Write from the POV of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author.

Posted in Short Story on Aug 30, 2024

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✍️ 92 stories

“Do Me Write” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #266

Hey, Stephanie! I have a little request. If you’re going to keep changing me, reach those artificial nacho cheese-dusted hands onto the Wheel of My Fortune and spin it to figure out who I’d be this thirty-second time (Yes, I counted.) around, could you at least swap out…you know?Yes, I’m aware, all too much, in fact. You say that you’re a pantser, that you’re a flâneuse who would rather meander the winding alleys of your imagination rather than follow some preset road map. You balk at the idea of anything other than the thorny weeds of a plo...

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“The Art of Being Fickle” by Max Wightwick

Submitted to Contest #266

When Charles was a wee boy, in the midst of his youthful glory, he swore that naught would waylay him from achieving his paramount goal: being a fluent, recondite, whimsical, and comedical writer. “NO,” exclaimed John, after having his mind, body, soul, and - acutest of all - wrist ossified upon the weaving woes of wavering for hours. “No, Charles is such a common, hackneyed name. My protagonist must be elegant, suave though not pompous, and relatable.” In a trice, a miracle twinkled upon his derelict page where inked those insipid words, “A...

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“The Clash of Ed, Burt, and the Author” by Daniel Rogers

Submitted to Contest #266

The dragon lay prostrate, wounded and exhausted."No! No! No!" The author yelled.The scaled beast collapsed, wounded and exhausted."'Wounded and exhausted?' What are you doing? You think you're a writer. You're crap! That's what you are! Crap!"The scaled beast collapsed, bleeding from his many wounds. Exhausted and weakened by the fight, the ancient dragon sensed his end was near."Okay, that'll have to do for now. What's next?" The author searched in the dark recesses of his mind for a while before spotting the muse, who was lighting a match,...

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“See What Sticks” by Ian Gonzales

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #266

Okay, this is your story. I get that. You’re the writer, the creator and all that. But I’m the protagonist. The main character. The one the story is all about. So we need to talk.*I stop in front of the door to Room 451. I can tell it’s supposed to be locked, but the splintered jamb and inch of darkness showing tells me it isn’t any more. Pushing back my fedora, I scratch my head, glance up and down the dimly lit hallway, taking in the faded wallpaper and worn carpeting. This case has already been one for the record books, and it keeps getti...

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“Daniel, Danny, Dan” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #266

I enjoyed Dan from Season Five the most. That was when Erica was writing most, if not all, of the episodes. Her idea of Dan was that there was a lot going on under the surface. There was always something behind the eyes. I forget how many actors had played Dan (Daniel, Danny) at this point. We were deep into the twenties by now. Nobody could ever seem to get Dan right when it came to portraying him. I understand that turmoil. I, myself, am currently on my forty-eighth actor. Before you become too confused, I should distinguish the actor from...

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“The Protagonist's Beef” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #266

Attention Kaitlyn,I have a beef with you, but not of the bovine kind.I can't even say who I am because you changed my name so many damn times during my character arcs. And it's not because I clamour from the wings to be in the limelight. You created me, and instead of casting me as a true hero, you gave me all these character flaws and foibles. In fact, I don't know who I am anymore despite trying to rise above the defective personality you cast me in. You put me into impossible situations in which you think you know how I will react. Agains...

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“IN THE AUTHOR'S GRASP” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #266

I was a detective. At least, I think I was. Or maybe I still am? But how can I trust that when my thoughts are nothing but twisted fragments, shattered reflections of what they once were? Each time I reach for a memory, it writhes away, slippery and foul, something decaying just beneath the surface of my mind. I was sure of myself once. My name, past, and how I stalked the city's dark alleys like a predator were all carved in stone. But now, everything's fluid, poisoned. The ground beneath me is quicksand, and my thoughts are treacherous, a ...

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“A conversation with Michael” by John Rutherford

Submitted to Contest #266

“Don’t erase that!” Michael said. “Damn it! Why don’t you ever listen to me!”“I wanted so much to kiss that girl, smell her perfume, your page thirty-four description was mesmerizing, it made me delirious, heady even, lost in the prose. I wanted to hold her in my arms, feel her warmth against my body.”“How can you feel anything? You are fictional character in a book.” The author said out loud.Michael’s rant continued.“How can Avan Jaragun, the hero of the story; how can you now consider he becomes a murderer, overcome with passionate jealous...

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“Pencil Dust” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #266

I have been the dragon. I captured the damsel and cause her distress. My scaly green tail cleared courtyards with one powerful sweep. My hot breath has billowed up spiraling staircases. I have burned my own bridges.And then I was erased.I have been the slayer. I have braved the dragon's castle and miraculously evaded many fiery deaths. I have escaped mortal blows from its massive tail, nor have I been impaled by its fearsome claws. I have rushed headlong up those endless steps but never collected my reward. I never met the captive maiden who...

