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!

#81: Candy Hearts

Ah, love. From the first spark of attraction to the soul-deep contentment of a long-established relationship, romantic love is a force that continues to mystify, enthrall, and surprise us.

And while there’s plenty to criticize about Valentine’s Day, it’s still a nice excuse for people in romantic relationships to stop and appreciate their partners for a day. Especially during lockdown, when quarters are tight and nerves are often frayed, it’s important to remember why we chose the person (or people) we coupled up with.

What better time for a writer to dive headfirst into romances? No matter how many times we tell a love story, each relationship is going to have its own unique joys and frustrations, and we want to feel them all. So feel free to let your sappy side out — this week we’re celebrating love!

This week's prompts

Write about two people reconnecting after a rough patch in their relationship.

Romance – 247 stories

Write a love story about an older couple who’ve been together since they were teenagers.

Romance – 168 stories

Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

Romance – 161 stories

Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo.

Romance – 181 stories

Write about someone asking out an old crush, only to realize their crush doesn’t remember they’ve ever met before.

Romance – 158 stories

Stories

“Her Eyes Have Changed” by Sammy Xoxoxo

Submitted to Contest #81

Attention: LGBTQ+ storyThe first thing I noticed was that Vicky's eyes had changed. It didn't matter to me that her once soft, honey hair was now cropped short and purple, or that she had pierced her nose and ears. I hated that her eyes changed. I felt like that was the only part of her I still had, and now it was gone. My eyes had stayed the same, sea green with a rim of brown. Vicky's had once looked almost exactly the same, but now they were hard and brown. We used to be proud of them, like we had some special power that others didn't. In...

Read story

“Marti and Abiye” by M K

Submitted to Contest #81

Love at First Sight Fresh from college, Marti got a job as the assistant to the CEO of Jackson Corporation, a small East Coast hotel chain. Her office is at the Columbia hotel near Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Marti always enjoys lunch in the onsite diner with hotel staff. Today was no different. Bonus, it was Taco Tuesday, her favorite lunch. Marti is trying to decide between chicken or shrimp tacos as she walked through the front doors of the diner when she spotted him. He was breathtaking with his large infectious smile and bright t...

Read story

“After All This Time” by Jasmine Adams

Submitted to Contest #81

It was a warm, sunny, summer day. I walked into the local grocery store putting my headphones in before I grabbed a cart. The store wasn’t very busy, it was 7 o’clock in the evening. I just missed the busy dinner rush. Humming along to the song I was listening to, I made my way to the cleaning supplies section. I grabbed a roll of paper towel, laundry detergent, and dish soap and moved on into the food area.Hmm, I thought to myself, What sounds good for dinner? I browsed the shelves tapping the cart to the beat of the music. As I looked thro...

Read story

“Emily and I” by Valerye Tellez

Submitted to Contest #81

The night had been going fine. Of course Emily and I had kept a careful, casual distance the whole night which was likely the true cause of our success. She’s a better liar than I am, so she’s better at these kinds of social events. The kind where everyone is pretty, charming, and utterly insincere. Emily's tinkling laugh and sharp smile fit right in. My careful listening and interest do well enough, but I had enjoyed these nights a hell of a lot more when Emily would look me in the eye. For the past half hour I had been listening ...

Read story

“The Duration of an Exchange” by M. Montoya

Submitted to Contest #81

For most of the time we were friends, and the period in between then and now, Marjory was never a favored student. I don’t mean that she wasn’t a good one, only that she wasn’t favored. Often regarded with some disdain, she had a quick tongue and a snappy attitude. Her demeanor was fueled by a number of reasons, all of which weren’t sufficient enough for me to care about. She used several things to make her life easier; traits that allowed her to keep treating people the way that she did and continue to function as if she were the angel she ...

Read story

“Us” by Tatiana Vaillant

Submitted to Contest #81

Leaves rustled against the branch when the cool breeze passed by, the sky was colored bright blue and decorated by white fluffy cotton clouds. The ground was soft beneath my sneakers, the only sound I could hear was the creaking of the chains that held the swing up. The park was empty, no other living soul was around. A few bikers drove by, their legs paddling endlessly on the paddles, the fallen leaves crunching underneath the tires. I watched as a butterfly flew away from the neatly trimmed dewy grass. If I closed my eyes, ...

Read story

“Under Fire” by Sky Daniels

Submitted to Contest #81

She swept her leg under his, slamming him to the ground, raising her sword. There was no doubt she’d inflict pain with her blade. Her sword, Dragon Breath, was created from silver and forged with the fire of the eldest dragonic clan, Erelil. She nicked his medallion-yellow right horn. As his eyes flitted to sangria, she warded off any fire that’d come her way. Blood flowed and betrayal set in his eyes. Her clan, Diokus, Fire & Demon fighters wanted her to cut off his scaled tail that matched his eyes. They demanded she sent him up in a c...

Read story

“An Unsuspected Love” by Sydney Wright

Submitted to Contest #81

“She texted me? Oh my God, she texted me!” I announced out loud, although no one was listening. I got up from my bed and paced back and forth, scared to open the text. We hadn’t spoken in almost a year, what could she possibly have to say? I sit back down, my sweaty hands shaking out of nervousness, as I open my messages. I tap the screen and quickly pull my finger away as the text opens reading, “I know we haven’t talked in a while but I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what happened that night at the Christmas party.” ...

Read story

“One Day At A Time” by Annie James

Submitted to Contest #81

Molly was washing dishes in the kitchen when Dan walked in. He stood in the doorway and watched her for a few seconds, then cleared his throat. She jumped at the sudden sound in the previously silent house. “Hi,” She said Dan nodded in response and continued to the fridge to get a bottle of water. The first one he grabbed was warm, so he reached for a colder one farther back. “I’m going to head back to my room,” he said, looking in Molly’s direction but not meeting her eyes. He gestured toward the kitchen doorway. Instead of leaving, h...

Read story

“Roses” by VinceiyVenus Claridad

Submitted to Contest #81

We’re standing on the rooftop, she’s standing on the edge of it, while I’m seven feet away from her, upon the sim on a wrecked house. I fear that she might jump down or do some suicidal deed just because of me. I lunge forward, but I falter, because if I do, she might soar down to the death. It’s nighttime, the sun has vamoosed and the urban lights just got turned on, the stars concealed themselves beneath the skies, they wouldn’t want to contend with the lights emitted by the city. We’re hovered on top of where she resides, it’s a rickety h...

Read story

“Fragile Grief” by Dani Hall

Submitted to Contest #81

I could make out the familiar dark blue rain jacket from all the way across the parking lot. It was a reminder of years ago, when I picked her up for our first date in front of this same spot. Back before we were married, we often met up here. And I had forgotten about those moments of her walking through the rain in that old blue rain jacket. She quickly opened the door and slid into th...

Read story

“Café” by Luisa Rodríguez

Submitted to Contest #81

I used to think that cheating was the worst thing you can do in a relationship, but now sitting here in front of my husband crying my eyes out, trying to understand how we ended up in this place I realize that maybe cheating is not the worst, maybe losing the trust, losing the faith you used to have in that relationship is the worst thing that could happen. So let me start at the beginning, my name is Alicia, I am 29 years old I have been married for three years, last month has been really rough on me; my husband told me he was leaving me,...

Read story

“Only you” by Nigel Dougill

Submitted to Contest #81

Competition week 3 Simon looked at Helen. His heart still skipped a beat, just like that first time he had seen her, sweaty and muddy with bruises and scratches in unbelievable places. She had just finished a charity fun run. Five k of torture would be more accurate, but this girl had ignored the frost and ice and stuck at it. Simon knew in an instant that he wanted her. And when it came to girls, he always got what he wanted. His six foot three, curly blond hair, and a soft Irish accent did the trick every time. His twinkling blue eye...

Read story

“Platform” by Ambient Motion

Submitted to Contest #81

It was the usual quiet night when my train arrived in my hometown. Nothing ever happened there and so it was no surprise that the stumbling pace of the place had not changed at all. I made my way from the station along the avenues I had grown up in, the streets where I had played, and the school where I had met her. It was all just so, as if every brick of every house had waited here for me. As though the town’s existence was an illusion only maintained for my benefit, and it would fall still as soon as I left again. I passed through suburb...

Read story

“A Fool in Love” by Lucienne Aednat

Submitted to Contest #81

I met her like, two months ago? It was a mutual, the feeling of lust and longing. My heart longing for her touch, her voice, and her way of making me crazy. It is weird how easy it was for me to be attached to her and cling like the baby that I am. It was weird, don't you think? How restless I become from the thought of her not being here with me. How much I want to hold her in my arms as long as I can. How I love the sound of her heartbeat against my ear, her lovely skin running up and down my bare neck, the cute sound of laugh she made e...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

915

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 19, 2021 EST

Won by Molly Quinnell 🏆

Title: Golden Cheekbones and the Rising Sun

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 ⭢