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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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

150+ Inspirational Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. From tales of the miraculous to stories of extraordinary people overcoming incredible odds, you’ll always find something uplifting in our collection of inspirational short stories.

Inspirational Short Stories – Page 4 of 10

Okay.

Submitted to Contest #333

The kitchen is dark when you flip the switch. Not late-dark, just that in-between hour when day hasn't quite let go but evening's already settling in. The fluorescent flickers once before catching, washing everything in that particular brightness that makes the rest of the house feel farther away than it is.You're not sure when you decided to cook. One moment you were sitting on the couch, staring at nothing in particular and the next your body was moving, feet carrying you here. Your hands already know what they're reaching for before your ...

11 likes 1 comment 1
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We're Gonna Need Another Minute

Submitted to Contest #333

There are few things in life I consider so horrible that I wouldn’t wish them upon anybody else. One of them is the loss of a loved one. Another is a stubborn cold where you can’t breathe properly for a week and you realize how much of a luxury breathing is. A third, and perhaps worst of them all, is the arduous struggle of figuring out my family’s order at a high-end steakhouse.“We’re gonna need another minute,” my mom said to the waiter. The waiter politely nodded and left to tend other tables.“Now he’s never gonna come back!” shouted my d...

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Those Who Come, Those Who Stay

Submitted to Contest #334

I have carried many names, though most people only know the one written on maps. Before maps, I was simply here. Before borders learned to argue with each other, before they cut the land into pieces and pretended the water would agree, I was already holding what humans could not. I remember when hands first reached into me without ceremony. They did not call themselves fishermen then. They were only hungry. Hunger and gratitude were the same thing in those days. People come to me now for different reasons. Beauty, they say. Peace. Escape. Th...

15 likes 2 comments 2
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Efficiency, Improvisation, And The Space Between

Submitted to Contest #334

By the time this trip began, Tanzania was no longer a destination—it was a relationship, one that had already tested my patience, my ethics, and my understanding of what collaboration actually requires. I wasn’t arriving with answers. I was arriving with unfinished work, people I cared about, and a growing suspicion that efficiency, my most trusted tool, might not survive the journey. I used to think efficiency was about speed. Get in. Get out. Don’t miss the flight. Don’t miss the meeting. Don’t miss the point. That illusion usually starts ...

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Hungry for More

Submitted to Contest #333

Exhaustion didn’t begin to cover the lagging sensation slowly shutting down her body. After twelve hours on her feet, Evelin couldn’t fathom the idea of moving another muscle save for her eyelids as she slumped in front of the tv watching mind numbing reality tv. Exiting the restaurant that had become her primary home since she spent more time within its walls than her actual house, Eveline stared out at the busy street. Christmas decorations hung from every corner and lamp poll. Every tree in the nearby area illumined the street in ways n...

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Journal Entry 12.19.24 and One Year Later

Submitted to Contest #334

I found this journal entry from a year ago and left it as it was... Yesterday’s drive to Cleveland… Just another stretch of highway, gray skies stretching endlessly ahead, and the kind of dreary, overcast day that makes everything feel a little heavier. It’s Cleveland after all…It was the quiet kind of weight, the kind that doesn’t announce itself but settles deep in your chest and refuses to leave. This happens often on longer drives.I was listening to my Spotify Wrapped from 2024… a crazy mix of music, to be expected… when, bam, “A Long De...

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From The Sky

Submitted to Contest #333

CW: Strong language I’ve never in my life been treated so badly by a stranger.We had planned on having a regular day. A day at the beach. Just him and me. Soothing sun and tangy breezes, no jobs, no errands, no mess. No headaches or strange encounters with struggling strangers. We even got a bonus gift from some friends who handed us a hundred-dollar bill and said to get dinner on them. Our plan was set. The weekend away had already begun.Yesterday we people-watched and played pickleball. Today I insist on enjoying the sunrise, just as I do...

3 likes 0 comments 0
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Pork Chops with Brown Rice

Submitted to Contest #333

Pork Chops with Brown Rice “These pork chops taste like shoe leather. What’s your mom teaching you to make these days? It’d have to be better than this.” “Pork chops with brown rice. Mine are way better than these. Come over tomorrow night and I’ll show you.” Randall drained his coke. “Adam, I have the perfect recipe for finding girls.” Would this turn out like Judith? Randall told me that he’d heard she “liked me.” I was more likely to strike up a conversation with a rattlesnake than...

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Le Coucher de Soleil

Submitted to Contest #333

The dark, cold rain clouds rolled over the city, blocking the sun from reaching the earth. It was a typical day in Paris, the rain just starting to fall gently from the sky. Luc Dubois had just found a new flat in the downtown center, close to the restaurant. He wanted to live in the city center, not only because that is where all the action was, it was also so he could walk to work.Luc was fresh out of Le Cordon Bleu, where he was a top graduate in his class. Most of his colleagues called him, “Le Zeune Prodige,” the wiz kid. To Luc, c...

8 likes 1 comment 1
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The Little Broken Cake: A Lesson in Love

Submitted to Contest #333

Looking into my childhood, there are many memories with tales to tell, lessons to teach, and wonderful stories to pass down through future generations. But there is one memory that is so full of love, compassion and the spirit of giving that it has a magical quality. This memory enriches the soul with inspiration, courage, and wisdom. One is reminded that love has the power to work miracles and create magical memories that can be called upon in times of trouble. This particular memory has served me well, so I want to share this gift of love ...

15 likes 4 comments 4
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We Had a Good Time

Submitted to Contest #333

A few days after he left, I was sitting on my bed with my back against the wall, the room quiet in a way it hadn’t been while he was there. The radiator clicked on and off without committing to providing warmth. On my bedside table lay two museum tickets and a postcard I still hadn’t written. I picked up my phone the way you do when your mind gets too busy and scrolled without purpose. A notification appeared. Congratulations! Your review has been viewed 100 times. I laughed, then felt my face heat up. The review. I hadn’t thought about it ...

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It Wasn't Venison

Submitted to Contest #333

It was my lucky day when I stopped by to visit my son after he returned from his annual hunting trip. He is gone every Thanksgiving but there’s always the rest of the football season to enjoy together. I couldn’t care less about the games but cheering alongside my boy is priceless.My daughter-in-law is a fantastic cook and I smelled chili simmering before I even rang the doorbell. This is going to be a good day. Spending time with family, watching football on the big screen, the last two year’s hunting successes mounted next to the tv watchi...

10 likes 1 comment 1
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Steak Seasoning

Submitted to Contest #333

I was awakened for my usual 12 AM trip to the restroom. My eyes barely opened, I stumbled out of my cozy, carpeted room onto the icy hardwood floor of the hallway. The jarring chill shot through my feet like an electric shock, racing up my legs and sending a shiver through my spine. I always kept my warm, fuzzy slippers by the door, but I never remembered them until the cold had fully jolted me awake and my bladder was acutely aware of its fullness. As I hurried down the short hallway, the portrait of my grandmother as a young woman always s...

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Empty Plate, Full Stomach

Submitted to Contest #333

Prompt 1: Write a story that includes a recipe, grocery list, or restaurant review. Prompt 2: Start or end your story with an empty plate, empty glass, or something burning. Empty Plate, Full Stomach Since Daddy died two years ago, Momma and I got by on what we had. She would always remind me that our lives wouldn’t be easy. She would quote Jesus saying “… I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothin...

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An Admiral’s Plate

Submitted to Contest #333

The Ranger’s mess doors opened to admit Captain Arthur Landsman, captain of the exploration cruiser Daniel Boone. Ranger—flagship to the Chief of Space Operations of the Earth Space Operations Command—here on a mission with the Earth Planetary Union Deputy Prime Minister to pass judgment on a world’s future. Arthur hesitated before entering. He was a cruiser captain, not a diplomat. Unfortunately, he and his ship were the focus of the visit. What was said in the next day or two might very well seal the fate of that world. His included.Diplom...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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