Set your story within a window of opportunity, when a character finally has the chance to do something.

Posted in Middle School on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 144 stories

“Lady Brigsbury's Secrets” by Omoyeni Hamid

Submitted to Contest #97

It wasn't everytime she got the prompt. Things like this did not happen that often. But this time it did. It had begin just like any other day. Lily woke up to the sound of the familiar chirping of birds outside her window and the rays of sunlight coming through. It was one of the reasons she had wanted a light curtain. These little things meant a lot to her and helped brighten her otherwise rather monotonouss mornings. This morning hadn't seemed any different from the others. Getting up, she proceeded to go about the daily routine of gett...

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“A Summer Carnival Carol” by Katharine Johns

Submitted to Contest #97

In the moments that morning rush hour took to progress beyond the carnival setup in the park, the sight through John’s sedan windows transported him through the past, present, and future, much like Scrooge’s ghosts (except outside of Christmas) Early in the day, the lot was closed to visitors, the kiosks were closed, the rides were still, and the festive lights were off, but John couldn’t help seeing its life. Much less his life in the carnival’s liveliness. The city’s Summer Carnival event kicked off the season since the nineteen-fifties...

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“What a Lark!” by Jennifer Claire Pulling

Submitted to Contest #97

The thing that struck her was how at ease she felt among these people, how they accepted her. They didn’t appear to find it unusual: a woman on her own in an elaborate white dress walking along the crowded street with her little dog. It was as if her inner mood manifested itself in the noisy laughter and waving of flags. Their arms about each other seemed to embrace her, too. . If she met someone’s eye they just smiled or said “Lovely weather for the Fete Day, isn’t it?” And she smiled an...

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“Walking the Paths ” by Joshua Leyba

Submitted to Contest #97

When I was a small child I was told a story about a man who was approached by a beautiful stranger. The stranger told the man that they would take him to paradise if he wanted to go, curious the man agreed and was led to a barn full of people just as confused as he was. Convinced it was a scam the man stormed off but before he left he looked back and glimpsed a portal into a beautiful perfect world and he ran back only to see the portal to paradise dissolve in a now empty room. This man was my grandfather. He told me this story before disapp...

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“The Firework, and It’s Dissipation ” by James Ashton

Submitted to Contest #97

A hard, steady rain fell outside as Sofie’s slim fingers ran across the row of jackets. She felt the individual threads and materials slip through her grasp as she passed a cursory touch over each item. She had entered the store originally as a way to escape the rain that had come out of nowhere. The building was small, they had rebranded the second hand store to be a vintage clothing shop. Sofie smiled thinking about this way to upsell items, her smile hidden beneath her navy mask. It was strange how quickly things could change. They could ...

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“THE LAZY FLOP ON THE COUCH ... and more ! ” by Margie Rees-Gow

Submitted to Contest #97

THE LAZY FLOP ON THE COUCH .. and more ! “Oh is sooo good just to sit - actually flop and enjoy the view out the patio window and watch the trees swishing in the wind beyond the railing” says 70-something Vermont Issacs to herself. “Oh, I forgot how nice it is just to flop and do nothing” Vermont word-thinking to herself once more as she melts into the couch. Vermont just realised she never gives herself permission to do just nothing; not needing the TV to stir up emotions with in-the-face horrible overseas news - which ain't relaxing;...

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“After Jonathan” by Ellen Grace

Submitted to Contest #97

Ruth always put more water in the kettle than she needed so that she was always ready for guests. It hardly ever happened, anyone turning up without a moment’s notice, but providence, it seemed, was on her side that day; for there was a knock on the door just after she flicked the kettle’s switch.Ruth grabbed her stick and lumbered over to the front door. Standing on her tiptoes as best as her arthritic knees would allow, she peeked through the peep hole.Her peep hole was different from the others in the building: her late husband had owned ...

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“Missed Opportunity ” by Naomi C

Submitted to Contest #97

The alarm clock buzzed persistently, like a giant mosquito with evil red figures for eyes. 6:00 was an hour earlier than usual. Pungent odours of vanilla candle wax and last night's indian, mingled with a faint but lingering dampness. Dreading the inevitable aches brought on by six hours of tossing and turning on a floor mattress no thicker than a tarp, Elizabeth lay frozen, staring at the ceiling. The faint light above the kitchen stove in the next room allowed her to make out the familiar shapes looming above her. A dusty dresser, with pee...

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“Ready For An Adventure?” by 𝙰𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚎

Submitted to Contest #97

I took a step into the warm sunlight and let its golden rays wash over my damp face. In the movies when characters are walking away and moving on, they never look back. They never look back because they are so focused on where there going, that the only place they have to look, is forward. But as I stood outside of the house that had been my home my whole life, I looked back. And I guess real life is not like the movies, because even when we're ready to move on. Even when we're so ready for change, it does not make it any easier for everyt...

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“The Path” by A O

Submitted to Contest #97

The path between the village and the town lasts approximately a mile and half. The fields retreat into the distance and form patches of neatly arranged beauty. The eye naturally sweeps upwards to the sky towards the distant shots of a hunting party across the water split the winter air. Pockets of grass raise their bushy heads to the surface. Across the river from where she is standing, pockets of coppiced trees fringe the river; dotted along its edge beside the pathway are breaks in the earth, shallow pools and banks low enough to allo...

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“My visit to Farm” by Sumit Arora

Submitted to Contest #97

I’d been planning the perfect vacation for a week last year and was so excited about it. Unfortunately, the lockdown happened and the plan got fruitless. That was the time to stay at home and away from run-of-the-mill life. I was happy to have the peaceful environment, the freshness in the air, and the chirping of birds around my home. I made myself more engaged in activities like reading books, meditating, cycling, and listening to soft music during the lockdown. After a month when the unlock process started, my company offered me the o...

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“Enough ” by Maria Bray

Submitted to Contest #97

Dave Dearborn loathed his wife.Since they had started working together, she had changed from the compliant housewife that she once was and considered herself above him, which was a joke. The bitch couldn’t sink a sale if a three-ton weight were attached to it.He sat on the couch and considered the state of things as he scrolled through Netflix to find something to take his mind off of his crappy life. Pam was out shopping and sure as shit, she’d forget most of the things he’d asked her to pick up at the store. He knew this because the airhea...

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“What She Wished She Were” by Leah Hoffman

Submitted to Contest #97

Sparrow walked along the flowers leading to her small house on the edge of Boise Drive. The weather was misty and cool, which fogged up her big, round glasses. “Why do they do that?” Sparrow thought. “I have done nothing to them.” The day before, Sparrow had begged her mom to let her go to the park for a teen gathering that the park district was setting up. Sparrow roamed to her house and glided into her bedroom to sift through her drawers to find something to wear. She picked out a new pair of blue jeans and a plain red T-shirt. She wa...

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“Para siempre ” by Elizabeth Greenwoods

Submitted to Contest #97

Imperturbable, Becca dejó pasear sus vivaces ojos grises sobre la escena que se llevaba a cabo en la habitación. Su menuda figura delgada se aferraba a la puerta, la silueta recortada en el umbral de la vieja puerta de madera con las bisagras gastadas. La señora Blythe, una mujer joven de brazos fuertes y pulso firme, caminaba apresuradamente, su largo vestido verde ondeando a medida que recorría la sala en busca de vendas y otros utensilios. Algunos mechones de cabello pajoso le caían del apretado rodete que llevaba sobre la cabeza, el sudo...

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“FOR THE GREATER GOOD” by David Ajala

Submitted to Contest #97

Roman couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned and prayed but still nothing. He let out a sigh. "Might as well get up now" He mumbled as he stood up from his small cot in the corner of the room. He carefully made his way to the door stepping over the sleeping forms of his friends. Just as he reached his objective, the door swung open and standing in the doorway was his oldest friend- Sean. He stared at Sean, his form darkened in the dim light of the lamp that hung in the hallway behind him but not even the darkness could keep his from recogn...

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Set your story within a window of opportunity, when a character finally has the chance to do something.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 144 stories

“Lady Brigsbury's Secrets” by Omoyeni Hamid

“A Summer Carnival Carol” by Katharine Johns

“What a Lark!” by Jennifer Claire Pulling

“Walking the Paths ” by Joshua Leyba

“The Firework, and It’s Dissipation ” by James Ashton

“THE LAZY FLOP ON THE COUCH ... and more ! ” by Margie Rees-Gow

“After Jonathan” by Ellen Grace

“Missed Opportunity ” by Naomi C

“Ready For An Adventure?” by 𝙰𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚎

“The Path” by A O

“My visit to Farm” by Sumit Arora

“Enough ” by Maria Bray

“What She Wished She Were” by Leah Hoffman

“Para siempre ” by Elizabeth Greenwoods

“FOR THE GREATER GOOD” by David Ajala

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with a character looking out of a window in the middle of the night.

Write a story in which a window is broken or found broken.

Write a story that involves a magic window — or a window like no other.

Start your story with an unexpected knock on a window.

Contest #97

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

921

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: