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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#78: Keeping Busy

I’ve noticed that hobbies often get overlooked in fiction. Unless it plays a major role in the plot, many main characters don’t even get a hobby — supporting characters, even less often. Yet hobbies are an important part of many people’s lives, especially in lockdown. They’re the things we bond with our friends over, the pastimes that refresh our spirits over the weekend, and the activities that give us some of our greatest joy.

So this week, hobbies are going to take center stage. From mainstream to obscure, let’s analyze our character’s most interesting quirks and explore the many things they can obsess over!

This week's prompts

Start your story with one character trying to convince another to take up their favorite hobby.

Fluff – 177 stories

Write about someone who keeps an unusual animal as a pet.

Teens – 178 stories

Write about someone who still practices a skill that used to be necessary but has long since been replaced by technology.

Fiction – 133 stories

Set your story at a convention for a hobby most people have never heard of.

Fluff – 70 stories

Write about someone who keeps picking up different hobbies but never manages to stick with them.

Character – 176 stories

Stories

“~Not everything is meant to be known...~” by Rupkatha Dey Munshi

Submitted to Contest #78

Hi, I am Elvira Glisson. I am an english professor at the Skylite University and I've been working there for the past 3years. Due to the winter vacations, it's closed now. I wasn't really having anything to do during this vacation so I was planning to go out on a holiday. But things turned up to be quiet unexpected in both good and bad way. This event will be undoubtedly an immemorable one for the rest of my life.It was a Tuesday Morning. I was in the garage planning to take my car for cleaning. I took out my car keys from my coat pocke...

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“Obsidian” by Brittney B

Submitted to Contest #78

"How do you want it?" Allie asked, pot hovering. "Just black, please." I reply. I curled my hands around the battered, chipped mug, and felt the warmth spread as she topped off my coffee. I sat in silence, eyes closed, for a few moments, relishing the heat and scent of life in a cup. After a time, I opened my eyes to find Allie staring at me, eyes sparkling with anticipation. I raised an eyebrow at her and she unleashed her torrent. "What kind is it?" "Is it nice?" "Can I see it?" "Can I hold it?" she rattled off, without a breath in betw...

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“Mr Zhang's Dragon” by Beth Black

Submitted to Contest #78

Mr Zhang’s Dragon I won’t bore you with the fine details of how the dragon came into this world because truth be told, I don’t understand how it happened. Something about splicing and genetic reorganisation, ostriches and pterodactyl DNA. What I did understand though, was that the boon to my company (BeiTech) would be incredible. Having found cures or preventions for many of the world’s most common conditions and illnesses, management and the highest-ups had turned their eye to the fanciful and the fantastic. And what could be more fantast...

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“Poverty Flats” by Ronald Hart

Submitted to Contest #78

Cupcake & Snowball The animal, in the dim light of a fractured moon, gingerly stepped his way through an ill-kept barbed wire fence, the only barrier found between his native country and Northwest Montana. The Canadian Eskimo dog, unknowingly, wandered into a small community known locally as Poverty Flats. Not long after daybreak, a Rancher, driving nearby, discovered the stray lying in the middle of the road. He helped what seemed to be a sweet malnourished large dog up and into the cab of his truck and drove home. His daughters Eliza...

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“Neighbors” by Matthew Eubanks

Submitted to Contest #78

First it was the delivery trucks, then it was the smell. We liked the new neighborhood but the brick house across the road was unbelievable The realtor had said that the suburb was going to be quiet, mostly elderly couples, which was fine with us after moving from the city. I was used to noise, having lived under the elevated train in Chicago all through college. But our first night in the house the curtains and the windows suddenly lit up like O'Hare airport at around 2 AM. I sat straight up in bed. It was like there was a spotlight on me. ...

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“Caterpillar” by David Harland

Submitted to Contest #78

Jeremy found the caterpillar one summer evening when he was foraging in the old tumble-down house at the edge of the town. It was said that a crazy old man had lived there, but he was long gone. All the local kids knew how easy it was to get into the grounds, as there were several parts of the surrounding wall that had collapsed, allowing access to the now overgrown gardens. Jeremy had been trying to free an old grass roller, rusted and trapped by tendrils of weeds, when he had heard the other boys coming. One of the voices made him shudder ...

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“The Nay-Nay” by Barbara Eustace

Submitted to Contest #78

Connor Blackwater peered into the box at the creature inside. “What is it?” he asked. “Don’t know son,” replied Uncle Bart. “I was hoping you’d tell me, you being such an expert and all. All I know is it’s injured, needs help.” “Bartholomew Grigson, what’ve you brought him now?” “Oh, hi Shona. Just telling young Connor here, it’s something I found injured by the side of the road while passing through Idaho. Middle of nowhere, no idea where there were any vets, so brought it back for Connor to nurse back to health.” “...

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“Dancing Dragon” by E. Garrett

Submitted to Contest #78

I sat in my room, no pet. Everyone I know has a pet, all my classmates, even everyone in my extended family. And yes, that does include Aunt Mary with 5 children and a pet. But me? Nothing, my parents are allergic to any animal thinkable, that is except for reptiles. I once tried to convince them to get an alligator for a pet. Someone in my class has a snake, but I am too scared to argue for that. All I want is a pet is that too much to ask? It’s not like I want a Unicorn. But little did I know, a unicorn was close to what I was going to get...

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“The Obsolescence of War” by Jared Hammer

Submitted to Contest #78

CRACK I pull the bolt back on my rifle, drinking in the lingering smell of gunpowder as the empty cartridge is ejected from the firing chamber. Another round slips into the barrel as I lock the bolt in place, and I align my sights back on target. That last shot was a bit high and to the left—not great. But I’m getting old. And it’s been almost twenty-five years since I’ve had to use these skills to earn my pay. Besides, there aren’t many people left on Earth that can do even half that well anymore. “Jeez, what are you aiming for, Liz?” “K...

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“Father” by Instructions Unclear

Submitted to Contest #78

My father is strange. Every day, he brushes his teeth, showers, gets dressed, and drives to a place he calls work, but the robots can handle it. He even cooks his own food. The neighborhood kids say that their robot can send all the information they need for the year to their brains, while Father makes me slowly learn. Some families can’t afford a robot, which I understand. But Father says it’s wrong to make the robots do everything, and we may be in a situation where we can’t depend on the robots to do everything. He is always saying nonsen...

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“Olden Ways” by STACEY BORNE

Submitted to Contest #78

Emma came rushing down the stairs. Mama yelled," Emma Joy stop running down those stairs". Yes mam, I am sorry mama. Emma slowed down and walked the rest of the way down the stairs and came into the kitchen. What are you doing mama? I am making breakfast for us dear. "Come sit down and keep me company", mama said. Emma pulled the stool by the counter and climbed up to watch mama. Mama was taking oranges and rolling them on the counter then cutting them in half. Mama then took the halves and was squishing them on this round funny looking thin...

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“New & Improved Don't Always Mean Better” by Doug Fish

Submitted to Contest #78

”Hoo boy - look at that blue sky. Today's a good day! Drink coffee do ya?"I was trying out the Adirondack Chair in front of a woodworking shop by the Missouri River in Hermann, Missouri when a wiry man in his 80's came around the corner with a steaming cup in each hand."Uh... sure - that would be great. Thank you.”He handed me one of the cups and stuck out his right hand. “The name’s Roy. I own this place, just like my Daddy and his Daddy before him. Your timing is good today - I always take my morning coffee about now. Nice to have a visito...

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“Father Time” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #78

My father used to work in the clock tower at the train station. Once a minute, he would erase the clock’s hand and redraw it one position to the right with a dry-erase marker. It took him almost half a minute to draw--the line was always straight as a bone. Once an hour, he would do so with the shorter hour hand, taking the full minute to make it perfect, knowing he’d have to stare at the flaws for the hour if he didn’t take his time. I can almost still hear the squeak of the marker against the face of the clock and smell the ink’s peculiar ...

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“Postcards from Sayulita” by Sylvia Luna

Submitted to Contest #78

Shelly walked along the dirt road determined to find a post office or at least a postage stamp. In the little town of Sayulita, Mexico, a quaint and bohemian-like town just forty minutes from Puerto Vallarta, she found it absurd that there was not one store who sold postage stamps. Her sandals were getting worn and dirty from walking through the colorful Mexican town. Sayulita was alive with history, vibrant colors, and food that to say was delicious was like saying the sky was vast. Looking for someone who had postage stamps for sale was ha...

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“The Lonesome Ocean” by Leo Flora

Submitted to Contest #78

Nobody wanted to hear me play anymore. I had gotten some stragglers a few years ago. They were the ones who remembered the days before the music box. I could play for them for hours and they’d still want more. It was hard back then, too, but far better than this.About twenty years ago, companies like Enhanced Sounds and WonderMusic released these machines called “music boxes.” They had every song you’d hear from a room musician, but at less than half the price. My skills became useless in a matter of weeks. For many years before that, I had ...

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$50

Prize money

735

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 29, 2021 EST

Won by Christina Marie 🏆

Title: Life's Leftovers

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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