Write a story in the form of a letter, or multiple letters back and forth.

Posted in Short Story on Aug 18, 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?

✍️ 147 stories

“The Call of Oblivion” by Caroline Smith

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Ms. Darien Nicolas:We are writing in response to your inquiry about the XKP Dream-Viewer 500™. We regret to inform you that this item is currently out of stock. The next shipment is expected to arrive at our warehouse on October 1, 2023. We have placed your name on a waitlist and you will be prioritized should you decide to follow through on your purchase.As you may already know, donning the Dream-Viewer 500™’s nonintrusive mask is akin to tuning in to the television show of your choice — while you’re asleep! If you’re plagued by pesky ...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Your Friend from Afar” by Steffen Lettau

Submitted to Contest #212

Author's note: This story contains injuries, traumatic events, and mental insanity.10/14/1911Dear Jon Cannington,How are you? This is Jacques Leroux, from Bordeaux in France. It has been a long time since we played as children, and I reminisce of our good times. Granted, you did have a hard life in that desert, along with your father and mother conducting their "business", but I prayed that your life has gotten better now that you are an adult. There is so much to share with you, ever since my family moved back to France before we could cele...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Letters to Self: In Case of Emergency ” by Katie Stairs

Submitted to Contest #212

September 7th, 2003 Loraine is watching me. Those strong icy eyes are burning a hole right into my skull. She thinks those bookshelves can disguise her nature. She’s using the monotonous tapping of the keyboard at the library check-out desk to lower my guard down just enough to rip me apart. She was clutching a copy of Single White Female in her right hand this morning. She couldn’t hide that from me. The gears were ticking in her head and, even now, it’s giving me an earache....

0 comments 0

Read story

“Untethered” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #212

This is a story about a letter. Like the letter itself, much of this story is true, maybe all of it is true? But then again, maybe it’s just the invention of a creative mind, or mis-remembered events and conversations? We may never know.Of the biological father, Mum seemed a bit vague. Maybe he was half Indian and half Scottish. Maybe he was a doctor or a surgeon, or an aspiring movie producer. Maybe his first name was Ellis, or Elliot. For sure he was a philanderer, for sure he didn’t know I exist, n...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Old Ways” by Amir A

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Papa, Where have you been? I have reached out to everyone and received the same answer, no one knows where you and Elliot went off to. We are all worried sick, please come home Papa. The school year is nearly starting for Elliot and according to the articles I have read, the first grade can be a crucial year in the development of children his age! I know how much you love the boy and I apologize for not allowing him to visit more often. That can certainly change though, this is not the way to go about seeking out company from your gra...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Paper Apologies” by Zoë Page

Submitted to Contest #212

Rosa. Rosa. Rosabel. It is as if your name is the word written in a beautiful motif across my sorry heart; with every precious beat another inscribed in your hand. For so long – too long – I could not see it, as one cannot see his heart, but now I know with as much surety as though I hold my bloody, still pulsing heart in my hands, that it is so. It is you. It has always, will always be you. It is like that heart is tearing to sorry little pieces right in front of me that I did not realise this fact sooner. I thought that maybe it was ...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Please don't route to spam” by Liv Valen

Submitted to Contest #212

--explicit language--#1 Wednesday, 11.19 AMI don't know what to write Annie. I find myself writing for the second time now, as my first letter was discarded by the system. It was raining that time, just like it is now, and that letter was mostly about how good it is to write to you when it's raining. There’s just something about the raindrops that fall from the sky. It’s as though each raindrop touching me would symbolize some kind of spiritual cleansing. It washes over my face and with that it washes my guilt away.It's been raining con...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Holy War” by Dani Drouin

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Leo, Dear lover of mine, whom I am nothing short of indebted to in every way. Please know that soon the world will see the innocence radiating off of you that I’ve always known. My holy martyr, I weep often for you, thinking of you in that cold, dark cell. But the blessed are always punished by weak men, I should’ve expected it. But I thought there would be some evil left in the air for the police to feel, for them to understand it was only in self-defense, only to defeat an evil. I have some things, some pictures, and letters f...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Your Move” by Alicia Bablick

Submitted to Contest #212

My dearest friend, Have you heard about the museum heist? I’m sure you have. It was all over the news, even made the print newspaper, and I’m certain you still like to read words printed on the page. You and I are among the last, I think, who get their news the old-fashioned way. All of the stolen pieces weren’t listed, of course, but since it’s THAT museum surely you couldn’t help but wonder. I will not keep you in suspense. Yes, your trinket is among the pilfered artifacts, although where it is at this moment I can’t say. I did hold it...

1 comment 1

Read story

“The Applicant” by Anisha Yagnik

Submitted to Contest #212

June 21, 2023The Best or The Rest Marketing121 Brown Drive, Suite 202Atlanta, GA 30303To the desk of The Best or the Rest Marketing,I think you should hire me.This is the 14th such letter I have written in as many weeks, and since I’ve gotten no reply, I’m trying my hand at bluntness.You should hire me because I’m quickly approaching the "Best", and once I get there, it’ll be within your walls, creating your successes and earning you money.Now that you’ve received 14 letters from me, you should also be able to tell that I’m dedicated.I’m sta...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Little Bull” by Christine Cameron

Submitted to Contest #212

LITTLE BULL Christine Cameron 08/23 &n...

1 comment 1

Read story

“An Act of True Love?” by Rachael Hewitt

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Maria, It is only 5 am. I haven’t been able to sleep again. The memory of our last meeting keeps playing through my mind like a video on repeat. Running over and over, giving me no respite. I keep going over what I could’ve done differently to get a better outcome. But I didn’t and now I have to live with it for the rest of my life. If only I had left when I had the chance. You have no idea how sorry I am that you got involved in our unconventional, twisted life. That should never have happened. You deserve so much better than that. I m...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Would you help me?” by Mike Ross

Submitted to Contest #212

Would you help me? Emma Barrat’s study in the Welsh Valleys Friday 20 July 2012 8.47 am (Emma goes to her laptop and she checks her inbox.) What an awful start to the day. Checking my emails and yet another day with no orders coming in and that one same message from a scammer. “Would you help me?” Damn, obviously too early on the morning for my brain to function properly and I’ve opened it in error instead of deleting the nonsense. I may as well find out what today’s con is all about. Sender : jblc@hotmail.com To: Emma.barrat@b...

0 comments 0

Read story

“To the Guests who Adore "Our Josh"” by Sarah Hinkes

Submitted to Contest #212

To the Guests Who Adore “Our Josh”- He wakes up daily around noon, takes a pull from his one hitter and calls out to Fenway. Never one to make his bed or pick up his clothes, there is a maid for that. He pulls on a jersey usually sporting a Chicago team label, Cubs, Bears or Hawks. Been to experience about every Boston team game thus far but can’t find a way to part with his home-grown boyish roots. He pops in the toaster a couple of slices and finishes whatever stale beer is left from the early morning hours before.&...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Re: Termination of contract” by Rae Toonery

Submitted to Contest #212

To: GreatestHitsInc@gmail.com Termination of contract Hello Carla, I trust you are getting over your bunion flare-up; what a shame you had to miss Mandy’s send off. I know I should probably address this to your Zack now he’s running things for you, but you know how I feel about that morally obese upstart. Anyway, you’re a busy woman, so I’ll cut to the chase. As you can see from the subject line, I wish to tender my resignation with immediate effect. I trust there will be no hard feelings and that you won’t resort to any grudgy-stuff. The ...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write an epistolary story set during a major historical event. The event may be the subject of the letters directly, or be referenced in the background.

Historical Fiction – 30 stories

Write a story about a pair of pen pals.

Character – 26 stories

A mysterious letter is delivered to your character's home. It's not addressed to them, but they can't resist peeking...

Mystery – 65 stories

Set your story in a post office.

Fiction – 36 stories

Contest #212

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

$250

Prize money

304

Contest entries

129

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 25, 2023 EST

Won by Wendy M 🏆

Title: The Last Of The Bright Young Things

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 in the form of a letter, or multiple letters back and forth.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 147 stories

“The Call of Oblivion” by Caroline Smith

“Your Friend from Afar” by Steffen Lettau

“Letters to Self: In Case of Emergency ” by Katie Stairs

“Untethered” by Luca King Greek

“Old Ways” by Amir A

“Paper Apologies” by Zoë Page

“Please don't route to spam” by Liv Valen

“Holy War” by Dani Drouin

“Your Move” by Alicia Bablick

“The Applicant” by Anisha Yagnik

“Little Bull” by Christine Cameron

“An Act of True Love?” by Rachael Hewitt

“Would you help me?” by Mike Ross

“To the Guests who Adore "Our Josh"” by Sarah Hinkes

“Re: Termination of contract” by Rae Toonery

🌟 Similar prompts

Write an epistolary story set during a major historical event. The event may be the subject of the letters directly, or be referenced in the background.

Write a story about a pair of pen pals.

A mysterious letter is delivered to your character's home. It's not addressed to them, but they can't resist peeking...

Set your story in a post office.

Contest #212

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

304

Contest entries

129

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: