CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Lost in a foreign city where they don’t speak the language, your character uses a translation app to get around, but constantly runs into problems.

Posted in Adventure on Dec 16, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Sign in with Google

Sign in with Facebook

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 9 stories

“A PERECT WEEK IN ÇÀÝÁÇ” by Delbert Griffith

ÇÀÝÁÇ was the perfect place to vacation, and to forget about one’s troubles back home. Parker Goldring booked his flight to this tropical paradise, as much to relax as to evade his psychotic ex-wife. He understood her acrimony towards him because he was a slob, but he didn’t understand why she wanted him dead. He didn’t think he was that much of a slob. Parker tried to learn as much as he could about the ÇÀÝÁÇ lan...

Read story

“Lost in Translation” by Stevie Burges

Before arriving in China, the reality of experiencing a significant language difficulty never entered my mind. I truly believed everyone spoke English - if not fluently - enough for the essentials to be understood. Previously I’d worked in a zoo in Malaysia and had experienced no communication difficulties at all. Of course, this was because an English charity had set up my placement in the zoo and an English sp...

Read story

“The Dead City of Enlightenment” by David Phan

The fluorescent dimmed light flickered unbearably in this part of the drop ship. It was so cold in this ship, teardrops and spit could freeze on the spot, just like in the dead of space, there was no warmth nor reprieve from it. But what the men and women can complain about? As the ‘contractors’ had shuddered to themselves in their designated seat, with metallic bars that hindered around their flesh bodies. They sat like nice and silent schoolchildren, roughly 10 or 12 metres away from each other.A...

Read story

“Chirps and squeaks” by Lex Castanheira

His hands clutched on his knees and his breath a bit shorter than usual, Noah was having a harder time recovering from this eight-mile run than he usually would. His half marathon was about two months away and clearly, this wasn’t the best way to prepare for it. He still had plenty of time to get back in shape, but he needed to cut down on his business travels and happy hours, if he wanted to finish the race. The...

Read story

“The City of Shadows” by Nisha Ramakrishnan

Something sinister infused the air. It oozed out of cracks on the pavement, dispersed from the generic, flickering-tube-light lit shops – Raju Xerox, Prabheem Dry Fruits – and gathered momentum with the rapidly fading light, which cast a gloom over the whole city of Chhayapur, India (noteworthy attractions: non-existent), marking the end of another disillusioning day, indistinguishable from yesterday. Th...

Read story

“Isern Amore” by Jack Thomas

It was late December, she was boarding a flight to return home. She had spent the last year in France, studying at an international college. She sits in a plastic chair next to a window, scrolling through her phone lazily. A girl about 19 years of age, she has a very slender frame, black hair, shoulder length, and unkempt. She wears a worn down gray softball sweater as well as blue jeans with red and gray sneake...

Read story

“The Language of Help” by Eva F

“Chris Lanning! Please come to my office!” said the PA system. ”What did I do?” Chris wondered. He started on his way to the office. Chris was a man with brown hair, big green eyes, and was about average height for a man of 23 just starting in the workforce. He worked at a construction firm that sold materials and funded construction companies. When he finally reached the office, he sighed and ...

Read story

“Lost in Barcelona Spain” by Sarah Shaar

On a cold Christmas evening, Jane found herself lost in the foreign city of Barcelona, where she didn't speak the language. She had been visiting her aunt and uncle for the holidays and had decided to go for a walk to explore the city. She had been admiring the beautiful Christmas lights and festive decorations that adorned the streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the c...

Read story

“First Business Trip” by Narelle Bennett-Elliott

“How was the flight?” Brad said, I could hear the clattering of dishes and the sizzling of food. It was hard to tell what he was making, he has always been terrible at orienting the camera so that I could see what he was up to. “Long, thankfully I managed to sleep most of the way. I just got to my hotel. I have a few hours before our meeting with our counterparts. I’m thinking of snagging something to eat. I saw a cute c...

Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about two or more characters who don't speak each other's language (literally or metaphorically), but still find a way to communicate.

Dialogue – 55 stories

Set your story in a meeting where a professional interpreter takes some liberties, with major consequences.

Funny – 12 stories

Write about someone who is slowly forgetting their mother tongue or losing their language.

Character – 22 stories

Write a story about a character who struggles to translate their thoughts and feelings into words and action.

Angst – 56 stories

Contest #177

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: Found in Translation

$250

Prize money

154

Contest entries

70

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 23, 2022 EST

Won by Laurel Hanson 🏆

Title: Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