Write a story about someone scrambling on New Year's Eve to fulfil their resolutions for the entire year before the clock strikes twelve.

Posted in Funny on Dec 30, 2022

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✍️ 28 stories

“A Witch's Word” by Prithviraj Suryawanshi

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #179

Now, Tinny wasn’t a procrastinator; it was Time who was always in a hurry. It was only yesterday when the year had begun, and somehow Time had managed to squeeze a lot more than a day in the twenty-four hours since then. And now Tinny was left playing catch-up. Her own fault that there was even a game to play, really. A resolution list, she had made! As if dreams were docile enough to agree to spend a year confined to the page. But the notion had seemed appealing when Milya told her about it, in Milya’s house exactly a year ago. “Oh, i...

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“A Dropped Ball” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #179

“Lose weight, tick…”“Hey, hold on! What weight did you lose?”“I lost almost two pounds.”“When?”“In January.”“Have you weighed yourself since then?”“…No, but I wrote my end-of-December and beginning-of-January weights down on a piece of tape and stuck it to the back of the scales as a guide…”“Right, wait there, I’ll get the scales.”“…While you’re doing that, I’m going to tick… Stop procrastinating… no, I’ll tick that later… How’s about, Exercise more… yes, that’s a tick…”“Here’s the scales. It’s a little dusty. Obviously not been used for a w...

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“Twelve Books Before Twelve” by Rama Shaar

Submitted to Contest #179

“You know what your New Year’s resolution should be?” Josh asked, half drunk, “To return these books to their rightful owners!”Lying on the other couch in our living room, wine in hand, I rolled my eyes lazily before I fell asleep. This was the last day of 2021. The last night.On January 1st of 2022, I woke up with a friendly headache. I gasped a little when I looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I’d never gone to bed without washing my makeup, brushing my teeth, flossing and applying my night creams. I was never a drinker, e...

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“Only Midnight Will Tell the Truth” by Madison Drew

Submitted to Contest #179

*I want to preface this by saying, to whoever reads this: I'm very new at writing short stories and only found this website a few days ago. I'm submitting this as a challenge to myself to do more writing because I love it. Okay thanks!!! I have the worst memory of anyone I’ve ever met. Ever. Like, a goldfish has nothing on me. But for some reason, this year, I could remember all the promises I made to myself back in January. I told myself that I would be a whole new person – financial freedom, in shape, talking to my friends more; spendin...

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“A Room of One's Own” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #179

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” ― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own My one and only New Year's resolution was to clear out the guest room and turn it into a space for me. A studio to write, paint, and craft in. It would also serve as a place to gather my recently-feral wits. I began early morning on New Year's Day, and it went well at first, as these things usually do. The room is small, 8'x10', with a chest of drawers, a bedside table, a floor lamp, and a wing-backed chair...

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“One Last Time.” by Oriel Space

Submitted to Contest #179

I swear the box would always be staring at me. Taunting, reminding. Every time I opened my closet it would look down upon me from its perch at the top, and even though it was tucked behind some shoes, and buried under an old shirt, I could almost feel its presence. Oh trust me, I’ve wanted to get rid of the box plenty of times. But every time I even lifted the ratty flannel to reveal the box underneath, the pain it represented would grip me to the point of incapacitation, leaving me to curl up on the floor and let the pain flow through the t...

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“Pound Sterling” by Victoria Dove

Submitted to Contest #179

It's December 31st. I open my checklist with New Year's resolutions I created exactly a year ago. Completing my goals and winning the right to place a little tick next to the task brings me joy like nothing else. I glide my eyes over everything I've achieved this year- I am more than satisfied with myself. As I am doing a little happy dance and reading over the small wins of the year, my eyes narrow down one line...missing a check mark. "Lose 10lbs." I gasp. Not wasting any time, I rush to my bedroom and get on the scale. Steady breaths. I j...

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“Let's just try” by C.L. Linz

Submitted to Contest #179

Something feels off as I step into my living room. I don't see, but sense that Nicole is here. The lavender fragrance usually present is tinted with the vanilla shimmer lotion she wears. Underneath that is a subtle dusting of sandalwood. That's Alan. I'd never allow another man into my home. I'm surprised they both agreed to come. I expected them to have big plans for New Year's Eve, but I surmise they planned on having quiet nights like me. The combined aroma has a warm feeling spreading through me. It feels like happiness. Like l...

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“The Lost List” by D.J. Bogner

Submitted to Contest #179

Henry isn’t your average guy. Unless your idea of an average guy includes making spreadsheets for everything he plans to do every day, from brushing his teeth in the morning to brushing them again at night, and everything else in between. With time-allotments.He’s a retired accountant. However, his organizational skills still show up for work full-time. During his in-office career, he created his fair share of columns and rows. However, bathroom breaks and dog walks were never line items then—they are now. Things have changed since the days ...

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“An Unexpected Resolution” by Kayla Baumann

Submitted to Contest #179

DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! As the last toll faded, I shifted in my oversized lounge chair, rested my head back, and raised my eyes from my book to look outside. The snow-covered street sat dark and silent compared to the havoc inside the town hall across the street. Since the town’s founding, New Year's Eve was a massive event where everyone gathered together to welcome the new year. Even now, I could see the shadows of the volunteers hurrying back and forth past the windows as they prepared for the celebration. I laid the b...

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“Before Midnight” by Salma Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #179

“Hello my darling Gloria. I hope you’re having a fine birthday. I bet you are, up there in heaven… I hope. Anyways I brought you a bit of vodka this year. Don’t tell Mark - he’s been saving it for a special occasion. Then again how could you, you're six feet under,” I spoke to my old friend who now resided in a grave yard. I decided i should hurry up since they Just as I was about to spill some onto her grave I heard someone running toward me calling out to me “Nana what are you doing out of bed!? You’re supposed to be in bed! The doc...

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“THE FINAL DECISION (THE LAST MINUTE DECISION)” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #179

THE FINAL DECISION( THE LAST-MINUTE DECISION) It was the last day of the year. He too would celebrate the end of the old year and the arrival of the new. But…there was that decision to be made, that he had kept putting off by day after day for too long, which he had to make before the end of the year, of which only that day remained. He had to make that decision for Katia, his lover, and also for Mary, his wife. Katia was his lover for three years, and he had promised her he would divorce her wife to start a new life with her. Together the...

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“A Race Against Midnight” by Sonia Ferrigno

Submitted to Contest #179

7:23 a.m. My loft is a mess— so is my life. Twelve hours before the first guests were due for the New Year’s party. I had yet to turn my loft into a decent living area, finish editing my article, and send it off to my agent, Abby. Abby; that was one unturned stone I had stepped over too many times. Why have I let myself be coaxed into this end-of-year party? It was hard enough to keep track of my own life. I had withdrawn into my delusive world since the beginning of the year after the breakup … if it could be defined as...

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“"Little" Suzy's Resolve” by Mary Miller

Submitted to Contest #179

“Little” Suzy’s Resolve "New Year’s comes but once a year," so the song her daddy sings says. But for “Little” Suzy Conner, once a year is one time too many. Last year, she promised herself she would fulfill her list of resolutions and it never happened. The holidays snuck up on her and by the time the neighbor’s New Year's Eve party came, she was done for. But not this time! This time “Little” Suzy had a plan. This time “Little” Suzy Conner w...

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“Lester v. the Statue of Limitations” by J. Nicholas

Submitted to Contest #179

(Warning: Contains profanity and tobacco use.) “I thought you were getting ready.” Melinda rolled up the cuffs on her Christmas sweater, a classy one, and lightweight, too, since it’d been almost sixty today. The only other option in North Carolina this time of year was ice. You never knew what you were getting. “I am ready,” said Lester without taking his eyes off Heat, the scene with the big shootout after the bank robbery. It was one of doz...

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Write a story about someone scrambling on New Year's Eve to fulfil their resolutions for the entire year before the clock strikes twelve.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 28 stories

“A Witch's Word” by Prithviraj Suryawanshi

“A Dropped Ball” by Chris Campbell

“Twelve Books Before Twelve” by Rama Shaar

“Only Midnight Will Tell the Truth” by Madison Drew

“A Room of One's Own” by Patricia Merewether

“One Last Time.” by Oriel Space

“Pound Sterling” by Victoria Dove

“Let's just try” by C.L. Linz

“The Lost List” by D.J. Bogner

“An Unexpected Resolution” by Kayla Baumann

“Before Midnight” by Salma Castaneda

“THE FINAL DECISION (THE LAST MINUTE DECISION)” by Mara Masolini

“A Race Against Midnight” by Sonia Ferrigno

“"Little" Suzy's Resolve” by Mary Miller

“Lester v. the Statue of Limitations” by J. Nicholas

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone making a vision board.

Write a story in the form of a list of New Year's resolutions.

Your character always makes the same promise; to change. Will they finally make it happen this time?

End your story with a kiss at midnight.

Contest #179

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

200

Contest entries

103

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: