Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story that starts with a life-changing event.

Posted in General on Jul 29, 2021

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 184 stories

“5 Stages of Grief” by Daryl Gravesande

“They’re inseparable, those two.” My mom would often say. She wasn’t wrong. Jess and I have been best friends since nursery school. We knew each other so well. So that’s how I know she’ll wake up. There I was, sitting at her hospital bed, clutching her hand, holding back tears. I rested my head on her stomach. C’mon, I’m better than this. Don’t cry. Don’t. Cry. I don’t remember what happened to Jess. All I know is that I’m here now, sitting at what might be her deathbed. “D...

161 comments 161
Read story

“Shadows at Dawn ” by Mira Caplan

The small, black stone that she held in her hand dropped to the ground, and the girl's eyes widened in horror."No..." she whispered, fear- filled eyes looking back into the shadows. A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, the black, mist- like substance burning her skin. As two more reached behind her into the small cradle, she screamed out loud. They froze where they were, inches away from whatever they were about to take to the darkness, whomever lay in the cradle still deeply asleep."Not my sister..." she whispered,...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Much Too Soon” by Rhondalise Mitza

Though we walk and stare at the moon,While the crickets and toads start to croon,I think it much to soon,To say something likeI love you. Though we’ve been here for ages,And of our story we’ve flipped the pages,I’d bet all my wages,That you’d say something likeI love you.We’ve walked and talked And giggled and smiledTalked of the names we could name a childIf the night went too longAnd we found our...

40 comments 40
Read story

“Taken By A Virus” by B Ro Ok E H As A C Ow Bo Y H At

"Hello! This is ABC Local Wardrobe. My name is Lola, how can I help you today?"I asked. I balanced my phone in between my shoulder and my ear as I picked up my four year old, Gabby. "Hi, Lola. This is Joe from the Mount Sinai Hospital here in New York City. We are upset to inform you that your mother has passed away from COVID-19. We are so sorry. We did all that we could to save her,"Joe replied. I closed my eyes to hold back tears. I couldn't cry in front of Gabby. "Thank you. Umm...I know you did your best. I am forever ...

7 comments 7
Read story

“Regrets, I've had a few” by E. Jude

It's 1979.My mother’s brand-new Kodak camera clacks and flashes awkwardly, as the university's chancellor clasps my clammy hand to shake it. I see stars from the flash of the taken photo, but when I adjust my line of vision, she is the only one I see. Despite the audience in the auditorium, who are heftily cheering me on, and believe me, today it is brimming, overflowing with people. Small kids, who don't know what or why they have been dragged here, run around chasing each other into the corners, squealing in excite...

66 comments 66
Read story

“ Life changing event – Shema leaving the house” by Alkaa Sharma

                          Life changing event – Shema leaving the houseShema left Verma family and fled with a guy! That was the news in the neighbourhood that spread like fire. “Oh really but why?”, “ Its unbelievable!”, “ she should not have done that!” . “That’s mean “ , these were the reactions of the neighbours. But why was everyone reacting so much?Well, lets intr...

11 comments 11
Read story

“Ignorance and Bliss ” by May Mills

Ignorance is bliss, but ignorance is still ignorance. Two weeks ago, I was walking to my car in the nearly empty company parking lot; I had decided to take overtime. In a tech company like this, women like me were typically looked down upon, cast aside, and/or ignored, we had to work twice as hard to get half as far as the men. So, a little overtime would look really good when it came to giving me a promotion. After all, it’s not like I had anything better to do on a Tuesday night. I reached into my coat pocket for...

6 comments 6
Read story

“PROMISES UNFULFILLED” by Asianzu Victoria

She had been there through the dark and tough times and just as the mist clears in the morning, I had run away from her. I couldn’t bear to say a proper goodbye; I had silently listened to her sobs throughout the night. But duty had called and I had sworn an oath, my heart bled at the sight of leaving her. What could a man really do?We all have choices to make in this world, and every decision we make in life catches up to us one way or the other. I wasn’t blind to what awaited me when I decided to join the army. I knew a day would...

32 comments 32
Read story

“Zap of Brightness” by Corey Melin

Phillip decided to take a walk to the local grocery store to replenish his lack of stock. “I pray that this will be a pleasant trip this time around,” he thought. His last trip wasn’t as luxurious, bringing thoughts of ending such trips until the dark cloud evaporates over his head. “Life seems to be going downhill not only for myself, but all of society,” he pondered.  “Such hate is displayed out there.” He hoped this trip would prove hi...

4 comments 4
Read story

“The Rain and the Reverie” by Tula Singer

My mother came into the kitchen with a blank face. I was sitting at the table, having a toast with olive oil and cheese and a glass of cold water. “We’re leaving,” she said, and sat on the chair across from me. “We’re going to move in with Ahmad in New York.” I set my glass of water down and hid a couple of tears. “What?” “I am tired of Cuba, mi amor. I can’t anymore. I’m tired of going to millions of stores just to get detergent or tomato pa...

4 comments 4
Read story

“honey, this will hurt for a while” by Natalie Strawbridge

Oh honey, this one’s going to hurt for a while. I wish I could tell you it’s not going to, but it is. No, I’m not writing from the future; I just know that this is going to hurt for longer than you’re ready for it to, and I'm giving you a moment to wallow.I know it’s going to hurt because lesser things have hurt you for a long time. Sure, bigger things have hurt too. And you got past them, so you’ll get past this too. Getting past it won’t be painless.It’s going to hurt every time you see her or hear he...

11 comments 11
Read story

“Ride the Stars” by Waverley Stark

First it was your mother who went, who returned smelling of sea salt and a thousand other things. Your siblings pressed her, clamoring.“What did you see?” “Was it lovely?” “How far did you go?” She’d press them back, then sit on her favourite stool, fanning out her long silver hair behind her and batting away reaching hands. Then you pushed forward among the others, eager, pressing your face against her stomach. “I missed you, Mama.” “Oh, grow up,” she’d snap, pushing you away. Your  fa...

6 comments 6
Read story

“Regret” by Anja Z

“Get Out of the vehicle”A million thoughts go through Dennis's head. What would happen to Julia now all alone with his baby on the way? Would they charge him for life? Why was he so stupid?He decides to climb out of the vehicle, Mike doesn’t.“I said get out of the vehicle or I shoot.”

4 comments 4
Read story

“Sound of his breath ” by Ifan Fin

Our favourite stories are the ones which end tragically. The myth of Niobe. Prometheus and the Theft of Fire. Pandora's Box. Daedalus and Icarus. Orpheus and Eurydice. The characters that want more end with nothing. Or worse. He said, "can you imagine? Us in ten years, standing at the edge of this cliff, with our first-born son?" and smiled as if everything was going to happen just as he told. It was a hundredth or two-hundredth time he imagined this for the two of us since we first met. I loved his grin and his hair that boun...

8 comments 8
Read story

“Ultimately end” by Prathamesh Chavan

No!!!!!!!, came a screaming sound inside me and after some time it got slicensed . I lay motionlessly onto the road my eye sight becoming blur above which lay a skyscraper and everything look so tiny . The engines of car had been stop and people started to gather around me . But nobody dare to come close . They were all busy making filming of me . That ," How I am about to die"? Something for tomorrow's front page . The pain didn't hurt much and withing splash of second , everything appered in front of me , my childhood, mo...

1 comment 1
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that starts with two characters saying goodbye.

General – 260 stories

Write a story that starts with someone returning from a trip.

General – 115 stories

Write a story that starts with a character-revealing something unusual about themselves.

General – 144 stories

Write a story that starts by establishing its setting in a different time period — without explicitly stating what that period is.

Historical Fiction – 116 stories

Contest #44

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Just the Beginning

$50

Prize money

819

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 05, 2020 EST

Won by D. Holmes 🏆

Title: A Gamble

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Tired of MS Word?

Join the revolution and write your book in a tool designed for authors. 🙌

Includes FREE typesetting to print-ready PDF & EPUB files, track changes and collaborative editing.

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Comedy Writing Prompts ⭢

Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

For Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

General Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