Write a story inspired by a piece of music (without using any lyrics).

Posted in Middle School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 39 stories

“Suzanne ” by Rachel Dzengelewski

🏆 Winner of Contest #119

Suzanne Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” I first saw her at a party sitting among the bohemian crowd, all skinny, all smoking, all intense with their words. She leaned forward with a glass of red wine in one hand, a cigarette in the other. She spoke as if in secret, telling them everything she knew of social injustice and political corruption, all the wrongs that they were certain in their hash-filled haze they could set right. Stewart came from his bedroom, hugged me, took my suitcase and ragged coat before sitting softly bes...

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“Eternity” by Mina Ramey

Submitted to Contest #119

CW: Dealing with subjects of death, light drug use, slight strong language.Inspired by World So Cold-Three Days GraceLightning danced across the sky, and rolls of thunder shook the ground as a pale and frazzled Zeke stumbled across the grass. His feet sank into the soft earth, and rain blurred his vision, but he refused to be deterred. Zeke struggled along his path until at last, he found her. Eva lay still as the grave, not a single sign of life to be seen. The deep color of her skin barely held its usual vibrant glow. Between the rain and ...

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“Obliterate Me” by Devika G

Submitted to Contest #119

CW: Some mature content and strong language Song: "Every Little Thing" by Carly Pearce “God, baby, you’re so good,” he groaned out. “I’m gonna…” he trailed off. My eyes closed of their own accord, his words stoking the fire that was already out of control for him within me. I knew what was about to happen as he picked up the pace. And then, I was rewarded with my favourite groan as my own orgasm took hold of me. My body tensed as I dug my fingers into the defined muscles of his back. My breathing was erratic as I rode the high onl...

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“First Date” by Edén Sibello

Submitted to Contest #119

April 25 was perfect, it was a little windy, but the sun was still out and the birds were having the time of their lives chirping along in the skies. Lucien finally got the courage to ask his crush on a date. It was nothing grand, just a simple picnic at a park, getting to know each other and stuff… In truth, he didn’t plan anything for his first date. Could you blame him? Lucien was a hopeless romantic; he never thought he would get this far with anyone. It was kind of scary for him, he barely knew the guy! They talked to each other a few t...

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“Suite Memories” by Mae Siu-Wai Stroshane

Submitted to Contest #119

Jack Colby leaned back in his battered recliner and closed his eyes. How long had it been since he’d slept in his own bed? He’d gotten used to the recliner at Amelia’s bedside in the Hospice Unit at the Memorial, and found he liked it. Truth was, he dreaded going back to the bed they’d shared at home for forty-one years. He couldn’t imagine a night without her gentle breathing and comfortable curves next to him, always warming to his kisses. All through the funeral and for weeks after, he hadn’t shed a tear. Friends were amazed, but ...

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“The Safest Place” by Emily Snyder

Submitted to Contest #119

Inspired by Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" “Is daddy going to say goodnight?” My three-year old waits for my answer as I stroke his cheek with my hand. I can’t let him see me crying. “Not tonight, son.” I hear my voice tremble as I take in his expression. I try to memorize every part of this moment. His soft face and innocent eyes fill my heart with pain and joy. I pull him in for a hug and hold him tight. I don’t want him to worry. I hope he doesn’t notice me lingering, but mostly, I hope the embrace is not our last. I pull t...

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“Sounds Of Not Silence” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #119

The sound of my snoring surprised me, when I was startled awake, but it wasn’t what disturbed my sleep. What caught my ear was a rapping sound, echoing from a distance. “Rap, rap, rap.” Then, it stopped.Filled with curiosity, I clicked the remote, turning off the TV and dragged myself out of the recliner. Standing motionlessly, with my mouth slightly opened, I wait for the sound to return. A minute passed, when I decided I must have dreamed it and gave up on my investigation.My stomach, aroused from its slumber, decided it wanted to be fed, ...

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“No Bad Deed Ever Goes Unseen” by CJ Rodgers

Submitted to Contest #119

tw: mentions of murder, child death, rape, religious trauma, and light goreIt hadn't been too scary in the daytime. But Josie couldn't deny that it had sent shivers down her spine.Tait had thrown up, so she was at least faring better than him."What is this place?" Josie peered into a room without a door, stunned to find beds in three neat rows."A residential school." Tait had spat the words like they were poison. "A torture chamber. Hell." He listed like they were adjectives of each other.There were three rooms of beds, each room holding abo...

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“I hung my head” by Gianluca Angelucci

Submitted to Contest #119

The thud of the gavel roaring from the towering chair of the judge presses on my chest, with the same weight of the doors of Hell closing behind me.I suppose that it will actually happen, as soon as the Grim Reaper will come and claim my soul. There in the square, where the gallows stand waiting for me, the Lone Rider will escort me to Hell, like the sheriff did to the jury house.How I got here still escapes the grasp of my understanding. My hands had known for all my life nothing but the stern touch of plow and sickle, the same as my father...

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“Entrance of the Gladiators” by Anje Campisi

Submitted to Contest #119

Smiles tell your story. Smiles make friends. Smiles make everyone feel better. There is something about the upturn of the lips, those fine lines that form at the corner of the mouth, and that slight crinkle in the nose that changes a person's perspective. Smiles invite people into you to partake of a piece of you. But it's the eyes. Eyes are truly windows. They let others glimpse who you really are. A well-placed wink or eye-roll can convey more than an hour-long speech. It's always apparent when a...

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“Strange, Young, and Vaguely Inexplicable” by Grady Sullivan

Submitted to Contest #119

What a strange, young, and vaguely inexplicable world. When she was born, the world stood that way, only it never did evolve into that completed puzzle most children can picture. Nothing, nothing ever, quite made sense. And everything, including her, remained strange, young, and vaguely inexplicable. Well, perhaps not the girl. She was peculiar, old-minded, and generally exhausting to figure out. Of course, nobody tried, for, in truth, nobody ever does. Despite that general knowledge, people like to pretend they will. However, she...

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“Music” by Min Min

Submitted to Contest #119

Music I was listening to Chopin's Funeral March on the radio the other day. It brought back my memories. In 1966, I lived in Shanghai. One of my neighbors was Gu Shengying. She was a distinguished young pianist. I often listened to her music drifting from her window. In my alley, several kids played violins, accordions, and other musical instruments. Whenever she was playing piano, everyone stopped and listened. At the age of 16, Gu performed Chopin's Second ...

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“Saturday Night” by Mo Ferdause

Submitted to Contest #119

(Writers note: 1 night, 6 POV)Kids are a handful. I am struggling to raise two of my own lately. When I see someone with a half dozen kids at a supermarket, I laugh inside. You should've thought about going on birth control, lady! I say it quietly under my breath. I do my own thing and keep my rascals under a short leash. For the most part, they are all well behaved kids. Occasionally the little one will throw a fit if she doesn’t have it her own way, but that lasts only a few seconds. She knows that if she keeps it up, she will be in a...

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“They're Calling Off The War” by Deborah Landers

Submitted to Contest #119

("Mars" by Sleeping At Last)*"Did you hear them say the war's supposed to be over now?" Private Rodriguez whispered.Gina Sullivan couldn't help but groan into her pillow. "They've always said that, kid," she muttered. "We're still here and about as front-line as they get. If it were actually over, I feel like we'd be the first to know.""But what if it is?" Apparently the kid couldn't take a hint. Not even an explicit one, like shoving her head under her pillow. "What if they reached an agreement and now we get to go home?"Gina actually felt ...

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“A lost friend” by Isla Brown

Submitted to Contest #119

Let’s start at the beginning, in the last few months of third grade I became friends with a boy named Scot. We bonded over the fact that we both liked history and filming. Scot and I started really writing and coming up with scripts in fourth grade. At recess we would plan a show we wanted to make, drawing and writing in my notebook and talking about things we knew we couldn’t do with the ten dollars we both had. Scot and I hung out a lot in and outside of school. I had bought a camera so on days that worked I went home with him and ...

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Contest #119

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Ended on 23:59 - Nov 12, 2021 EST

Won by Rachel Dzengelewski 🏆

Title: Suzanne

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Write a story inspired by a piece of music (without using any lyrics).

Submissions are closed

✍️ 39 stories

“Suzanne ” by Rachel Dzengelewski

“Eternity” by Mina Ramey

“Obliterate Me” by Devika G

“First Date” by Edén Sibello

“Suite Memories” by Mae Siu-Wai Stroshane

“The Safest Place” by Emily Snyder

“Sounds Of Not Silence” by Howard Seeley

“No Bad Deed Ever Goes Unseen” by CJ Rodgers

“I hung my head” by Gianluca Angelucci

“Entrance of the Gladiators” by Anje Campisi

“Strange, Young, and Vaguely Inexplicable” by Grady Sullivan

“Music” by Min Min

“Saturday Night” by Mo Ferdause

“They're Calling Off The War” by Deborah Landers

“A lost friend” by Isla Brown

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with an unusual sound being heard.

Start your story with a character saying “Listen, …”

Write a story that involves eavesdropping.

Set your story in a silent house by the sea.

Contest #119

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

232

Contest entries

160

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: