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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#177: Found in Translation

“Every act of communication is a miracle of translation.”

– Ken Liu, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

Communication is the cornerstone of all relationships. A complex combination of sounds, words, gestures, and written symbols help us navigate the world and get our intentions and feelings across. It’s remarkably efficient, but sometimes, regardless of how clearly you thinkyou’re expressing yourself, things get lost between sender and receiver.

Inspired by the act of translating thoughts and feelings into words and actions — and the things that can get lost (or found) in the process — here are this week’s prompts:

This week's 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 – 54 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

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.

Adventure – 9 stories

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

Angst – 53 stories

Stories

“God May Be Tone Deaf But I’m Not” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #177

Connor Crosswhite flashes a toothy grin as he passes Hattie the receptionist, who puffs up her posture hoping the rock god will notice her. Whipping off his sunglasses, the tanned, trim, thirty-three-year-old Brit-born lead singer of the band THC breezes into Rollin’ Records’ conference room like a swashbuckling pirate. “Well, if it ain’t his nibs,” Amp Steele, the group’s bass player teases. “How’re things in paradise?” “Living in Monaco is like being in Disney World every day.” “Wouldn’t know, mate,” Amp replies. “My checks are much sm...

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“Because of Montmartre” by Sanja Trpkovska

Submitted to Contest #177

The official interpreter took out her elegant pen in crimson red and placed it on the table. She had a black too, but this occasion deserved a real color. She was seated next to her client; the Councilor was opposite of them. In the President’s residency this may be the only office she never visited before - the President’s Special Councilor's office. Very special, she could say, but she rarely expressed her own thoughts at work. Instead, she took out a notepad and removed her purse behind her back. He could be observing her every...

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“Another respectable piece of my heart” by Ness Turner

Submitted to Contest #177

-I'm proud to say that I and my family, like all the British people for all the generations since we lost the second world war and were made to realise the folly of inequality and oppression in any form, are a proud part of the working class. Because it turns out, actually doing humble, generous work for other people and each other is what makes a people classy. We once had a reason to call ourselves great and united, and we still mostly are, even if our temporary bosses in sitting are very thick and bluffed their way through their history c...

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“I dream, ” by Asia Perrine

Submitted to Contest #177

Within moments the small craft was lifted high into the sky. A pillar of smoke from the exhaust trail spreading out as it rocket out of sight. A lush green planet could be seen. The oceans vast and fruitful, life exploding out of every inch as the small rocket barreled out of orbit. The lone pilot watched in horror as lights lit up across the beautiful land that once held his home. As the oceans crumbled and cracks seemed to rise from the pressure of their moon colliding with their stratosphere. Fingers against the tiny little capsule’s glas...

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“An Exile's Return” by George Ypres

Submitted to Contest #177

My name is Zarius, and in times long past I was counted among the Pantheon of Gods that reside on Mount Olympus. But that was many ages ago, before I made the mistake that turned out to be the most significant of my entire life. Back then, I was simply a young boy who was brimming with curiosity and aspiration. I desired nothing more than to establish my worth in the eyes of the Gods and to be counted among those they see as their own. Thus, when I spotted Zeus's thunderbolt lying unattended on a table, I was unable to resist the desire t...

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“Is there any point in speaking?” by Ivona Coghlan

Submitted to Contest #177

English only! That was the rule on Persephone. Of course it wasn’t always called Persephone. We called it Meirth. Then the ships landed from another world and told us we lived on Persephone. That was when my grandpa’s grandpa was a boy. They outlawed all our languages. It was too confusing, they said. It would make life easier if we just spoke one language. We’d find we could express ourselves better, understand each other better. Of course, people still spoke their own languages in secret. But by the time it wasn’t illegal anymore, Meirth w...

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“Lost in Barcelona Spain” by Sarah Shaar

Submitted to Contest #177

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 city. But as the sun began to set, Jane realized that she had gotten turned around and was no longer sure how to get back to her aunt and uncle's apartment. She had been...

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“The Language of Help” by Eva F

Submitted to Contest #177

“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 knocked on the door. “ Come in!” said a voice in the office. Chris opened the door. “Ah, Chris! Thank you for coming. I hope t...

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“Headaches” by Isabel Perlman

Submitted to Contest #177

My head hurts. I have been sitting on the couch of my apartment for days as the world passes by. My mind is asleep but my eyes lay awake and open, as I can do nothing but sulk. My stomach hurts too. I have given up on eating since December. It’s January now and my body has become frail and dead. Though I have not touched a mirror or emerged from the blanket of emotions that I lay in I imagine that I look like a burnt-out cigarette. My skin has melted to the bones of my face and my brows which were once strong, have sloped into a ...

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“Silent Struggles: A Journey of Self-Expression” by Khadijah Jay

Submitted to Contest #177

It was a typical weekday morning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Mary was getting ready for her shift at the local coffee shop. As she stood in front of the mirror, trying to tame her unruly curls into some semblance of a hairstyle, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to express herself the way she wanted to. Ever since she was a child, Mary had struggled to find the right words to convey her thoughts and feelings. She was often told that she was "too quiet" or "too shy," and ...

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“The Ape” by Robert Goswell

Submitted to Contest #177

Please note, this story contains instances of bullying, child abuse and self-harm. Reader's Disgression advised and thank you for your consideration.The ApeIt is often said that it isn’t possible to know someone until one walks a mile in their shoes. After all, humans are not generally very bright; they can be judgmental, mean, and quite self-centred. Empathy, compassion and respect are not skills that all possess, and it’s worse when puberty sets in.It was early 1991, February perhaps, and Travis Lastley was floating along in his first year...

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“It Robs” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #177

It Robs When I decided on medicine some seven decades ago, I didn’t think I would become one of my subjects, patients, or a victim of this dreaded fate. Let me explain quickly before I forget what I want to say. When I received money for my birthday, Christmas, or an “A” on my report card, I’d buy the latest New England Journal of Medicine; as early as 12. I wanted to be the one who cured that foggy problem gramps had in the evenings. It was hard to watch my hero not be able to remember what he entered a room for after 5 pm at first. Mom nor...

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“JOURNAL FOR SKYLA” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #177

Dear Journal My name is Skyla, I bought you yesterday at the store to help me put my thoughts and feelings into words and action. It's always been a struggle for me to put my thoughts and feelings into words. Taking action with my thoughts and feelings has also been a problem for me. I never been a go-getter. You can say I'm shy. I never stood out. The background has always been my friend. I'm hoping my dearest journal who I'm going to call Reina, which means Queen in Spanish would help me in my time of need. Next week is the annual Arts for...

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“Wrapped in a Bow” by Cassidy June

Submitted to Contest #177

Looking out the window, Gwen was starting to think a white Christmas wasn’t all it was wrapped up to be. While tapping her fingers on the table, she started to hum to herself; willing her thoughts to come up with her next poem. Poetry wasn’t something that really came naturally to her, in fact, she only recently discovered that she liked writing down her feelings and expressing them to her peers. Her problem was that expressing her feelings wasn’t really something she had ever learned how to do. It was a week ‘til Christmas and all th...

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“The Christmas Blues” by A. Neptune

Submitted to Contest #177

It was a dark, windy, and cold night in Chicago when I returned home from work four days before Christmas. My phone had been buzzing in my pocket every ten minutes for the last hour, but I couldn't bring myself to look at it. I knew who it was.I walked in the door to my crummy, one-bedroom apartment. I could afford a house, but that means commitment. Commitment scares me. I sit on the couch, and the phone's steady buzzing returns. Then, it stops and is quickly followed by one final buzz. "A text. I can handle a text." Even the text brought a...

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$250

Prize money

150

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

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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