Write about a plan that goes wrong, for the better.

Posted in Middle School on Nov 8, 2022

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✍️ 38 stories

“The Spire” by Kalin Demirev

Submitted to Contest #170

Alrin looked up towards where the glaring desert sun sat in its celestial throne. The sun looked back at him with its own mocking gaze. He pushed back a long lock of dark, sweat-soaked hair from his forehead and cursed at the sun, then resumed trudging onward; vast, unchanging, blindingly radiant desert sprawling as far as his dry bloodshot eyes could see. Even though he had known his platoon was underprepared for this expedition, he was still in shock from the extent of his failure. His men, soldiers under his command, all perished in last ...

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“Well-Fed Barbarians” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #170

The clinking of the silverware and the wine being poured were the only sounds to be heard at the dinner table. The lights were bright and harsh, casting dark, sharp shadows across the dining room. What the light could not reveal, however, was that the couple would be trying to kill each other that night, and that both would have bullet holes in their heads in the end. ************** “Where’s Bethany?” Dominic looked up from his plate, gazing stoically at his wife. It was the first words he had spoken to her all night. Ellen didn’t bother loo...

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“Love potion ” by Dao Huy Kien

Submitted to Contest #170

When in high school, I was secretly in love with a classmate named Evelyn, who had beautiful round eyes, pinkish white skin and smooth black hair. She had a face of angel so that a lot of guys like her, even the guys from upper class and colleges. Meanwhile, I was neither a handsome boy nor an outstanding student. I was not a rich kid or an excellent basketball guy either, just an average teenager so that I thought there was no chance for me to be her boyfriend. I enjoyed watching her secretly, especially when she tied her hair u...

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“Faces of Time” by Bev D

Submitted to Contest #170

The stories are not supposed to be true. And though the other gods enjoy that our existence is a secret, I intend it not to remain so. In a mortal's time, it took nine decades before they started hearing my whispers. Another nine until they sought me. And then another nine for me to build a place where they can. In the heart of the forest where I waited, the wind was so unfamiliar with the mortals’ scent. The scent of dirt, death, and desperation. It took centuries for those first mortals to find me, but I was not impatient. I knew that alre...

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“Two of Me...” by Michele Mitchell

Submitted to Contest #170

“That boy’s death is on me!” Farrell tossed papers on his desk and flopped in his chair. He rubbed his now crimson forehead as if doing so would relieve his frustration. His anger seemed to raise the temperature in his office. This caused Ross to wipe his brow knowing there wasn’t anything he could say to his partner to change the situation. “We don’t have any witnesses?” Ross delicately asked. “Oh no, we gotta whole funeral home full of witnesses! That’s not the problem! The problem is the witnesses won’t talk! Farrell wasn...

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“Not the Trip I Planned” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #170

Not the Trip I PlannedHe was not the children’s father but taught them to fish. Looking back now, I realize it was not quite as I remembered; he needed rides to the fishing holes because he didn’t have a car. That was the problem; he would take my car and leave me stranded. I would usually be at work and need to pick up my children from daycare and after-school programs. I had been in a vicarious situation for the last time around November 10th while temping at the Post Office, so I found a used car in the paper and insisted he purchases it....

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“A Plan Blows up” by Jackie Ross Flaum

Submitted to Contest #170

Margaret Lowell stepped on her porch to escape the vinegar aroma of the tomatoes and cucumbers she was canning—and shrieked. Smoke as black as death billowed from her daughter’s home. She flew down her front steps toward the house where her daughter Emma and four-year-old granddaughter Betsy lived. Margaret didn’t bother with the path but plowed straight through the acre of corn between the houses. A faint siren sounded near the Starlight Galleria mall two hay fields from Emma’s house. Sudden screams of agony ec...

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“Trip of a Lifetime” by Shelbrea McCleese

Submitted to Contest #170

“Got your keys?”, yes, I answered as we hurried out the door. We were on our way to the airport. Consumed by our checklists and carry-on bags, time was of the essence to avoid missing our flight. It was our third year together. Nathaniel and I were college sweethearts who’d met in my junior year and his senior year. Now that we were totally engrossed in adulting, we both managed to scrape our coins together and take a trip. You know, one of those all-inclusive getaways that would make us feel like we’d work hard to p...

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“Plandemonium” by John Elford

Submitted to Contest #170

I rolled over in the bed, a sliver of sunlight shining through the blinds caught my eye and prompted me to wake, hang on this wasn’t right, it shouldn’t be light outside. “Holy crap, I’m late.” I blurted out. The alarm hadn’t gone off, or I’d slept through it or something? My head was muzzy and I felt a bit confused. Today was an important day I could not be late, this interview was gonna make me. I brushed my teeth, ummed and aahed over taking a shower then had a quick armpit squirt and hurriedly put on the suit I had prepped th...

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“The Trap” by John McDonald

Submitted to Contest #170

He held the zip drive by the tips of his boney fingers, staring at it as it was shaken by his heartbeats. A small strip of tape with the words, “For William” written in black sharpie could be seen on the side of the stick. Then he turned to his grey, out-of-touch computer, that only had a few links saved to the desktop and nothing else. Then he turned back to the zip drive. It took all the strength he had, but the old man was able to thrust the drive into the USB slot, allowing the disk’s link to pop up on the screen. Without thinking,...

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“Scuba Diving Wyoming” by Heidi Destefano

Submitted to Contest #170

Growing up on a ranch in the badlands of Wyoming, I never expected to learn how to scuba dive. In the unlikely event there was water, I drank it. I totally missed out on going to the town pool in the summer because I was out at the ranch. I was the only kid in grade school who couldn’t swim until I had to take an aquatic unit in junior high gym class. I managed to pass with a B, but never really felt comfortable in the water. Scuba diving was not on my bucket list, so I was surprised when my parents bought me an open...

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“Freedom for All” by Ava Black

Submitted to Contest #170

TW: This piece depicts triggering topics such as suicide, terrorism, and mental health. The twisted bundle of wires is a brain and the hot soldering iron is my scalpel. Stolen books on bombmaking are opened and scattered around my operating table. It’s meticulous and messy work, but like any operation, it will save lives. The world, in fact. It’s been almost two decades since the Elites developed their mind control program. At the start, they packaged it as a social website, tricking people into using it with shiny bells and whistles....

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“Murphy's Law” by Lonnie Larson

Submitted to Contest #170

This is a story about Bobby and how he spent six weeks of his summer vacation dressed as a girl when he was fourteen. He had always had a fascination for female clothing as early as age four. He has a sister, Abby, that is two years older. She always wanted a baby sister so when Bobby was a baby, and until he was four, she would dress him up in her clothes every chance she got, and they would play together until their mom would find them and made him change. No matter how many times she scolded Abby, whenever it was too quiet, sh...

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“My Letter to Peoria” by Edward Kennedy

Submitted to Contest #170

Isolation and alienation had become my only companions and other then that time in a Bangkok hotel bathroom… I never felt so low. Hold up maybe I should back up for you. See today, I saw old friends who came up from Peoria that I have not seen in over year. It was good to see them however, I learned people wondered where I went or what happened as I did move away very abruptly, with little communication to anyone about why and did it in a private manner. So, it is time to poke my head out and make contact share a bit of my story and no I di...

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“The Tree” by Doug McGuinn

Submitted to Contest #170

The three Land-Rovers slid to a stop at the base of the crescent-shaped dune. From the first Rover scrambled Professors Hassan and al-Risala, members of the Faculty of Science at the Libyan University, their red fezzes emerging from the cloud of brown dust kicked up by the tires. They waded excitedly through the deep sand to the tree that stood alone on the barren plain that surrounded the dune. World-renowned Egyptian nature photographer Ali Abdu Hakim, who always wore a varicolored skullcap, hurriedly collected his equipment from the...

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Write about a plan that goes wrong, for the better.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“The Spire” by Kalin Demirev

“Well-Fed Barbarians” by Delbert Griffith

“Love potion ” by Dao Huy Kien

“Faces of Time” by Bev D

“Two of Me...” by Michele Mitchell

“Not the Trip I Planned” by Kimberly Walker

“A Plan Blows up” by Jackie Ross Flaum

“Trip of a Lifetime” by Shelbrea McCleese

“Plandemonium” by John Elford

“The Trap” by John McDonald

“Scuba Diving Wyoming” by Heidi Destefano

“Freedom for All” by Ava Black

“Murphy's Law” by Lonnie Larson

“My Letter to Peoria” by Edward Kennedy

“The Tree” by Doug McGuinn

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with the line “I’ve got a plan”.

Write a story about a character who tries to control their life down to the most minute detail — but has to learn to let go.

Write a story that involves the architectural plans for a building.

Fly by the seat of your pants and write a story without a plan.

Contest #170

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

200

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: