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Write about someone who still practices a skill that used to be necessary but has long since been replaced by technology.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

“Paula The Undead” by Marian Reiley

Submitted to Contest #78

"PLEASE ENTER YOUR INVITATION CODE," the Kiosk prompted Paula. She scrounged through her pockets for the now crumpled mailer she had recieved a week ago. She did a small victory dance before entering the printed numbers and letters. "M...O...R...B...I...D...4...2." Paula mumbled to herself as she used the touch screen console. "WELCOME PAULA RODGERS." The automated system intoned. Taking a few deep breaths, Paula wondered what everyone else would think of her makeup and costume. She had spent all the time since recieving her invite prepa...

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“Navel Investigator” by Jessica Morgan

Submitted to Contest #78

It’s the first annual Omphalomancer Convention! I’m so excited to get a glimpse at all the other weirdos who are just like me. I mean, being friends on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter is one thing, but seeing other Omphalomoncers in person is an entirely different experience! I set up my booth in row thirteen, spot eleven. How odd, my two lucky numbers! It’s meant to be! I placed two chairs facing each other, one sweet folding camp chair for me and another straight back metal chair for my clients. I don’t want them getting too com...

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“Pi's Labyrinth” by Nara R

Submitted to Contest #78

I don’t like commercials. Mom says they are one of my “peeves”. The word pet peeve is also one of my peeves. According to the dictionary, an idiom is “a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words”. A pet peeve is like an idiom because its meaning has nothing to do with pets, but the word “peeve” means to annoy or irritate, which is the exact same meaning of pet peeve. Mom knows I don’t like the word pet peeve because it doesn’t make sense, so she uses the word peeve instead which ...

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“The Conference” by Jessica Mills

Submitted to Contest #78

“Good Afternoon, how can I help you?” the man at the registration table asks as he looks up from the spreadsheet in front of him on the table. He has a bright welcoming smile and a name tag that says “Jim” attached to the pocket on his dress shirt. “Hi. I’m Bridget, Bridget Miller, and I am checking in for the conference. Am I in the right place?” she replies, looking left and right for a sign that assures her she has made it. “Hi Bridget, I’m Jim and you are definitely in the right place. Welcome to the sixth annual yarn bomb...

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“The Meet” by David Francis

Submitted to Contest #78

The heady aroma of fresh cut grass fills my nostrils with its powerful perfume as the summer sun beats down. The wind ruffles my light jacket as I power the bicycle along one of Cornwall’s high hedged, winding lanes, my legs pumping, the breath sharp in my lungs as I push onwards. Every so often the hedgerow dips, or opens up on a rickety looking gate, and a vista of green, rock-strewn fields opens up with the sparkling blue of the sea in the distance.The sea is never far away anywhere in this beautiful county, and as the road begins to rise...

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“The Binding” by Shane Lagrange Lagrange

Submitted to Contest #78

The Binding By Shane LaGrange Prompt: Set your story at a convention for a hobby most people have never heard of. Ding. The quiet beep from David Henning’s phone told him, certain events around his area. Namely comic conventions. Twenty years old and he still read them. His highlight of the month was UPS bringing a parcel of superheroes, one-shots, and specialty comics. Much better than going to the local comic store. His phone rang to the tune of Tubular Bells. A video call was coming in. His lock screen was a picture of his girl...

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“ON, LET'S START WITH THE TIP TOP UP” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #78

ON, LET’S START WITH THE TIP TOP UP The conference was held in a hotel which stood isolated on a hill near a wood, and which had the appearance of a castle, even though it had only been built a few years earlier. It was a castle built with ultra-modern materials, a castle with walls glittering like mirrors. And in those (its) walls which all shone like mirrors, there were really mirrors, but you could realize where they were, surrounded, almost embedded, one could say, as they were&nbsp...

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“First session ” by Leslie Chimenti

Submitted to Contest #78

"So how long has the not being able to finish anything went on for? When did it start?" You ask not looking up from your clipboard for even a second to look at me. You're long Strawberry hair falling in front of your face as you write. I look down at my stupid gross orange shoes that were covered in dirt and paint from different projects and odd jobs I'd done in the past few months. Millions of thoughts start filling my head rather loudly like, Why did I come here? I'm not crazy, I don't need therapy, crazy people go to therapy, I'm just laz...

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“Too Many Hobbies to Count” by Vixen Black

Submitted to Contest #78

I have an addiction. I can't believe it. I have a YouTube addiction. Rayna writing this in her journal, which she keeps a daily journal of everything that is going on. You can say that her journal is a story of everything that is going on with her life. Rayna was always the type of person who loved to go out clubbing, but she stopped that a long time ago. She got into this YouTube addiction about two or three years ago. She loves to write and read. Rayna has been keeping a journal since she was nine years old. Her father gave her a diary wit...

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“Tat” by Christine Malcom

Submitted to Contest #78

“Please tell me those are sex toys.” Lys jerked her chin at the collection mysterious objects scattered across the frosted glass cafe table in between Renée’s mimosa and the one mercifully awaiting her. “It’s brunch, Lys.” Renée flickered her fingers in a cheerful wave at the two women at the next table over who whipped around to glare quickly enough that they nearly sent their twin red hats sailing into the mild April breeze. “Would I bring sex toys to brunch?” “Let’s see.” Lys thunked her immense shoulder bag on to the sidewalk b...

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“"CAN'T STICK" ” by Owoeye Joshua

Submitted to Contest #78

AUGUST 23: 03:23 MADISON COUNTY The bustle of the school bus came from the front and the back as James and Ben were seated in the middle,but James was not disturbed(though he hates noise)as he was more concerned with his conversation with Ben. He looked out the window of the school bus ;because of the statement Ben uttered before continuing his questioning"So you mean without an hobby one cannot discover his talent?" James asked,looking back at Ben."Yes...surely yes" Ben conformed. James waited and then ...

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“What Matters” by Lydia Bryant

Submitted to Contest #78

"Michelle, is that you?" Michelle Torrance jumped and turned around. "Sheila. Oh my goodness. It's been like what a year?" "Two." Sheila Casswell looked her old friend up and down. "You look...good. I don't think I've seen that purse in any store around town." "Oh, I took up crocheting. It's so easy. I can do it watching TV even. I found the pattern online and decided to try it." "Oh well..." Sheila took in the garish colors. She would have never chosen the oranges and yellows but that was just her. "It's interesting." "Picking up your coff...

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“What is Your Hobby” by Nwogo Ngozi

Submitted to Contest #78

“What are your hobbies?” “eerm, I Love to play football, Tennis, Chess, Swimming, Reading, Travelling, eer......” “Oh great, So do you think Manchester United is going to win the league this season?” “eerm, I think Chelsea will win” “For real?? Chelsea is not on the first 4” “Oh, yea I was trying to be opti....” "Okay, which country do you think is the most attractive for tourist?" Thomas stared into the blank wall for some minutes, a lot was running through his mind, his brains calculating faster than the speed of light, trying to make sens...

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“The Canon Camera” by Mariana Correa

Submitted to Contest #78

The crocheted curtains let the sun rays reach the third-floor studio apartment on 9th Street. The potheads are giggling as they make their way out of the alleyways and go back home from a night of smoking, laughing, and eating Insomnia Cookies. Melody is asleep, her orange freckles resting on her face like the stars calmly rest in a midnight sky, her bright orange hair like a lion’s mane over her pillow. Her phone plays Claire de Lune as it vibrates, this has been her alarm since 8th grade, when she cared about what song she would first list...

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“Those Who Do Everything (But Not Well) Teach” by Althea Maxwell

Submitted to Contest #78

Let me be the first person to tell the world that I am not exceptionally great at anything. Though some close may disagree, the truth is that I am mediocre, if not sometimes okay, at a lot of things, but I’m not really good at anything. I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, but I am also of the “Ooooh, shiny!” breed. I’ve tried damn near everything, or at least I had it in my mind I was going to do something, usually creative, part-time, and low-paying. Shortly after finishing Jon Krakauer’s book while lounging in the two baby poo...

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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.

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