reedsymarketplace
Assemble a team of professionals
reedsystudio
The writing app for authors
reedsylearning
Writing courses, events and memberships
reedsydiscovery
Get your book reviewed
reedsyprompts
Weekly writing prompts and contests
Writing courses, events and conferences
Upcoming events
The Bigger Picture: Writing with a Series in Mind
April 13, 2026
Book Proposals, Demystified
April 07, 2026
From Submission to Publication
March 19, 2026
Writing Beyond Your "Brand"
March 16, 2026
Learn how to succeed as a writer from the best in the business.
Every writer needs a Studio
Check out our writing app for authors!
Menu
More apps built by Reedsy
Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2021
Weekly Contest #341
Trigger warning reference to death. My body jolted. I inhaled sharply, rubbing the grit from my eyes as I rolled away from the wall and into the flat grey of the small room. I fumbled for my phone, the screen light flooding my face: 3:00 AM. I let out a heavy huff, my back hitting the mattress. Too early.I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to reclaim me. Nothing. Instead, fragments of a dream ebbed and flowed: a winding road, rolling hills, and grass flattened by a relentless wind. I felt the cool, black window rubber under my chin and th...
Weekly Contest #340
The first thing I heard was the rustle of paper. I didn’t stir; it wasn’t the first time a mouse or a cockroach had snooped among the crumpled newsprint. I simply yawned, wondering vaguely what the hour might be.Then, the world split open. A shaft of blinding light was followed by a rush of bone-deep cold air that smelled of eucalyptus disinfectant. Before I could find my bearings, I was yanked rudely by the arm and hoisted into the sky."What on heaven’s earth is happening?" I shrieked. Fine spider silk twisted around my girth as an imbeci...
Weekly Contest #339
Warning Gore and horror. I think the bush is primordial. In the dark, damp pre dawn hours, it begins a meditative breath: a deep inhale followed by the low, earthy exhale of humming cicadas. This wave of sound swells in the belly until the kookaburras laugh at its peak, bursting the sound barrier, only to ebb back into a sultry, waiting silence—like the collective giggle of schoolgirls at the port racks after a handsome boy has passed. That loop repeats with the persistence of a practicing band until the first rays of the sun haunt the ho...
Weekly Contest #338
Iris Thorne wiped her hand over the donated book, the grit clinging to her skin like sandpaper. Outside, the wind hammered the glass, trying to force its way in, but Iris was elsewhere—lost in the slow-motion realization of the sheer time dust requires to claim a thing. Receiving such a relic felt like gazing into an antique mirror. She rubbed the cover again, as if summoning a spirit from a lamp, and a fine grey puff caught her nose."Ah-choo!" Under the disturbed veil, a tainted gold-leaf title emerged: The Murder of Crows.Unthinking, she...
Weekly Contest #337
The last time I visited, that photo was still on the coffee table. I remember trying to keep the conversation going, but my eyes kept drifting to the frame—to the wind in my salty hair and the earring he gave me glinting in the sun. It’s my eyes in that shot that haunt me; they’re half-shut with that heavy, liquid trust cats have when they know they’re safe. He was laughing, holding me from behind, until his breath seemed to move the very air around us.Now, I text and get nothing. I call and hear only his voicemail. I want to just show up, ...
Weekly Contest #323
Home. “Sun’s up!” James yelled. He stood shivering in a white singlet and corduroy cargo pants that sat crooked on his tiny hips.Lyra set down her coffee and pulled a bright red skivvy from the dryer, quickly yanking it over his head. The snug neckline made his cheeks flush as he popped out for air and hurriedly pushed his arms into the sleeves while Lyra tucked it in.Imitating a racing car, James zoomed to his room and rummaged his drawer for a pair of thick, dark-green socks. Lyra quickly rinsed her mug and followed.“Ahh, the green ones ...
Weekly Contest #320
Sensitive mentions divorce. Echo's name was a cruel joke. Her smile, though wide and generous, never quite reached her eyes. She didn't have the energy, nor did she try to hide herself completely. Instead, she was smart; she offered them glimpses: the tight muscles in her neck, the sallowness of her skin in direct sunlight, the crushed t-shirts with faded stains, the patched jeans. It was her simple trick to avoid fools - an open invitation for the shallow, the preoccupied, and the selfish to escape. "Mummy," Echo responded to her son's out...
