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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

“Snow Puppy” by Michelle Andrews

Submitted to Contest #75

Winter came and the snow capped mountains shined so brilliantly that I closed my blinds and began to grieve. I perked my favorite cup of coffee in the microwave and turned on my electric heater. Now that my room was toasty, and the coffee was supreme, tears flowed down my face as I fought the memories of my "Snow Puppy".Last night a storm blew through the entire town. Lightning flashed and the sky ignited, I knew to turn off the lights. I stood their observing what was happening as I tried to fight the memories of my "Snow Puppy”.My memories...

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“Life, a mystery !!!” by S Afrose

Submitted to Contest #75

Lara stands up and walks slowly into the silent woods. What a beautiful nature! Within a second, a bond- seems so strong. Whispering!!!! Lara, my dear; are you ok? Lara laughs and says- I'm absolutely fine. In fact, I feel that I can touch the eternal love. Thank you so much, my dear God; for such a meaningful sight. I don’t want to recall the past. I have enough to endure all. I want to live in this serene place. Lara belongs from a poor family. She completed graduation at philosophy. Life turns a new angle, after the marriage. ...

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“The cat” by Leu Claudia

Submitted to Contest #75

It is perfect, everyone should wake up to go to school, college, work and much more, everyone is happy, they had a wonderful and fairytale Christmas and a year of 2021 started in force but stay like this, in front of the house of a rich family a cat appeared the night before, is that a sign? the cat is white as snow and clean everyone looks at her and feels joy, some children tried to touch her but she disappears every time, this is strange but it is said that only the special girl can touch her, right? let's see our story it is a soothing ...

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“Further From The Truth: excerpt” by Terra Bransfield

Submitted to Contest #75

3:41am Further from the truth, She hadn’t expected things to end so gravely. It’d only been a few months, yet the pain of it would sometimes strike Her so viciously it was as though She were still there, stuck in it, unable to escape. Breathing slowly, trying to calm Her quaking hands, She spoke in a low murmur. It was inaudible, but She was alone, so it really didn’t make a difference. “Speak up, won’t you? I can’t understand what you’re saying.” slowly, She raised Her gaze from Her hands, silky black hair falling from Her face. She hadn’t ...

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“M&M Memories” by Jackie McKenzie

Submitted to Contest #75

Joe stood in front of the vending machine pondering his selection. The candy occupied the fourth and fifth rows, between the savory snacks and the Grandma’s Cookies. It struck him that, considering this was a hospital, there was a distinct lack of healthy options available. It also struck him that, despite not knowing who he was or where he was from, he knew how to operate a vending machine. And, although he didn't know his own name (Joe, a derivation of John Doe, was the name given to him by the nurses until he could remember his own),...

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“Never Forget” by Jonah Solheim

Submitted to Contest #75

About a year after my appointment, I woke up to a brick lying on the living room floor. Haloed by the shattered glass it had sailed through sometime earlier that morning, it looked like some kind of modern art. I picked up the biggest pieces with the tips of my fingers and laid them gently in the dustpan--it was too early to run the vacuum and risk waking the whole family just for some hipsterish commentary on privacy. Everything was tinted purplish-green, and I soon became discouraged with picking little bits out of the carpet lik...

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“When Kailani Wakes Up” by Alexus Adams

Submitted to Contest #75

Kailani was starting to become the love of my life but now I felt as if I was dealt a hand of cards I can’t place on the table. One night I found her in her apartment beaten badly with laceration marks covering parts of her body, her clothes had been ripped and in her own blood the word pain had been written on her stomach. Seeing my baby like this really tore me down to shreds, the doctors are saying she’ll be lucky if she wakes up but I know for a fact that Kailani will wake up. She is a strong fighter. Amber you know she had all t...

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“Falling” by Just Me

Submitted to Contest #75

Trigger Warning: Suicide Attempt, DeathThe waves crashed onto the golden shore. A lone seagull, riding with the wind shrieked a cry in response to the breeze. The salty wind, the blue-green waves with white-foam crests brought back memories. The tide, ebbing and flowing, taunted me with the freedom, splashing the pier I was standing on. The one place I loved, the one place I was as free. Free from the cage of lies, anger, sadness hidden within me; ensnaring me, clapping its cold, metal, claws shut. From the constant struggle of smiling ...

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“The Judgment Is Yours” by John Rockk

Submitted to Contest #75

WE WERE HERE FOR YOU The giant neon sign was large enough to be seen for miles. As Gestas stood in line he thought, "well, this is going to take forever. " As far as lines went, this fell somewhere between the DMV and Black Friday at Walmarket. About thirty feet ahead of him was his "partner in crime," Dismas. He tried getting his attention, but thus far he could not get him to acknowledge him. He gave up when he saw what appeared to be the man in charge heading towards hi...

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“The Bloom of a Daffodil” by Wayne Oliveros

Submitted to Contest #75

“He underwent brain hypoxia during his attempt but luckily, you were able to get there in time so while he suffered some minor injuries, there's almost nothing worthy of noting.” I sighed in relief as I tried to hold back the tears threatening to pour out of my eyes. I reached out my hand to the wall in an attempt to support myself up as my knees trembled under the sheer weight of the emotions welling into me. I sniffed and rubbed my probably red eyes by now as I took a peek into the hospital room to see a man in white hospital robe...

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“One's Last Legs” by Kashvi S

Submitted to Contest #75

My eyes widened at the sight of the cherry red blood dripping from my freezing hands onto my scarred knees. I could feel the side of my head flooding with pain. Confused, I slowly stood up, hardly being able to stand. My legs trembled and the world began to spin. I could not seem to remember what I was doing that night on the side of a road. I wiped my hands on my clothes and all of a sudden, I heard a thud behind me. My head shifted to reveal a bald old man slowly walking towards me. I could feel my heart pounding, as I slowly began...

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“HER BOOKBINDING STORE” by Ghazal Waseem

Submitted to Contest #75

For the first time when I saw her, she was consuming a perfectly hugged, pink, flawless flora vintage gown. Her tiny feet enabling her to walk in an elegant and nimble-way towards her bookbinding store. Where she was renowned for her Coptic binding and Ebru painting. A sweet soul with classic skills.As I set my eyes on her for the first time. It was hard for me to put off myself back. My heart was ready to break my ribs and appear in my shivering hands. She looked quite coffee-colored and Asian. Her lustrous orbs were still the w...

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“Washed Away” by Katie Moyes

Submitted to Contest #75

Thick, fat raindrops assaulted the pavement. Dagny looked out his office window. He’d have to walk to the train station in this. He’d been expecting rain, but this was a downpour. Well, it’s not like he’d rather stay late just to avoid a little water. At 17:08 he joined the sea of black umbrellas, navigating the swirling currents of pedestrians trying to find the stream of traffic headed to the station. He let his mind soften into the rhythmic pounding of feet and rain, a meditative silence that was abruptly broken when, “Arne” The strange...

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“The blank notebook” by S B Chryslotte

Submitted to Contest #75

Kathy woke up when the sunlight from the hospital window fell on her face; she had to squint her eyes to look out the window from where the mid afternoon light was coming. Her eyes fell upon the clock on the wall in front of her, it was striking 13. She got herself up to sit up straight, she touched the dressing wrapped around her head and felt her aching arms and legs, just then a nurse entered the room and startled her and said, "Finally" and went outside in a rush. She saw the nurse go out, when the door closed behind her; Kathy was just ...

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“I was” by Laura Oni

Submitted to Contest #75

The choking effect of not being able to move forward has placed me in a state of unrest yet in a state of genuine peace. I would place the unfathomable amnesia as trails of crumbs that seemingly has no end. My hands quiver anytime I'm asked the question, “Who are you?”, because I do not have an answer to that. It's 5:30am and I hear the alarm ring. I carefully hoist myself from the bed, trying not to wake anyone. My chest tightens whenever Alex stirs from his sleep. I'm not trying to run away, I just don't want to wake...

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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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