Write about someone who critiques things for a living, or acts like they do.

Posted in Character on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 35 stories

“Bounceback” by Leticia Mooney

Submitted to Contest #141

She slumped down in the little Sigma, which was parked on the main road right out the front of the venue. The car had seen better days. It was a sun-worn red, it stank of cigarettes long smoked, and it was always only about half-filled with fuel. But it still had spoilers and mags and went red. Red goes faster. But not when you're trying to get changed and the line for the show is just outside the car window. She gave up being discreet and took off her work shirt, bra out for the world to see. It was soon covered by a band shirt. Not t...

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“Persnickety Eliot Wagman ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #141

There have been people in my life who have caused me a great deal of grief, but Eliot Wagman would have to rate at the top of the list. Ever since we launched Christoval Enterprises five years ago, Wagman has been a thorn in my side with his persnickety personality and his constant criticism of our general operations. As founder and C.E.O. of Christoval Enterprises which specializes in making technology accessible to companies requiring assistance by bringing their operations into the Twenty-First Century, Eliot Wagman ha...

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“The Critique ” by L.B Rinker

Submitted to Contest #141

It was tart, the kind of tart that puckered your lips and wrinkled your nose. It was sweet too I suppose, but it was one Splenda packet in your morning coffee sweet, not enough to balance out the sour citrus notes of the lemon.. but it was ripe with pulp, something I always enjoyed, it showed that it was organic, and some work had been put in to prepare it. That was the first sip, gurgling in the back of my throat as I searched my mind for other ways to describe what I was tasting. I spit...

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“The Food Critic Con” by Lizzy Stevens

Submitted to Contest #141

Amber Collins was a young woman at twenty-five. She had shoulder length blond hair and had a small figure. She was getting ready for another big night out when her friend, Marie, walked in. “I’m in the bathroom putting my make up on. Come on in. I’ll be ready in just a few minutes. Marie, who was not as outgoing as Amber, was the same age but had long red hair and was a little chubbier than Amber. She walk...

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“The Art Of Criticism - Boon or Bane” by Latha Prakash

Submitted to Contest #141

The humming noise made by the ceiling fan broke the agonising silence. The lone light bulb placed in a corner of the room was shining in effulgence. The bed made a creaking noise as James tossed and turned on it. The nights tapped into his deepest fear, the fear of 'death'. Clasping a pillow tightly he closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep. A pattern full of dots and sparkles played before him. Swirls and waves of different coloured dots danced not letting him sleep. He lay on the bed and stared at the window wondering if he would ever b...

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“I Interviewed "The Pet Rater" and I Wasn't Surprised at All” by Andrew Audibert

Submitted to Contest #141

[The following is a transcript of a portion of episode 487 of Vertigone’s Who The What?! Podcast. For the full feature, go to vertigone.com/WTWpod or wherever you get your podcasts] When I sat down with YouTube sensation Barney, from petrater.com, I wasn’t sure what to expect. His aloof persona, as seen in his hundreds of videos, whose view counts are nearly all above 25 million, has remained surprisingly consistent in the years he’s been making content. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to tell his early videos apart from his recent work. W...

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“Hollow Contemplation” by Jordan Williams

Submitted to Contest #141

"Truly a display so perverse and assaulting to the senses that I would relate it to being not much preferable to being attacked by a crackhead in the urine filled streets of the East End. A dispassionate creation of the lowest order, truly, I cannot imagine what has given Professor Merrill such a poor judgement of her students to send them out into the world with this as their only offering." Constance Stetson said. The gathering crowd oohed and simpered at the delivery of his verdict, dooming another artist to mediocrity and a swift...

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“There's No Accounting for Taste” by Jim Loughran

Submitted to Contest #141

I could close my eyes and count to ten and with a bit of luck he’ll be gone when I open them again. On the other hand I could try the expeliare spell from Harry Potter and hope that he will disappear in a puff of smoke, back to his boring house with the white walls, the polished parquet and the le Corbusier chaise longue that looks so elegant but is impossible to sit on. Even the floors are painted white and there are no rugs to absorb the sound so that the house constantly echoes to the sound of people moving around. There are no curtain...

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“Tough Love” by VJ Hamilton

Submitted to Contest #141

We walked along the wind-blasted shore, where the scimitar wings of a lone osprey sliced great arcs through the late-winter sky. Syrita was about to drive back to the city. She shoved her hands deep in her pockets, cheeks ruddy from the breeze. “You’ve got Room 201 for the long weekend. No car, no cash, no credit card. No Wi-Fi. Just get the damn thing done. Okay?” I nodded. I felt immeasurable gratitude for her “tough love” approach but between us, it was taboo to say anything sentimental, such as “Thanks for rescuing me, yet again.” During...

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“Gourmet” by Rob Ryter

Submitted to Contest #141

Sometimes, Tony Gordon reflected, the best pleasures in life are simple, and free. He basked in relief as he drained his bladder, visceral satisfaction enriched by the long, exquisite fart he simultaneously let rip. Just as well he was alone in the restaurant’s bathroom. The dark, heavy fetor embraced him like a lover as he finished and zipped.Washing his hands, his deflated colon and de-stressed waterworks lending him a strong sense of well being, he marvelled at the restorative power of simply emptying a couple of body cavities. Tony’s deg...

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“Sherry” by Harlow Jones

Submitted to Contest #141

That was the day Shana lost all light in my eyes. *** “Shana, Bridget said you needed to see me.” I knocked on her door, one minute after service was scheduled to start. With superhuman speed, Shana opened the door, grabbed my arm, and dragged me into her sanctuary. There was where she meditated and recharged after every session. When she double-checked that the door was locked, I knew something was wrong. When I counted three sandalwood incense sticks burning, I thought she hit rock bottom. “I can’t go out there,” she started, while pacin...

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“Helpful Hannah” by Taylor Spears

Submitted to Contest #141

Trigger Warning: mental health and allusion to suicide --------------------- “Hannah, why are you so embarrassing?! Sit down- oh my God!” Abigail covered her forehead with her hand to hide her face. “I have to get the right lighting for this or it will suck ass.” I pulled the overhanging light toward me, half-standing in our booth, so that it shone directly over my strawberry and goat cheese salad. “If I don’t get this picture posted by today, I will lose follower engagement. If I have to look a little ridiculous in the proces...

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“Be a critic” by Yoana Krasteva-Pyuzantyan

Submitted to Contest #141

One time I got asked to participate in a stand up comedy open mic. Got told that I'm fun and charming, that my stories, or at least the way I tell them, are entertaining. All that being said, it didn't come off as something too difficult at the moment. I mean, I do have a sence of humour - and a marvelous one, especially if you catch me on a 'wave' or in a mood. Nah, I make people laugh, I do those fun little bits, I have the snarkiest of remarks in all the right places and, quite frankly, I'm fun to be around. I don't have a problem...

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“A Critical Error” by Mark Nero

Submitted to Contest #141

Being a food critic is often a thankless and tedious undertaking and sometimes, I just couldn’t be bothered doing my job. There have been nights when all I wanted to do was sit in front of my TV in my pajamas with a pizza and not an artisanal or authentic pizza, either! I’m talking, Pizza Hut or Domino's or any ‘stuck to the cardboard’, delivered by Uber Eats, cold by the time it gets to me, pizza! Obviously, I would never tell anyone this as it would destroy my career and finding another job didn’t intrigue me. I had always been a good co...

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“Table For Two” by Heather Hagy

Submitted to Contest #141

Max sat at the dining table, white linen napkin spread open on his lap. He bent over the steaming bowl of soup and inhaled, eyes closed. He sat up, opened his eyes, and picked up his spoon, carefully dipping it into the bowl. He scooped up a hearty spoonful of broth, lamb, and vegetables, blew twice on the spoon, then put the food in his mouth. He chewed slowly, thoughtfully, staring into space. Then he put the spoon down, picked up his pen, and jotted down some notes in the medium-sized black notebook on his right. ...

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Write about someone who critiques things for a living, or acts like they do.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 35 stories

“Bounceback” by Leticia Mooney

“Persnickety Eliot Wagman ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

“The Critique ” by L.B Rinker

“The Food Critic Con” by Lizzy Stevens

“The Art Of Criticism - Boon or Bane” by Latha Prakash

“I Interviewed "The Pet Rater" and I Wasn't Surprised at All” by Andrew Audibert

“Hollow Contemplation” by Jordan Williams

“There's No Accounting for Taste” by Jim Loughran

“Tough Love” by VJ Hamilton

“Gourmet” by Rob Ryter

“Sherry” by Harlow Jones

“Helpful Hannah” by Taylor Spears

“Be a critic” by Yoana Krasteva-Pyuzantyan

“A Critical Error” by Mark Nero

“Table For Two” by Heather Hagy

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with someone receiving a one-star review.

Write a story about someone struggling to swallow some harsh (but fair) constructive criticism.

Set your story in the lowest rated restaurant in town.

Write about a character named after one of our contest’s judges.

Contest #141

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

177

Contest entries

111

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: