Write a story with an open ending that gives readers just enough details to draw their own conclusions.

Posted in Narrative on Sep 15, 2023

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?

✍️ 111 stories

“Back Off Buttinsky” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #216

It’s a typical day filled with amusement for Monique Vermont as she looks around Marvin Garden’s courtyard. Monique laughs as six-year-old Charity Chase spins her four-year-old brother around until he’s dizzy and collapses on the seat of his pants. Seated on a bench near the back of the courtyard, Ilsa, Julie Auger’s au pair from Switzerland, puts her head on the shoulder of would-be musician Vinnie Vincent. Monique, a high school principal, and Leland, her broker husband, had once been Marvin Gardens’ leading socialites. Their parties wer...

2 comments 2

Read story

“All together now” by George Hughes

Submitted to Contest #216

Darren squinted in the light rain, his face lit orange by the Battersea side street lighting. He scanned the quiet scene of ongoing property development with muddy tyre tracks on the road and cement bag shreds tumbling in the breeze. He looked up again at the latest apartment block to go on sale within the lucrative regeneration zone surrounding what was once a famous southwest London power station. He studied lower apartments on the corner of the riverside ten-story tower. “I can do it,” he said in a hushed tone, with a forced smile.&nbs...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Cow Sense and Nonsensibility” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #216

It was a pleasant enough day for a stroll in the country, a day hike from the Town of Ryton to Hinksbottom village. For Randall it was an opportunity to evaluate Debbie as a potential spouse, to do so at leisure and in isolation from her friends. For Debbie it was an opportunity to try out her new gun. Randall was an odd looking fellow, resembling a praying mantis from a distance, picking out long ponderous strides, one for every two taken by Debbie. Debbie however was an ordinary looking woman, perhaps thirty years of ag...

3 comments 3

Read story

“The Strange Travellings of the Archangel” by Edd Baker

Submitted to Contest #216

This story contains brief descriptions of gore, as well as implied suicide.Journal entry, August fifth, 1712. It has now been, according to my count, three days since that mighty and terrible tempest descended upon us on our voyage eastward across the Atlantic, being already pursued by the relentless Captain Jericho. The storm threw us off our course and inflicted great damage upon the Archangel. With what little skeleton remained of our once great beauty, we drifted until the break of the new dawn, pulling upon the shore of an uncharted isl...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A Little Hill” by Pebble K

Submitted to Contest #216

In a place that is not here, there is a hill. It is a bit small and grassy, the kind that kids go through on their way to school and complain about as they go up the slope. The hill has a few trees, but it is mostly the green with the manicured grass that indicates that it belongs to somebody. Or at least, that is what the somebody who pretends to own the hill would like to think, as they gaze over their property and frown a little at the misshapen lump. It is what most people like to think, in fact, whenever they survey something that the...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Power of Love” by Darsh Mishra

Submitted to Contest #216

“Honey are you ready?” Daniel asked his wife. “Coming in a minute.” Mary responded. They were going on a date for their 5th anniversary as a girlfriend and boyfriend. Daniel was a surgeon, and his girlfriend was a doctor. “C’mon lets go.” Mary said. They both got in the car and headed towards their dinner restaurant. They were going to a fancy French diner because they both loved French food. They were listening to music and having a great time. Daniel had thought to propose to her today. When they arrived at the restaurant Daniel se...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Portrait” by Christopher B.

Submitted to Contest #216

He takes his seat opposite me at the little table and clumsily scoots his chair forward, filling the little restaurant with a sound like a child playing the trumpet. For a moment, as he tries to pretend he’s not embarrassed, I can’t remember if I swiped him, DM’ed him, or found him in a box full of farmers, Christians, or cupids; which is distantly irritating.“Wow, this is, so awkward,” he says and laughs. His eyes crinkle at the corners and the awkwardness is clearly genuine, which is sweet in a way. Oh god, what was his name again?“I know,...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Rosewood” by Yeisha Lee

Submitted to Contest #216

In the heart of a bustling city, there was a quaint bookstore that had been a hidden gem for generations. Its creaky weathered sign bore the name "Rosewood Books," and its shelves held countless stories, both forgotten and cherished by few. One day, a young woman named Emily wandered into the bookstore. She had always been drawn to the written word, finding solace in the pages of books. As she perused the shelves, an old leather-bound tome caught her eye. Its title, "The Enchanted Chronicles," was etched in faded gold letters. Emily pu...

1 comment 1

Read story

“No Pressure” by Andrea Corwin

Submitted to Contest #216

This story briefly talks about euthanasia. "You can't always do peanut butter cookies, Charly! This is for the holiday cookie exchange. The cookies should be festive and creatively decorated," Mary instructed. "Making six dozen cookies is exhausting. It takes me all weekend. I am not about to stand all day in my kitchen rolling out cookies, cutting them, baking, and icing or decorating with sugar sprinkles. It's too much. Bar cookies are what I will make, or little ball cookies in powdered sugar. Take it or leave it! YOU can be Mar...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Raging River” by Ralph Emery Barhydt

Submitted to Contest #216

Raging RiverRalph Emery BarhydtSeptember 21, 2023Caroline went down to the river to pray. The river was raging, roaring, rushing as she had never seen it. “Dear God, please come to our aid. Calm the river, restore it. Please make it gentle and helpful again. Please Lord, this is too much and I am afraid that it is going to get worse.”Hurricane Albert was just sitting off the North Carolina coast. It was a category five storm and ferocious. It was a strange hurricane as it had made land fall in Northern Florida and Southern South Carolina, th...

0 comments 0

Read story

“FINDING UTOPIA” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #216

My name is Haven, I live on a planet called New Eden, where everyone lives a happy life in pure bliss. New Eden is a world where you get to smile every day, laugh every day and enjoy life. Our ancestors created a world without the fear of dying. I love New Eden. I love living here. The sky is always blue. The sun is always out and we get to see the stars in the night sky. It's the perfect place to live. Now I know perfect isn't always a good thing but New Eden is what I would call perfect. Not many people would agree with me. Some would sa...

0 comments 0

Read story

“AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE” by Susan Willard

Submitted to Contest #216

MEET ME OUTSIDE BEHIND THE TALL BUSHES, AROUND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING – ALONE, ASAP! Guy Fletcher read the note again. Someone slipped the wrinkled napkin with the hand-written note into his coat pocket while he was in the Wilson Creek’s visitor center. He pulled out his keys and there was the handwritten note. Scratching his head, Guy turned to look for the back of the building. As Guy trudged up the slight hill, entering the protection behind the Rose of Sharon bushes, a ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Ambush at Twilight” by Joseph Peck

Submitted to Contest #216

The sun had dipped between the tree line when their column was attacked. Their cohort of three hundred was battered and marked, the scars of defeat wearing them all down. Armor that had once gleamed in the sunlight had now become scratched, dented, and rusted. Pikes were held in worn leather clad hands, whilst sabers were belted at the waists of each soldier. The metal masks of bearded men attached to Morion helmets stared forward, blank and emotionless, hiding weary gazes. In the center a few dozen men marched, arquebuses leaned on th...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Cliffside” by Nick Baldino

Submitted to Contest #216

I wish I never heard Ronnie’s words. They come back to me, sometimes, when the moon is low and hangs with that open-eyed stare, the same way the teachers used to stare at us. Ms. Powers in sixth, Mr. Jordan in seventh, the three us in the back with our hornets and chewing gum and wet paper pellets. “We’re going to the Marymount Cliffside.” Benji and I stared through him, trying to avoid his pig trough gaze, his upturned nose that sucked his face inward. Ronnie said it again, louder. “Marymount Cliffside. Tonight. We’ll bring rocks to ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Now” by Kyle Sager

Submitted to Contest #216

I must have only been dreaming, all that time away from him. Perhaps it’s within the revival of the forgotten that appears one’s true question of what living really means. In Clissold Park I sat alone and waited for him to show. The sharp, jagged shadows of pine trees stretched out infinitely on the lawns as the sun set, and a gentle wind carried the flitting swallows up and down as though strings were attached to their fragile bodies. Autumn’s first chill had passed over London so noticeably you could feel it in your bones, somehow p...

2 comments 2

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story in a coffee shop without using obvious words to describe it (e.g. barista, coffee cup.)

Narrative – 69 stories

Write a scene in which a character’s behavior or reaction to something is affected by a past experience — without saying what that experience was.

Character – 51 stories

Include dialogue that shows that a character is socially awkward.

Dialogue – 28 stories

Include a scene in your story in which a character's body language conveys their hidden emotions.

Character – 25 stories

Contest #216

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Show, Don't Tell

$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

115

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 22, 2023 EST

Won by Hazel Ide 🏆

Title: Long Live the King

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

Write a story with an open ending that gives readers just enough details to draw their own conclusions.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 111 stories

“Back Off Buttinsky” by Michael Jefferson

“All together now” by George Hughes

“Cow Sense and Nonsensibility” by Luca King Greek

“The Strange Travellings of the Archangel” by Edd Baker

“A Little Hill” by Pebble K

“Power of Love” by Darsh Mishra

“Portrait” by Christopher B.

“Rosewood” by Yeisha Lee

“No Pressure” by Andrea Corwin

“Raging River” by Ralph Emery Barhydt

“FINDING UTOPIA” by Melinda Madrigal

“AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE” by Susan Willard

“Ambush at Twilight” by Joseph Peck

“The Cliffside” by Nick Baldino

“Now” by Kyle Sager

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story in a coffee shop without using obvious words to describe it (e.g. barista, coffee cup.)

Write a scene in which a character’s behavior or reaction to something is affected by a past experience — without saying what that experience was.

Include dialogue that shows that a character is socially awkward.

Include a scene in your story in which a character's body language conveys their hidden emotions.

Contest #216

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

115

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: