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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

“Memories” by Alex Carmen

Submitted to Contest #75

cw: character death“Do you, Queen Marabelle Valentina Caspien of the Fifth Region, take Prince Geoffrey Benjamin Findlay III of the Twelfth Region to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The priest intones.I pause, suddenly unsure of what I was doing. What am I even doing here? I wonder. My racing thoughts are interrupted by my soon-to-be husband. He’s tightening his hold on my hand in a vise-like grip. “Marabelle, remember our agreement,” He whispers, his breath heavily tinged with the scent of alcohol. I tremble, trying desperately ...

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“The Roses” by Reuben Krieger

Submitted to Contest #75

It was a cold, snowy night, the Johnson’s were getting ready to watch the new year come and finish the previous year. Last year was not a fine year for the Johnson’s, their beautiful Juana, soon to have been a mother of 3, had passed away. Her youngest son, Henry had taken the loss too hard. “A toast everyone!!” Henry exclaimed. Everyone at the flower-covered dinner table looked at the boy in awe. Since when did Henry ever make a toast? What was this all about? “A toast to my mum! May she always rest in peace! I vow to never EVER f...

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“A Difficult Choice” by Hafsa Sohail

Submitted to Contest #75

Chapter 1 "I won't ever play any type of sports again," I vowed quietly to myself, concealed in the darkness of my room. Just last year, I wouldn't have dreamed that one day I would make a promise like this. I would have laughed at such a ridiculous idea. But recently, things had changed. A new year had started - which meant making some new decisions. "Andrew! Are you up yet?" my mom yelled from the kitchen. "Just a minute, mom!" I shouted back. Grabbing my backpack, I quickly opened the window blind and raced to the kitchen. My mom was...

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“Unbreakable” by Vaishnavi Venu

Submitted to Contest #75

I have vowed. I have vowed never to mix with the lowly ones; the ones who hack away at the rocks in mines to craft the beautiful pendants we wear around our necks, who break their backs so we drown in our riches, our wealth. Mine lay on my collarbone, a pastel locket that went well with my gown that cascaded to my ankles. “Fintis!” the maidservant calls me and I flinch turning around, wondering if she had read my mind. But she says nothing, wordlessly placing the tray of chocolate fondants before me. “As you had asked for, miss” she mu...

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“Cocayne” by Nick Holmberg

Submitted to Contest #75

Cocayne was on his mind. Last year, he never would have vowed to stop; it was his thing, it was what defined him. Now it was a new year, though, and he had resolved, “Never again.” His wife, his life depended on it. He braced against the cold wind and stinging flurries as he shuffled to his car. He couldn’t stop thinking of Cocayne. Jana Stoner loves Jill Cocayne. Jokes swirled in his head from the vast combination of names he came across while filtering spreadsheets at his go-nowhere job. Some jokes didn’t land with certain people. His...

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“The year´s bombastic finale” by Mona Del Valle

Submitted to Contest #75

Nellie exchanged glances with Liam. “And before the New Year begins… we now solemnly renew our vow: We will never put yeast over friendship again.” The candles were lit, the mulled wine filled the room with its spicy aroma, the oven spread its heat throughout the entire room. Nellie led Liam through the kitchen, over the carpet, into the living room and back again in a wild attempt at a Tango. They were hard pressed to maintain their serious expressions under the amused look of Ann who was sitting on the couch, cuddled into her favorite bl...

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“Forgetting Something?” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #75

“You don’t remember anything?” “Nope, not a thing.” “Doesn’t that bother you? I know it would bother me.” I don’t really know when it began, because it isn’t like you get hit in the head, end up in the hospital and don’t know who you are or where you are. It is slower than that. It’s more like you can’t find your glasses. You know how someone always points to your head cause that’s where they are supposed to be. But you don’t wear glasses and you can’t find them cause you don’t remember you don’t wear glasses. It’s n...

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“The Secret Keepers Daughter” by Sarah Gallego

Submitted to Contest #75

Etain cursed the full moon that night. The way it picked up the dust encrusted moths nestled within the oaks. How it illuminated the light blue veins threaded across the back of her hands. There should be no way of hiding secrets on a night such as this, she thought, as she slid the clods of damp soil back over the hole she had scraped from the ground with her bitter cold fingers. Her breath swirled before her in great plumes of icy blue smoke, as though she had the power to exhale a wisp and not air. The tears had flowed from he...

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“Moving on” by Mark DeFour

Submitted to Contest #75

“That was quite a trip wasn’t it?” The man in the gray jumpsuit said as he examined the man who had just arrived. “Let me see here. Eyes look good, stick out your tongue…yes that looks all right, okay follow my finger,” he said as he moved it up and down, right and left then all the way up and over to behind the new arrival’s head. “Hah, just kidding, having some fun. If you could do that, this would probably be the wrong destination.”“Where am I?” The new arrival asked.“Ahh. Hmm. I am sure you’re in the right place, not to worry.” Grey Jump...

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“The Drifter” by Daniel Gillis

Submitted to Contest #75

There were more stars over head then he could ever remember seeing in the night sky before, but then again he couldn’t remember much of anything since he’d left San Antonio. The thought of that comforted him and he smiled. He reached into his pack and pulled out a half empty bottle of cheap whiskey and he took a long swig straight from the bottle. He quickly returned it and continued his slow march down State rd. 89A. At least he new where he was going. Might not remember how he had managed to get this far but he did have a destination in mi...

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“Not Even a Memory” by Caleb Williams

Submitted to Contest #75

I couldn’t immediately tell up from down, nor left from right. The ringing in my ears drowned any sense that I could speak into myself, and as I attempted to shift my body around to a more comfortable position, a shrieking pain bounced inside of my head from my right temple to my left. There was the distinct acrid taste of blood in my mouth as I slowly began confirming the reality of my survival. I could smell the booze as it soaked into the cracks of the cobblestone beneath me. I knew I had done this to myself, but I prayed that this time I...

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“Welcome to the world of psychotic overthinker.” by Sakshi Deora

Submitted to Contest #75

"Okay" he said and jumped. Falling into the wind, falling off the building, falling to death. For some people scars are beautiful, for some they are the mark of bravery. For some, scars are bad memories, laced with pain and all that unfortunate things. But for me, scars is Me. Welcome to the world of psychotic overthinker. I have been watching the movie again and again, in the end of which the boy, his last words being "okay" dive off the building towards the ground. His body flailed through the wind. His clothes trying to grasp anything...

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“The blue reaper” by Michel Fitz

Submitted to Contest #75

Typically, when one finds a man half buried in mud on a battlefield, it would be unwise to attempt to inspect the body. Not even as the chest shifted and sighed amidst the silence after. Tyr was not one of such sense, especially within the circumstances he found himself in. In between bodies and metal armor alike hacked through, all cold and stinking of rust and decay, one grey body was mostly unharmed, save for healing bruises. Tyr almost walked over the body had he not noticed a large, blue-tinted thorn in the ground moving. Tyr felt arou...

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“Running forward” by Ema Šehović

Submitted to Contest #75

I woke up one morning. It was late January. It felt like I’ve been asleep for an eternity. The room was dark and I didn’t know the exact time. I wasn’t sure if I fall asleep and start dreaming or if I just woke up from a nightmare. I turned the light on and the light blue light lit the room. The room wasn’t a mess. It was almost vacant except for a few bothersome details. My diary with just one word in it: ‘’FORGET’’, a few small boxes with some food in them and photo of a girl standing in the middle of nowhere, alone. I guess that this girl...

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“Lost by Memories by Khuzaimah Khurshid” by Khuzaimah Khurshid

Submitted to Contest #75

I felt the winds rushed towards me, it came in the eye of a lightening bolt. The scene of bloody trials and immense emotions that piled up against the chest made me fall down in pain. “Emily, where are you?” The voice in the distant and it was very faint as soon when I realized that the world surrounding me went pure black. “Emily Ricks, you were outstanding today, and was very intelligent and outspoken in the meeting today,” exclaimed my boss, Patterson. “Keep it up, and who might have known, you might be the best candidate for...

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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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