Write about someone who never planned to make history but is now about to deliver a speech in front of millions.

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 104 stories

“White Coat” by Chris D

Submitted to Contest #80

It is a positively insane notion, and yet he finds himself sitting in a chair opposite of a massive crowd as someone introduces him on stage, frantic as he skims through his index cards one last time. The emcee calls him by name, and he stands. His index cards scatter to the floor. Stooping down to gather them, he quickens his pace. His heart syncs up to match it. It was fine to be that peculiar doctor with a dream. It was another to be talking about that dream in front of millions of people. Okay, so maybe there are only five hundred ...

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“Landon's Cupcakes” by Ema Humajova

Submitted to Contest #80

Sometimes, it seems as though Landon despises everything and anything happiness-evoking. He wakes up at the crack of dawn every morning even though he has to be at work at ten. Landon drinks his morning coffee straight because he doesn’t believe in the concept of something so sinister, tasting anything other than outright dreadful. He showers outside, in his do-it-yourself shower made of a garden hose and an A-shaped wooden structure. He makes sure to shower while it’s still relatively dark because his neighbour Katy once caught him flauntin...

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“I see” by Georgia Krumova

Submitted to Contest #80

I see 08/07/2024 'Hello, brother! Is everything all right? You sounded worried on the phone. Are Danny and Sierra okay?' 'Yes, yes, they're all right. Don't worry so much. I just had a rough day. How are you?' 'Everything is alright. Should I brag to you? John waited for his brother to nod and only then continued, I will go on holiday. You know how long I've been waiting for this! 'The country doesn't need you anymore?' 'Of course, it needs me. You know I'm irreplaceable, John winked, even our mother kept saying I was the better...

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“Sweat” by Ethan Berger

Submitted to Contest #80

The first bead of sweat dropped unceremoniously to the floor. As water tends to do in a life or death battle with the midsummer sun, it dried - leaving only a salty outline of its past life. Zoe, starting to feel more perspiration plotting escape, slinked back into the shadow of the curtains. Now safe from the rays, she let her eyes wander to that spot on the floor. It surprised her to find that her mind wasn’t unspooling at the reality that there were a million eyes watching this moment – whether here in person or through major news net...

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“JUST GIVE ME 5 MINUTES” by Lorzy Saringo

Submitted to Contest #80

No one thought Leslie can do such a thing. She was a very timid lady, a lonesome and always keeping thoughts to herself but what on earth did ever get to her to do that. One sunny afternoon, after she laid her books on the bedside table. She scurry downstairs with a newspaper in her hand and went directly to the nearby jeepney station. The jeep was not yet fully packed so she has to wait for a few minutes before leaving. Upon arrival to the court, she ran directly to the courtroom where her friend was one of the accused of being terrorist by...

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“Beyond Control” by Aiyana Henderson

Submitted to Contest #80

Beyond Control Larry was standing in front of the entire crowd. He was never a person who found anything appealing about having massive eyes staring at your fragile figure. He was a science teacher, and not a well-paid one at that. The water that was filled by the frenetic secretary, Carol Walburg, continued to remain untouched. The last thing Larry even needed to think about right now was using the men’s restroom. Teaching middle school students about the vast wonders of the solar system was his comfort zone, his modus operandi, and his ...

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“Dazzle them all” by Mariam Thomas

Submitted to Contest #80

Insignificant. What can someone like you even do, that so many others before you haven’t been able to? Do you really, truly think that YOU can make a difference? You’re the wrong colour for this country, girl. Don’t you think your dreams should be a bit more practical and realistic? Words. Just words. Words that I’ve heard since I can remember. Spoken with a viciousness that wounded me, with a sharpness which felt like a very real knife. We’ve all been taught to never pay too much attention to some words ...

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“Stubby Leaves King Arthur” by Leon Moss

Submitted to Contest #80

Retirement is great, no matter what the ‘Work Till You Drop Crowd’ says. Here I am, lying back in the deck chair, newspaper folded so that the crossword is facing me, pen in hand – I never, but never, use a pencil on the crossword – glass of cold beer on the small table next to me, hat on head per doctor’s instructions, and frown on my face at the crossword setter’s sadistic mind. Suzie, my wife, is kneeling on her planting-cushion, putting in masses of next winter’s pansies. Yellows and purples. “The bright colors are just what we’ll need...

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“An Old Mentor and the New Times” by Elijah Sage

Submitted to Contest #80

Mushca did not want a mentor. He never really thought about it and he didn’t specifically not want one either. When he was about 32, an aging young man, he spent time in England. America and Canada tired him. He needed a change in his political career and he had no expectations. He didn’t expect outer influence. That influence appeared in the form of an old man who’d lost his hat. Mr. Hans approached the grey old man knowing he needed some assistance. He looked up with faded brown eyes and a frowning look, then he smiled. &...

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“The Choice” by Rebecca Holmes

Submitted to Contest #80

‘What have I gotten into.’ I reproach myself grimly as I look out over the millions of people who have gathered here today. Out of the corner of my eye I can see, in no particular order, two presidents, a queen, and three prime ministers. I glance at them and make eye contact with the president of my country, of Meiland, who smiles at me with absurdly white teeth. I cannot read his expression, but I shiver slightly. I turn back towards the podium and once more see the endless faces spread out far before me, ...

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“The Battle” by Vanesa Perillo

Submitted to Contest #80

Noya glanced at Akolai as they approached the last leg of their journey. If the Gods favoured them, their purpose was waiting for them with a smile and a joke, making their travel nothing more than a horrible nightmare. They were tired. Noya just wanted to lie down and let the cold lull her to sleep, but she–they–needed to find out if they’d succeeded. They’d come too far to give up. Akolai’s eyes lacked the luster of the anger that had fired them up the first time they had laid eyes on each other–two children from opposing countries, magic...

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“Nano Waves: An Hypothesis” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #80

Beginnings Fred had become involved with science as a teenager both because it was something that he was good at, and because there was a certainty and a kind of security in experiments and supported facts. Plus he felt no such security in talking to strangers, or even people he knew, but not well. That had remained true throughout his life. So the fact that he would soon be broadcasting live on television, with networks around the world picking up across the world, was quite intimidating to him. What if he just froze and could n...

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“Cure” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #80

Cure By Heather Ann Martinez The backstage manager has just given me the five minute warning and has pointed to where I am to stand behind the podium when I give my speech. He has assured me that the stadium is beyond capacity and millions will be watching from home. I didn’t expect all of this attention. I thought the CEO of the company was going to handle all of the public speaking. I just want to keep working in the laboratory. I never thought I would have to talk to the public directly. No one even knows who I am. They don’...

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“The Voice, The Phoenix, The Pendulum, The Desert, The Dust Of History And Oratory” by Veronica Fitzhugh

Submitted to Contest #80

“You’re nothing. You will always be nothing.” That’s what they told me. That’s what they told me. Nothing. Anything. The thing. Not a person. Not a spirit. Not a core. So, I sought to be somebody. Anybody. The body. The gut, the heart, the mind. The voice. We were never voiceless. You couldn’t, wouldn’t hear us. Our tones against your eardrums were safe to be ignored till our war drums became more dangerous — — with more clarity and less distance. Then, you had no other recourse other than taking our chapped hands and leading us to the t...

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“"THIS IS REAL" ” by Hannah Shields

Submitted to Contest #80

Sam was an ordinary boy at the age of 15. Not but 1 year ago he was living an ordinary life, with ordinary friends, living in a minuscule town in Mississippi. And now he was backstage in Washington DC, invited there by the president himself about to make his voice known to millions all over the country. For years he had been struggling with depression because of a difficult family situation, but he never really said anything about it except to a few really close friends, but one day when things got particularly hard he decided not to rant to...

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Write about someone who never planned to make history but is now about to deliver a speech in front of millions.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 104 stories

“White Coat” by Chris D

“Landon's Cupcakes” by Ema Humajova

“I see” by Georgia Krumova

“Sweat” by Ethan Berger

“JUST GIVE ME 5 MINUTES” by Lorzy Saringo

“Beyond Control” by Aiyana Henderson

“Dazzle them all” by Mariam Thomas

“Stubby Leaves King Arthur” by Leon Moss

“An Old Mentor and the New Times” by Elijah Sage

“The Choice” by Rebecca Holmes

“The Battle” by Vanesa Perillo

“Nano Waves: An Hypothesis” by John Steckley

“Cure” by Heather Ann Martinez

“The Voice, The Phoenix, The Pendulum, The Desert, The Dust Of History And Oratory” by Veronica Fitzhugh

“"THIS IS REAL" ” by Hannah Shields

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a child witnessing a major historical event.

Start your story with someone entering a museum, and end it with them settling down to join a sit-in.

Write about an elderly character who was part of a historic movement years ago.

Start your story with a major news event breaking — one that will change the world forever.

Contest #80

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

672

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: