Start your story with a character facing a situation that isn't awful, but isn't great.

Posted in Middle School on Nov 1, 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?

✍️ 34 stories

“Chance of Rain” by Sabine Garlington

Submitted to Contest #155

Nate stared at the sign in front of him. He was still a little early to pick up his son, but he didn’t have time for this. He sat motionless in his beat up Dodge truck for a few minutes. Should he ignore the sign and go through? After all, his truck was a 4 x 4 with a lifted chassis. He could handle a fair amount of water. Or should he back up and go a different direction? And which direction should he go? North to Pitkin, or south to the Wye? The rain had temporarily slowed to a sprinkle, and his windshield wipers were...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Cinderella Kid” by J. Smith

Submitted to Contest #155

Wednesday, date night has been our custom for the last two years. Tonight it was movie night at the theatre inside of the mall. On our way in I’d noticed out of the corner of my eye a very unique shoe store. It appeared to be a factory where people were handmaking the shoes right there on the floor. I needed to see this, so Rachel and I split up as there was a shop that she wanted to look in as well. We both agreed to meet back in front of theatre in twenty minutes. I started walking, the shop was down a hall and around a corner. T...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Wins and Losses” by G. W. Cunning

Submitted to Contest #155

As the sun set lower in the sky he adjusted the brim of his ballcap against it. The brim already soaked through with sweat, even though the game was barely half over. The day had been hot, and tiring, and the lasting heat was magnified by the sea of asphalt that surrounded the ballfield. The parks and diamonds and courts at the north end of town wouldn't have this issue. There are tall elms, oaks and pines, and expanses of grass, in lieu of the heat reservoirs of the pavement. There would be a working water fountain as well and the dugout wa...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Urgently Going Back to Work” by Becca Yurok

Submitted to Contest #155

The venti latte had been a mistake. Maybe not as much as picking drive thru, as opposed to using that time to use the coffee shop’s washroom. If anything, the coffee was fine. In fact, it was exactly what I had needed to prepare for the day. Even the drive thru had been prompter than I had remembered. However, now I desperately needed to go pee. Earlier, when I had rushed out of my condo, I could feel the slight tingle of my bladder. However, I knew was on a tight time line ...

0 comments 0

Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that includes a character using the phrase “swings and roundabouts.”

Thanksgiving – 37 stories

Write about a character who gets good and bad news in quick succession — not necessarily in that order.

Angst – 46 stories

Write about a character who is pathologically ambivalent, until something shakes them up.

Narrative – 33 stories

Set your story in a kids’ playground, or at a roundabout.

Kids – 44 stories

Contest #155

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Swings and Roundabouts

$250

Prize money

194

Contest entries

78

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 22, 2022 EST

Won by Lonnie Russo 🏆

Title: Someone Has Died

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

Start your story with a character facing a situation that isn't awful, but isn't great.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 34 stories

“Chance of Rain” by Sabine Garlington

“The Cinderella Kid” by J. Smith

“Wins and Losses” by G. W. Cunning

“Urgently Going Back to Work” by Becca Yurok

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that includes a character using the phrase “swings and roundabouts.”

Write about a character who gets good and bad news in quick succession — not necessarily in that order.

Write about a character who is pathologically ambivalent, until something shakes them up.

Set your story in a kids’ playground, or at a roundabout.

Contest #155

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

194

Contest entries

78

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: