Write about a god desperately trying to get their chosen hero to follow the path they set out for them.

Posted in Fantasy on May 5, 2023

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✍️ 61 stories

“Faithful” by Michelle Oliver

Submitted to Contest #197

Oh, Glorious Majesty of Sacred Powers!Um, who me?Wondrous Redeemer and All-powerful Lord.Well, I wouldn’t go so far as that…Heavenly Esteemed One, whose power fills all things, whose bounty is good and whose name is to be exalted above all others.Now I just need to check, are you speaking to me…Creator of all, Knower of all that is, was and will be.…or are you speaking at me?I say, who is interrupting me in my prayers?I’m sorry, but you were talking to me.Who is this?Well now, if you’re not sure, then perhaps you had better not continue your...

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“Gods Only Know” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #197

The God of Spirits, Hangovers and Blackouts came across his champion on the winding road. The deity’s skin was the gold of good whiskey. His breath was the vapour trail of bad vodka.“Here you are, my valourous knight.” The god appeared from the nowhere of an eternal party that other gods had been wise enough to leave before the cleanup started.Baulking at the vomit reeking breath of the golden god, the gangly teen turned away and screwed up his face.“I have need of your service, dear follower.” The god, Du Raunc spoke to a patch of air float...

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“GAMES THE GODS PLAY” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #197

**Warning: silly religious humor, irreverent, but turns out well*** * *Satan sat back in his chair surveying his chips. “What are we playing for this round?”“Benjamin Jones is thinking about asking Katherine Pembrook to marry him. If I win, he goes forward with the proposal and they live happily ever after. White-picket fence, two kids, dog, the works.”“And if I win, it’ll rain on their wedding day and they’ll be divorced in under a year. Trailer Park, triplets, iguana.”“Done.”It was God’s turn as dealer. In or...

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“The Genesis Story of Adam and Steve (Oh…And a Few Descendants)” by John K Danenbarger

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #197

A newly translated story, made up by Oscar Genesis, who witnessed The Creation. Lo and behold, in all of the endless universe, God picked one of the tiniest specks of dirt in the corner of one of billions of galaxies to experiment secretly in order to look perfect in later public performances. And God called it “Earth.” After God created seven days and nights and bunches of plants and animals, He created Adam out of dust as a teeny tiny miniature image of Himself. And God was pleased. God dropped Adam into a sort of paradise ca...

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“The Uncanny Career of Harry D. Moore, Rock 'n' Roll Simulacrum” by Mike Panasitti

Submitted to Contest #197

Disclaimer: The following article exploring the imbrications of the keywords “cloning” and “celebrity” is the product of a joint venture between creators of BuchGeist, a German AI program for ghostwriting, and Beijing University’s faculties of computer science and history who are behind the ongoing development CHROnicler, a virtual historian AI construct. Any stylistic inconsistency, or errors of narration, grammar, diction, or historical accuracy are not to be attributed to Harvard University’s Professor Emeritus Hank Sterling, an...

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“The Tale of the Long-Lost Crown (and the Dimwit who Gave it Away)” by C. J. Peters

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #197

The god stood not before a grand throne, not in a sprawling hall of jewel-dripping nobles, not surrounded by tapestries depicting the great adventures of their chosen one. No, instead of manifesting in the castle towering over the kingdom, they instead stood in a modestly appointed home beyond the outskirts of the nearest town.They fumed at the sparsely decorated hall, the nice rug before a stone hearth, the simple dining table, fury scorching the fine wooden floor they stood upon.“Oh, do come in,” their hero said, an amused glint in his eye...

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“The Fire Dancer” by Chris Miller

Submitted to Contest #197

The firmament’s secret circulatory system was suddenly illuminated by a shriek of ionized air. A vascular blast of light tore from the infinite down to the canopy of a waiting tree. The atmosphere roared in shock as the tree’s leaves rang with blitz-glitter and the branches kindled new light in the dark night. The heat-cracked trunk spat sparks onto the tinder-dry savannah and the world blazed. Homo Erectus cowered in the scrub, spellbound by the sight of the writhing tree birthing tongues of dawn where there should have been none. The r...

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“THE FEATHER OF THE BLACK ANGEL” by Ken Miles

Submitted to Contest #197

“Is that blood in the inkwell?”Adolf rolls up his prison pants and shows Rudolf the self-inflicted cuts in his calves. “They wouldn’t give me enough ink for all that’s to be written! So I mixed in my own blood.”He allows Rudolf to gasp, then adds, “Besides, the feather of the Black Angel works best with blood. Here, have a go!”“I’m an aviator not a writer, words don’t come easy to me,” Rudolf’s reluctant to write.“The words won’t come from you, but from the Black Angel!”Rudolf shakes his head. Adolf can be outlandish. But is he now flip...

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“A God's Favor” by Ania Lagodzki

Submitted to Contest #197

The man glanced at his desk, and the whole room fell silent. He stepped toward the laptop awaiting his touch. As he scratched his beard and laid a hand on his rickety chair, the room held its breath—and he walked away. “Oh, for Pete’s sake.” “Jesus!” “Who owes me money?” The projection of the mildewed study and its closed laptop flickered away, and so did each watcher, leaving with their tongues licking various stages of laughs and I-told-you-so’s. The gods left the viewing room one by one until only two remained: Maestrom, Greater God of Li...

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“The Gods We Were” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #197

“Your car doesn’t talk to you all the time?” asked Noah. “Mine does.” He just had to comment like that while we were in line waiting to use the chattering Canadian Tire self-checkout.Liam sighed. Everything was a production. Noah couldn’t just get something for work, he had to make discoveries and have revelations.“You know Noah!” A lame play on his name, not funny anymore.“You’re coming with me, Liam?” Noah said as he neared his car.“What does it look like?”“Then put up with me for a bit longer. Listen to this!”Hello Noah and Liam. I’ve sen...

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“The Milk of Destiny” by Rosemary Cannon

Submitted to Contest #197

Andy tried really hard to make the milk curdle. He furrowed his celestial brows and planets veered off their course and tumbled into a black hole. Whole species and civilisations were lost forever on account of this action, but Andy didn’t care. He was a god with a singular mind and it was, at the moment, concentrating on the milk. Of course, Andy wasn’t his real name, but “The Great God, Andrezephaneos, god of the procreation of Species” was too much of a mouthful, and he felt Andy had a jaunty feel to it, which he liked. His mother “The ...

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“LET THERE BE CHAOS” by Thorn Paige

Submitted to Contest #197

In the beginning there was order.And order was such a horrendous thing. Not a molecule was out of whack. Never did a bad moon rise. Nothing exciting happened. Light was neatly separated from dark. The planets, the sun they merrily circled in circular circles. Never one misbehaved, took off on an eccentric curvy ellipse. Every day was sunny and beautiful. Terribly beautiful, day after day, never a cloud, never a change of temperature or temperament. God saw that it was far too good. Things ought to be a tad more interesting.&nb...

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“Virgil’s Aeneas and the Founding of Rome” by Jack Kimball

Submitted to Contest #197

“Is it fate, or us, ending the world?” The admiral asked the question, but to him the answer would not come from the doctor, but the bright star to the west where the sun had just set. The night sky opened as a stage, and there, Venus, a false star, beckoned. The admiral listened. What did his god mother ask of him now? And would he listen?The doctor dismissed the admiral’s question, to him an enquiry to a deaf heaven. To ask a star, even the brightest, where their fate was headed, seemed the logic of a child from what he could tell. “W...

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“The Goddess Must Have Her Way ” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #197

Her gaze lingered on the muscular men working on the plains of Oklahoma. She desired them all, but there was something about the power in his shoulders, the way he carried himself, his easy smile when he cajoled the others, that made her think this one was her choice. Her hero. The Goddess of Stone sent messengers.ↂↂUnder the roaring heat of the natural gas flaring off above, Avrel hauled the next pipe segment into place, sweat exuded from all his pores while his rippling muscles worked to place the 35 foot of steel that hanging from the boo...

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“Rising Wind” by J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #197

The wind whipped across the surface of the ocean, and the waves crashed upon the rigid rocks of the bluff down below. The tree line that was standing tall behind him cut off the rest of the world, and they swayed like a recently closed stage curtain after a long play. Nobody stood up and applauded. Nobody laughed. There would be no congratulations. There would be no reward. Instead, there would be only silence, sorrow, and regret once again. He fell to his knees at the edge of the world and screamed into the wind, but his voice got lost lik...

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Write about a god desperately trying to get their chosen hero to follow the path they set out for them.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 61 stories

“Faithful” by Michelle Oliver

“Gods Only Know” by Graham Kinross

“GAMES THE GODS PLAY” by Susan Catucci

“The Genesis Story of Adam and Steve (Oh…And a Few Descendants)” by John K Danenbarger

“The Uncanny Career of Harry D. Moore, Rock 'n' Roll Simulacrum” by Mike Panasitti

“The Tale of the Long-Lost Crown (and the Dimwit who Gave it Away)” by C. J. Peters

“The Fire Dancer” by Chris Miller

“THE FEATHER OF THE BLACK ANGEL” by Ken Miles

“A God's Favor” by Ania Lagodzki

“The Gods We Were” by Joe Smallwood

“The Milk of Destiny” by Rosemary Cannon

“LET THERE BE CHAOS” by Thorn Paige

“Virgil’s Aeneas and the Founding of Rome” by Jack Kimball

“The Goddess Must Have Her Way ” by Scott Christenson

“Rising Wind” by J.C. Vayda

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone successfully — or unsuccessfully — escaping their fate.

Write a story that includes the phrase “I’m free!”

Write about somebody who wholeheartedly believes in fate, and views every little thing through the lens of predestiny.

Set your story in a world where everyone’s decisions are made for them. One morning, your character wakes up, and chooses not to go to work. Wait…chooses?!

Contest #197

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

268

Contest entries

100

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: