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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about someone who summons the creative muse through a convoluted ritual or method.

Posted in Short Story on Aug 30, 2024

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 56 stories

“Reflections of a Fractured Mind ” by Jackson Anhalt

Submitted to Contest #266

The thing about being normal is that eventually, you get good at it. Too good. People start inviting you to dinner parties, asking for book recommendations, and trusting you with their dogs. That’s where it gets dangerous.  I started to notice my slip into madness twelve years ago. It wasn’t a light switch – it was a gradual descent, like a frog in a boiling pot of water. It started with little things, like staring just a bit too long at the sharp edge of a knife. At parties, instead of joining in the conversation, I’d like to sit in th...

6 comments 6
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“WHERE ARE YOU MELODY?” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #266

She's gone. Where did she go? I can't find her anywhere. I close my eyes and say her name, Melody. Nothing, she disappeared. I need her back. I can't do this on my own. I need her by my-side. Take a deep breath Juniper. You can do this. My work is too important to me and I need Melody to finish. Now the important question. How do I summon Melody? Melody is my muse. My creative muse. Melody is one of only a handful of muses that inspire creative people like myself to find the inspiration and the power to do good work. For the longest time I'v...

2 comments 2
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“The Muse’s Labyrinth ” by MEEGAN MEEKS

Submitted to Contest #266

**The Muse's Labyrinth** In a dimly lit room, deep within a forgotten library, sat Lila—a struggling writer whose desperation had driven her to the brink of madness. The stories that once flowed effortlessly from her mind had dried up like an abandoned well, leaving her staring at blank pages for days. She had heard whispers of a ritual, a forbidden method to summon the muse, one that had been passed down through the ages in hushed tones. And now, with nothing left to lose, she was ready to try anything. Lila’s research had led her to an anc...

3 comments 3
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“Tortured Pages” by L.A. Crum

Submitted to Contest #266

“Son of a bitch!” Henry chucked a pen at the computer screen in front of him and pushed back in his chair, almost tipping over. He put his hands over his face, outlining the contour of his cheeks and jawline as they returned to his lap. The screen in front of him was white with blotches of black lettering and a blinking cursor. On the desk to his right sat a tattered old notebook. Within its pages lay the contents of Henry’s brain. Random words of differing sizes. Doodles. Pictures cut from magazines taped to the off-white pages. It was a co...

2 comments 2
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“Meadow” by Tempest Phoenix Smith

Submitted to Contest #266

L’scariot stood hip deep among the colourful wild flowers, lifting the beautiful woman up, the summer breeze playing with her long dark hair, the glowing sun not as bright as her smiling face. He slowly turned, his strong musculature supporting her petite weight, holding her securely so she would not fall, letting her laughter completely fill his mind.That part of him that always questioned wondered why he did not know her name, but what did that matter when they were alone together and the sun was shining?Then, aware of stealthy approach fr...

3 comments 3
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“From the Shadows” by Michael Palmieri

Submitted to Contest #266

It was a humid night. I sat out on my back porch, looking out into the yard. I sipped a glass of wine, enjoying the breeze from the fan above. Shadows of people began to take shape before my eyes. Some stood there, doing nothing, while others chatted among themselves or acted out scenes. They all did this to capture my attention because I could take them one step closer to becoming alive. I focused on one of the shadows, a familiar figure I’d spoken to often, though he never appeared the same way twice. Sometimes, he was a young man; other t...

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“Shadow Bonds ” by Favola Viola

Submitted to Contest #266

In the old town of Ravenwood, the fog descended every evening, enveloping the cobbled streets and contributing to the eerie atmosphere that had made the town a haven for lovers of gothic art and literature. The shadows lengthened quickly along the deserted streets, and anyone with a bit of sense would retreat behind closed doors, leaving the town to the night, its mysteries, and its artists. On one such night, a young writer found himself at the bedside of an old man, famous for a single, extraordinary novel he had written in his youth. That...

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“The Perfect Life” by Marshall Gothage

Submitted to Contest #266

Gregor sat, surrounded by the morning rush of the congested coffee shop, occasionally checking his periphery for any admirers.  He peacocked as a struggling writer. He was sporting faded blue jeans, a wrinkled white button-down, and a rusted suede coat a few sizes too small that strangled his arms like a boa. The coat forced him to write uncomfortably in ten-minute intervals, anything over that, and his arms began to go numb. Without it, however, he would not look like a writer, ruining the point of writing in a coffee shop.  The t...

5 comments 5
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“The Art of Desire” by Jax Wilder

Submitted to Contest #266

The spell was more complicated than I had anticipated, requiring ingredients that weren’t exactly standard fare in our spell kits. I had to gather them all under the cloak of night, sneaking through the shadows of the campus, hoping no one would ask too many questions. First, there was the lock of hair from a true artist—this one I “borrowed” from the head of a particularly talented upperclassman who had a habit of brushing his hair in the common room. Next, a drop of ink from a quill that had written a masterpiece. For that, I made a visit ...

2 comments 2
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“Interview with the Writer” by Chaim Holtjer

Submitted to Contest #266

My palms were sweaty, as they always were right before any public appearance. My heart pounded in my chest and I felt a stir in my gut that was all too familiar. A wave of almost unbearable uncertainty washed over me as I tried to push my negative thoughts away. I wasn’t any good at all, my writing sucked worse than that of the average social media user, and I was nothing but a scam and a fraud. As the audience applauded on the other side of the dark curtains, I took a deep breath and remembered the soft words of encouragement from my therap...

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“Musings” by Dafni Ma

Submitted to Contest #266

I swore I would never be like my family. Growing up, my parents were a constant source of embarrassment and the cause of my bullying at school. The only thing they said to me when I came back crying was: “They don’t understand. Forgive them.”It’s funny how the words of Jesus were used to cover up their unholy acts which led to my crappy childhood. It’s also funny how the kids who were making fun of me somehow had the stupidest accidents after a while. By the time I was in the last class, there were too many accidents to ignore, and no one wa...

1 comment 1
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“Ritual Inspiration” by Les P

Submitted to Contest #266

September 6th, 2024 It's been so long since Milo died. I've become a worse author without him around. My characters are flat, my pacing stunted. We used to talk for hours about the ideas that were rattling around in my head. When they stay in my brain, they just suffocate. But once he put his touch on them, they came to life in a way I could never accomplish on my own. He was my muse, my best beta reader. And for the past two years, I've written nothing of worth. I miss him so much. That's why I've resolved myself to fix this situation, what...

2 comments 2
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“Rapture” by Joshua Petty

Submitted to Contest #266

Everything was poised perfectly. A cornucopia of inspiration surrounded Cassidy Flemming, and yet he stood, seized, with the sharp tingling smell of white spirits burning his nose, the bright white canvas burning his eyes, and the warm reassuring weight of the paintbrush burning his heart with its betrayal. Cassidy threw the brush down with disgust, rocking the small table beside the easel. He hadn't been able to paint anything in months so here he was surrounded by all the required elements for the ritual with the Conduit. He looked over th...

1 comment 1
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“Waiting for Inspiration” by Beverly Goldberg

Submitted to Contest #266

Samantha knew that the only way she’d ever produce an interesting article about the city for the editor of the newspaper she’d finally gotten an interview with was to force herself to concentrate. To avoid any and all distractions, to keep herself behind her desk for as long as it took to find the strong premise for such an article. She had been desperate. Not only for the money, but for a start on the career she wanted. After all, that was why she’d enrolled in all those journalism classes after her divorce. The alimony she received just di...

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“Dead to Write” by Cameron Navarre

Submitted to Contest #266

My faithful readers,In the pages of this monthly column, I have revealed to you the mysterious doings of some of the most curious and eccentric persons on this earth. Over the years of your faithful readership, you’ve followed along on my adventures in meeting such elusive characters as the Bayou Swamp Preacher, the Magician Salesman, and the Mob Exorcist. Although I’m proud of my chronicles thus far, there had been one particularly evanescent figure of great importance who had evaded my attention…until now. Join me as I regale my encou...

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Contest #266

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Ended on 23:59 - Sep 06, 2024 EST

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Title: inspirAItion

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