Start your story with an ending and work backward toward the beginning.

Posted in Fiction on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 201 stories

“A Piece of Cake” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #89

Look into my eyes, she thought, as the last man standing looked at the piece of cake on his plate. You know me. You. Know. Me. The other guests were beginning to feel their last breath, but she kept staring at one man in particular as he fell with her creation in his mouth. He did look at her, noting her smile and how she was the only member of the staff to be there when they toasted each other. It was a little touch of something extra for all of them. Every last one of them. Yeah, you know it’s me. Laura had looked ...

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“So Here I am” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #89

My Life on MarsSo here I am on Mars, the first human to live on the red planet, and right now the only one. Not bad for a guy who doesn’t generally like to travel, and never did well enough in science and math at school to seriously consider becoming an astronaut. I will be here on this planet for the rest of my life. And I’m feeling now that is not such a bad thing. I would not have thought that a year ago, when I had no idea that there were Martians, that they could come to earth, and certainly not that they would want ...

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“The Bug Lady” by Robert White

Submitted to Contest #89

The Bug LadyRobb WhiteLonny went into autopilot, thinking only a single thought piped from his neocortex: Escape! He fumbled with the keys trying to start the engine; it cranked, died. He tried lifting his arm to pull the door latch but it was made of lead and wouldn’t obey. He was too weak to get out and run anyway.He slumped lower in the seat, looking between gaps in the steering wheel. Kids on bikes yelled at one another passing him. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, all talking at once. Happy, carefree—how he and Jory use...

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“The Tale of Lou and Lizzie” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #89

It has been a quiet funeral, even though that’s not compulsory anymore. Well, that’s not entirely true. There has been soaring music, and readings, and the bells have rung, because Louisa left a specific request that they should, even though she wasn’t an especially religious woman. But it has been the kind of funeral that even a stranger would know was for someone important, someone significant, someone who has left her mark on life. But it wasn’t a huge gathering. Family and close friends only, though there’s talk that there will be some k...

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“Turning over a new leaf” by Vanessa Queens

Submitted to Contest #89

Molly closed the apartment door behind her and turned the key twice in the keyhole. Then she left it under the mat for the landlady. All her belongings were on the truck. She was about to turn over a new leaf in her life’s book once more. And she was ready to live again. Packing her belongings had been easy, since she possessed so few things: a few clothes, a few pairs of shoes, a few books and a laptop. Packing her memories had been the hardest part: the fights, the arguments, the fits of jealousy. Tom had proven to be a difficult man to li...

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“Conclusion to Inception” by Scarlet Hayshay

Submitted to Contest #89

While she was inhaling her last breaths, she mutely uttered her last words… “I was deceived and misled in this consternating desert in which I am going to perish away. Never! Never trust anybody who you don’t perceive…” With these soft spoken last words, her distressed soul approached to the seventh skies. And Sarah, was unfortunately buried herself in the unmerciful and searing sand after laying on it for two bizarre years. This inflamed suffering just happened because of the victimized amulet! When she opened the tiny glossy bottle once ar...

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“A Cup of Coffee” by Katie Ingold

Submitted to Contest #89

I clasped his withered hand in mine as we rocked on our porch in a gentle rhythm. The grandkids ran around the yard, chasing each other or playing football. Their parents set up tables and chairs and brought out trays laden with food. We watched it all from our usual spot. “We’ve had a good life, haven’t we, Jacob?” He mumbled a few incoherent words, but I knew what he said. He slowly brought my hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss there. A few wisps of grey hair escaped the bun at his neck and tickled the back of my hand. “We have our ...

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“The End.” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #89

It’s not unusual for stories to start at the end, you know. It’s fairly common, in fact, for detective novels to begin after a crime has been committed. Yes, I know it’s not the real end of the story, because that comes when the crime is solved, right? Still, the discovery of the crime aka murder does trigger the image of a life that is over. The whole novel then consists of the tracking down of the elements leading to the tragic event. Going backward in time. How did that horrible event come to pass? I have to say, starting at the end bri...

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“Processing... Recalculating...” by Ernesto Bebe

Submitted to Contest #89

*analyzing path 547, finish* Grant stood on the white marble, half handcuffed, in a daze, wearing days-old clothes, and staring down the barrel of a revolver pointed right between his eyes. The slender man, wearing all black, muttered only two words: "kneel down". Grant obeyed and got on his knees, which were now quaking with fear. A woman came quickly to aid, gagging and tying up Grant. The man grabbed one singular bullet, put it in the barrel, and spun it around. The snap of the lock on the barrel made Grant jump and non-understandable ple...

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“Confusion ....” by Riya Jadia

Submitted to Contest #89

"Please don't go!" I cried and said but he was already ready to go further. I could feel my heart beat raising with each step he was taking away from me , why does he has that effect on me when we clearly mentioned that we are just friends and that is going to stay forever. Truth hurts and it is true that I have feelings for him, I always had that's why I took initiatives for our friendship and tried to escalate it but it didn't worked out that well. I just didn't knew how to handle this because I have already lost my bff few months ago beca...

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“What is Truth” by Megan DeRouin

Submitted to Contest #89

What is Truth Kathrine St John looked at the photograph that was blown up to twice life-size showing only the head of another old woman with a placid look to her face and empty blue eyes. Kat’s gaze drifted forward past the line of black clade people with heads bowed and sobbing quietly to where the handsome oak casket sat stoically in front of the room. She knew what she would see when she looked into the casket. The line shuffled forward and Kat’s eyes moved again to the three middle aged siblings standing stiffly beside the casket, numbl...

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“Date Night” by Aburrow Marsh

Submitted to Contest #89

He reached his sexual climax, groaning her name, his right hand clutching her breast inside her bra, the windows steamed over. Zero visibility. If a cop had pulled up, they would have never known. Outside, the 9:00 screening of the latest Bond film was letting out. Families stood around on the sidewalk or piled into cars to go home. He sat with his left hand resting atop her head, breathless, spent.Before that, they had gone to supper. A Mexican place, one of his favorites. Cindy ordered a couple of margaritas; he stuck to only one, since he...

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“A life well lived ” by Suyan Budhoo

Submitted to Contest #89

Her frail body, finally defeated by cancer lay in a marble casket which mum had chosen for herself a few months ago. Like everything in life, she wanted to be ready for death too. We all had known this day would come, yet no matter how much the doctors prepared us, nothing anyone said made it easier.If anyone looked at mum, all they saw was a bubbly woman, full of love, always sharing positivity and hope wherever she went. No one would have guessed that she, who spread so much of light had gone through so many trials in her life.&n...

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“The Wolfhound's Folly” by JASON PARKER

Submitted to Contest #89

Evenfall Allison took what she knew to be her last few ragged breaths, every muscle in her ten-year-old body bracing for the horrors to come. She pulled her cloak about her, staring disbelievingly at her ruined ankle. Bone protruded through flesh and blood seeped from the wound—surely stirring the beasts that lumbered toward her through the midst of the deep ravine where she lay helpless. The bear was a mass of black fur that snuffled at the ground as its massive head moved from side to side—its short-sightedness merely delaying th...

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“Watching the Stars” by Phoebe Davenport

Submitted to Contest #89

The ache of this is enough to kill. She's long since forgotten the feeling of elation, or anything close to it. She could've sworn the sun would be there for another few billion years--it would die long, long after her death, and she was more than okay with that. But the darkness invades. It invades her home, her mind, her heart. It is relentless and it leaves her broken on the floor. Oh, realistically she knows the sun isn't really gone, and realistically she knows she can turn on the lamp. It isn't far and all she has to do is tap the ...

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Start your story with an ending and work backward toward the beginning.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 201 stories

“A Piece of Cake” by Kendall Defoe

“So Here I am” by John Steckley

“The Bug Lady” by Robert White

“The Tale of Lou and Lizzie” by Deborah Mercer

“Turning over a new leaf” by Vanessa Queens

“Conclusion to Inception” by Scarlet Hayshay

“A Cup of Coffee” by Katie Ingold

“The End.” by Kathleen March

“Processing... Recalculating...” by Ernesto Bebe

“Confusion ....” by Riya Jadia

“What is Truth” by Megan DeRouin

“Date Night” by Aburrow Marsh

“A life well lived ” by Suyan Budhoo

“The Wolfhound's Folly” by JASON PARKER

“Watching the Stars” by Phoebe Davenport

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that spans a month during which everything changes.

Start your story with a character taking a leap of faith.

Write a story where one person is trying to say goodbye but keeps getting interrupted.

Write about someone who is always looking toward the future.

Contest #89

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

719

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: