When we first began to make this East Side Story dream into a reality, one of the most dynamic ideas was the thought of creating a place for Nashville writers to crank out original, creative prose.  Basically, we really wanted to make an outlet for writers and haven for good story-searchin’ readers.

The stories below, not in any particular order, are a handful of the collection from prompts over the last few years.  Before you jump right into these stories, you should know that everyone is welcome to submit their own creative writing pieces…anytime!

Original Prompt

Up and Running

All of the writers below were asked to help launch our website by submitting an original work.  The only directions that were given was that the word limit be kept at or under 1,000, and they must include the phrase “Up and Running” within the prose however they choose.  ENJOY!

Click the links below to read submissions:

• Route Indiana by Rod Jones
• Up and Running by Gavin O’Neill
• The East Nashville half-hour by Todd Dills
• Harbeck by Erin Burcham Taylor
• Brûlé by Claire Gibson
• Untitled by Leroy Whitehead
• How Will You Meet People if You Never Leave the House? by Betsy Phillips

Ongoing Prompts

This is YOUR chance to get your creative writing read by and spread quickly to the masses alongside other Nashville talent.  If there is a contest, follow the directions.  If there is a prompt, read between the lines.  Other than that, have at it!

LOVE

The guidelines for the LOVE prompt are as follows:

• Must be less than 1,000 words.
• You are free to write about anything you wish to write about.  All that I ask is that you have the word LOVE in it and at some point one of the characters or narrators needs to define what LOVE means to them.

Please email your submission to me at chuck@eastsidestorytn.com.  Thank YOU!

Click the links below to read submissions:

• Lovestory by musician/author Dustin Lowman

Best Gift I Ever Got!

I’d like for this round of submissions to be nonfiction as much as possible (if not you, this happened to someone you know).

The guidelines for the Best Gift I Ever Got Prompt are as follows:

• Must be less than 1,500 words.
• You are free to write about any gift that you ever got BUT the gift has to be something that you didn’t ask for when you got it.  It may have even been the exact thing you didn’t want at the time, but this gift ended up becoming the ultimate, absolute perfect gift that you needed in your life in the end.

Please email your submission to me at chuck@eastsidestorytn.com. Thank YOU!

Click the links below to read submissions:

•  christmas ’92 by Ben Burr

Thanks + Giving 

The guidelines for the Thanks + Giving Prompt are as follows:

• Must be less than 1,000 words.
• You must include the words thanks and giving into the prompt at some point (They don’t have to be together.  In fact, I think it might be better if they aren’t).

Spooky Story Campfire

The guidelines for the Spooky Story Campfire Prompt are as follows:

• Must be less than 1,500 words.
• The setting must be within Nashville’s city limits

Please email your submission to me at chuck@eastsidestorytn.com. Thank YOU!

Click the links below to read submissions:

• Ten Gallon Ghost by Susan Burdorf
• The Ghosts of Belmont (On a Ladder Under a Hackberry Tree) by A. H. Pellett
• One Less Man by Barry Jones
• Fog and Ash by Aaron Joel Lain
• Crazy Harry by Ralph Bland