The Adventures of Charlotte Holmes” by Tessa Takzikab

Submitted to Contest #72

It was a seemingly completely ordinary day when the new kid, Charlotte Holmes, turned around in her chair and looked me in the eye. “Jane, right?” She asked it as a question, but the teacher had just finished going over the attendance and we both knew it wasn’t really a question. “I need your help.” It was a bit surprising to me, because I consider myself a pretty boring person. The most exciting things that ever happen to me are to the alter-egos I write about in my journal, so I was pretty sure she would go ask someone else for help as...

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“No Good Deed...” by Andrew Krey

Submitted to Contest #72

*Author’s Note: “No Good Deed…” is a standalone story, set in the same universe as my other Reedsy short-stories, with overlapping characters/events.* Gadget knew criminals always returned to the scene of their crime, and she hated being that predictable. But it was unavoidable. Even from a distance, it was clear security had increased since her last visit. There were two guards at the main gates, and a third inside a quick response 4x4 car. Her brain had to fight against her leg’s desire to run, but her legs couldn’t hear the...

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“Invictus” by A. S.

Submitted to Contest #72

Focus Group: 1134Congratulations! Today is the day when you become connected to the WORLD, or world-online-recognition-lock-design. You will never be alone again! Our software is specifically designed to prevent pain and allow you the happiest life possible. So, lean back, relax, because your new life will begin installation in 3… 2… 1… The muted whomp filters through the drug induced, dreamlike haze that fills my mind. Needle-like pain trickles through my ears as the polished joints of the MediCart approach my bed, checking my breathing and...

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“The True Traitor? Part 1” by Phoebe DeNeve

Submitted to Contest #72

The interrogation room was cold, small, empty, and dark with the only light source being a small lightbulb hanging on a string. In the middle of the room was small, table with a chair and a girl that was in her mid-twenties sat with her pale wrists handcuffed to the table. Auburn hair covered her pale face, and green eyes that were blood-shot, and had bags under them. She was staring down at the shiny metal and silently shivering when she heard the door open. "Reanna?" she heard a familiar voice say, but she refused to even glance up. Rean...

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“Emily” by Tim Law

Submitted to Contest #72

The mist was like a pea soup. So thick that Detective Donaldson could barely hear the sound of the oars as he dragged them through the calm ocean tinged green. The locals had informed Donaldson that there was an island out there somewhere, barely visible on a clear day. The detective was trying to find it in the middle of winter. It was an impossible task but one that Dan Donaldson was desperate to achieve. He hoped he was going to find land soon. The tiny rowboat continued to slide through the water until after what seemed like hours the hu...

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“Dream Vacation With Benefits” by Stephanie Albright

Submitted to Contest #72

I didn’t realize how long it has been since I wrote anything for Reedsy. I have been in a writing funk between Covid and the holidays. I haven’t even been able to read or work on my WIP. Last week, one of the prompts caught my eye but I didn’t get it written in time. Hopefully, this is the end of my writers’ block. ~ StephanieIt was raining again. It was cold again. I pulled my hood up over my head and ran into the liquor store. Between the gloomy weather and this whole Covid lockdown crap, I just wanted to go home and drink. As I was decidi...

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“Anything but Elementary” by Kate Winchester

Submitted to Contest #72

“It’s elementary my dear Watson!” Det. Watson rolled his eyes. It was only the umpteenth time that he had heard that statement. “You know Sherlock never technically said that right?” He replied. “And besides, Watson was the doctor, remember?” “Who made you the Sherlock expert?” Det. Schwan asked rhetorically, but Det. Watson responded anyway. “Me, expert? Haha, yeah right.” The two departed their vehicle and entered the police station. They walked by the reception window and Det. Schwan punc...

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“Eyes that never SMILE.” by An Echo

Submitted to Contest #72

"Just another suicide case. Nothing to see really."You'll be the judge of that.Welcome, you must be the new detective. I'm guessing this is your first case. No problem, I'm Maya, I'm your guide. The scene sets in a teenage girls bedroom. The darkness, a thick fog, in the room. The hair at the back of your neck stands, not because of the humidity but for your thirst for Justice."Geez, open the blinds. What is this? A horror movie."You roll your eyes at the extra large police cop, Berny. You're new here, but you already know that you two would...

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“Leiloa” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #72

1. This all began on a Tuesday afternoon. It was not a very difficult day for Daniel. He went in around ten in the morning, put on his name tag, cleaned out the three main floors of the office by two, ate his lunch, ordered some extra cleaning supplies for the bathrooms (low on toilet paper on all floors), and then, when the last of the staff wished him good night, went home. His car was still having problems – transmission was acting up; tires had to be changed before winter hit – but otherwise, it was just another Tuesday. Anothe...

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“Father's Daughter” by Vivian Bee 🐝

Submitted to Contest #72

The case was as straightforward as any. The knife was found in the back of the drawer, accompanied by towels crusted with a crimson coating. Why was this case so different from the rest? I'd seen this a million times, but somehow this one felt wrong. Like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit in quite right. The whole thing was too clean, too easy. I clenched my eyes shut and took a deep breath, inhaling the icy air that always came with our Maine winters, wishing I hadn't parked across the street. I sped up and half-jogged towards the statio...

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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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