Set your story on (or in) a winding river.

Posted in General on Jun 24, 2021

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✍️ 130 stories

“Where The River Goes” by Amelia Bowen

It's as if great, lumbering creatures have settled down to sleep. Moss on their backs, heads underwater. It’s as if they’ve deemed this their gathering ground. Rapids, shall we? Water flows faster around them; water turns white and licks at their sides.The slow bump and bleed of the canoe are rhythmic in the shallow parts. It stirs the dirt underneath, causing it to swell in plumes like peacock feathers. Mushroom clouds. Mud-green, like tea that’s been steeped for too long.If you dip your hand over the side of the b...

48 comments 48

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“there’s plenty of fish in the graveyard; there's plenty of ghosts in the sea” by Rayhan Hidayat

The Winterlands at night are freezing at best and lethal at worst, so of course they’re making Leif go on a Quest during the second sort, when half of his village’s population have beards beset by icicles and the other half are nursing a frostbitten toe in front of a blazing bonfire.“You bear the gift of the Walrus Belly,” reassures Torsten as he heaves at the oars, threading their rickety little boat through frigid saltwater. By the amber luminescence of a lantern powered by whale blubber, Leif watches his companion’s b...

86 comments 86 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Dois Rios” by K. Antonio

The shallow, sandy-colored water merges with its dark blue counterpart along the Rio Salomão, where the confluence of the two bodies meets in a tender exchange of nature, much like the lips of two lovers. I could never distinguish the divide of the rivers early in the morning when my father would drag me out of the house with nothing but an old muscle shirt, trunks, and my goosebumps. He would have me enter the boat, sit on the gunwale while he leaned against the hull waiting for our partners, his fishing buddy, Nani, a...

17 comments 17

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“A Life of Regrets, Passed Down” by Otis Hixon

I watched my son from the back of the boat. He looked so much older up there, behind a wheel. The others were talking, their few voices mixing with the sloshing of the current against the hull, and I let their words beat riddled rhythms into my ears. The driver, my son, gently nudged the wheel, expertly following the turn. His large hand was splayed, long lines erupting, and hardy veins shoot like roots through...

4 comments 4 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“broken branches of the family tree” by H L Mc Quaid

Luca blows out a long breath, relaxes his shoulders and leans against the bench's backrest as the ferry pulls away from the Everett City pier. Astrid sits next to him, her curly red hair whipping across a freckled face, her nose buried in a tattered copy of The Peanut Butter Falcon. In front of them, Bobby, his brown hands gripping the side of the boat as the waves rock the deck. He insisted on wearing a life jacket, even after Luca told him that only kids had to put them on. The straps Luca had to loosen to fit over Bobby's belly flap in...

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“Borne From Blood” by Yolanda Wu

Trigger warning: Mention of rape, suicide and abortion Ruilan never thought she would ever reach a point in her life where she was meditating on a river. It was very cultivator-like of her. Surrounded by the fresh fragrance of bamboo leaves, and the gentle lapping of the river, she was beginning to understand why her parents – the great leaders of the Jia Sect of Yunhe – always meditated; it ...

39 comments 39

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“The Journey” by Thom Brodkin

Jasper felt a little disoriented. Although he was laying down and his eyes were closed, for the life of him he couldn’t remember going to sleep. There was a gentle, calming rocking that felt nothing like any bed he'd ever slept in. He was also so completely comfortable that he almost didn’t want to open his eyes.Curiosity got the better of him. The first thing he noticed, after his eyes had adjusted to the unexpected sunlight, was the unfamiliarity of his surroundings. ...

21 comments 21

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“The Rapids” by ☠️฿ⱤɆ₵₭ł₦ ₦ØⱤ₮ⱧⱤɄ₱😎

“I can’t wait to go tubing in the river today!” I said to my friend, Julia. “I know! I’m super excited!” She said back to me. I hated waiting so long in the car, but we finally got to the place after a long 3 hour drive. I loved going tubing because I got to feel the water on my arms and legs. I have loved being in the water since I was 2. I learned to swim when I was one and a half yea...

3 comments 3

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“Rainfall” by Samuel Bowen

Trigger Warning: Contemplation of Suicide. (And also swearing) The night air chilled my skin. The downpour forced the trench coat to wrap around me like the cold hands of death grasping at my soul. Gusts of wind spat rain at my face in periodic breaths. The wind’s exhales dared to snatch my fedora off my head. I checked my holster one more time and twisted relief washed over me as I found the pis...

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“Barges” by Bob E

The clouds tell stories. The clouds tell the past. I can see it all now. Lying on my back, barely conscious as we move forwards, cutting through hidden tributaries. Some of these we made ourselves. They afford camouflage, which gives us surprise, which gives us advantage. Shadows pass across my face. Occasionally, the sun intrudes. Such is its way. I swat my arm and it leaves me be. Another gnat. ...

5 comments 5 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Manipulate-Part two” by 𝕊𝕜𝕪𝕖 ♡

Rhea struggled in the hold of the shadows. She wriggled and screamed loudly, begging someone-anyone-for help. Three figures appeared before her and the tallest one threw back his black hood. “Well. Well. Well. What do we have here?” The man chuckled sinisterly. “An innocent girl.” Rhea snapped. “Innocent?!” The figure on the left guffawed loudly, “You? Innocent?!” “Ya here that Asha?!” Rhea’s ...

33 comments 33

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“The River and the Snake” by Veda Vivek💎

Roana sits on the hard, dirty ground, her white dress getting assaulted by mud. The air smells like grime and fish, a smell that has entered her nose every day. She doesn’t even know why she comes to this dump every day. Maybe it’s to take her mind off of the past. Maybe it’s because of what happened one year ago. That moment definitely tied deep roots to this place. She sighed, looking at the sky. Its br...

4 comments 4

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“The Ash-Silver River” by Kat Sencen

The ash-silver river is rippling in the wind tonight. Soft ripples that bring me peace and comfort and happiness. They drift me away from my thoughts and worries and pull me to a brighter place. A nicer place. A place that’s been my destination for this whole ride. When I’m riding down the ash-silver river, I think of you as the person you are alive, the bright, loving, selfless man. Always wearing your baggy, d...

27 comments 27

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“Leaping Water” by Shea West

My heart felt most open and centered when I was on or near the calming rivers. My mother, like many others in our tribe, welcomed me into this world in these very waters on our land in Oklahoma. The fingers of Mountain Fork River branched off from Broken Bow Lake, snaking its way through the land my people have lived on for years. The waterways with their cleansing powers represented life, sometimes death, and healing to we Choctaws. We welcomed life here. The ceremony of prayer happened underneath the shade of the trees. Our tears of joy...

23 comments 23

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“Just Keep Rollin’ Along…” by Kathleen March

I was walking along the Androscoggin River with a companion, someone very close to me. Our conversation flowed, keeping with the river current from Lewiston, Lisbon, Lisbon Falls. Our words rode the waves. This was where we had both grown up, although not together nor at the same time, nor even in same generation. We were different, yet close.Our feet were walking on the riverbed. We played with the ragged pebbles as well as the smooth ones. We were going with the flow of the river that is born over the Maine state line,...

9 comments 9

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Set your story on (or in) a winding river.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 130 stories

“Where The River Goes” by Amelia Bowen

“there’s plenty of fish in the graveyard; there's plenty of ghosts in the sea” by Rayhan Hidayat

“Dois Rios” by K. Antonio

“A Life of Regrets, Passed Down” by Otis Hixon

“broken branches of the family tree” by H L Mc Quaid

“Borne From Blood” by Yolanda Wu

“The Journey” by Thom Brodkin

“The Rapids” by ☠️฿ⱤɆ₵₭ł₦ ₦ØⱤ₮ⱧⱤɄ₱😎

“Rainfall” by Samuel Bowen

“Barges” by Bob E

“Manipulate-Part two” by 𝕊𝕜𝕪𝕖 ♡

“The River and the Snake” by Veda Vivek💎

“The Ash-Silver River” by Kat Sencen

“Leaping Water” by Shea West

“Just Keep Rollin’ Along…” by Kathleen March

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a family with a long-standing tradition, whose members all have conflicting origin stories for it.

Start your story with a character having a premonition, but no one believes them.

Write about someone who’s desperately trying to change their luck.

Write a story involving a character who cannot return home.

Contest #98

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

791

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: