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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#75: New Year, New You

For many of us, the last year was like living through a low-budget disaster movie — but the good thing about the new year is that it gives us an excuse to start fresh. And even though flipping a calendar doesn’t necessarily fix all our problems, it’s still good to take a moment and think about everything you do have the power to change.

In that spirit, this week’s prompts are all about fresh starts. From small, personal achievements to huge goals that will change the world, everything starts with the decision to try. What sort of things will your characters achieve this year? What sort of things will you?

This week's prompts

Write about someone who has finally managed to succeed at a long-standing New Year’s resolution.

Winter – 98 stories

Write about someone whose job is to help people leave their old lives behind.

Adults – 246 stories

Start your story with one character making a vow that they never would have made the year before.

Holiday – 102 stories

Write about someone who doesn’t remember their past — and doesn’t want to.

Thriller and Suspense – 205 stories

Write about two characters who each want to change the same thing, but resolve to go about it in very different ways.

Teens – 84 stories

Stories

“No Escape” by Jana Diriyeh

Submitted to Contest #75

She wrapped her shawl closer to her and kept walking. Where? She kept asking herself, but again she just kept walking, wandering on and about, never stopping for any reason. The sun was shining; people were laughing, but not her. She was alone, and indeed she wants to be. She wrapped her shawl closer to her, for the weather was not cold; but she was. She found a shabby old café. But she felt that it was the café. Edging closer, looking inside, she remembered. Flashes of memories, of happiness, of bitterness, of her smiling gleefull...

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“Faded Scars” by Sara Blanch

Submitted to Contest #75

I know my appearence makes people uncomfortable...my existence is unsettling for people. They stare at me with thousands of questions brimming in their eyes, yet the truth is...the truth is I have just as many questions as they do. Everyone is constantly questioning who they are as a person. We question our motives and our responsibilities. We question whether we have made the right choices and whether we know where our life is going. I won't pretend that I am special...I am just like everyone else, I want the answers to all these ques...

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“The Effect” by Stephanie Njoku

Submitted to Contest #75

"I know what happened that night" Said Mike"well I don't" Aaron replied softly."are you sure? Because I.. I remember what you did." He stammered. "can you stop!" Aaron screamed.He closed his eyes tightly, clenching his hands. He was terrified and nervous as to why Mike intentionally forced him to recall his past.He sighed deeply."it won't change anything." He said"you don't know that." "Besides, maybe if you remember a little bit of what conspired that night. Then you'll come to know why you feel hunted. " Mike insisted.He looked a...

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“Bystander ” by Darsh Sharma

Submitted to Contest #75

5 There were five of us. When the night began there were five. We had wanted to take a walk at night. The harsh afternoon heat mellowed into a gentle warmth, and Cal had brought up the idea of taking a walk. Grace disagreed. Walking in the woods was scary enough, its large trees and hazardous floor making it easy to trip. I didn’t have an opinion on the matter. “C’mon Grace, live a little! We live in Utah. What's the worst that can happen?” Cal argued. After relentless convincing, Cal had persuaded us to take this walk. ...

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“The Alley in New York” by Caroline White

Submitted to Contest #75

I woke up with a throbbing headache in the middle of a gym floor underneath a flipped over buffet table. It appeared there had been a party there the night before. There were ripped streamers taped to the walls. There were puddles of spilt crimson red punch in various places and crumbled cupcakes sticking to the walls glued by blue frosting. Worst of all, I didn’t remember who I was. I tried to sit up and I hit my head on the table only making my headache worse. I army-crawled out from underneath the stained white table and stood up to look...

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“Don't Remember Me” by Marie Armhvite

Submitted to Contest #75

Trigger warning: violence Had he written with a quill; the ink would have splattered. Another novel was almost finished. Another masterpiece, he reckoned. Robert had been a crime author for as long as he could remember. Although, that’s not saying much. Seven years ago, he was in an accident claiming his memory. Waking up from a coma, he remembered nothing. Not even his name. The doctors had given him a piece of paper, a pen, and instructions to write down anything that came to mind. Anything he could remember from his past. But nothi...

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“Friendly Fire” by Addison Smits

Submitted to Contest #75

I’m standing at my post, gun slung across my back. Its a little past midnight, and the stars glow overhead. The other guard and I stand at the entrance of the base. We are waiting on a carriage to come. We were not told who was inside, how many of them there are, or what they are doing inside our walls, but we do not have the right to object orders. Snow begins to fall, but its normal for up in the North. It is considered unusual for us to not have snow in a twenty-four hour period, and concerning. The Emperor gets all his power from the col...

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“Hidden” by Princess Boakye

Submitted to Contest #75

I woke up on a bed. In a room I didn't recognize. Something was wrong. Or maybe it was right, I wasn't exactly sure. It seems as though my memories have vanished from me. I woke up in the kingdom of Novis, that I know, and that was a relief. But I knew nothing else. Except for the fact that maybe, just maybe, I didn't want my memories back. I didn't want to remember. I got up from the bed and walked around the room, touching the empty picture frames and caressing the little miniature statues. The room was big, filled with bright colors, a ...

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“Healing with Memories” by Eli Smith

Submitted to Contest #75

“Sir, would you like sugar or milk with that?” A simple question, I should know the answer to this one. But I don’t. I can’t remember if I like sugar or milk with my coffee. The barista gives me a quizzical look as I realize the lapse of time between my response to hers has been rather long for something so mundane. So, I guess. “Both, please.” I hope I’m right. I step out of the que and sit on one of the brown bar stools by the open window while I wait. I look around the quaint coffee shop as my mind wanders back...

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“I don't know why” by Linda Bakewell Bakewell

Submitted to Contest #75

When I woke up I was filthy. Not like a little dirty and some mud, I was absolutely covered in dirt, mud, blood and some things which I don’t care to mention. I was lying in a ditch, wearing what tattered, ill-fitting clothes. I was tired, scared, hungry and filthy. There were these weird scars and scrapes all over my body and my ankle was twisted badly. It was mid-afternoon, and as far as I could tell I was in the middle of nowhere. If it wasn’t for Chuck driving past and seeing me sitting there weeping in the grass I think I would have d...

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“Howling ” by John McCool

Submitted to Contest #75

He slowly opened his eyes, his vision slowly breaking the blur. His head ached with a sharp pain making his stomach twist in knots. He was going to throw up, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the pain, or the horrendous smell that resonated from around him. He lifted his head and peered around at his surroundings. A singular lamp swung above him like a pendulum, illuminating a metal table adorned with leather straps and dirty rags. His gaze lowered to the floor where a thick pool of crimson liquid laid spread out around the table’s ...

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“Snow & Ash” by Sarah Marchese

Submitted to Contest #75

There’s something about the darkness that is familiar. It’s not necessarily the look of it, more how it feels, warm and moving, humming with energy. This darkness is something alive, something swirling beneath closed eyes that won’t open just yet. He can swear there is someone calling his name, though the sound is muddled and far away, and it isn’t so much a name, but it’s something close enough. Soon. A voice tells him, though he’s not sure who the voice belongs to, whether it’s his own, or someone else’s that he’s long since forgot...

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“Guardian Angel” by Michaela Askew

Submitted to Contest #75

“Claire Williams, to the main office please. Claire Williams.” I know it had nothing to do with school I made sure I was an average student below the radar. My grades, my behavior, my appearance all average to avoid further investigation into who Claire Williams is. &nbs...

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“Thirteen Minutes” by Lyn Carstone

Submitted to Contest #75

His new life began with an arched eyebrow. “Well,” the woman drew out the word till it sounded like it had five syllables. She tilted her head to the side. “This is unexpected. Are you alright?” Was he alright? He was on the floor. A comfy floor. One that wasn’t making his back hurt. The ceiling was very nice- creamy with a fancy light hanging in the center of a gold leaf medallion. “I think so?” He said. “Good. Glad to hear that.” The woman bobbed her head. “I’ll just be on my way then.” He sat up. “One thing though…” She paused, ...

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“New Year, New Life” by Creepypasta Anecdotes

Submitted to Contest #75

They say that humanity is striving towards a better society, whether they work together or separately. All I wanted though was to make my little corner of the world a little easier to deal with. I can’t say I’ve been trying real hard to make that happen. With the lockdowns and the riots it’s hard to even keep track of the time, let alone what I do to better society. I usually have a couple drinks after work to take the edge off. It helps when I’m falling asleep to the dread that I still have to go back to work the next day. I think even if s...

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$50

Prize money

735

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 08, 2021 EST

Won by R. A. 🏆

Title: The Violinist

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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