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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#80: Living History

It's an important truth that those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, sometimes we find ourselves living through historical moments whether we’ve prepared for them or not.

 

This week, we’re going to examine all the ways that people live through — and shape — history. Whether that’s an important activist organizer, a daring political leader, or just someone trying to educate people on the past so they can avoid previous mistakes, history is made up the actions of each and every one of us. How will your characters change the course of their world?

This week's prompts

Write about someone who never planned to make history but is now about to deliver a speech in front of millions.

Teens – 104 stories

Write about a child witnessing a major historical event.

Dramatic – 237 stories

Start your story with someone entering a museum, and end it with them settling down to join a sit-in.

High School – 41 stories

Write about an elderly character who was part of a historic movement years ago.

Historical Fiction – 134 stories

Start your story with a major news event breaking — one that will change the world forever.

Dystopian – 156 stories

Stories

“The (Virtuous) Princess and the Frog ” by DEACTIVATED ACCOUNT

Submitted to Contest #80

The (Virtuous) Princess and the Frog  In the state of Glumkrock, a new, impermanent, laws has been passed, enabling the honourable princes and princesses to contribute to the administration as well. The Gallant King himself carried out most of the significant government, however, the ones of less importance were handed down to the four honourable princes and princesses, who were ranked in positions according to their administrative intellect.  Princess Khyha was regarded as the most virtuous, studious and rational one of them a...

16 comments 16
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“That day” by Blane Britt

Submitted to Contest #80

My father always bragged about how he and my grandfather marched on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, that was held in Washington, D.C. on a Wednesday on August 28, 1963. My dad vehemently stated the purpose of the march, boy! Was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of black Americans.  It’s 2020 daddy! My boy says who really cares. He vehemently stated dad, we all know black lives really don’t matter just because that dude an known plagiarizer spea...

1 comment 1
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“Tunnel Vision” by Tanja Cilia

Submitted to Contest #80

As soon as I saw the tunnel, I knew that it just had to be mine.I knew why and wherefore I wanted it – I knew I would even sell my tiara to obtain enough funds, if I had to. But of course, I wouldn’t have to. Of course not.My mother had always told me about “the light at the end of the tunnels” and she was being her usual ambiguous self. Yet, here it was, in Glorious Technicolor – or as much as an underground tunnel could be thus – and it was what I had visualised all my life.You know those Road Runner cartoons, where a lightbulb switches on...

7 comments 7
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“Miserable Joy” by Ember Schreiner

Submitted to Contest #80

The old rickety bus was only about twenty or so years younger than myself. It creaked and groaned almost as much as I did. People only rode the bus if they couldn't afford the train and didn't mind the dismal view. But there were a few of us, Franz, Oskar, and myself, who rode the bus to remember. Like a silent language, we spoke without speaking of those hard days. We understood as few could, that some pain needed to be remembered.Franz only rode the bus on Tuesdays and Oskar was currently down in Amsterdam visiting family, so I found mysel...

7 comments 7
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“Standin' Up By Sittin' Down” by Caroline White

Submitted to Contest #80

“Maryanne!” called a voice behind me. Julia Hudson, my best friend came trotting up towards me, “Are you coming to join the sit-in?” “No, I’m just taking the kids to the museum.” “Would you just consider it at all?” “I’m trying to keep my family out of trouble. I don’t want my kids looking in the mirror and being ashamed of who they are.” “If this works, blacks won’t have to be ashamed and you shouldn’t either.” And with that she walked across the street and into Woolworth's and took a seat. “Lucy, Mitchel, come on,” I said as calmly as...

1 comment 1
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“Live In the Moment” by Valerie June

Submitted to Contest #80

Note: their is a glossary at the end that contains the translation of the words with a (*). Those words were originally used by the Cherokee tribe.*Sidanelv Day,I’ve finally convinced myself to write down my thoughts on paper, so here I am. I’ve also made a friend, but I'll talk about him later. First things first, I’ll begin with a solid introduction of my sidanelv.I have one witty brother, a loving mother, and a fearless father. The four of us are part of the Shoshone tribe; there is plenty of food to go around and the weather is good. Eac...

7 comments 7
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“A Better View” by Jen Thompson

Submitted to Contest #80

Kayla Fraley pulled the blankets over her head to keep the light out of her eyes. It was a trick she tried daily but she rarely succeeded at achieving it. Her mom walked into her bedroom for the second time. She yanked the blankets off of Kayla’s small nine year old body.  “It’s past time to get up and get ready for school.” Linda Fraley told her only child. Despite Kayla’s young age, she could hold her own against her mom, except when it came to going to school. Linda always won despite Kayla’s protes...

2 comments 2
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“A Memory of Stamford Bridge” by David Francis

Submitted to Contest #80

I feel the cold now in so many more ways. The chill winter air torments my joints with spikes of pain, damp air from the endless rains attacks my back and shoulders, the ancient scar tissues pulling tight and bleeding intermittently. Who would be old? I sit now hunched by my daughter’s hearth fire, sipping warmed ale that no longer brings me joy, supping on past defeats with their bitter after-taste. Curmudgeonly, her husband called me this morning, a moaning old man, long out of his time. Hah! He is not wrong. Once I could have wrestled h...

4 comments 4
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“It Only Happens in Comics” by 𝔞𝔰𝔥🤍 𝖔.

Submitted to Contest #80

 Today, I was meant to go out to the local pond and fish with Brother Zeke. I had begged mum and pulled at her blue, floral bloomers just to ensure that my plans were secure.  I had sat on the edge of the pond, rubbing my stubby fingers through the algae, Mama told me it was magic leaves who'd argued and got stuck together. I had always believed in that story, I believed in so many things. Then came the day I found out that the magic leaves were just fungi, that the pond was just a polluted cesspool. I grew up that day becaus...

8 comments 8
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“Frequency of Insanity” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #80

The day that humankind dreamt of for so long, and was so terrified of, had come with barely an announcement in the back-end section of some obscure scientific magazine. A frequency had been found. And hidden within it, extraterrestrial life. Things that are not accompanied with much pomp and glitter seldom catch the attention of human eyes, for they have been trained to ignore the mundane. It takes a lot of noise to get someone’s attention to break off from their personalized universe of digital distraction; a pity, then, that the frequency ...

4 comments 4
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“The Stories our Streets tell” by Connie Lyness

Submitted to Contest #80

Yesterday I sat at my window watching my grandchildren illustrate the pavements with coloured chalk. I was caught off guard as I sat and watched them splash colours carefree on the grey gravel canvas. I almost didn't recognise the same pavements I grew up on. It was like I blinked and one world vanished into another and for the first time in a while yesterday; I remembered. I remembered a time when I sat watching out the same window and witnessed my city in flames. I remembered a time, colours meant territories. I remembered a time, those ve...

3 comments 3
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“A Message from Dadda” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #80

I don’t know if it’s more daunting and disconcerting to pick out individual faces or to let them all blur into a sea. I try to focus on the potent symbol of the earth with the olive branches. I have seen it on television enough times. But now millions will be watching ME on television, and there is still something so bizarre and alien about it. I’m not the kind of person who does this! I’m just a dumpy middle aged school teacher from a quiet coastal town, and I’m not even the kind of teacher who comes over as especially charismatic, though I...

2 comments 2
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“A Veteran in the Battlefield” by Nadjela Deposo

Submitted to Contest #80

When I was still a child, hearing stories about different stuff had always been my favorite thing to do. I mean... who wouldn't? Listening to different stories, especially those stories that came from someone's experience, had always been fun and aside from that, we can also learn things that we need to know and apply to ourselves. People all have their own stories, just like you and me, just like our grandparents. Speaking about my grandparents, my parents would usually bring me over to my grandparents' house every weekend to spend some t...

2 comments 2
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“Innocence in Blitz.” by Danielle Clarke

Submitted to Contest #80

It was that time of night again. It was the time when all of those horrible, scary noises started, and Mummy always cries. Daddy runs around closing all of the curtains and moving furniture about, but not in a fun way, like when we make play forts. He always moved the couch to the doorway. The tables and chairs always went up against the windows. Daddy always did this, then sometimes he started to cry too. I hated seeing Mummy cry because she shook like when you had been out in the rain too long, or was playing in the snow without mittens on...

6 comments 6
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“Unreconciled” by Courtney C

Submitted to Contest #80

“That’ll be $47.29, sir. Thank you for visiting The Manitoba Museum, and make sure to check out our Nonsuch exhibition! It’s really something.” The teller slid over the admission tickets, one adult and two children passes, as Animkii paid. “Thank you, we’ll try to,” Animkii smiled. He led his twin niece and nephew into the museum, checking over his shoulder frequently to make sure they were still within eyeshot. Lily had pulled out her phone and was taking pictures of everything they’d passed so far indiscriminately: the Palaeolithic er...

5 comments 5
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Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 12, 2021 EST

A winner will be announced soon.

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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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