Write about someone scrambling to finish a goal in the last few hours of the year.

Posted in Winter on Nov 1, 2022

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?

✍️ 123 stories

“Running Out of Time” by Noelle Bradley🌼

Submitted to Contest #74

Whether I like it or not, the truth is, that I was running out of time, and if I’m being completely honest with myself, I ran out of time almost 3 years ago. And every year, people make New Year’s Resolutions for themselves, hoping to live a better life. But the problem with this is that by the time that February has rolled around the majority of us are already right back to where we started. This is something we have all done, as for me I have been doing it for far too long. Let me give you a quick rundown of the last few years. Junior Hig...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Story of Nothing” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #74

“You promised that you would write one story a week.”“Dad, that wasn’t a promise! It was a goal.” “Same thing. I better see that story by today. Isn’t today the deadline? Plus, it’s New Year’s Eve, isn’t it? No better way than to end off the year with a story.”“Yeah. I love writing too, it’s just that… I don’t have any ideas!” I sigh. “Well, find somewhere quiet and get writing! Think hard and clear. Have fun.”Tired, I grab my laptop and trudge on upstairs, trying to think about what I can write about. I open the writing websi...

0 comments 0

Read story

“This present year” by Agbesanwa Ayomide

Submitted to Contest #74

Make twenty new friends, check. Diana Matthews smiled as she checked this list. It had not been easy for her to do since she was shy and an introvert but God really helped her and so she could check that one off her list. Do not date anybody this new year, check. This one was remarkably easy since she was far from being miss popular in school and the year had been a very busy one for her. Make an A+ in all my courses, check. This was not a surprise since she was a nerd but she had gotten used to putting it on her new year resolutions since s...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Twenty-Twenty and The Hare” by Ben To

Submitted to Contest #74

I beat my head irritably against the headrest of my recliner. I need to finish reading this book, but only three hours remain. I take a deep breath. Hopefully that will be enough time to read the final chapter. I log in to my computer and as I wait for the loading circle, I ponder my current dilemma. Where did it all go wrong? I was ahead of schedule every step of the way, but here I sit, three hours remaining and I must watch my hard work spiral down the drain. My goal for twenty-twenty was to read thirty books. Not too difficult....

9 comments 9

Read story

“Rachel” by Eoghan O' Connor

Submitted to Contest #74

I've always enjoyed driving in silence.No, not always. When I got my first car, I drove through ear-splitting noise. I’d made my first forage into what I called ‘non-radio’ music, moving away from mainstream hits and discovering a wonderful symphony of indie and punk rock bands. That was back in the days before Spotify, where you still had to download the music you wanted to listen to, and burn CD’s on Windows Media Player. I’d borrow ten albums a week from the library, create illegal copies of the ones I liked, and return to take more the f...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Man plans. God laughs.” by Stephanie Baldanzi

Submitted to Contest #74

Walking into the studio, unwrapping the scarf he’d gotten himself for Christmas last week, he asked, out of deeply ingrained habit now, “How many cups have you finished today?” He did not walk over to look in the exhibit space. He did not look at the shelving holding cups just out of the kiln. He did not look at the glazing table for cups with glaze drying. (Really if there were any not yet in the kiln, there was going to be trouble.) All those things were verboten. He was permitted to ask, ‘How many cups did...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Dare to dream ” by Rainbow Writing

Submitted to Contest #74

The sun was setting behind the hill, and it's orange-red glow was seeping through the windows, the maple wood floor glowing. A beautiful cottage stood next to a river, now frozen cold due to the weather. The house belonged to a writer, quite moody at that time. Clara was sitting at her desk, typing away on her laptop as if time was eternal. But it wasn't, she knew that she had to submit her story to her publisher before the year ends. Her publisher loved her works, but fussed a lot due to her speed, and had threatened to leave her if she did...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Let's Walk Alone” by Book Worm

Submitted to Contest #74

The countdown had begun. Neena had less than 12 hours to email the manuscript of her new book to her publisher. She had resolved that she was going to complete all pending jobs before ringing in the new year. The book was the last job on her ‘To Do’ list in which all other items had been ticked off. She had been working on the book during her sabbatical and was done with the writing. But it took her two days to check all the citations, insert missing details and format them in the required style. All that remained was the bibliogra...

0 comments 0

Read story

“That's it then...” by San T.

