Set your story in a major city that your character has a love-hate relationship with.

Posted in Middle School on Oct 25, 2022

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.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 153 stories

“Forgetting to Remember” by Jzenz .

Submitted to Contest #85

He pulls his shirt over his nose, cringing at the familiar smell of pollution. The skies were gloomy, and cloudy. Sunlight was nowhere to be found. He pushed his fingers to his temples. “Such a wonderful welcome home” he says. He waved down a cab, an old male driver pulled in, looking more impatient every second. The taxi driver looks back at him, clearly confused. “ID?” He had a heavy accent and arrogant tone. New York, the only city in the world that could be so welcoming and brutal at the same time. He pulled his ID out, Wilbur Moore. The...

2 comments 2

Read story

“New Haven” by Mary Burns

Submitted to Contest #85

I’m driving from New Jersey to my sister’s house in Rhode Island and, as always, I must stop in New Haven, Connecticut, a city that I both love and hate. A city that has brought me both joy and sadness. It is one of my favorite places due to some wonderful memories and yet it is a city that has brought me deep sorrow.I cross the Q Bridge on Route 95 and take exit 50 onto Woodward Avenue. I turn left at the second light and drive mindlessly through the streets until I find myself driving alongside the Quinnipiac River. It is a peaceful area. ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“I love Montreal but…” by Rajesh Patel

Submitted to Contest #85

I was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I can say that I have spent all my life here except for six months. Coming from parents that emigrated from India to Canada, makes me a first generation born Canadian Indian in this country. Having said that I have lived pretty much all my life here. I can confirm that I do love this city. I have no regrets that my parents chose this city over thousands of places we could have ended up in the world. Life is expensive here but if you work hard, and save some money, you can go far. ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“In the City” by Sarah A

Submitted to Contest #85

While I’m talking to my dad on my phone outside the train station, I spot an American penny left unattended on the ground. I don’t pick it up, just stare at it while I listen to his comforting voice on the other end of the line. If Tyler was here, he’d pick it up, call it even luckier because it found its way here, from the other side of the world. Maybe he’d even call it a sign that it’s time to come home. &...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Magical City.” by Patricia Green

Submitted to Contest #85

Having booked a taxi, after my first night stay, I thanked the Concierge and walked outside. Icy fingers ran up my spine as I faced into the freezing wind. It was only 7am so the day hadn’t had time to warm up, but being Melbourne in Winter, it wasn’t likely to get much warmer. The sun was just coming up behind the towers of the city, throwing golden rainbows over the glass windows, looking like something out of a magical kingdom. “ Unfortunately when the sun got a little higher the magic had g...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A rainy day ” by Sivaprakash .

Submitted to Contest #85

The rain was real, I had no umbrella, but ye, I love getting wet in rain. The sky was grey with clouds, and the petrichor brought nostalgia, I could feel every drop of water falling on my body and sliding down, slowly. "Venti!!!" I knew the voice. It was Tash, with an umbrella. "Hey hey Tash!" "Venti, ye come here, don't get cold again." "Ye thanks, I see you got a very big umbrella." "Yea, to help friends from getting cold." "Ye, thanks, also ye, don't call me Venti, my current alias is Siva." "You do have a lot of alias haha," another fa...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The City Of Dreams” by Freyan Wadia

Submitted to Contest #85

The open drawers, overflowing cupboards and the general mess in the little room suggested that it in the process of being cleared. However, the seventeen-year-old girl curled up on the floor with a paper in hand showed no signs of finishing the job. The page appeared to have been ripped out of a diary, with crease lines that indicated its repeated folding and unfolding. Her eyes scanned the messy but familiar handwriting for the umpteenth time, knowing exactly which word would come next. To Frooza, I still can’t believe you’re moving to ...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Where I Used to Live” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #85

“It’s nice here. I like sitting looking at the pond, the Cathedral across the way, the pigeons. That’s one thing about this city, the parks are wonderful. Someone had the foresight to envision that amongst all the madness that we accept as modernism, progress, we would need a place to go to remember.” We would often go to the park and just sit. Every once in a while, something would change, but that was rare. Most of the time what you could count on, and the reason we pursued that place, was that things didn’t change...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Oswego, NY” by Tina Miller

Submitted to Contest #85

Oswego, NY. Oswego is a small city that lies right beside Lake Ontario in the Upstate NY region. It contains lots of shopping inside the city with lots of places to have a great meal, meet great people, and enjoy the entertainment within the city limits. The history is quite unique, and the atmosphere alone makes this city one of my favorites yet one of my worst. I was born in the city of Oswego back in 1965. Much of my time growing up was spent here i...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Message From The City” by LM Konkel-Dixon

Submitted to Contest #85

Neri has only been in this city for two months and she has grown to hate it with a passion. Ever since she inherited her grandfather's estate, she's been rebuilding, repainting, refurnishing, and tidying up thanks to the money inheritance that came with it. It was her best friend Iki's idea to turn into the Calloway Manor, a local B&B with horse riding lessons and trails. But the city that came with it was more than she could handle. Everywhere she turned, she always seemed to catch a downpour that she swore was aiming for her. Iki was c...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Erasure” by Aimee Sanders

Submitted to Contest #85

Eighteen seemed like such a long time ago. In reality only three years had passed in the meantime, but for Marnie those those short years felt like a lifetime. Now twenty-one years old Marnie was making her way around Wellington for the first time since she left. Strolling through the cities streets, she passed cafes, shops and restaurants, some she could remember and others that must have popped up while she was away. After walking past a long drag of storefronts she came to a stop in front of a large high-rise building. Above the door of t...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Got to Get Rid of That Guilt” by Bradley J. Scott, III

Submitted to Contest #85

Today –– this morning, I absolutely hate New York City. While last night, I can definitely say I love this city. With my new girl, Meredith, we saw Hadestown and had a pre-dinner at an Italian place named Bucca de Bippo. There is nothing like a good meal and a good Broadway play to make me a happy hillbilly. Whether, it’s paid for or not, doing this with arm candy is an extra perk in my profession. I’ve live...

5 comments 5

Read story

“We Stood Together (Ironworker Trade School Story) ” by Jeromy Wensley

Submitted to Contest #85

The year 2002 was drawing to a close. Second-year Ironworker trade school arrived. Fortunately, my good buddy BJ sat just a few chairs away from me in class. [Lucky me] Welding is a big part of the workload for a Structural and Ornamental Ironworker. Welding class started at noon, and on today's agenda was for the class to weld their flat position CWB welding coupons. (I attained my flat position CWB welding-ticket a few years prior; therefore, I did not have to take part. BJ, however, spent very little time welding, which meant: he...

2 comments 2

Read story

“I AND MY CITY” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Submitted to Contest #85

The City is far older than me and is my provenance. I had never in the past reflected on my relationship with my City but am looking to it now. I ask myself if I like my City. To answer that question let us take a practical example. A man marries a woman who isn’t particularly attractive but has redeeming features of practical life - acceptance of fortitude and tolerance to cope with the vicissitudes of life and you forget to look particularly for her beauty. You accept her. You get used to her. You may find you can’t live without her. It is...

2 comments 2

Read story

“City Life” by Lesley McGill

Submitted to Contest #85

The knife glinted at my throat; his eyes skewered into mine. I froze, my words, pleading and desperate, stuck in my mouth. The black hood fell over his face. He brushed it back. I stared into the dark eyes; did I know him? I inched closer to the hedge and my brain kicked free. So did my knee. I thrust up, he doubled over, grunted with the pain. I ran. Glad of my trainers for city living I pounded over the pavement towards the lights. ‘Stupid, stupid,’ I muttered the words between gasps and vowed to avoid...

1 comment 1

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that takes place in the same building but in two very different time periods.

Historical Fiction – 154 stories

Start your story with the line, “That’s the thing about this city…”

Adults – 283 stories

Write about someone fighting to change their city neighborhood for the better.

Teens – 44 stories

Write about someone fighting to keep their city neighborhood the same.

Teens – 34 stories

Contest #85

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: City Living

$50

Prize money

671

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 19, 2021 EST

A winner will be announced soon.

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!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Set your story in a major city that your character has a love-hate relationship with.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 153 stories

“Forgetting to Remember” by Jzenz .

“New Haven” by Mary Burns

“I love Montreal but…” by Rajesh Patel

“In the City” by Sarah A

“Magical City.” by Patricia Green

“A rainy day ” by Sivaprakash .

“The City Of Dreams” by Freyan Wadia

“Where I Used to Live” by Joe Swanson

“Oswego, NY” by Tina Miller

“Message From The City” by LM Konkel-Dixon

“Erasure” by Aimee Sanders

“Got to Get Rid of That Guilt” by Bradley J. Scott, III

“We Stood Together (Ironworker Trade School Story) ” by Jeromy Wensley

“I AND MY CITY” by Sivaram Govindaraj

“City Life” by Lesley McGill

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that takes place in the same building but in two very different time periods.

Start your story with the line, “That’s the thing about this city…”

Write about someone fighting to change their city neighborhood for the better.

Write about someone fighting to keep their city neighborhood the same.

Contest #85

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

671

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: