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Looking for a steady supply of coming of age short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

6400+ Coming of age Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. No matter how old you are, there’s just something inherently relatable about coming-of-age tales. Discover the best new coming-of-age stories right here!

Coming of age Short Stories – Page 426 of 427

Scarce To Be Counted

Submitted to Contest #39

They were always brighter out here. City lights would dim their brilliance, but out here in the vast expanse of desert that his favorite uncle had taken him to for a guy's weekend the stars were ablaze!His name was Bentley, and twelve years ago his way too ambitious father had named him for the car that he would surely own one day, but it was a rusty Ford truck that would end that dream when Bentley had just turned two.Bentley never knew his Dad, Franklin Costas, but he was very glad he had his father's brother Gabriel always at his side, in...

11 likes 3 comments 3
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The Sunset Spy

Submitted to Contest #38

They called her the “Sunset Spy.” Every evening she was at her window to wish the day goodbye and welcome the night with a smile so bright it was comparable to the wakening stars. At first the neighbors were perturbed by this suspicious character of the golden hour. Why was this little girl hanging out the window of her two-story suburban house with wet hair and binoculars? Was she spying on them? Were those binoculars peeking in through their windows?A week or so after the girl’s family moved into the town, a few of the suburban dwelle...

9 likes 0 comments 0
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If Music Be The Food of Love

Submitted to Contest #38

1581, London, Richard Burbage I close the door as gently as possible, it’s wooden slats create a muffled thud as it meets the frame. An involuntary shiver runs through my body as I am assaulted by the deceptively brisk morning air, it is nearing spring, but winter's touch still lingers. He is persistent. It is barely sunrise and the fresh morning dew adorns every surface, as gems on the decorated decolletage of a rich maid. I debate, but for a brief second, risking returning to the house to add another layer. Deciding it is not worth the ris...

8 likes 0 comments 0
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Love, X

Submitted to Contest #36

Jan 28 1986Dear Diary, Mommy and Daddy gived me this diary for my birthday yesterday!  I am 7 now! I had my birthday party and everyone came but Sammy L.  Mommy said that he was sick but I don’t care because he called me the B word at gym class and that’s a bad word so I don’t like him anyway.  Dana gived me a Get In Shape Girl ribbon and a book just like hers. It’s my favorite present because I want to be a ballet dancer when I grow up. Today at school we watched TV!  I didn’t know they let us watch TV at school! Mrs. B...

13 likes 2 comments 2
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The "Welcome to Puberty" Present

Submitted to Contest #36

Dear Diary, Why do they call you “diary?” What does that word even mean? When my dad gave you to me for my 12th birthday as a “welcome to puberty” gift (wtf?!), I didn’t know what to do with you. I’ve never had a diary before. When Amal showed me her pink fuzzy diary with the heart-shaped golden lock on it, I told her it was a stupid girl thing and I didn’t want to be a stupid girl. She cried afterwards and I felt bad. So, when I got my own “stupid girl” diary, I left you on the reject shelf by the window in my room, between “Girls Who Play ...

9 likes 0 comments 0
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Conversations We Never Had

Submitted to Contest #36

Dear Diary, Have you ever had to grieve the loss of something you never had? I’ve been trying to. For months now. I’ve been so caught up in this loss of mine that I’ve never truly experienced before, it's finally driven my roommate, Georgia insane. She bought me one of those small, spiral bound legal pads from Food Lion and told me to write my crap out so I could finally put it somewhere that wasn’t the air. So, this is it. These are letters to Sam. Things I’ll never say to him. Things I wish I had.Dear Diary Sam, The first time you kissed m...

15 likes 6 comments 6
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My Overseas Volunteer Trip to Dumbistan in West Asia

Submitted to Contest #36

Day -1: I’m hoping that putting my notes in my first-ever journal captures them in ‘amber’ to share with my future family. Ugh! After landing there’s another six hours to go tomorrow.Day One: Still reluctant to travel to the backwoods, or fields, of a tiny new country on the Euro/Asia border, I only hope my turbulent nine-hour flight will be the worst part of this annoying ten-day volunteer trip.We’d been diverted to Kars, Turkey, about a hundred-sixty bus miles from the end of the world, I mean roads, in Armenia. The two-star hotel overnigh...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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The Secret Journal of my Normal Life

Submitted to Contest #36

Wednesday, January 1st, 19978:10 AM - I secretly bought this journal at the local bookstore for $6.95. It is a secret because I want this to be mine and just mine. Grandma gave me some Christmas money and I was so glad that way I could buy a journal. I bought it so I can record my first teenage year. Yes, today is my 13th birthday and the start of a new year. My goal is to write every day so I can someday look back on what I did during my first year as a teenager. Not that I actually do anything now so I don’t know how interesting it will be...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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Zemblanity

Submitted to Contest #35

Well, warmer times came around and school was back in session but I decided not to return. I spent my warmer times with Jack-o and Benji on or near the dugout, which was shielded from the majority of the snow--it still came down though it was melting fast--and when you were inside the dugout, you were invisible to everyone looking down from the top of the hill where classes were. In the mornings, we’d dump our backpacks under the benches, hide out in the shade of that dugout, and eagerly await the first bell, which would be faintly heard eve...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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Disconnecting from the real world

Submitted to Contest #35

I may have slammed the door too hard. I can still hear the loud bang it made after I closed it on my way out of her room. Maybe I overreacted again and the anger got the better of me once more. But I can’t just sit there listening to her reproaches anymore. It’s making me sick. The way she keeps telling me I’m never going to make it, how she belittles me in every possible way. Every day it’s the same old story about me not reaching my true potential because I’m too lazy or `cuz I’m not trying hard enough. It’s making me crazy how little...

10 likes 4 comments 4
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Match Week

Submitted to Contest #29

Maddi Weathers tapped her foot on the floor, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. When it was finally her turn, she displayed her name tag, and the Council President handed her an envelope. As Maddi walked away, she traced her fingers over the letters on the front: “Maddie Weathers”. By now, she was used to the extra “e”. Pursing her lips, she opened the envelope and unfolded the enclosed paper. “Jayden Turner” was written at the top. Maddi furrowed her brows. She didn’t know anyone with the last name “Turner” in Zone 5 ... Jayde...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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Moving to Manitoba

Submitted to Contest #29

There was nobody in the streets and it felt like I had the whole town to myself. There was at least half a meter of snow on the ground which made it seem even more deserted. I slowly walked with my hands shoved into my pockets to protect them from the cold brittle air. I looked up and down at the trees, then at my feet, then at the sky. Not a blade of grass in sight. Not looking where I was going, a low lying branch hit me and flung a clump of snow into my face. It was cold."Dang it." I said out loud to myself as my face was already starting...

3 likes 0 comments 0
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The First Wedding

Submitted to Contest #28

I can’t remember his name. Most of the minor details, yes. Her dress (beautifully cut satin but much too shiny to be elegant), the bouquet (pink and white roses, even though she was slightly allergic), the church (which still smelled tragically like moth balls, despite her mother’s best efforts to air the place out the night before).But I can’t recall the groom’s name. Donnie maybe? Ronnie? I know that in those years there was definitely a Ronnie and a Donnie, but I don’t know which was the groom. I am tempted t...

10 likes 1 comment 1
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What Wise Men Fear

Submitted to Contest #29

It isn't the impending murder that's grinding Danny's nerves, not really. It's the fact that the kid, baby-faced and just shy of adulthood, is doing it all wrong.He's got a wine bottle in his hand, of all things. It's broken, somehow, even though those expensive flasks are damn hard to shatter the way this one's been; all jagged edges and dark, dripping beads of Merlot, running red like the blood of the guy the kid's five seconds from stabbing.They're in a well-kept yard two feet from the sidewalk. It's dark. Only one streetlight, barely eno...

40 likes 7 comments 7
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Real Sick Of Myself

Submitted to Contest #26

“Nicholas Martin Hall, get down here right now!”Nicholas froze as his mother called out for him. His brother, Malcolm, just started laughing at him.“You’re in trouble!”“Shut up!”Trying his best to ignore his brother’s mocking, Nicholas left their room and quickly hopped down the stairs. Their mother sat in the kitchen, glaring at thick piece of paper. Nicholas could see the red marker bleeding through to the other side of the page. As he approached her, his mother lowered the paper onto the table, spinning it so that Nicholas could read it. ...

6 likes 3 comments 3
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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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