Submitted to Contest #74

That’s it then.A few more hours, and I will be done.As the sky lights up with hundreds of sky lamps to welcome the New Year, I will set out for a world of my own. And that will be the whole World. Vast and wide. Free and liberating. There will be no more stopping me.Esai will have to let me go. He will have to find someone else for his games and tricks. I will no longer be here for his arguments and squabbles.I will miss our friendship. But priorities matter.The Empire is his priority. My liberty is mine.But before that moment arrives, I wil...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Last Thought” by Work Count

Submitted to Contest #74

“Goodbye.” Those were the last words I heard before the New Year started.It was supposed to be any other night but tonight was different. I looked at the clock at the bottom right of my computer screen. It was 9 pm and I had just finished editing a video compilation of the wonderful things that happened to me this year.As a daily blogger with 150k subscribers, I had the pressure of uploading daily content no matter what the cost. I just couldn’t let my fans down. I hovered the mouse over to the upload button and my video started processing. ...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Uncle Rudy's Last Gift” by George Key

Submitted to Contest #74

Uncle Rudy’s Last GiftBy George Key A chill came over Sticks as he prepared to make the short journey to the annual “Break Bread and Jam Til’ the Rooster Crows Christmas Party”. Taking that last glance at the broken mirror just to make sure he was sportin’ his lady killer best. Sticks knew that every musician in Tucson that was anybody was going to be there. Christmas gigs were few and far between on the average Christmas, however, Christmas 2020 was beyond bleak. COVID-19 shut down most venues and the city placed an early curfew on its...

0 comments 0

Read story

“A Christmas to remember” by Nathalie Grant

Submitted to Contest #74

"How I am going to do this?" 4 friends had just called to say that they could no longer come to the Christmas party that took so long to prepare. The 2-meter high pine tree was nicely decorated with crystal baubles and silver stars, and at the top lay the pure white angel. Underneath it, an array of gifts of different sizes waiting to be opened. In the kitchen, you could smell the turkey that was cooking in the oven. With just under 1 hour to go before her guests would appear Jennifer was not going to be able to change the beautifully laid-o...

2 comments 2

Read story

“THE MEMORY OF A LIFETIME” by Fatimah Z

Submitted to Contest #74

I stared at myself In the mirror, it was a few hours before the clock would tick and the happy New Years would erupt from the mouths of the people around me. Who were those people even? I didn't know. I was to drunk off my ass to tell what was even happening around me. And the reason, you ask: I cared to much. I didn't want people to see me, the way I saw myself. My solution to this dilemma was how can people see me when, I can barely see them. If you want to know why I feel this way, well here's the story. I woke up last year, the first day...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Memorable Holiday” by Mika _

Submitted to Contest #74

It's the most beautiful time of the year. It was September 1st when I started to do my bucket list. They say that the bucket list are for people who is dying, but I guess it is allowed for everyone? I pushed myself to finish my bucket list before December 30. I did bunjee jumping, I ride a hot air balloon with my girlfriend, we went to see aurora borealis together. I travelled to Europe then I also went to the Great Wall of China. I also watched my favorite band, and I'm hoping that it's not the last time. I climbed a mountain, and even...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Broken Wings” by Sara Blanch

Submitted to Contest #74

I have been out of the hospital 6 months now...6 months to the day tomorrow. After 4 months of rehabilitation and 2 months of specific physical therapy I should have been able to fly again roughly a month ago. I could tell my mother's patience was running thin, my doctors patience was running thin...heck even my patience was fading. I had been told time and time again that jumping off the waterfall to save my brother was heroic and an incredible act of family love on my behalf. Truth be told, it was a natural instinct...I didn't even t...

1 comment 1

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone keeping track of time with tally marks on a wall — until one day they discover that all the marks are gone.

Thriller and Suspense – 133 stories

Write a story that takes place across ten days.

Kids – 100 stories

Write a story that takes place across ten seconds.

Kids – 256 stories

Write a story in the form of a top-ten list.

Middle School – 115 stories

Contest #74

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Countdown

$50

Prize money

727

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 01, 2021 EST

Won by Scout Tahoe 🏆

Title: Kindergarten

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 about someone scrambling to finish a goal in the last few hours of the year.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 123 stories

“Running Out of Time” by Noelle Bradley🌼

“The Story of Nothing” by Navneeth N

“This present year” by Agbesanwa Ayomide

“Twenty-Twenty and The Hare” by Ben To

“Rachel” by Eoghan O' Connor

“Man plans. God laughs.” by Stephanie Baldanzi

“Dare to dream ” by Rainbow Writing

“Let's Walk Alone” by Book Worm

“That's it then...” by San T.

“The Last Thought” by Work Count

“Uncle Rudy's Last Gift” by George Key

“A Christmas to remember” by Nathalie Grant

“THE MEMORY OF A LIFETIME” by Fatimah Z

“Memorable Holiday” by Mika _

“Broken Wings” by Sara Blanch

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone keeping track of time with tally marks on a wall — until one day they discover that all the marks are gone.

Write a story that takes place across ten days.

Write a story that takes place across ten seconds.

Write a story in the form of a top-ten list.

Contest #74

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

727

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: