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!

#83: Tropical Getaway

Sometimes we all need a break from our current circumstances. When the world feels gray and lifeless, thoughts of warm beaches and sunny skies can sound more appealing than ever.

Travel has been hard to come by for a while now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make an escape through our imaginations. So this week, let’s slather on the sunscreen, steal what daylight we can, and take our characters to the crystal beaches most of us can only imagine.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who goes to extreme lengths to get themselves to a tropical island.

Adventure – 91 stories

Start your story with someone emerging from the sea, and end it with them looking up at the stars.

Fantasy – 277 stories

Write about someone who’s lived on a tropical island their whole life and is leaving it for the very first time.

Dystopian – 83 stories

Write about someone who books a bargain vacation, only to be told when they arrive that they need to share a hotel suite with a stranger.

Dramatic – 148 stories

Write a fantasy story about water gods or spirits.

Fantasy – 227 stories

Stories

“Island for the Unclaimed” by Helene La Vertue

Submitted to Contest #83

It was during the second winter of the COVID-19 pandemic that we first learned of a deadly mutated strain of the virus. This strain the most terrifying yet. The virus not only mutated, it evolved. It evolved out of the realm of our understanding. Beyond our cognitive and scientific abilities. It no longer attacked the body; it attacked the mind. A catatonic like psychosis overtook its victims. A sinking heaviness would precipitate indefinite sleep that led to a certain early demise. All who contracted this mutated strain would succumb. It wa...

Read story

“Zero to Paradise” by Sun Shine

Submitted to Contest #83

No matter what anybody said at the time, we were all ready to party hard. Many of us had spent lockdown preaching and raving about the impending climate doom and a heck of a lot about how materialism and selfishness are the root of all our American woes. We spent nearly two years fully intending to emerge as better, more environmentally responsible and economically equitable inhabitants of Earth. To be fair. The collective “we,” almost did okay until we remembered how much fun it is to experience music and art with lots of other people! ...

Read story

“A Getaway to Get Away... From the Police” by Artemis Rowan

Submitted to Contest #83

"ISABELLE CARTIER, THE HOUSE IS SURROUNDED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" Jolene bolts awake beside me. She stares at me in disbelief. "You're still here." I nod. "I'm not going to leave you behind again." "WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE MS. CARTIER. COME OUT NOW OR WE'LL BE COMING IN." "We'll see about that," I mutter as I pick up my phone and press the self-destruct button for the house. "What did you just do?" Jolene asks. "This building will self-destruct in five minutes," says a computer voice. "They can't catch us if they think we're dead...

Read story

“A Nightmare to Remember ” by Claire Clayton

Submitted to Contest #83

"Marry me." "What?" "Marry me." “Walter, what on Earth are you doing? Get off the ground at once, you look positively ridiculous,” the automatic response was all I could muster at the time. Even as I look back I truly believe that I could not have handled the situation better. Walter, had previously taken the position of being on one knee in the middle of the town square. The shining ring he held was a nice touch in the theatrical performance. He quickly obeyed my command and looked confusedly at me while several onlookers stopped to ...

Read story

“Finally Home” by Mattie Campanella

Submitted to Contest #83

Getting into the water was never the plan, but I couldn’t resist. It was the most beautiful blue I’d ever seen and the salty smell was alluring. As I got out, the crystal blue water stuck to me like a second skin and was a familiarity I had missed for many years. Why has it taken me over five years to finally come back here? My mother tried to get me to come home for the summer year after year, but I refused. Being stubborn has its ups, but this was its downs. Nostalgia started to fill my head and my heart, and memories flooded my body.&nbsp...

Read story

“The Company of Sea and Stars” by Mariposa Red

Submitted to Contest #83

The first thing I knew in this world was warm. Comfortable temperatures wrapping themselves around me, suspended and at peace. The second was wet, of depths swirling around me, currents flush against my skin, cocooning me in a way that didn’t feel claustrophobic in the slightest. I was carried, there, cradled against the sea in a way that made me feel like the earth was holding me tightly, surrounding me through her watery depths. The third was tightness, a gradually increasing tightness in my chest that forced my eyes open, unbearable as it...

Read story

“The Water Horse” by Riley Curtis

Submitted to Contest #83

Jacob was watching from his balcony as the vast grand sea threw around waves at nighttime. The stars were shining and a crescent moon lit up the sea. Jacob was in his PJ's. It might have been a trick of the light when he saw the shape of a large horse, grey and blue furred and dripping shining magical-looking water emerged from the sea and whipped its majestic head around, searching the beach for something. Then it spoke in a voice that was defiantly male, and kind of demanding: "Where is it?" Jacob blinked and rubbed his eyes childishly. T...

Read story

“visitor” by Malachi Cain

Submitted to Contest #83

Floating on a piece of strange lightweight metal in the sea, a strange person in odd clothing drifts aimlessly upon the calm water. He awakens with a bit of surprise, and realizes he doesn't know who he is, where he is, or how he came to be there. He pulls his legs out of the water then sits up, and he sees an island off in the distance. Its not too far so he gets in the water and starts to swim the raft over to the it. It doesn't take long for him to reach the beach, but when he gets there he collapses onto the sand and passes out. He comes...

Read story

“The Letter” by John Meiners, Jr

Submitted to Contest #83

The Letter &n...

Read story

“The Universal Balance of Justice” by Nataleigh Sandberg

Submitted to Contest #83

The surface of the clear water was still, but for only a moment. Suddenly, the surface exploded, sending water flying as a woman emerged from the shallow depths of the Caribbean Ocean. Jacky tossed off her snorkel, and gasped for breath. letting the fresh, cool air fill her lungs and swirl around in her body, as if bringing life back into it. After a few moments Jacky flopped back into the water, sinking barely a foot before she hit the bottom. She relaxed against the soft sand, and observed a small tropical fish swim around for just a momen...

Read story

“The Dolphin's Song” by T.H. Sherlock

Submitted to Contest #83

The ocean always invites me in with open arms – gentle, frothy waves which tease and lick my toes, making fickle promises of an unknown turquoise paradise. Ever since I was a small boy, the sea has summoned me this way. It seduces me with irresistible mystery, the depths of which we mortals can never truly understand.Each evening, I swim the length of the shoreline, and allow the icy chill of saltwater to saturate my body as it seeps into every crack and pore, cleansing me of earthly desires. The shimmering waters embrace me completely and I...

Read story

“The Home Searched for: Finding Belonging and Acceptance” by Samantha Shaffer

Submitted to Contest #83

A young student washed up on the shores of an island in the south Pacific Ocean. As she awoke, in a daze, the events of the storm replayed in her mind. She remembered warning her friends that they needed to return shore. They ignored her warnings and they were swept out to sea. As the storm rages, they were tossed around and one by one they flew from the boat and into the water. Kelli had held on as hard as she could. She couldn’t remember when she finally met the water. She lifted her head to look around and realized she was not alone. She...

Read story

“Overalls That Were Too Big” by Alice Claude

Submitted to Contest #83

His knees were certainly buckling a bit more than they should have been, trying to carry me out of the water.But we did it nonetheless, him determinedly digging his feet into the wet sand, anchoring on with his toes to resist being pulled back into the foamy sea. I didn’t do much to help, other than laugh and wrap my then short arms around his neck tighter. Salty water dripped off us, gathering in droplets everywhere from the tips of our matching messy brown hair, to the strings of my bathing suit, and of course to our eyelashes, which were ...

Read story

“By Moonlit Shores” by Claire Chandler

Submitted to Contest #83

Mandy swam to the shore, her breaths going steady with her strides. The beach was always her favorite place to be, and she needed a break from school. Spring break was the perfect way to clear her head and have some fun with her friend. After she got to the sand, she stood and walked out of the great ocean that had swallowed her moments before. “Girl, you are covered in sand!” her friend, Alice, shouted across the beach front. Alice and Mandy had wanted to go to the beach to enjoy some alone time together, as they haven’t had a week a...

Read story

“Bride of Dragon Prince” by Floraine Thwin

Submitted to Contest #83

At the east coast of china, there had the Dragon King named Yu Zhong. He was bad and cruel king of king among four dragon kings ruled the sea and oceans. He had four children. First son was Yu Gong who had the bad habits like his father and he was troublemaker every day. Second son was Yu Meng who was quiet and like to learn everything beyond the boundaries. He was such an intelligent child who can make his father Yu Zhong’s proud at every events held by heaven king. Third was the girl who had singing talent among the gods. The fourth was Yu...

Read story

Load more stories

$50

Prize money

826

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 05, 2021 EST

Won by Madalyn Meyers 🏆

Title: Burn Damage

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 ⭢