Set your story inside a character’s mind, literally.

Posted in Fantasy on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 58 stories

“Written on Rob's Mind” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #167

TW: Death, war. “How did Robert get caught. He’s always so careful.” Agent Paul Summers looked at his colleague and friend of twelve years, laying on a slab. “They got lucky, or they were tipped off. Doesn’t matter how they got him if they didn’t get the information,” said Agent Lana Scully. “They put a whacking great hole in it,” Paul said. He wiped a tear on his shirt sleeve as he gestured to the...

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“Neuropia” by Suma Jayachandar

Submitted to Contest #167

After Ma tucks in the edges of the net, and turns off the light with a “goodnight, kanna”, the show starts. It begins with a candyfloss man with holes for eyes and a gaping mouth pedalling a bicycle at the far end of the grid around me, the bell a-tringing. Once he comes close to my face, his fluorescent form hops off the bicycle, prances around, and opens his mouth wide enough to let out a school of fish that quickly swim on the net in all directions and slide off it; all but one. That one grows bigger within seconds and bites my toe. And t...

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“Rufus, There's a Ruckus” by Gg Nota

Submitted to Contest #167

It was shaping up to be a busy afternoon at the Mayfair. The patrons were lining up at the front desk, each with an urgent request. A reservation here, or there, a delivery, a pickup, all so very important, and all with a holiday weekend bearing down upon them. But the concierge, unruffled, handled each request with polished aplomb. And thats when his phone rang : Rufus! Yes, Madam? Rufus, there’s a ruckus… Another ruckus, Madam? I fear someone is being bludgeoned…or worse! Madam, if I may, we’ve been down this road before… Not lik...

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“In the Mind of a Child” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #167

Dr. William Devonshire, Child Psychologist, along with colleagues, Dr. Hanna Porter, who earned a degree in Cognitive Psychology, and Dr. Lillian Gray, with degrees in Behavioral Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience, combined their efforts to work on a theory they shared regarding the minds of children. In their study, this group of brilliant minds had determined the mystery of pure, unaltered thought laid wi...

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“Locked Away” by Vanessa Perry

Submitted to Contest #167

Trigger Warning: Contains hints at thoughts of suicide. Story is about the grief following loss of a child (though the child’s death itself is not detailed). Shadows danced along the corridor as Lucia clasped the lantern. Her gut tightened and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. A fine layer of frost covered the first door. Slowly, she opened it and stepped over the threshold. A vice made its way around Lucia’s heart as she took in the room. It was a replica of the ...

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“Head Games” by Michlle Wieck

Submitted to Contest #167

“Everyone, take your places! She’s going in,” Max shouts from his post at the front of the line. “I need every one of you ready to move on my order. Is everyone on their mark?” Max is always in charge. No one ever put him in charge, not officially anyway, but sometimes it’s easier to simply follow him than it is to argue with him. As annoying as he is, he is unquestionably the right person to lead this team. He is intelligent and organized, and he rarely sleeps or takes a brea...

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“Saving Austin” by Jahwon Corbett

Submitted to Contest #167

Austin has been asleep for 3 days. One morning our mother went to get him from his room for school, and he didn’t wake up. Our dad rushed him to the hospital, but he was not dead, sleeping. The doctors said that the hospital had overcrowding. Too many people due to some other disease going around; so they sent Austin back home to us. He’s been in his room since. My mother is becoming more upset each day and my dad hasn’t been doing too great either. I researched on the internet and found an ad on craigslist: "Local Wizard will help with ...

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“The Family Bible. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #167

"Laughter is good for the immune system!" Flossie Boomer told herself. This was it, the day she planned to start her new online career. www. clairvoyant-at-home.com Flossie was descended from an impressive and scary array of the society of dead Grandmas. Their team leader had been Great-Grandma. Flossie, a style icon of fat fleecies, was the holder of the definitive family Bible. "And you're fat!" the shade of Great-Grandma spoke. Yes, Flossie and her boomer sisters had inherited the cuddlesome gene. Phwoar! Flossie was not a hottie. She s...

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“The Black Box” by Sumiko Courtney

Submitted to Contest #167

I scrutinize thousands of instructions. The surgical alterations must escape detection. “Diagnostic tests all pass,” the maintenance engineer mumbles, barely audible above the bus yard din. Checking off each item on his clipboard, he says, “Bus 554, all set,” not even bothering to look up. Gone are the days of civility. No humanizing nod or tip of a hat in this age of hyper-productivity, cost out, and running lean. Still, I’m grateful for my route. Each day, drivers lose their jobs, as autonomous vehicles take the...

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“Cleaning house” by Nikki Potgieter

Submitted to Contest #167

This mind is a mess. I’ve lived in many of these kinds of dumps, fixing them up and moving on. I know that I’m supposed to be a professional, but there is a lot to do to get this place cleaned up. It’s like no-one ever did any kind of housekeeping to speak of, never cleared anything out, never threw anything away, never so much as picked up a pair of rubber gloves or a scrub brush. This place has needed attention for ages. It looks like that show, Hoarders - you’ve probably seen it: garbage is just piled on top of other garbage to the point ...

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“Herb's Brain Scam” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #167

Herb’s Brain ScamDeep in the recesses of Herb’s brain, an emergency meeting of unparalleled import was just underway. "CC", representing the largest portion of the brain, the Cerebral Cortex, chaired the meeting as usual. The other powerful Union Bosses, each representing billions of members, in attendance were:-“Fronz”, representing the Frontal Lobe responsible for reasoning and motor skills.-“Perry”, representing the Parietal Lobe responsible for tactile senses.-“Temper”, representing the Temporal Lobe responsible for memory.-“Oxy”, repres...

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“The Man from Austin” by Nicholas Coma

Submitted to Contest #167

////Drugs & Language You need to think. Where is the man you met in Austin?The club bass was blaring. Drum beats hit the concrete walls of the tunnel as I stumbled through the cinderblock hallway.Leaning onto the walls as I went. Grabbing at anything that could give me support. My fingers scraped against the coarse edges.My hands were raw and in pain, I looked down and let the throbbing go from my fingertips to my palms. Slowly the skin of my hands drooped and fell between my bones as it melted like a Dali painting. The skin spread like ...

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“Wide Awake” by Ava Bonsall

Submitted to Contest #167

“You’re wide awake.” I stood in front of a woman clad in clouds and white silk. Her pale feet hovered just above the grass, blowing the earth slightly away by an invisible force. Her face was kind and forgiving as she looked at me with interest. It was as if I had done something to upset her, and she was a guardian angel who came to fix my problems. “I know,” I said in response with a deadpan look. It wasn’t as if she impressed me. In my line of work, it was commonplace to see creatures like her. Just another weird day as usual. Her...

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“CoreTechs Inc. ” by Samantha James

Submitted to Contest #167

Every single day is the same for me. I like it that way. At the crack of dawn, I wake up to my alarm, get dressed in my work clothes and drink a strong cup of coffee before heading to work. I quite enjoy the consistency of my career, even if most people find it monotonous. I even go to lunch at the exact same time every day. It’s a normal office job, and though I have a lot of responsibilities, I love every minute of it. Sometimes, it has its challenges, but I approach them like a puzzle, and I always come out on the other side successful.&n...

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“Years In Moments” by Mihret Adal Gidi

Submitted to Contest #167

This day has been long anticipated. Nothing is more lovely than watching everyone busy getting ready for today's anomaly—the golden night. Everyone will dress according to their skin tone, cleanse their bodies, and apply the precious perfume that has been stored in each person's home only for tonight, a special night like today. A day that eliminates prejudice and socioeconomic inequalities by gathering everyone. A day when all living things lower their guard and allow themselves to be receptive to a fresh start. Every hate, hurt, suffering,...

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Set your story inside a character’s mind, literally.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 58 stories

“Written on Rob's Mind” by Graham Kinross

“Neuropia” by Suma Jayachandar

“Rufus, There's a Ruckus” by Gg Nota

“In the Mind of a Child” by Greg Gillis

“Locked Away” by Vanessa Perry

“Head Games” by Michlle Wieck

“Saving Austin” by Jahwon Corbett

“The Family Bible. ” by Julie Grenness

“The Black Box” by Sumiko Courtney

“Cleaning house” by Nikki Potgieter

“Herb's Brain Scam” by Murray Burns

“The Man from Austin” by Nicholas Coma

“Wide Awake” by Ava Bonsall

“CoreTechs Inc. ” by Samantha James

“Years In Moments” by Mihret Adal Gidi

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a daydream sequence, before snapping back to reality.

Write a story about someone who overthinks every single thing, blowing the tiniest incidents out of proportion.

Write a story about someone who thinks their life is a romcom and they’re the protagonist.

Write a story about a character who can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.

Contest #167

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

232

Contest entries

97

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: