Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.

Posted in High School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 162 stories

“Cabaret Dreams” by Morgan Douglas

Submitted to Contest #50

The Portland-famous cabaret singer Lena Medley was about to go on stage for the umpteenth time. This time in an intimate gastro bar in the Pearl District. Try as she might to feel like this performance would be just like every other one she had done over the years. She knew that tonight was special and she wanted to perform at her best. In order to make her once estranged mother proud. They had reconnected about a year prior and Lena was still trying to forgive her mother for leaving when she was a teenager. Her mother, named Kelly, was comi...

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“Conquering From Within” by Krittika Chandhok

Submitted to Contest #50

"There is some sort of counter-intuitive truism stating that it's all your head. I am not quite a fan of this abstract, mainly because the harder I try to believe in it, the more obnoxious any situation becomes. When your heart is beating faster than the velocity of a Buggati Veyron, an accelerated breath and a feeling that I can collapse at any moment, it's vague to say that". I say this out loud to my therapist who gives me a deadpan expression along with a few nods after listening to my remark. "Seems like you're under the influence of p...

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“Just Like You Said It Would Be” by Yvonne McCoy

Submitted to Contest #50

My head hangs above the toilet as dry heaves shudder through my body. This is the way a lot of famous musicians started – nervous and playing their first time at a small local bar, right? Except, I don’t want to be famous. I just want to be me. But I’m not even sure what “being me” means. The music stops and the echo of light applause rings out from the venue, signaling only one performance left before it’s my turn. I draw in a deep breath, knowing I can’t stay in here all night. I straighten up and tug at the hem of my sweater, first pu...

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“The Dance Recital” by Monica Chaddick

Submitted to Contest #50

Sarah was crying - again. She had been crying at the drop of a hat for the last three days. This time, she was crying because her stomach hurt. Earlier, she was crying because she couldn’t find the color that she wanted. Before that, she was crying because her coffee milk wasn’t ready. Every little tiny thing seemed to set her off lately. Yesterday, she had cried so much that she made herself sick. If it wasn’t her brother annoying her, then it was her cousin or...

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“Shaking” by D. Alfonso

Submitted to Contest #50

Thirty minutes. I had thirty minutes before I was supposed to go on stage. Thirty minutes before the lights would shine on me. Thirty minutes before I made a fool of myself in front of everyone. "Would you just relax, Mari," Astra, my best friend, said, but I couldn't. I was pacing a hole in the floor. Gosh, my hands were shaking so bad, I knew vibrato wouldn't be a problem. But, what if I dropped my violin? What if my bow was shaking? What if… In thirty minutes, I would get up on stage and play my violin for the talent show. Astra...

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“Perfect Presentation” by Alicia Powers

Submitted to Contest #50

I look at the clock. Five minutes remain until the meeting. I want to practice the slides until I can recite each one perfectly, but I have run out of time. “Memorize the transitions,” I remind myself, a piece of advice I have often received from my graduate school advisor. I can recite the transitions between slides, but now that the presentation is approaching, I am drawing blanks on the substance in the slides. I will have to hope that, in the moment, my words will come through. I take two breaths and unplug my c...

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“Oh Holy night!” by Fuh Colette

Submitted to Contest #50

On Saturday, 5th November, 2016 was the day I'd finally decided to overcome fear and shyness. Melvis ( my best friend's elder sister), and I had made plans to join "Celestial Chorus Choir" for more than a year but didn't have the guts to. Back in my secondary school days I used to be in our local Parish's youth choir; Saint Gabriel's Choir. That wasn't challenging because I was the youngest and was often pampered by the adults. It wasn't a problem if I missed a note, besides the whole choir was a mess ( not just literally). Here I was in a n...

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“Paraclausithryon” by Natalie Rarick

Submitted to Contest #50

He offers me a final smile, a moment of solidarity from this boy I’ve never met who is competing to take my spot, then tucks his binder under his arm. Shiny dress shoes, perfectly styled hair, and hopeful eyes disappear through the door. It makes a dull clunk when it closes. In. One. Out. Two. Through the door, I hear the rustle of sheet music, murmuring, as he goes over his tempo with the pianist. My finger taps a tempo against my knee, a bodily manifestation of the hammering in my chest, but it is too fast, my song doesn’t go that f...

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“Reversed Aftermaths” by Magnolia Brooks

Submitted to Contest #50

I. The dust covered the town, causing the people that had managed to survive to choke on the congested air. The coliseum was nowhere to be seen. The spectators that had filled the seats in expectation of the show to come, had vanished. Smushed beneath the rubble of what was once an arena. The young boy tossed a broken piece of the building off of an old man’s corpse. The man’s eyes staring off into the distance with an unnamed sadness. The boy held onto his father’s lifeless body as he soaked the old man’s clothes with his tears. He could o...

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“Breathe Slow” by Julie Evans

Submitted to Contest #50

Sweat. God, so much filthy sweat. I’m clammy and disgusting. I’ve showered twice today, freezing cold stinging water blasting onto my upturned face to try and calm my shredded nerves but I already know I’ll have to do it again after my upcoming triumphant finale. I taste again the bitter bile that creeps up my throat, burning into the back of my mouth as I wait patiently in the dark for my cue. It burns me from the inside. I wipe my damp forehead and sinewy neck swiftly on the coarse material held tightly between my hands. It doesn’t matter....

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“Clothed” by Joshua Scott Hotchkin Wordpress.dungherder.com

Submitted to Contest #50

Sarah rummaged through the costume trailer looking for something comfortable to wear. The costume department had agreed to let her choose clothing she would be cozy enough in to perform uninhibited, even though they would get the final say in which of the outfits she would wear on set from the several she picked. There had only been two occasions in her life in which she had been fully clothed, both times in ceremonial garb, for her maturation ceremony and naming party. Those outfits were nothing like the remnants of humanity's past she wa...

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“The Acting Troupe That Caused a Miracle” by Ronda Everson

Submitted to Contest #50

I was an extremely shy girl. I was just beginning to learn to talk to people. I was barely eighteen years old, and already a university student. My friends were my books, but I was determined to stop being so shy. I was at a Christian university, and I knew Christians were kind. I told myself I could talk to them because Christians were kind. I pulled courage from way down deep inside of myself and was learning to carry on conversations. My voice was so small. My natural voice sounded like a whisper. I had a frien...

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“Sidewalk to Stage” by Maggie Farnum

Submitted to Contest #50

“Go break a leg.” My director and friend, Jack Wilson, called out to me. I smiled at him nervously. “I’ll try not to.” I said jokingly. My first performance on stage was tonight. My legs were shaking, my jaw was shaking. Heck, my whole body was shaking. I was so nervous. Jack had found me on a New York street singing, just trying to make some extra cash to save up for the dress I was wanting to wear for Prom. I still remember what he told me the day we met. “Skye, you have potential to be on Broadway with a voice like that.” He...

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“FROZEN FEET!!!” by Shiekuma Mnda

Submitted to Contest #50

* * * I couldn’t breathe. I stood in the School Hall’s bathroom and stared at my sweating self in the mirror but couldn’t understand why my brain had abruptly stopped thinking. Maybe I was having a panic attack, no it can’t happen now. Today was my big day, it was time to prove to everyone at home and in my class that I wasn’t as dumb and naive as they thought I was. That I was worthy of something useful, that it was my time to conquer the universe. But here I was, all drenched with sweat to the socks in my freshly pressed suit and bro...

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“Stage or the Cubicle?” by Claire Riddle

Submitted to Contest #50

“Hey Laura, will you come out?” “Just let me be.” “You come out right now. There’s only two before you.” “I will. Just leave.” I heard her sigh, and her footsteps faded away. I knew I had to leave the cubicle, but I wanted to stick to the closed toilet seat. A sweet voice singing a beautiful song and the crowd’s cheering could be heard slightly. In a few minutes, my name will be called out and people will be waiting to see ‘Laura Chapman’ on the stage. Katie will come and bang on the door, begging and yelling at me to come out. I stood up...

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Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 162 stories

“Cabaret Dreams” by Morgan Douglas

“Conquering From Within” by Krittika Chandhok

“Just Like You Said It Would Be” by Yvonne McCoy

“The Dance Recital” by Monica Chaddick

“Shaking” by D. Alfonso

“Perfect Presentation” by Alicia Powers

“Oh Holy night!” by Fuh Colette

“Paraclausithryon” by Natalie Rarick

“Reversed Aftermaths” by Magnolia Brooks

“Breathe Slow” by Julie Evans

“Clothed” by Joshua Scott Hotchkin Wordpress.dungherder.com

“The Acting Troupe That Caused a Miracle” by Ronda Everson

“Sidewalk to Stage” by Maggie Farnum

“FROZEN FEET!!!” by Shiekuma Mnda

“Stage or the Cubicle?” by Claire Riddle

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a proposal.

Write a story about an argument that seems to be about one thing, but is actually about another.

Write a story told entirely through one chase scene.

Write a story about a summer afternoon spent in a treehouse.

Contest #50

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

940

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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