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“Written in Spell” by Jax Wilder

Submitted to Contest #266

The bell above the door chimed softly as I stepped into The Arcane Room. The wooden floor creaked under my feet, the sound familiar and almost comforting. Shelves lined the walls, filled with vials of mysterious liquids, bundles of herbs, and crystals that seemed to hum with energy. The scent of sandalwood mixed with something earthier—maybe sage—filled the air, winding its way around me like a comforting but heavy blanket. I inhaled deeply, grounding myself in the space. I came here for a reason. I know what I need. At least, I thought I di...

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“OH! Come on!” by Ralph Aldrich

Submitted to Contest #266

The brave and dashing Sir Jamerson smiles victoriously each time his sword rings after striking the scales of the fire-breathing dragon. The dragon is holding the fair princess Lola captive until her father, the king, surrenders his kingdom. Sir Jamerson has vowed to slay the beast in exchange for her hand in marriage, so he is fighting fearlessly. Jamerson feels he is being roasted alive with each blast of flames. While ignoring the pain, he pushes his scorch shield forward and attacks. Jamerson lifts his shield hig...

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“I Don't Know” by Brian Haddad

Submitted to Contest #266

Dan woke up to the first rays of sunshine poking through the cheep blinds in his bedroom. He stared at the kinked, worn plastic blinds and let his mind wander over his plans for the day. Maybe he would start by going out and challenging the Gym Leader in the neighboring town. But the lines of his blinds reminded him of the steps leading to the ancient shrine he'd found the day before. He yawned, still gazing at the blinds, then wondered aloud, "didn't I have curtains when I went to bed?" *** Dan's eyes flittered opened, a faint red light spi...

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“A Flicker in the Dark” by Vee Ay

Submitted to Contest #266

I don’t remember when the flicker started.Maybe it was when I first felt the ground shift beneath my feet, the familiar cobblestones of the alley dissolving into dirt, then into grass, then back again. It was like a blink, a momentary lapse in my vision—but more profound, more jarring. It was as if the world itself couldn’t make up its mind.Or maybe it was when my hands—my own hands, I was sure of it—touched the weathered wood of my father’s old door, only for the door to change, the wood turning smooth and polished, younger somehow. And sud...

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“Spy Who Came Out of the Temperate Weather (With 90 Percent Chance of Precipitation)” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #266

Let me introduce myself. Zing! I am Special Agent Rex Roget. Bazing! I am in the middle of a shootout with enemy agents. Baringa! This is my fifty-ninth case in which I somehow manage to solve the problem without getting my head blown off. Crrumpa! I do not know what they were thinking when they invented that last onomatopoeia. Chabunka! Or that one. Anyway, my name is famous and often mispronounced which really makes me angry. Roget, like the Thesaurus which makes my name easy to pronounce. Right? Argh, i...

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“Written into a Corner” by Chris Sage

Submitted to Contest #266

Engines screaming, smoke pouring from the wing, Daxie fought the controls of his fighter. Red biplanes swarmed around him in the azure sky, the air thick with whistling death. One passed his cross hairs as his plane juddered, and with exquisite timing Daxie let out a burst of machine gun fire, watched with satisfaction as the flames spread. He was the last of his squadron, he had to make this count, for the chaps back home, for the fellas stuck in the trenches. He wrestled the nose up, scanned for more targets. Thump. Fire from behind hit hi...

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Write from the POV of a character in a story who keeps getting re-written by their second-guessing author.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 92 stories

“Do Me Write” by Alexis Araneta

“The Art of Being Fickle” by Max Wightwick

“The Clash of Ed, Burt, and the Author” by Daniel Rogers

“See What Sticks” by Ian Gonzales

“Daniel, Danny, Dan” by Story Time

“The Protagonist's Beef” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

“IN THE AUTHOR'S GRASP” by Darvico Ulmeli

“A conversation with Michael” by John Rutherford

“Pencil Dust” by Trudy Jas

“Written in Spell” by Jax Wilder

“OH! Come on!” by Ralph Aldrich

“I Don't Know” by Brian Haddad

“A Flicker in the Dark” by Vee Ay

“Spy Who Came Out of the Temperate Weather (With 90 Percent Chance of Precipitation)” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“Written into a Corner” by Chris Sage

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone who wants to give up on their career right before their big break.

Your protagonist discovers that everything they type comes true. What happens next?

Your protagonist has the perfect day scheduled — but things don’t go according to plan.

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

Contest #266

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

282

Contest entries

108

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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