Write a story about a musician struggling to find work during wartime.

Posted in Historical Fiction on Feb 21, 2020

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✍️ 42 stories

“For There is no Final Silence” by Arthur Tiberio

Submitted to Contest #26

The Lobster lives immortal.Or so the fishermen say, when the day is fair and the beer is good and the shadows beg a tale. On this evening, the sea is calm, raked only with tides painted with the slow and sundry winds. The storm is far away.Yet the docks are deserted, the boats all moored, and what few men still linger in the pier have clustered at the tables of the Widowed Whaler, where they quaff cheap ale with cheerful abandon. Occasionally, one of them will free himself from the talk of his companions, or else the solemn quietude of the b...

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“The Busker” by Wesley Tinney

Submitted to Contest #26

Carlos stood in the sun of that Parisian street corner wreathed in music. The notes that sprang from his violin were the purest magic he could conjure. The strangers that walked past paid him little heed. A few would glance at him. Fewer still would drop a sou or two into the open case at his feet. The war had caused all the purse strings to be tightened. Very few of the music loving Parisians would part with money so frivolously. But on he played despite the pitiful remuneration he received. Life...

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“Wartime Struggles of a Violinist” by Anna Tuazon

Submitted to Contest #26

I doubt there was anyone that was untouched by the devastation of the war. Those suffering the most being the families of the fallen. Their grief is palpable in the air. Others, like myself, struggle to find a living with what little talents we have. In light of the war, what can a violinist do to help? There’s little cause to celebrate so there’s no parties for me to provide a faint but upbeat background on which pleasantries amongst friends can be exchanged. How can one celebrate a birthday when there are numerous funerals to be had? At fi...

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“The Accordionist” by Eeshani Chakraborty

Submitted to Contest #26

The sun shone bright over Jonathan Müller’s head, as he set put of his house on a Sunday morning with his accordion in hand. “How’s it going, mein Junge?”“Very nice, Frau Hermann.”Jonathan was as well known in Dresden as Raphael. The only difference being that Raphael was known as an extremely talented painter whereas Jonathan was known as a skinny boy who plays funny melodies. He had a round face with a shaved beard and light brown eyes. Jonathan did not mind his reputation. Being a musician during the World War was a quite brave ...

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“Wartime Musician” by Caitlin Owen

Submitted to Contest #26

The air is filled with something that can’t quite be placed, it isn’t silence nor is it noise, it is like tragic despair, mimicking the emotions of the people surviving in the city.To fill this void with music is all he wants. To give the people a simple glimmer of hope.He wanders the streets, guitar in hand, looking for anywhere to play. Strumming on the corner under the streetlamp is usually his destination when everywhere else fails. But he understands he’s not the only one looking for work, he’s not the only one starving, he’s not the on...

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“Wartime Serenade” by Kevin Porter

Submitted to Contest #26

He clambered over piles of rubble where once a proud venue stood. He had, himself, played these very halls on numerous occasions. But no more. If the world survived, these premises may one day be rebuilt but it would never again be as it was. Many of the old masters had performed here. Over its long and storied history countless endeavors had been brought to enlighten as well as entertain. Now, there remained only dust, rubble, and broken dreams to mark the spot where stood the once great opera house. The devastation was re...

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“Dear Aunt Lydia” by Charles Black

Submitted to Contest #26

Dear Aunt Lydia, I hope this letter finds you well. Heck, I hope this letter even finds you. With the bombing raids starting again, I'm not sure regular mail will get anywhere. Yeah, I know the government promises “normalcy” even with bombs and missiles raining down from the sky almost every day. But I don't see much normal going on, at least not in my town. Email would be better, but I know you are old school and don't even own a smartphone, much less a computer. (The problem with relying on our own TV, radio and newspapers is it's all pro-...

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“All That Jazz” by Bayleigh Hunziger

Submitted to Contest #26

The Great War was wreaking havoc everywhere. Not only were we losing people, good, hard working people, we were losing great players to the draft. Being a musician was tough as it is, but being a female musician in 1917… it wasn’t easy. I had a gig tonight in Chicago, the Windy City. I lived an hour away on horseback, around five on foot, assuming I got a ride, that is. I liked walking, though. Nature was a second home to me, after my mama died. Daddy made me help with the chores, and while I hated it back then, I was sure grateful for...

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“Silver Flute” by Anna Blass

Submitted to Contest #26

I’m being chased. The wind whips through my hair as I pound down streets and around corners. The sound of my feet thumping on the cobblestones repeats itself in my head. Thump. Thwump. Thump. Thwump. In my head it turns into a melody, and, before I know it, my footsteps are singing to me. I dodge into the doorway of a building, opening and shutting the door quickly behind me. I pant fo...

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“SO I DON'T EXIST” by Mariah Lumsden

Submitted to Contest #26

So I Don't ExistMariah Lumsden CHAPTER 1 Maybe I could have let it go if I tried, but the music didn't know the war. The music was young, and the war was ancient. There was no way they could have ever understood each other, or have a conversation that didn't involve them yelling at each other until their lungs burned. I understood where both of them were coming from. The war was tired, their skin was yellowing and caving in, they had been breathing for too long. Music was just a child. She was smart for her age and she showed so mu...

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“The Broken Keys on the Cobblestone” by Benjamin McKelvey

Submitted to Contest #26

Philip Baker was an ordinary pianist. Never had he have to venture too far into the dark nights of the London streets as work was always common in the 30s. But when 1040 came; Laughter and singing was drowned out but calls of war in Europe. No one wanted to sing when others were screaming.Philip was from Putney. The west London scene mostly devoured his talent like a beast on the weekend. But in 1941’s winter, Philip’s set was interrupted by sirens. On more than one occasion.“Blasted bombs” he cussed to himself as he packed up his belo...

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“A Song For the Hopeless” by Tommy Fox

Submitted to Contest #26

BERLIN, GERMANYHow can the world seem perfectly fine one day, then go all wrong the next? It just didn’t make sense. Especially not to Otto.Well, a lot of things did not make sense to Otto. Like how some people lived cold and hungry in little shacks while others lived in big houses, like his family’s estate. The Wolff estate, his father had once told him, and all ours. All yours. That was, of course, when he was still a little boy, and Otto’s mother had insisted that his oddities would pass.“Why, just look at him, Elena!” The father wou...

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Write a story about a musician struggling to find work during wartime.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 42 stories

“For There is no Final Silence” by Arthur Tiberio

“The Busker” by Wesley Tinney

“Wartime Struggles of a Violinist” by Anna Tuazon

“The Accordionist” by Eeshani Chakraborty

“Wartime Musician” by Caitlin Owen

“Wartime Serenade” by Kevin Porter

“Dear Aunt Lydia” by Charles Black

“All That Jazz” by Bayleigh Hunziger

“Silver Flute” by Anna Blass

“SO I DON'T EXIST” by Mariah Lumsden

“The Broken Keys on the Cobblestone” by Benjamin McKelvey

“A Song For the Hopeless” by Tommy Fox

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a character who was considered a prodigy when they were young.

Write about a character who goes by many different names throughout their life.

Write about a character who was raised in a musical family.

Write a story about a character obsessed with one of the long-dead “greats” in their profession.

Contest #26

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

226

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: