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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

“The Dumb Brother” by Aurora Rory Buccheri

Submitted to Contest #75

The world has its winners and its losers. Gran always said that. Sometimes, to turn your luck around, you need to make a difficult decision. They’re difficult for this reason. Hey. No one wants to make them. But you have to sometimes. Otherwise, how are you going to be a winner? Yes, that’s it. It’s decided. It’s what the old woman would have wanted anyway. She’d rather know her two boys are happy and she’s six feet under than be alive and know we’re doing crap. Joey and I are doing crap. He quit his job at the supermarket. He says it’s a ...

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“He Doesn't Love Me” by Virginia Coleman

Submitted to Contest #75

Marian, 1976Our marriage crumbled the moment I saw him with her. His teaching assistant. Younger than him, prettier than me. I knew they were sleeping together by the way she casually touched his shoulder, the way she blushed when he looked at her, and oh, how he looked at her. He never looked at me that way. Not even in the honeymoon phase of our marriage. Not even when were young and naïve. He smiled like a child in a candy store at the coquettish sound of her laughter. Her perfume drenched every inch of his skin when he returned hom...

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“ Jumping without a Parachute” by Kara O

Submitted to Contest #75

The Toyota came to a gear grinding halt before the silver gates of the Saving Faith Care Facility. The door hiccupped as the driver stepped out, taking the keys to the ignition with him. The old girl was so battered, he couldn’t fathom anyone in their right might would steal it, but habits won over logic any day of the week. From the back seat, he took a tangled mass of bright blue blanket. It was lighter than he imagined, and it deepened his frown. From the mass of fabric stuck out a once brilliant brown face, the mahogany shade lost to the...

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“Now” by Anna Smith

Submitted to Contest #75

Adeara and Hawthorne were well-known for the fact that they did not make changes. Everything in their lives had been the same for the past ten years; even down to the furniture that they'd bought in college and hadn't been able to give up, no matter how ratty the couch/nightstand looked. But, 2020 had taught them both a valuable lesson. "My life needs to change." Neither of them knew that they both were in the same bar, having the same conversation with their respective best friends, Sadie and Perkins. Sadie had only been friends with Adeara...

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“Contests” by Ivar Sarreal

Submitted to Contest #75

Caden pulled up to the house and knew immediately that something was off. Firstly, it was too dark, the girls wouldn’t have gone to bed without a story or a fight or both. Secondly, it was too quiet, Emily barks at any car within a two mile radius of the house even though Caden’s and Evelyn’s cars were the only ones that made the trek up the long driveway. Thirdly, there was that feeling about the place, like a heavy ominous fog loitering around, warning and waiting. Out of habit, he pulled the keys and pointed it to the door knob. He pocket...

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“Two paths to a million!” by Amazing World

Submitted to Contest #75

Two paths to a million! When you think about the imagination, you feel a drift towards it, you want to touch it, you almost reach it, but as soon as you collide with the wall of reality, this imagination fades, and it becomes like air, we breathe and want it, and we feel its presence, but we do not see it, we live by its survival and without it we die, the imagination generates a dream we would like to We reach him, the road may be long and time is distant, but without it ambition dies and dreams die with it. In the field of business con...

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“The Dragon's Egg” by Jacob Warren

Submitted to Contest #75

There was news that a dragon’s egg was somewhere in the mountains. And hired swordsmen, like Alabast and Branch, were drawn to the news like sharks to chum. In addition to actually finding the egg, one of the hardest parts would be finding someone who would actually pay money for it. This was because even though being incredibly rare and valuable, dragon’s eggs were also incredibly illegal. But as luck had it, an old surly witch in a dark tavern said she would pay Alabast and Branch a lot of gold to have one. “I only need t...

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“Sometimes, I Wish” by Vaishnavi Venu

Submitted to Contest #75

Babysitting Jacob is pretty exhausting, trust me. All he does is sit around in different places of the house, his fingers mindlessly double tapping away at random memes that don’t even make sense anymore. I had thought I deserved better than this. That I had left behind my old days and moved on, but still often find myself playing situations, enacting scenes in my head over and over again. I thought I was cut out to become a journalist, or better, an actual writer. I can’t believe I’m wasting away- The doorbell sounds, snapping me out of my...

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“Today's Tomorrow” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #75

When I think back on my day, I can’t believe it actually is over. Much like the week, month, year, ten, twenty years gone. I spent most of that time planning I assume for something. I don’t even remember what it was anymore, but I must have believed it was important at the time. It is just that life goes by so fast, I don’t remember most of it happening. Tomorrow is a new year. I normally don’t pay much attention to all the celebratory nonsense that surrounds it. To me it was just another day, until it wasn’t. I...

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“Percival's Resolution” by Jack Horne

Submitted to Contest #75

Percival punched the air as the clock chimed midnight. He looked at the charred remains beside his left foot and grinned. One hundred. Time for another tattoo. At the Dragon Club, they’d be green – greener - with envy. And this year he really must ask Delilah for a date. He’d secretly loved her for years. Surely, she wouldn’t turn him down now! Chuckling, he reached for his phone. ‘Hello, Tracy’s Tattoos? I need another human done,’ he said. ‘Right foreleg this time.’ Tracy whistled through her teeth. ‘New Year’s Day is always busy.’ She g...

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“Forty-Six Years” by Elle Weaver

Submitted to Contest #75

I looked down at my mother’s obituary in my hand. This will be my year, I told myself. It wasn’t like it was a surprise she had finally died. Months of her deteriorating, her grip loosening on my hand, her clarity waning. My visits turned from conversations about my childhood, spoken of like they were just yesterday, to sitting in a straight backed floral nursing home chair, watching her watch birds outside of her 2 foot by 2 foot portal into the world she had once inhabited. My mother couldn’t help the way she was, any mo...

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“BLU” by D. Son

Submitted to Contest #75

I woke up and there he was, wagging tail, smiling eyes.“All right…”I removed the blanket and sat up, my feet on the floor. The pup, I named him Blu, was an early bird. This was my second day with him. Maybe I was feeding him too much, he was too energetic. I looked over at the clock. Christ, 6:12 in the morning and it’s already this pumped up?“You know. My boss would really like you.”The dog said nothing.“You might even be paid more than I am.”Still nothing. Soft, dumb eyes.“Okay…but don’t tell me I didn’t offer you the job.”I got out of bed...

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“The Ten-Year Resolution” by Matthew Doggett

Submitted to Contest #75

I did it. I finally did it. It only took ten freaking years, but I did it. I’m so happy my hands are numb. That’s a thing, right? I hope so. I guess you’re wondering what, exactly, is so hand-numbingly exciting. Well, I’ll tell you about it. Come with me on a strange journey. It’s a happy story in the end, but there were some rocky points along the way. You better believe that. So you can rest assured that, in this particular story, the night is darkest before the dawn. But it’s worth it for that fantastic, brilliant ...

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“Anticlimactic Therapy” by Katherine Alfieri

Submitted to Contest #75

Anticlimactic. My decision that this big and vast world is ultimately anticlimactic comes from seven years of dragging my feet through the mud and terrain of simple social interaction. My consolation prize is the comfort of my couch, accompanied by an array of daytime soap operas and talk shows, and a feast of Cheetos until my thoughts subside. From here on out, I’m planning to see my hand permanently stained with that gaudy orange by the end of next year. As I make my way to my studio apartment in Queens, I remember my last therapy session...

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“Suddenly, It's Done I Succeed” by Vailor In Dark

Submitted to Contest #75

"5...,4...,3...,2...,1..." All cheered for the new year. Like they where expecting to have a new start regarding this coming year. The champagne glass clunk of the people who are toasting their champagne glasses with a smile on everyone's face. Everyone has a smile in their faces, some people here are hugging mostly couples what a public display of affection. Bitterness start to eat my system. Oh come on ! It's like you didn't do that! Well before. My mom blocked my view of the couple who's like making out because of their torrid...

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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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