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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

“Realistic Resolutions 2.021” by Sabrina Rose

Submitted to Contest #75

So, this is my attempt at a realistic resolution list (based on a true story built by a millennial in 2020) Here I have made a compilation of my top things I need to change or improve on this year. I try to stray from being like everyone else (you know, making a list of realistic resolutions ala ‘new year new you’ deal, ima juice and work out all day everyday sort of thing. it never works) anywho, here’s what I came up with Building up that CONFIDENCE Consisting of getting back in the socia...

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“The Inevitability to be Changed” by Trace Bergman

Submitted to Contest #75

“I was told that you could help me,” Bryon Diaz says desperately hoping for my approval. Bryon Diaz was an old man from Los Angeles who was put on a murder trial. He met with me because I can fix people’s lives and because I was his last hope. “Yes, that would be correct. I will help you.” I said. I am Keanu. I am twenty-two and work to help those get their lives back on track. There have been a few cases that I have faced but I have solved them all. My business is becoming very popular as people are recognizing that I can fix many things in...

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“Courage” by Seemless Pen

Submitted to Contest #75

I took a breath, drink a sip of black coffee as the door opened up revealing a disheveled woman with long dark hair, with a weak smile on her face, her eyes sunken with dark circles. She was hunched, and her hands was trembling as she neurotically looked everywhere around the room but me. The room was simple, with a beige background and a warm picture of a child hugging a golden retriever, and a bookshelf at the left side of the room showcasing picture books and psychological textbooks. A lavender incense sat atop my desk, along with col...

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“The Three O'Clock Customer” by Nick Hawthorne

Submitted to Contest #75

Normal business hours are almost always dry. Most other places like mine don't bother staying open at all while the sun's out, but apparently I've got nothing better to do than sit in an empty office and read during the weekday. This depressing aspect of my life might be considered reasonable enough cause to try out my own services, but as a rule I don't get high on my own supply. On weekends it doesn't pick up until nine o'clock at night. There are always a few in the early morning with bad breath and red eyes looking to forget who they ...

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“Death Edits” by Robin Goodfellow

Submitted to Contest #75

Death Edits“Do you feel as though spirits have been visiting you in your dreams lately? Do you or anyone you know find themselves inexplicably cold even with the thermostat cranked up? Have cups and plates mysteriously been broken even though you had a firm grasp on them?It might not be a ghost, but a haunting of a different sort.” “Ghosts don’t exist...” a skeptical Marilyn Monroe lookalike exclaims.“Depends on what you mean by exist.” I quickly fire back. I pour some water in a cup and look at the dozen or so people in the room. ...

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“Cigarettes and Lavender” by Sky Caron

Submitted to Contest #75

Cigarettes and lavender. The dark smelled like something burning yet calming and the room felt… neither cold nor warm.The person who had arrived waited, their feet not tired and their patience not thin, as a small light made its way to them. The figure within the light stops in front of them.“Hello.”“Hi. You know why I’m here?”The figure stares quietly before nodding, “Why don’t you tell me yourself.”“I’m here for a new life. I need to… escape.. I need to get away.”The figure nods. This person was no different than the ones who had come befo...

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“The Dictionary of Death Curses” by Morgan Riley

Submitted to Contest #75

My father’s funeral was better attended than I anticipated, given the man made a career from diagnosing and describing the end of so many lives. Sitting up the front of the local church, I had felt the press of people at my back but didn’t want to turn around and look at their faces. When it was my turn to eulogise him, I waited until the last moment to raise my eyes and look out over the collection of people, many of them physically uncomfortable in church, but on the whole looking back at me with serene half-smiles. It’s in the quiet time ...

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“Leaving Behind the Old” by Tunisia Williams

Submitted to Contest #75

Jessica couldn’t wait to meet her newest client. She perused the dossier to ensure she had all the facts about the woman she would soon meet. Heather was late, again. She had already been warned by her supervisor, this was her last chance. Her consistent tardiness had worn down her boss. Heather, as always, had promised to never be late again. But here she was…late. Her mother had often joked Heather would be late for her own funeral. Jessica stood in front of the buildings main entrance, excitedly waiting for her client. She studied t...

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“Nara's Appointment” by Emma Park

Submitted to Contest #75

Nara was perched on a park bench, savoring the fine summer air, when the old man came into view. He was dressed in a grey suit, and, aside from a slight hobble, moved rather gracefully down the path. Humming contentedly to himself, the old man settled on a bench all the way across the playground, right in the center of a glorious patch of sunlight. A couple minutes passed. Nara quietly kept her eyes on the old man, who affectionately watched a group of children play from over his unfurled newspaper. It was a good day, a peaceful day. ...

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“Let go" by modester oywaya” by Modester Oywaya

Submitted to Contest #75

I met her in the streets where I went to refuge after experiencing the worst part of my day. Becky was about 17 years of age I could tell from her behavior and most of all I was from the same age group.since in African streets people tend to mind their business when its approaching eight in the evening to avoid curfew,I minded my own business and sat almost two metres way from her.I was in the middle of pain so I kept on sobbing. "We can't be together and definitely I know that pregnancy isn't Mike you are friends with many guys out there ho...

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“The Patient” by Elizabeth Musgrave

Submitted to Contest #75

The soft beep of the machines continued. The room was dark, emphasizing the equipment's flashing lights as it kept track of the patient’s vitals. The patient was deathly still, unable to move, unaware of the whirring beeping and buzzing around them. This patient was not expected to live much longer. An air of reluctant expectation in the room was thicker and damper than the rain outside. It was New Year’s Eve. An ice storm was raining down outside- shutting down the city as much as the patient’s body had been shut down. The famil...

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“The Forgetting Saloon” by Sona Sethi

Submitted to Contest #75

Welcome to The Forgetting Saloon! If you are looking to forget your past then you have come to the right place. I have been in this business for ten years and not to sound boastful but I can assure you that I am rather good at what I do. I had discovered my psychic abilities at the age of 19. Unlike some in my profession I wasn’t born with these abilities, I had to cultivate them. I worked as an apprentice with several renowned psychics, and after a while I felt I was ready to hang my own shingle. What I lacked in age and experience I made...

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“Be Cautious” by HBR Patel

Submitted to Contest #75

'Don't go near the window.' ordered Mark, a Marshal, whose job was to relocate the witness. 6.3 ft tall with a well-toned body, Mark was the best man for this job with more than 120 relocated witnesses. This relocation was his last task as he was on the verge of retirement. The physique of Mark easily deceived many about his age. Mark swiftly closed the curtains. He dragged Ron away from the window and pushed him on the bed. Ron was nervous about this Witness Protection Program. He was acting weird, and why won't he? Ron s...

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“The Repairman” by Lyn VJ Bennett Wilson

Submitted to Contest #75

The email began: Dear Mr. Repairman, My name is Rhiannon. I got your name from a lady who attends my church. I have a problem and I need your help. I will start at the beginning. I was born with a form of what people call albinism. Though I don’t have it as bad as some, life has always been a challenge. The one highlight of my life has been getting dressed up as a pixie to go to the Fete. At first it was a lark. I was 6 or 7 when I appeared at my first fete. Everyone came to see me. They’d put coin...

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“A Necromancer's Goodbye” by Mattie Coal

Submitted to Contest #75

Cassidie had always hated Thursdays. A few lucky teenagers spent their weeknights pouring over homework or watching YouTube videos. Most others were out hunting Unnaturals, experimenting in labs with Unnatural compounds, or researching them in hopes of becoming a scientist. Everyone was involved with Unnaturals somehow. Cassidie didn't get that luxury. Instead, she got to spend every night sitting at the reception desk of Delilah's Funeral Home and Casket Emporium. Cassidie had no idea why it was called Delilah's. The owner, her father, ce...

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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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