Start your story with one character telling another, “It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.”

Posted in Novel on Oct 25, 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?

✍️ 134 stories

“A Waste of Time” by Regina Perry

"It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat, Doctor.""Don't you think I know that?" Dr Ellery-Staton took off his reading glasses, turning so his interlocutor could see the expression on his face. It was not encouraging.The royal-messenger-turned-research-assistant gave him what he hoped was a reassuring look. “You can do it, Doctor. If anybody can, it’s you.”Dr Ellery-Staton sighed. “That’s just the troubl...

15 comments 15

Read story

“Her Faith In Me” by Dibsysgsvn Dibwyshv

“It doesn’t count if you're already planning your defeat.” Ella said as she sat beside me. I sighed and looked at her before saying “I am not planning anything Ella. Its just that she is more experienced and winner of last year, so I think I am going to lose. That’s it.” Its always like this. Ella thinking positively and me thinking negatively, well let’s not say negatively but I do prefer believ...

6 comments 6

Read story

“Tree Dream” by Inkstained Introvert

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat,” Maia says to her son, Reese. Maia is stuck in the sky. She stands on tiptoes on a pale white branch the size of her calf. Her left arm reaches above her to grasp another branch, this one quite a bit thinner, and her other hand goes higher, higher into the sky, the pale and delicate fingers stretching, the tiptoes rising farther, but she still cannot reach ...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Your Princess Is in Another Castle” by Tyler Runde

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.”Marcus took his eyes away from the castle and looked to Lumbert, and asked, “Doesn’t it?”“No!” Lumbert proclaimed, stepping back from the hillock’s edge to busy himself with tending to the horses, who hadn’t had a thing to eat the entire journey from Toderskül this far out into the Wastes and so had been huffing away irritably at the two men for the last five minutes.Marcus smiled sheepishly at his traveling companion and friend...

3 comments 3

Read story

“The Plan ” by Alya Kaikuahine

"It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat." "Well, what else am I supposed to do? It's not like I can just march up to the queen and ask nicely to give us the country back. 'Oh, your majesty, can I have the country back? Oh, no, and you're going to chop my head off for saying it?" Grey grumbled beside me. "So instead you're going to have her make you her slave?" "Not exactly, more like…. Yeah, never mind that's exactly what I'm going to do. But I'm not planning my defeat...

7 comments 7

Read story

“Shattered ” by Taryn Kaiser

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” The words were harsh and though Lila knew the reason for this, it still hurt. Her brother was just trying to protect her, to ensure that she had a fair chance at the throne but what he didn’t know, or perhaps, what he didn’t want to hear was that she didn’t want it. She didn’t deserve it and she knew deep down that if she took it she would only lead the kingdom t...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Rules of the Game” by David Brown

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat,” the short dark-haired, brown-eyed, young boy complained. “You don’t have to let me win just because I’m younger than you.”The boy’s older brother smiled innocently, “Is that what you think I’m doing, Jimmy?”“Yes, Josh,” the younger boy stated conclusively. “I heard our mother ask you to take it easy on me for once.”Both brothers had bronze skin and wore common,&nb...

4 comments 4

Read story

“The Final Strategy” by Mariam Michalak

Sweat rolls down my face. I can feel the tension in the air strangling the breath from my lungs. Either way forward would mean certain destruction. There was – is - no way to win, let alone survive, this next frontal assault. I take a shuddering breath in, trying to remain calm. We will lose this battle, possibly even the war. What does it matter what move I make now? The quiet slowly grows, and I welcome it for...

3 comments 3

Read story

“The gods Chosen” by Carole Cobos

How...how..how selfish!A bitter laugh escaped her, his rival "It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat."He lifts his dead eyes to meet hers and she forces back a shiver- what a horror. The beautiful boy who stood before her; tragedy written in his blood, was now planning to prove his point to the world in the crudest sense.The way he moved, everything he did- was like yelling at the world 'You don't have to destroy me with your circumstances! I can do it myself!'It was amusing at first, ...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Shadows” by ✎💎 ℂａŁ𝔢в 𝐖𝐄𝓲Ǥ𝐓 ♡💀

I bent the rules of the prompt... just a little, don't worry! :)Ru gave me this prompt, link to her biohttps://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/author/r-k-d2defe/Prompt: Imagine you are somebody's shadow for a day. You’re running along the beach during the early morning hours, feeling the soft cool sand between your toes. Your feet touch upon the waves, the slightest bit, refreshing, compared to the heat of the sun. You are alone, or at least...

15 comments 15

Read story

“I'm Sorry You Have To Read This” by Stephen Dolence

November 1st: “It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat,” she leaned over to me and whispered into my ear as we walked down the hallway, a moment of respite before we got to the cameras. Quite frankly, I don’t know why I ever told her or why I told anyone at all. The whole part of this fraud was that it was supposed to be a bit more of a secret. “It certainly does count, I’m st...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Rising Above the Storm” by Mylene Recones

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat!” Kurt deliberately sat beside Shelly, and she forced herself to stay still, her heart pounding yet not with fear. “You nearly threw your own life away”, said Kurt. “I wa...

10 comments 10

Read story

“A Fool and his Lord” by Jacques Humanité

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning on defeat.” But Takeshi would not stop crying. His chocked sobs were drowned in the faint stirring of autumn leaves. The wooden katana dangled in his trembling grip, and pain flared across the back of his hand where Nagawa-sama had struck, unrelenting and much unlike the boy he had come to know. Takeshi regarded his young Lord’s katana and found a vein of blood runnin...

3 comments 3

Read story

“Doesn't Count” by Mara C

''It doesn't count if you're already planning your defeat. You know that, right?'' his voice breaks the silence of the room suddenly. I lift my gaze and hold his. His gaze is steady, levelled, but serious – meaningful. I wrap my arms around myself, and glance downwards. Everything feels so claustrophobic, so cramped. As if it's all closing in on me. As if this small dim-lit room with brick-faced walls and wooden crates a...

7 comments 7

Read story

“When It Counts ” by Jenna Warnock

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat,” Cassidy told her younger sister. She looked down at her sunken sibling who was slumped in a chair to the point she was nearly on the floor. Her laptop was open, shining its light onto both of the girls’ faces with the title “Submission Received” flashing in a deep, bright red which contrasted heavily with the emotions dominating the room. A tear rolled down Tabit...

2 comments 2

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Halfway through a fierce competition, your character is given the opportunity to cheat their way to victory: do they take it?

Short Story – 52 stories

Write about a character who makes a dramatic life change to pursue a goal they’ve secretly always wanted.

Novel – 122 stories

Write about a contest with life or death stakes.

Adventure – 148 stories

Write about a character who’s finally on the verge of achieving their lifelong dream.

Dramatic – 138 stories

Contest #66

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Ready, Set, Go!

$50

Prize money

594

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 22:59 - Nov 06, 2020 EST

Won by David G. 🏆

Title: Mahalo King Cod Filet

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!

Tired of MS Word?

Join the revolution and write your book in a tool designed for authors. 🙌

Includes FREE typesetting to print-ready PDF & EPUB files, track changes and collaborative editing.

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Start your story with one character telling another, “It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 134 stories

“A Waste of Time” by Regina Perry

“Her Faith In Me” by Dibsysgsvn Dibwyshv

“Tree Dream” by Inkstained Introvert

“Your Princess Is in Another Castle” by Tyler Runde

“The Plan ” by Alya Kaikuahine

“Shattered ” by Taryn Kaiser

“Rules of the Game” by David Brown

“The Final Strategy” by Mariam Michalak

“The gods Chosen” by Carole Cobos

“Shadows” by ✎💎 ℂａŁ𝔢в 𝐖𝐄𝓲Ǥ𝐓 ♡💀

“I'm Sorry You Have To Read This” by Stephen Dolence

“Rising Above the Storm” by Mylene Recones

“A Fool and his Lord” by Jacques Humanité

“Doesn't Count” by Mara C

“When It Counts ” by Jenna Warnock

🌟 Similar prompts

Halfway through a fierce competition, your character is given the opportunity to cheat their way to victory: do they take it?

Write about a character who makes a dramatic life change to pursue a goal they’ve secretly always wanted.

Write about a contest with life or death stakes.

Write about a character who’s finally on the verge of achieving their lifelong dream.

Contest #66

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

594

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: