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

“Brooklyn Rose” by Annie James

Submitted to Contest #81

The year was 1959. Sixteen-year-old Henry Walsh walked into the crowded gymnasium holding the manicured hand of his date, Erica Astor. He pasted on a bright smile and did his best to look like he was having fun. Erica smiled back at him, showing that he had fooled her. Henry took a small flask out of the pocket of his blazer. Erica frowned at him. “I wish you wouldn’t drink,” she said, her tone icy. Henry shrugged. “I’ll take my fun while I can get it,” He thought. “By this time next year, I will be enrolled in NYU business school ...

Read story

“Thirty” by Kelly Brackett

Submitted to Contest #81

Annabeth took in a deep breath, her eyes narrowing happily, as the spicy-sweet scent of her husband filled her nose. She stood in the kitchen; hands poised over the cutting board as she prepared their dinner for the evening. After spending her entire life with him, she still found herself occasionally surprised that they did not succumb to the status like their peers around them. Sure, Annabeth and William often argued, but it always focused on small things, like where the remote was or what the thermostat should be set at. What holds true f...

Read story

“Catherine and Will” by Hugh Russel

Submitted to Contest #81

Catherine and Will He was only nineteen when he came back to Vancouver, the physical wounds from Vietnam would heal quickly but he was damaged, some would say he was broken, though he didn’t know at the time. He was suffering from delayed PTSD, a strange term that they wouldn’t conjure up for another ten years. But what it meant for him was that there was a gap in time, a gap he tried to fill with events he couldn’t remember. As far as he knew, there was no war for him, just selling shoes in town and painting abstract images back at ...

Read story

“Our Way” by Bee Reed

Submitted to Contest #81

“Over here! I found it! Oh, hurry, you have to see it for yourself.” Beth called to me from a couple of rows away. I hurried as much as my 74 year old body would allow me to and joined her. There it was. Our headstone. Beth Upton-Williamson 1945- Margaret “Peg” Williamson-Upton 1946- Partners in life 60 years and counting “We did it our way.” The 60th Anniversary party was supposed to be a surprise, so naturally all three of the kids had called to warn us, each one making us promise to act surprised so the other two woul...

Read story

“Yarrow Flowers” by Cadence Wood

Submitted to Contest #81

“C’mon Charlotte it will be fun!” Marie cheered as she rolled down the steep hill in the sunlit meadow. It was a beautiful spring day and the flowers had all bloomed. The world smelled like daisies and her beaming smile shone in the bright sun. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she squinted in the direction of her high school lover. Charlotte walked over to sit beside Marie and she wrapped her arm around Marie’s shoulder. Marie leaned over and kissed Charlotte's cheek as they blushed simultaneously. They fell back in sync as they stared at...

Read story

“The View From the Red House” by Nina Thompson

Submitted to Contest #81

They move like machines, well-oiled and practiced. They are doing their dinner routine, both cooking together as they’ve done for the past fifty-seven years. Stir the soup, spin the salad, put the kettle on. The machines whir to a stop as they sit down at their table. Careful sighs as they adjust their time-worn bodies. The room around them is small. It just nearly fits their round table and the four cushioned chairs that breezed through four different homes with them. Monthly leg-tightening and yearly mending means that the chairs will b...

Read story

“My Only Love” by Rajesh Patel

Submitted to Contest #81

Time does fly. Sometimes it seems like it was yesterday and sometimes it feels like it was ages ago. I met my wife when I was 15 years old. In high school. When I saw her the first time, I was in awe. I cannot explain the feeling. It is like my heart stopped beating. Time stopped. It felt like the world slowed down around me. All in slow motion. I remember, it was my first day of class of the year. Summer about to end. It was Tuesday after Labor Day. I was always and even today, a very punctual person. For some reason, t...

Read story

“Juvia & August” by Shruti Dutta Gupta

Submitted to Contest #81

CRASH!! Juvia flinched as the sound vibrated through her eardrums. “You broke another cup isn’t it?” she asked pinching the bridge of her nose. “Don’t you hate for being right every time.?” replied August in a mellow voice, scratching the nape of his neck. Lately August has developed a habit of breaking things, all because his hands couldn’t stop shaking. But it usually happens when he is unalarmed. But Juvia understood which one was for his condition and which one was done intentionally. “Third time today, what you want!?” Juvia retorted....

Read story

“Escape” by Hamish Jeffcott

Submitted to Contest #81

Did I feel bad for writing that personal column in the paper? Of course I did! But do I regret doing it? I suppose a little bit now that I have told my lady that I am heading out with friends for the evening. I have been sitting here for ten minutes waiting for my date to arrive. I know it sounds kind of mean, but I have begun to grow tired of my lady. Over the years we have started to fall into the same old dull routine. Is the date going to come? I look down at my watch, 18:37. 7 Minutes late isn’t too bad, thats fashionably late, wo...

Read story

“November soulmates” by Patricia Nicorescu

Submitted to Contest #81

It was a stormy day in November. The leaves have already fallen, giving the vibe of a 20th century city. Everything was covered in red and you could hear the leaves rustling beneath the passers-by. Everyone was rushing, as the wind started to become more violent. Among all the black umbrellas, there was a blue one, and under it there was Martha. What was she doing when there was this stormy weather going? It all started in July. Martha was working and her coworker, Julia, had some great news. She was her best friend since they started worki...

Read story

“Lunar Love” by Adam Lynch

Submitted to Contest #81

A bug. She was a literal bug. Hunter knew that it was a bigoted term for them but in fairness they were scientifically classified as insectoids. What was he thinking using that goddamn app! No pictures, no names just one thing to determine whether you were up for meeting: a poem. Imagining the hulking mass of exoskeleton approaching his table writing such beautiful prose was baffling. The waiter, a hovering automaton, said it would return for their drinks order promptly and left Hunter with his date. A squishy. He was a damn squishy. The...

Read story

“A Fated Date or Destined Mate” by Georgie Freeman

Submitted to Contest #81

Katie could not believe that her friend had set her up on a date, a blind date for that matter. Katie thinks it is because she is nearing thirty and the only one in their friendship group who wasn't either married, engaged nor a parent the brunette with long curly hair and hazel eyes thought. Surly Katie had her own bridal business and her own place she called home but she was missing that special someone. So here she is sitting in the fancy Italian restaurant down town waiting for this tall dark handsome 6ft4 tall man her friend S...

Read story

“You never forget your first…” by Jalasheia Harewood

Submitted to Contest #81

It was a beautiful night. Outside was not too cold nor too hot, but it was one of those nights where you could sleep with your fan off if you wanted to. The night was going well for Lisa as she was using her laptop to browse the internet and read some emails. It was at that moment her phone rang and to her surprise, it was someone she used to talk to, but only recently reconnected with. ‘Hello’, she answered. ‘Goodnight Lisa, Mario here’. She knew it was him because she still had his number saved to her phone. Lisa responded with ‘yes I kno...

Read story

“Older Date” by Stephen Douglas

Submitted to Contest #81

Older Date &...

Read story

“The Blind Past ” by Taylor Hallmark

Submitted to Contest #81

Amy P.O.V There is a million reasons why Amy should just turn around get back in her car, go home, curl up on the couch and continue her binge watch marathon while eating the cold Chinese food she left in the fridge. But there was one big reason she was wearing her little black dress that always hung in the back of her closet and the red stilettos she bought yesterday on a whim. That reason was her sister, who was also her best friend and would murder her if she didn’t at least meet the man that she had set her up with. Amy held her breath a...

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 ⭢