Reedsy — an online marketplace for authors seeking an “editor, designer or marketer who can help bring [their] book to life” — hosts a short story contest each week based on a series of writing prompts that they provide.

Writers choose a prompt from their list, craft a story between 1,000 and 3,000 words, and submit it for consideration. The winner receives $50 and their short story gets published on Reedsy’s Medium blog.

I entered a short story for consideration at the start of January, titl...