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

“The Pursuit of Greatness” by Niamh Brown

Submitted to Contest #80

‘Those of us who imagine achieving greatness, often imagine doing so by a series of well-planned and executed steps. I don’t think that is how it happens for most people though. It certainly isn’t how it happened for me. Why we suppose we are somehow worthy to hold greatness by the horns and tackle it, I don’t know. We don’t have the strength to tackle greatness, we only arrive at it, when it comes to us. It ambushes us and we are left as grateful victims.’ That is how I started my diary entry the night before I delivered my internationally...

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“Apology unaccepted ” by Sarah F.

Submitted to Contest #80

The loud cackling had been going on for exactly four hours and twenty-seven minutes. Locked in the rattling, metallic cage, every sound sounded loud and clear to Cedric’s ears. He wasn’t locked up; no. This was resistance training. Endurance, some said. But Cedric liked to call it ‘resistance’. To him, he was resisting the urge to cut himself to prevent the jarring, irritating voice from penetrating his bleeding ears. His ears were positively bleeding, thick red dripping down the side of his face in small, unnoticed streams. Thirty-two min...

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“Scotty Beam Mich Hoch” by Nikita Linivenko

Submitted to Contest #80

The Banners hung up on either side of the stage spelled out: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – It Will Be Streamed. Huey tapped his clipboard with a ballpoint watching a throng shuffle into Radio City music hall. Cameras set up to cover an incoming trainwreck from every conceivable angle, streaming live. In the next few months, the taping will garner millions of views for the full video alone, and tens of millions collectively for clips and soundbytes. It started like all great things do, by getting shit-faced with your buddie...

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“I Never Thought I'd Be Up Here” by Newton Pope

Submitted to Contest #80

My name is Johnson Swart and I never thought that I would be up here on this stage. This stage is something I dreamed of as a child and I never thought I would be here, yet here I am. I can hear the crowd, I can hear their excited voices, but what if I don't live up to what they expect? What if I don't say the right things or stumble and they think me to be a fraud? I can't mess up and I can't back down now. I take my breath and look up at the skies, hoping my ancestors are looking down on me proudly. I step onto stage and I hear...

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“The shot heard around the world ” by Jessie Andrews

Submitted to Contest #80

The shot heard around the world Golf on the moon! To truly learn about these two subjects let us explore. In the time that has passed in space exploration, since the first artificial satellite in 1957, astronauts have traveled to the moon and back, probes have explored the solar system, and instruments in space have discovered thousands of planets. Sputnik 1 A Elementary Satellite was the first artificial earth satellite. The Soviet Union launched it into lower earth orbit on 4 October 1957. It orbited for three weeks before ...

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“Little Things” by Chanel Mango

Submitted to Contest #80

Have you ever thought that a little thing could lead to nothing? Have you ever thought someone’s little thing is going to lead to nowhere and that she is wasting her time? Well, that happened to Chanel a few years ago. It all started on a nice hot summer day, it was the last week until school let out for summer vacation. “Are you excited for the big test?” asked Chanel “No, why would I?” Replied her best friend Addi. “Because I just know I am going to do well!” Chanel exclaimed “You are such a nerd,” Addi said rolling her eyes. Chanel would ...

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“Gangubai's Speech.” by Varsha Tiwary

Submitted to Contest #80

Bombay, 1957. Ten in the morning on a Saturday is hardly a good time to visit prostitutes. It was Ashraf who dragged me here. Some prostitute he wants me to meet, who will speak at Azad Maidan today. Already my fair chitpawan[1] skin is burning in the merciless blazing sun, and I cannot see Ashraf anywhere. A lot of women here. And men too. Mostly illiterate yokels—fisherwomen, vegetable sellers, your kaam-wali-bai[2], the utensil scrubbers, beggars, trash pickers. Then with dismay, I spot some middle-class housewives, college girls...

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“Words And Deeds” by Coira MacHaffie

Submitted to Contest #80

“How are you doing over there?” Brian asked. “You look a little nauseous.” “I’m not a little nauseous,” Rachel denied. “I’m a lot nauseous. This whole thing is ridiculous. I don’t give speeches. I haven’t given a speech since my college speech and debate class, and I only took that class because they wouldn’t let me graduate without it.” “Rachel, you are here because you have literally stood up to people who were trying to kill you without batting an eye,” Brian said. “Is one speech really that bad?” “It’s worse,” Rachel said. “If I had a...

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“Farmer Boy” by Jungle Clover

Submitted to Contest #80

Charles leaned back in his armchair, carefully picking up the steaming cup of tea and taking a slow slip from it. His young granddaughter, Nadine, stood by his side, watching him. "It tastes excellent," he said, with a reassuring smile. "You have outdone yourself again." "Thanks, Grandpa!" Nadine beamed with the kind of youthful exuberance and energy he, too, once had. Then, in a quieter tone, bending down as if she was about to tell a secret, she added: "I put some more sugar in it, 'cause that's how I like it." Charles chuckled. "...

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“The Final Address” by S.S. Bones

Submitted to Contest #80

The young prince, age nineteen, stands before the crowd as he awaits the gunshots. Breathing heavily, but slowly, he lands a pat to the chest to calm himself down. He then reaches inside the pocket of his military-like uniform, the navy blue jacket matching the golden decorations that flower it. He grazes the microphone with the tip his index finger, and the feedback sends the millions in attendance to break into irked reactions. As annoying as it might have been, it at the very least silenced the thousand different chatters that riddled Val...

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“The Rise of Dakota Cleveland” by Ben Clark-Eden

Submitted to Contest #80

In many ways, Dakota Cleveland is a normal human being. In many other ways, she is not. Her name, for instance, is composed of two completely separate locations. She is also British, so it makes even less sense than it did before. “It’s a family tradition”, her father, Austin, once told her, when she was old enough to understand the meaning behind her name. Even after it was explained to her, she still didn’t get it. But she just went with it, as she did with most things. That was a fundamental aspect of her character: she just took ...

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“To Heal a Wound” by Molly DePinto

Submitted to Contest #80

"Giving someone a chance at life" said I, "can change their outlook on it, because you just opened up a world of possibilities for them. You just told them that they can." and this was how I decided to start. I was called up here against my will, and little did these millions of people in front of me know that somewhere in the midst of this crowd, the man who had sent those death threats was watching me. I knew not to do a public speech again after the threats, but I couldn't refuse when I heard the murmurs of excitement from the crowd. I ha...

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“I'm a Patsy” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #80

Bombs were bursting on the silver screen at the Texas Theater and the cigarette smoke in the theater added to the effects, but it was all oblivious to Lee. His mind was elsewhere. The phone call he was expecting never came and the aftermath of the noontime fiasco began to settle on his shoulders. They must have dialed the wrong number, he thought. The echoes of the gun shots reverberated in his memory. “Perhaps it’s all a coincidence.” In his heart, he knew better than that. Lee wasn’t much to look at. He was scrawny and his face was made f...

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“It would all be over soon...” by Sally Lang

Submitted to Contest #80

Despite having just washed his hands, thoroughly might I add, they shone with a slick layer of sweat. Wiping them on his pants, just below his pockets, he quickly scanned the area, wondering if the choice of pale blue would betray him and leave wet marks. “Phew,” he took a deep breath and shook his palms. Raising his shoulders up and down as if in a hip hop class, he started to pace in a circle. ‘You can do this. It’s just a few people. They are here to be inspired, not to judge. Just tell the truth. It will all be over soon,’ he tried to r...

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“Clean up your act” by Merel Cooijmans

Submitted to Contest #80

1.335 words Renata opened the door to the toilet and pushed her cart inside. The motion detector noticed her and the toilet was suddenly filled in a white light. She sighted, it was almost the end of her shift. She only had this toilet and two offices left before she could go home to her son. She was sure he already ate, he always did. She daily cooks a meal in the afternoon, before she goes to work and het son heats it up in the microwave once he gets home from school. He is usually still up when she gets home, just gaming or chatting wit...

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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

“The Pursuit of Greatness” by Niamh Brown

“Apology unaccepted ” by Sarah F.

“Scotty Beam Mich Hoch” by Nikita Linivenko

“I Never Thought I'd Be Up Here” by Newton Pope

“The shot heard around the world ” by Jessie Andrews

“Little Things” by Chanel Mango

“Gangubai's Speech.” by Varsha Tiwary

“Words And Deeds” by Coira MacHaffie

“Farmer Boy” by Jungle Clover

“The Final Address” by S.S. Bones

“The Rise of Dakota Cleveland” by Ben Clark-Eden

“To Heal a Wound” by Molly DePinto

“I'm a Patsy” by Howard Seeley

“It would all be over soon...” by Sally Lang

“Clean up your act” by Merel Cooijmans

🌟 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: