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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#216: Show, Don't Tell

As autumn marches on, we once again find ourselves back to work and study, hopefully filled with renewed energy and the desire to write. But before we start typing away, why not revisit some craft fundamentals?

"Show, don't tell," is age-old advice that encourages writers to tell stories through sensory details, actions, and images, rather than exposition. But that’s easier said than done. The best way to incorporate it into your writing is to practice.

With that in mind, you might enjoy our free 10-day email course on Show, Don't Tell, along with this week's prompts, which are inspired by it and invite you to refine this foundational storytelling skill.

This week's prompts

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

Narrative – 69 stories

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.

Character – 51 stories

Include dialogue that shows that a character is socially awkward.

Dialogue – 28 stories

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

Character – 25 stories

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

Narrative – 111 stories

Stories

“ The Lilac Painting of A Silent Yearning.” by Waaa Intresting

Submitted to Contest #216

You know wants and needs at a certain point aren't that far apart. I wonder what makes your wants become needs. Don’t know, well somehow you do. One can wonder; are we like sailors bound to the relentless pull of the moon to the tide, luring towards the spiked rocks of our obsessions. Would we surrender our soul for these cravings? I wouldn’t mind just a couple times; someone would look this way. But in the night sky there are countless stars to behold, each with its own unique flicker. “Tristen!!” Sorina exclaimed.“Mm?”“I’m ...

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“Are You Alright” by Joe Smallwood

Submitted to Contest #216

“Are you alright?”“Yeah, how long was I out for?”‘A minute or so. Do you think you should see a doctor?”“Nah! I’m fine.”January 12th 2018“Why are there so many Canadian flags around these days, eh?” I wondered aloud as we drove by Walmart one day.“It’s so the Americans could know they are in Canada,” answered my wife, tongue in cheek. “And certain other people…”“Yeah, but this one is huge!”“Well, you can’t bring guns into Canada. You can’t bring your police speed trap detectors. When you leave, you must leave your weed behind. Saves a lot of...

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“A Day on the River” by Marty B

Submitted to Contest #216

From the edge of her vision, Julie saw a flash of yellow, a blur of rocks. The little boy giggled as his feet slipped, splashing into the raging river. Loosened leaves and dirt caught in the current, flew like clouds before a storm, then gone.Julie yanked him up by his shirt, “Billy, watch yourself!” Her heart raced, pounding a drumbeat of what could have been. Just five years old, he laughed, kicked his feet, thinking he was indestructible. The rapids of the American river roared wild, white foam horses thrashing just below h...

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“BITTER ABANDONMENT” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #216

BITTER ABANDONMENT What the hell am I doing here? I must be insane. When I say here, I mean in this situation but, come to think of it, I also mean this place. I never normally come to locations like this. In fact, I can’t, for the life of me, get what attracts people. I mean, as a place to meet and talk it hardly qualifies with all those background noises: hissing, grinding, banging, humming, gurgling and whistling going on. As for the smell and the bitter taste. Yuck! Just not for me. And I bet, if they were really honest, a lot of so call...

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“An Anti Social Lunch” by Aneesa Shamsee

Submitted to Contest #216

“Let me sit with you.”“Excuse me?”“I need somewhere to sit.”“Who are you?” “Kitty. I’m literally in your class. Can I sit with you?”“Well…I—uh, we’re kind of full. Actually, not kind of. Definitely full.”“Great, so who are we gonna kick off? Harper? Elsie? Jade? Everleigh?”“No one but you is leaving. It just means that there’s no more space, so…you can’t sit here. And it’s not like we’re going to move table so…”“That’s mean.”“It’s the truth. I’m not moving table for some girl who I don’t even know.”“I know!”“What? You have a brain? What...

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“Common Scents” by Hannah Lynn

Submitted to Contest #216

“Move along, buddy.” “Hey, man, I’m not doing anything wrong.” “Yeah, I’ve heard it all before. Come on, give someone else the spot.” The cop stood there unmoving while the younger man gathered his belongings into a backpack scowling. Ushering him out the door into the masses the officer nodded his head to the empty seat, looking at me. “Ma’am?” As relieved as I was to get off my feet, I hardly wanted the attention, nor the title of “Ma’am”. I smiled as I took a seat on the newly empty stool, opting to hold ...

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“Knight Night” by Sue Schroeder

Submitted to Contest #216

She closed her eyes.Gently, as if enveloped in a sweet melody, she breathed the heady, earthy aroma rising from her mug. The quiet rustle of newspapers and the soft burble of voices formed a backdrop to the occasional clatter of ceramic against a metal countertop. Bright morning sunlight filtered through the shop window, casting crystal rainbows across the patterned floor.Martha took a sip, then languidly opened her eyes. She smiled at the man sitting across from her. His bemused smile telegraphed his delight."I'm always surprised at how com...

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“Beautiful, Not Broken” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Submitted to Contest #216

“I just don’t get it,” Tess confided, frustration etched on her face, “I genuinely thought we hit it off, you know? So why hasn’t she messaged me back? I mean, sure, she had to leave early, but that’s because something else came up. It sucks, but it happens.”Tess glanced at Lydia. They’ve been friends for less than a year, but they had already spent countless times dissecting Tess’s social interactions. “Hmmm,” Lydia mused, “how sure are you it went well? Sometimes vibes can be deceiving.”“Absolutely sure,” Tess affirmed. “I’ll admit I ...

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“One More Shot” by Sean Packard

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #216

One More Shot by Sean Glenn Douglas Packard Show-and-tell is a sacred thing for young boys. There is nothing more dopamine stroking to a five-year old than a stage all his own, the attention of his fellow carpet crawlers, and nothing to talk about but himself and his favorite object in the world. I was a revved engine when my name was picked from the hat. And I knew exactly...

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“Alteration” by AnneMarie Miles

Submitted to Contest #216

Some Time and Somewhere, something agreed that tonight was important. Eleanor was grateful, at least, for that sliver of Knowing. It was the only thing driving her from wall to wall as she shuffled hastily, gathering a bottle from here, a jar from there, preparing. The mice scampered along with Eleanor from corner to corner, their tattling a rhythmic hum that made the cobwebs dance. The single pane windows on the front of the house rattled their response to the thunderclaps outside, each louder and more vibrative than the last. Beneath ...

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“The Hitchhiker” by Carson Lupton

Submitted to Contest #216

The hitchhiker stood firm on the side of the poorly kept desert road, his left thumb stuck up at an almost unnatural angle. In his other hand, he held a piece of cardboard that had Phoenix written crudely in black Sharpie. Behind him, a mile away if not more, was the town of Las Vegas, the neon lights from the city barely visible from where the hitchhiker was stationed. As he patiently waited, the hitchhiker tried to think of how he had ended up here, why he would have ever wanted to go to a place that somehow would make him poorer, but his ...

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“Cambions' Prey” by Anna Maeve

Submitted to Contest #216

Through the dark woods, they fled, moonlight flickering like dying embers in the hope of racing hearts. Branches reached out like gnarled, skeletal fingers, tearing at their clothes, scratching their flesh as they sprinted, gasping for breath. The relentless pursuit of survival echoed in their ears, each ragged breath drawing them closer to the dilapidated cabin that loomed ahead, a sanctuary and a prison in one. Their footfalls pounded on the damp earth, almost in unison, the forest floor a mosaic of fallen leaves and tangled roots threat...

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“Jessica this story contains sensitive material regarding mental health” by Joan Wright

Submitted to Contest #216

Jessica heard the mewing of her tiny daughter. She rushed to the nursery. "Mommy's here," Jessica crooned. She lifted the little bundle out of the crib. "You're soaking wet!" Jessica began the ritual of changing everything from the inside out. She was used to the mewing turning into howling as the hunger pangs took over. Wet clothes disposed of, the baby was rewrapped in cozy clean blankets and the main event of nursing began. Jessica reached for the nursing pillow and got cozy. The rocking chair had been a gift from her parents. Oh, she mis...

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“The Art of Life and Brew” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #216

Livvie slipped out of her overly crowded, and exceptionally loud house unnoticed in search of a few hours of peace; timing her stealthy exit perfectly. She would be missed when one of their weekend guests needed clean towels, or desired something from the grocery store that her mother hadn’t already thought to stock, but they would have to fend for themselves now, wouldn’t they? As she hurried out the front door and down the driveway, Livvie imagined the off-key bellowing chorus, singing out her name in unison. She sighed and adjusted her sa...

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“Odin’s Morning with Mom ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #216

Odin’s mom stopped in front of the big glass door. Squatting down next to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “When we get inside, I will buy you a treat. You are going to sit next to me at a table and eat while I talk with a friend. I brought some play dough for you to play with when you are finished eating,” she explained. “Okay, Mommy,” Odin said. She took his hand in hers and pulled the door open. Odin followed her inside and immediately noticed a pungent smell. He sniffed the air, trying to place the familiar aroma. His mom gu...

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$250

Prize money

284

Contest entries

115

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 22, 2023 EST

Won by Hazel Ide 🏆

Title: Long Live the King

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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