Write about a character who’s always thinking of things they’ll say to people, but who ends up saying very little when they finally get the chance.

Posted in Character on Oct 26, 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.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 219 stories

“Him” by Rinnie Leigh

🏆 Winner of Contest #76

I’ve made thinking about him an art form. I’ve had plenty of time to practice and perfect my craft in the years we’ve been together: I paint his profile into the swirling, maze-like shapes that draw themselves on the backs of my eyelids when I shut them tight; I compose music that sounds like the brown of his eyes, so deep and mesmerising that looking into them can feel like drowning. I’ve written odes to his lips, hymns to his hands, an elegy to the feel of him leaving the bed every morning, the loss of that sacred warmth. I think about him...

169 comments 169

Read story

“Speechless, Breathless, Useless” by Jean Young

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #76

WinterSadie is an overthinker. Sadie spent all morning deciding whether to wear the blue blouse or the green sweater. She contemplated too long on which shirt would make her look effortlessly casual and after much internal debate, she settled on the blue. As she walked out of her apartment, it just felt wrong so she turned back to change into the green sweater. She’s behind schedule now but she feels better in green so it was worth it.Hi, I’m Sadie, the internal monologue rushes her along the street.It’s a beautiful day isn’t it. I’m sure yo...

21 comments 21

Read story

“I Don't Like Your Hair (Inspired by George Orwell)” by . .

Submitted to Contest #76

SHOUTOUT TO COCO LONGSTAFF SHE'S AMAZING!!!! CHECK HER OUT AT https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/author/coco-longstaff/When James woke up in the morning, he did not speak to his fellow Workers. No one spoke, because to speak your mind is to sin. James tried to keep his mind as blank as he could but the unspoken sins kept rising up to meet him.There were 100 people in the room, their beds lined up in columns. James' was on the column closest to the right wall, so he saw the beds of everyone else. He wanted to tell them to go bac...

1071 comments 1071

Read story

“Oil Paints” by Frances Reine

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #76

I guess it’ll be rainy. I think the sky should either make room for the sun to smile or it should just cry it out. Okay, it’ll be rainy. On wet days it blooms umbrellas. And I have four. There’s this lady who stands underneath the grey awning everyday and she paints the world. At least I think she paints the world. In front of the art supplies store with orange smears on the walls like blurry suns as big as my thumbs. So she’ll be there again, and the raindrops will crawl down the slope of the awning that might’ve been blue a long ...

72 comments 72

Read story

“Silence is Golden and Duct Tape is Silver” by Nainika Gupta

Submitted to Contest #76

“Have you ever walked into a room and found a vampire? Not the sexy kind, but a foul creature that has bony limbs and ashen skin? The kind that snarls as you enter, like a beast about the pounce? The kind that roots you to the spot with it’s sunken, hypnotic eyes, rendering you unable to flee as you watch the hideous thing uncoil from the shadows? Has your heart started to race although your legs refuse to? Have you felt time slow as the creature crosses the room in the darkness of a blink? Have you shuddered with fear when it places o...

132 comments 132

Read story

“cankerous” by R E

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #76

The girl at Starbucks spelled my name wrong on the coffee cup she handed me. It's a normal name - Beth. But she's spelt Bett. Who’s named Bett anymore? I can't even think of a current Bett in mainstream pop culture. It's a small thing, but the sore on my tongue starts to tingle. I burn it with my half caramel, half vanilla latte, decaf espresso. The girl must notice my expression, twisted up in confusion and simultaneously let-down. Poor Starbucks girl. She's maybe 19, cute, clearly hungover. Probably just wants to hang out with her cat or s...

37 comments 37

Read story

“Secrets and Smiles” by Writer Maniac

Submitted to Contest #76

Warning: contains mature themes Lynnea cooks for three today. The smell of spices make her nose all stuffy, and she coughs phlegmatically, wiping off the layer of sweat on her face with a dishcloth. She pours in the oil to heat, wiping her slippery hands on her hair, tied neatly into a tight, painful bun. She would rather be solving the crossword in the newspaper out on the lawn, legs crossed comfortably, the grass still wet underneath her. Or she could be sitting on the couch, leaning back and letting the cool air from outside fan her body,...

44 comments 44

Read story

“Actions speak louder than words” by 🕊 🎀 𝒱𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒽𝒶 𝒱𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁 🎀 🕊

Submitted to Contest #76

The gentle breeze picked up its constant pace as I hustled across the lawn, the air smelling of fresh cut grass and earthworms plucked by naked hands… yuck.I felt the sharp, itchy weeds get stuck between my toes as I went back and forth with my lawn mower in the early morning sun. I took a peek at the ravishing light that illuminated the whole world even when it was thousands of miles away, barely reachable by human kind. The rays were the color of a burning forest as it merged into a yellowish red. Kind of like an over-ripen mango that mom ...

99 comments 99

Read story

“Speak Before You Think” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #76

Another day at the office and I just can’t seem to say what I mean. I always mean well, but it comes out wrong and too short. I’ve been here for six months already, and it feels like six years. “Hi Steve, how are you today? I need you to finish up these financial reports as soon as you can,” Joe said, throwing the reports on Steve’s desk. Steve’s brain was quickly processing what to say to Joe before it was too late. I could say that I will work my hands down to the bone just for you. I could even say that I would be glad to burst an ...

15 comments 15

Read story

“Hidden Voice” by ✯𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫✯

Submitted to Contest #76

𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞I stare at the abstract painting hung on my wall. It looks very rectangular, and the frame looks expensive. I want to say to myself, "Wow Cassie, you are an amazing artist." But I can't.I can't say anything to anyone.Not even to my mom.✵✵✵I continue marveling at my talent. My abstract painting looks very nice, I guess. I stare closely at all the colors I used. A hint of lime green on top of some royal blue in the top left corner. It made a weird and sloppy whirl. The imperfection is what I love about my art.In retrospec...

77 comments 77

Read story

“Even Though” by ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕒 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕨 🏳️‍🌈 (inactive For The Summer)

Submitted to Contest #76

Carly, I stopped by your house today. I actually do it every week now. To see your parents, your adorable little sister, your dog, your cat that you always said you hated. I find myself looking for you now. Like you’re still here. I like to imagine you’ll jump out from behind something, like, Surprise! It never happens, though. But I keep hoping. You know, your parents gave me your truck. I didn’t have a car. Maybe that's why. But every time I hop behind the wheel of that navy blue 2002 Dodge Dakota, I breathe in your smell. The faint...

22 comments 22

Read story

“Polka Dot” by Scout Tahoe

Submitted to Contest #76

“Make me happy.” Dot’s arms sink over the edge of the railing and sift through the salt-speckled air. The sun slithers onto the rough angles of the waves and appears like snakes of light dancing in the corner of her eye. Adelaide is also there, in her peripheral vision, her stomach swollen and stretching the front of her floral blouse until the threads peel and screech. “You will, won’t you?” Her voice is camouflaged by the whispering thrum of the boat. Adelaide’s hands are unconsciously orbiting around her tummy and Dot recal...

34 comments 34

Read story

“The Vodka bottle ” by Asha Pillay

Submitted to Contest #76

Anna was racing against time to prepare her husband's favourite dishes as it was not everyday that she got to see him during lunch.He would leave in the morning and return late at night, never informing her about his erratic schedules.This particular morning while leaving for work, he told her that he would come home for lunch. She set about preparing all his favourite dishes hoping he would relish it.Finally the desert was ready, she had made a cherry pie with chocolate sauce just the way Andy liked it.She was laying the table when the door...

12 comments 12

Read story

“The Anima App (Part One)” by 𝔼𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 ✳🏳️‍🌈

Submitted to Contest #76

This one's much shorter than my usual ones. I promise Caddy's stories will be longer in the future; I just need to get some exposition out of the way. This is all connected to the stories in my bio, so I need to get through all the intro so it makes sense without them. I feel guilty about putting the 'latinx' tag, because even though Caddy's mixed she looks white, and I don't even know if I can write her correctly, but I really hope I haven't offended anyone with any of my stories; I'm trying to be inclusive in a non-Jk rowling way. I made ...

21 comments 21

Read story

“Emma Rinders” by ◦•●◉✿ 𝓑𝓵𝔁𝔁𝓲𝓲 ✿◉●•◦

Submitted to Contest #76

“Emma, you are to be given just a few months for you to complete this mission.” A low voice jolts me from my sleep.“Whazzuh?” I ask, confused. I had only just gone to bed when something hit me-I assume a tranquilizing dart. “You might be wondering: ‘Why me? Why not someone else?’ I chose wisely.” The low voice rumbled. I couldn’t find the words to express my feelings, but when I did, I found it hard to say them. Oh, stop being so childish, Emma. Just quickly get over with it.“I-I don’t understand…” I stammer. “Couldn’t y-you pick s...

14 comments 14

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story told exclusively through dialogue.

Dialogue – 349 stories

Write about two people who just can’t seem to understand each other, no matter how clearly they think they’re speaking.

Sad – 79 stories

Write about a character who is incapable of telling even the smallest lie or half-truth.

Character – 80 stories

Write a conversation that takes place between two people who refuse to say what they mean.

Dialogue – 58 stories

Contest #76

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: He Said, She Said

$50

Prize money

787

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 15, 2021 EST

Won by Rinnie Leigh 🏆

Title: Him

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!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Write about a character who’s always thinking of things they’ll say to people, but who ends up saying very little when they finally get the chance.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 219 stories

“Him” by Rinnie Leigh

“Speechless, Breathless, Useless” by Jean Young

“I Don't Like Your Hair (Inspired by George Orwell)” by . .

“Oil Paints” by Frances Reine

“Silence is Golden and Duct Tape is Silver” by Nainika Gupta

“cankerous” by R E

“Secrets and Smiles” by Writer Maniac

“Actions speak louder than words” by 🕊 🎀 𝒱𝒶𝓇𝓈𝒽𝒶 𝒱𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁 🎀 🕊

“Speak Before You Think” by Daniel R. Hayes

“Hidden Voice” by ✯𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫✯

“Even Though” by ℂ𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕒 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕨 🏳️‍🌈 (inactive For The Summer)

“Polka Dot” by Scout Tahoe

“The Vodka bottle ” by Asha Pillay

“The Anima App (Part One)” by 𝔼𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 ✳🏳️‍🌈

“Emma Rinders” by ◦•●◉✿ 𝓑𝓵𝔁𝔁𝓲𝓲 ✿◉●•◦

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story told exclusively through dialogue.

Write about two people who just can’t seem to understand each other, no matter how clearly they think they’re speaking.

Write about a character who is incapable of telling even the smallest lie or half-truth.

Write a conversation that takes place between two people who refuse to say what they mean.

Contest #76

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

787

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: