Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#79: The Family You Choose

They say blood is thicker than water — but is it always?

The truth is that not all families offer healthy relationships to each other, and sometimes the harsh act of cutting them out of your life may be the best course of action. Fortunately, we can still meet people who love us no matter what and become our new families. Not to mention adoptions, blended families, and all the wonderful ways people connect with and support each other, regardless of whether they share any DNA. It's fair to say that family is a lot more than blood!

This week, we’re going to turn family life upside down and examine all the ways that family succeeds — and fails — for our characters.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who decides it’s time to cut ties with a family member.

Sad – 260 stories

Your main character is approached by their long-estranged parent who wants to reconnect. How do they react?

Dramatic – 193 stories

Write about someone who discovers the only family member they have left has just betrayed them.

Sad – 160 stories

Write about two characters who’ve gone through something so intense they now feel like family.

Adults – 190 stories

Write about a “found family” who are finally able to get together again after a long time apart.

Fluff – 100 stories

Stories

“An Issue Between Two Bros ” by Jovon D

Submitted to Contest #79

John stood there for five seconds and watched as jeff tossed it all away. He ripped the comforter off the bed. He tore old magazines, books, and papers―even the ones John cherished the most. Puddles of beer soaked into the hardwood floor. The room was a chaotic wasteland filled with feathers, cotton, and alcohol fumes. Yet, John wasn't surprised by Jeff's tantrum. It reminded John about the first time he entered this room, ten years ago. A little boy was tossing shirts, underwear, and socks; stuff animals, action figures, and game co...

Read story

“Betrayed” by Stone Burn

Submitted to Contest #79

I lived on a small island within a small community. I had dwelled with my parents and five other siblings. I was 16 years old and my name was Ivy. I had three sisters and two brothers. I had a younger sister named Lily who was 12 years old. Lily had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. I had another younger sister named Lucy and she was 8 years old. Lucy had dark brown hair and blue eyes. I also had a twin named Maya who was the same age as me. Maya had red auburn hair and green eyes like me. I had a younger brother who was 3 months old n...

Read story

“Work Has Its Ups and Downs” by Chris Culpepper

Submitted to Contest #79

Fridays were always busy at Acme, but no one expected how this one would end. Especially not Stan Hoyt, or as he was known around Acme, "Stan the Man." He came back from a late lunch because he let the rest of the team go before him. "How are coming with those reports, Sheryl? Think we can have done by end of the day?" He asked the administrative assistant he shared with the rest of the sales team. "Sure thing, Mr. Hoyt," she replied, "thanks for completing them before you left." That's just the kind of guy he was, always looking out for...

Read story

“The taste of freedom” by Yashshree Kasare

Submitted to Contest #79

THE TASTE OF FREEDOM As a child, I was a very happy kid. The most joyful, cheerful, funny, goofy, and innocent kid you could imagine. I had the most amazing and beautiful days as a kid. I was known as the brightest student in school, the one who was good in academics, sports, dance, and every other co-curricular activities you could imagine. Everyone used to look upon my family, as one of the elite people in the neighborhood. It was a small family of me, my mom, my dad, and my brother. My brother was also the most talked-about student in s...

Read story

“We Were Seventeen ” by Lia Nina

Submitted to Contest #79

We were seventeen, when the world seemed dipped in liquid gold. Too old to be kids and too young to face our futures, we lived in what we had in front of us: clandestine hookups in cars, crappy alcohol in red plastic cups, muggy summer days ripe with possibility. Fear was for suckers. We were invincible. That was, until the killer started slashing us up. No one knew who he was, or if he even lived in the town. All anyone knew was that one Saturday morning, the bodies of Jake Rammer and Katy Finch were found in the lake behind the abandoned s...

Read story

“Five Thousand, Six Hundred Twenty-Eight” by Atlas Richardson

Submitted to Contest #79

**Trigger Warning: Blood and Gore**Five thousand, six hundred twenty-eight. Five thousand, six hundred twenty-eight soldiers lay dead on the battlefield. Some had their armor torn from their bodies, others had their limbs torn from their torsos. Piles of mangled metal laid on the blood-stained grass, mixed with the piles of rotting flesh and bone. The setting sun caught on the shields and helmets, creating the illusion of small shining lights in the tall grass, as though they were candles for a tribute to the dead. Five thousand, six hu...

Read story

“"M"” by Tariq Saeed

Submitted to Contest #79

.“ Mama ,it’s a beautiful cottage in the middle of the dense forest”. Fourteen years lad Ronnie excitedly expressed."But mother surveillance is the need of this place”.He further expressed.” Yeah dear, that technicians would come next week. “Mother replied.. Cottage was presenting a lovely scenario , built by Captain James cook in eighteen century.Despite of been old structure, It was rich with all the amenities. Ronnie belonged to a sound family, had ancestral lands and other properties in south, so ...

Read story

“An unusual love!!” by Utkarsh Srivastava

Submitted to Contest #79

“It’s our fifth Anniversary of togetherness,” Mona said with all her attention on Jack. “You had been so hard on me in those initial days, five years ago when I met you for the first time.”Jack hissed light-heartedly out of his longing heart.“Indeed!” he said and grinned his fangs eerily. “You must be dead now of what intensity I had attacked you that day. You must be thankful to Mr. Harris to save your life, mustn’t you?”“Well… I did. I licked his cheeks. I was badly frightened: my heart was badly thudding inside and looked like it would co...

Read story

“The Burkley Manor” by Qwynn Pan

Submitted to Contest #79

The sun vanished below the horizon as the moon rose in its place, casting a pale glow over the rooftops. A cloud of fog blanketed the streets, dimming the brilliance of the moon’s light; silhouettes of ravens soared through the dreary night, basking in the white radiance. The only disturbance within the eerie silence was the occasional call of crows and the sweet chirping of crickets. From the shadows, two teenage figures emerged. They did not speak; the only sound created being their footsteps on the pavement. One was pale in complexion, w...

Read story

“The House of Seth” by Josh C

Submitted to Contest #79

It was 2 years to the day that I cut contact with my mum. In my defence, it’s kind of hard to have a relationship with a mum whose friends want you to get smote from the face of the earth by a wack job cult leader with bad hair. A cult leader who literally hasn’t done anything notable in their entire lives, yet somehow has such a big following that we can only hope they don’t go into politics. And yet a letter from my mum, handwritten on beautiful cream paper with a stamp for next day delivery that now sat on my kitchen counter and read: ...

Read story

“A future of sweet dreams ” by Rose Cartwright

Submitted to Contest #79

The letter came in the post on a Monday. It added to the somewhat weighty feeling the start of a week can bring, walking in to see the handwriting sitting on my doormat. It had been thirteen years since I'd heard from her. My initial thought was of how dramatic a letter was, so like her. She could easily have just sent me a DM or even emailed; my address was in my bio. But no, a letter, of course, even if the effort of finding my address took time out of her day, something she had never wanted to give before. I tore back the think yell...

Read story

“Stone Walls, Iron Bars” by Tanja Cilia

Submitted to Contest #79

Hey, you, out there; you think you know everything there is to know about incarcerated women. But you are grossly misinformed. Just because you watch re-runs of Locked Up, Orange is the New Black, Wentworth, or Prisoners, you can’t even begin to know what life is like behind bars in a women’s prison. Each of us has a different story. Oh yes, the dramas about favouritism, butches and Nellies, and physical and psychological violence do exist. There is torture, there are murderers, there are thriving back markets for necessities, and there...

Read story

“The Brothers” by Bobby Bone

Submitted to Contest #79

The scent of flowers greeted guests as they entered the funeral parlour. So many arrangements surrounded the casket. Jeremy knew his mother’s funeral would bring many people out to visit who had not associated in their lives recently, and he was nervous about it. In his 50s, he still lived with his mother in his childhood home. It was very convenient and pleasant until she became sick and dementia controlled her life. For the last several years Jeremy had been his mom’s careg...

Read story

“I should have listened” by Affair Writer

Submitted to Contest #79

“What the fuck,”.... Not quite amusing words came from a man who had just woken up. What the fuck, that was what he said. He then scratched his head as soon as he opened his phone. RING, RING. He then left his phone at his bed. RING, RING, RINGGG. He opened the shelf above him and took out a bag of coffee. Black, a black coffee. No sugar, no milk, just pure black coffee. He then took his bath as he boiled the water. A few minutes later you could spot smoke caming through his window. He had taken his bath, ...

Read story

“Alone at home” by Isaac Landelle

Submitted to Contest #79

I awoke from my nap to a loud bang at my bedroom door, my mother was not happy that I was sleeping again, I had tried to explain to her in the past that I had no motivation, no energy for days and she shrugged it off like it was just a bad few days, she didn't believe me when I explained that I think something may be wrong with my mind, with my mental state, she was never a firm believer that these issues were real, she was old fashioned so in her eyes it was just a bad day and I'd "Get over it". I sluggishly moved towards the door, reque...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

905

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 05, 2021 EST

Won by Reha A 🏆

Title: Puzzle Pieces

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