Weekly Contest #319
Warning. Theme of Violence. In the past, a special bond often formed between children who celebrated their birthdays on the same day, marking not just a date on the calendar but an immediate happy bond that only children can do well at. But as adults, sharing the same birthday might bring a smile, maybe cause a temporary connection but we move on. Life feels pretty grim as I now confront the haunting reality that two people I have known for most of my life now share the same death day. My sister and Matthew, a boy I grew up with, both passe...
Weekly Contest #311
Warning: Swearing, Violence and Political suicide. I imagined myself as a myrtle tree. It wasn’t difficult to envision having roots, a wooden trunk, and branches that spread out with spiky leaves and soft pink, crepe flowers. That part was easy. I belong to Generation X, and being identified as an intangible criminal within that classification is the norm. If God were to erase a generation, it would be us—Generation X: the wayfinders, the truth-tellers, the healers, the artists, the visionaries, the jokers, the outcasts and Mavericks. Yes, w...
Weekly Contest #308
Warning. Capital punishment, violence, rape, discrimination themes and sexuality. 25/06/25 I like to keep my explanations brief because my client list is overflowing, leaving me little time even to brew a cup of instant soup. About a week ago, I decided to take on a pro bono job. It wasn't difficult to research, but it was certainly a bizarre case. I focused on my appearance. I puckered my lips and applied vibrant, low-cost pink lipstick that brightened my face. I curled my hair, watching as the ringlets bounced into place. Then, I fumbled ...
Weekly Contest #282
"I'm sorry, Rami. You were right; I never should have gone to that University Ball," wailed Sasha.Rami hissed as he dissolved Sasha's false ego, "That dress does not suit you!"Rami's mind made a deep sweep through his memories of the events during the last week.***"Are you ready?" Rami asked Sasha as he watched her go through her familiar routine of slipping off her shoes and standing in her socks on the polished timber floor. She nodded in response."Gemini, play my ethno-music loop, please," Rami commanded as he counted his cash drawer. The...
Weekly Contest #281
Please note; Sexual References.The train platform was damp. I could hear the train rattling in, its noise echoing off the tunnel walls. My educated guess was that it was only a minute away at the most. Frigid winds swirled around me, causing the soggy fallen leaves at my feet to lift their tips slightly as if longing to dance.I pulled my dark parka tight, trying to trap warmth around my torso. I wrapped my long, bright scarf around my neck and over my mouth and nose, hoping to warm the wisps of breath escaping me. The hood, made heavy by its...
Weekly Contest #266
Warning: Sexual References, Cussing, Swearing and Drug use and Mental Health referenced.I have always steered clear of Romance writing. I mean, the mushy, sentimental kind that some writers – mostly myself - shy away from. However, this week's writer's prompt happened to be that theme - Romance! It seemed pretty straightforward - boy meets girl, they fall in love, have some tension and conflicts then ultimately tie the knot - right?The recorded announcement at the train station stated, "The Brisbane City and Caboolture Train will arrive in a...
Weekly Contest #265
A partially shaved man's face came into view on my display, his voice melodic and soothing. “Hello, fellow YouTubers. My name is Listening Brad, and today, I'm transporting you back to Australia in 2018.The display transitioned to a rotating silver and purple flashing Merkaba accompanied by eerie music. A well-trained conspiracy theorist ear would pick up the music as a back-masked or reversed rendition of a well-known song from the 1960s which had explicit occult themes. The Channel's name was displayed in black, bold letters next to the no...
Weekly Contest #260
Warning. Cussing.Every morning at 3 a.m., for the last seven years, I started my day with yoga, followed by prayer. During the recent past, I was distracted by a small and vulnerable cat. Somehow he was aware of my quiet body movements and silent prayer and sent a soft meow through the gap between the old front door and the wooden floor. "Please, Miss, could we have some food?" The sweetness of the melodic, pleading sound tugged at my heartstrings for those three poor animals. Although it was deeply unsettling to imagine their stomachs growl...
Oops, you need an account for that!
Log in with your social account:
Or enter your email:
15 likes
