Write a scene in which a character’s behavior or reaction to something is affected by a past experience — without saying what that experience was.

Posted in Character on Sep 15, 2023

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✍️ 51 stories

“X marks the spot ” by Stacy Ramkissoon

Submitted to Contest #216

CRr, CRRr, CRRRr, CRRRRR, CRACK, TRASH, ow, BAM, ow, BOOM, ow, THUMP—were the sounds Rekha made as she tumbled down off the tree she once climbed. After 30 sections of black, she cautiously opened her eyes to let the light in. Looking upwards, she wagered she had fallen about 5 meters.“What a klutz”, she muttered, scolding herself as she attempted to move and sit up.As she inspected her body, she could see red welts begin to form and faint bluish-purplish blemishes against her brown skin. The palms of her hands were caked in dirt and leaves,...

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“Fighting For Love” by Isabella Moore

Submitted to Contest #216

“Jamie take a picture!” I yelled at my best friend while holding a sprinkler and smiling. We were at the annual Fourth of July Street Dance in our hometown in New York. Every year we came here to support local vendors and hang out until the fireworks show. I was staring down at my phone. “Andddd posted”, I tapped the phone screen and shoved my phone into the back pocket of my fire red shorts. We found an area of grass under a tree to set up our blankets and have a picnic before the show started. “I can’t believe we’re going into our ...

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“The Light over the Black Sea” by Rayn Haarpe

Submitted to Contest #216

I opened my mouth trying to utter even the slightest word, but no sound could be heard. I was simply standing still, stripped of my voice. I tried screaming from the top of my lungs, giving it every bit of air I had at my disposal, but to no avail. The heavy silence that seemed to carry the weight of the world forced me to my knees. I was left stranded on the ground, gasping for air. I brought my hands to my throat, desperately trying to relieve the pain caused by my unrewarded efforts to make a sound. I could not give up, I needed to get ou...

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“Unspoken things.” by Nathan You

Submitted to Contest #216

Charley knew it was a mistake to try a new cafe. Her local had been quiet and cozy but there was no way she was going back there, too many memories. Still she hated trying out new places. It was awkward even if they turned out to be nice. Unfortunately her fears were proved right. The decor was modern and soulless and the Barista made a weirdly big fuss about her ordering tea from a coffee shop even though they definitely offered it. After an agonizing few minutes waiting for the barista to finish she took the cup and headed for a booth in...

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“Coffee Brewing” by Lee Garcia

Submitted to Contest #216

(Story contains violence, mental health, vague mentions of abuse and swearing) One may say the smell of coffee is soothing. For some it is associated with early mornings, the mixing of steam from your fresh brew and the white puffs of breath from the cold air. Others may recall the fondness of sipping from a stainless steel mug as they get caught up in morning traffic. But as the bitter, harsh smell wafts through the air, no good memories come to Clarence's mind. There was no sense of peace or contentment, instead she felt strained, as if ...

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“Afloat” by Simon Kent

Submitted to Contest #216

Jason, 40 years old today, surrounded by friends, sat back and ordered himself a coffee ice cream float. He did so with pride and luxurious anticipation. Gone was that hollow hankering feeling, the absence of a good time if the time didn’t include copious amounts of alcohol. Gone was the anxiety, the hang up that maybe he wasn’t good enough, that maybe the people around him were secretly whispering about him, his looks, his weight, his taste in shirts, his taste in shorts, the colour of his face, his pseudo aggressive laugh. Gone. Ye...

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Write a scene in which a character’s behavior or reaction to something is affected by a past experience — without saying what that experience was.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“X marks the spot ” by Stacy Ramkissoon

“Fighting For Love” by Isabella Moore

“The Light over the Black Sea” by Rayn Haarpe

“Unspoken things.” by Nathan You

“Coffee Brewing” by Lee Garcia

“Afloat” by Simon Kent

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story in a coffee shop without using obvious words to describe it (e.g. barista, coffee cup.)

Include dialogue that shows that a character is socially awkward.

Include a scene in your story in which a character's body language conveys their hidden emotions.

Write a story with an open ending that gives readers just enough details to draw their own conclusions.

Contest #216

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

115

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: