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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

“Nate's Fate” by Myranda Marie

Submitted to Contest #216

The lobby of the Cooke building in downtown Manhattan was brimming with shoppers and enthusiasts as if nothing nefarious had ever transpired. Carter and TC marveled at the bustling crowds, smiling faces and overall holiday spirit in the security monitors. Nate’s quick thinking and selflessness kept hundreds of holiday shoppers from ever knowing the evil that just hours ago threatened to devastate their Christmas and possibly threaten their lives. “We got lucky today.” Carter admitted. TC agreed, “I have complete faith in ou...

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“French Roast” by Brice Bailey

Submitted to Contest #216

Dame walks into my office looking like she just woke up from the last bad night of far too many. A fresh winter gust wafted in with her. The bell rang a bit delayed from her entrance, and her head seemed to split in two for her. She cowered like a cat in a bathtub, holding her hands over her ears before rubbing her cheeks for warmth. Her hands were the only thing bare on her aside from her face. She was gorgeous. Through and through. I felt like I could see her very soul. Broken hearted, and needing a win. She was looking for me to find it....

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“Coffee Shop Robbery Drama” by Francisco Valdez

Submitted to Contest #216

The door jingled open, a dissonant note in the quiet hum of conversation. A frayed bell dangled, bearing the scars of countless collisions with impatient patrons. An eclectic mix of individuals occupied the cramped space, their lives intersecting in a setting that defied definition. Amidst the dimly lit room, a few regulars held court at the corner table, their grizzled faces reflecting the contours of countless espresso shots. They exchanged tales like currency, each story more embellished than the last. No one questioned the veracity of ...

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“A Lovely Day” by Aaron Kohlhoff

Submitted to Contest #216

Today is a lovely day. The way the morning sunlight radiates off the wisps of vapor coming from this magical brown liquid is really quite mesmerizing. I could watch it for hours and, most days, that’s actually what I do. My little home away from home is nothing they would gush over at the court of Versailles but it’s warm and dry and I look forward to it opening every day at 5:30 AM. I am typically the first one in line and I take great pride in my punctuality. Most of the employees here are very kind and some actually greet me by the...

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“Jack” by Jesse Crain

Submitted to Contest #216

“Unfortunately, this poor soul has left us early, and I pray that he welcomed God's warm embrace, however undeserving he may have been.” The preacher spoke, standing at the podium and doing various hand motions. “I will now read a passage from John.” At that moment, I stopped paying attention to his droning. I looked to the front row to see a middle-aged woman crying. Despite her sniffling being incredibly distracting, everyone ignored her. It was even more aggravating to me because she employed a pastor to say a few words. I ...

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“Merger” by H.e. Ross

Submitted to Contest #216

Tomas was pissed. From my Merger rental he marched along the highway stumbling in ruts and over branches making him more and more angry. He delighted in kicking coconut sheathings out of his way. It was black dark. Trees all lining the highway road. No lights. He knew there was a mountain climbing straight up on one side of the roadway. He knew there was still sea a short distance through the brush on the other. There was no moon. There were lots of mosquitoes, no wind, humid. Tomas was pissed. He tore his wet shirt off, got attac...

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“Unwelcome Surprise” by Odile Glatz

Submitted to Contest #216

A crisp breeze swirled around Tamara as she walked on the crunchy bronzed leaves. The air was a mixture of fresh hints of water, distant burning leaves, and mown grass. The mild autumn sun kissed her chestnut hair, and imbued her with a sense of well-being. Her cotton clothes rippled in the wind. Her gray eyes searched across the lawn for the familiar face. The runner’s figure, the smiling eyes, the special light for h...

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“Shaken But Solid” by Marc Wilks

Submitted to Contest #216

Delvin Carter was sweating as he made his way through the crowds. His perspiration was due to more than the summer heat. He hated crowds. Bad things happened when large groups of people gathered. Delvin had learned that the hard way.No matter how many times I say I’m not doing this again, he thought, here I am again.A young woman gripped his hand.“This is going to be so much fun,” she said. “I can’t wait for the fireworks.”Delvin forced a smile and said, “I’m sure it will be great, Lacy.”Lacy leaned in and kissed Delvin’s cheek, and his smil...

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“A Dark Place ” by Emma Chavez

Submitted to Contest #216

Stella Armstrong stood at the side of a bridge, looking over the edge. Her fingers gripped the thick chain link so hard her knuckles turned white and she could feel the metal cutting into her hands. She stood there with the stillness of an animal. Staring at the cars rushing below her. She currently stood over a bridge that went over interstate forty. The drop must be at least seven stories high. Maybe more, she guessed as she tried to look straight down below the bridge. Her heart thundered as her body tilted, she knew the gate would...

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“The Melody of Secrets” by Emmanuel Bright

Submitted to Contest #216

In diddles of time, in the quaint coastal town of Harmony Bay, nestled between towering cliffs and the endless sea, lived a reclusive musician named Eliza Finch. Her home, perched atop a cliff, seemed to touch the heavens, and her garden, a paradise of vibrant flowers, was the envy of the town. Yet, Eliza seldom ventured into the village, her heart carrying a symphony of secrets that only her piano keys could decipher. Every morning, Eliza would sit by her grand piano, a beautiful antique passed down through generations, tracing her finger...

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“Lena and Millie” by Holly Sadowski

Submitted to Contest #216

Millie sits on the rickety wooden chair before me, trusting that I can transform her into one of the flappers we both aspired to be with a simple haircut. I had managed to cut mine into the infamous bob a couple of weeks ago and since then, Millie has been focused on nothing else. Plus, there was the added benefit of sending her mother into a fit with the short style. We had grown up together, spending days together at each other’s homes and...

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“The Broken Mirror” by Casey Tammaro

Submitted to Contest #216

This story is Mature themed and contains sensitive content including mental health and substance abuse Scarlett rises before dawn, during the still of the early morning, ahead of the shrill ring of her alarm. She stares out the window to her right, attempting to predict the time through the darkness of the closed blinds, without the assistance of her cellphone. She knows the blue light will disrupt her circadian rhythm and then she will never be able to get back to sleep. The night is mostly silent. It is too early for the birds and too ...

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“The Game of Xarion VII” by Bitsy Tandem

Submitted to Contest #216

The smell of old wood and cheap alcohol filled me as I pushed back the tattered metal door, a fusion of instruments and sounds that no single race could claim dancing in my ears. I smiled my signature toothy smirk and slid my hand into my back pocket. Satisfaction filled me as my fingers brushed against something hard and papery. I pulled out the small weathered box and was greeted by glances ranging from curious to menacing. I navigated through the crowd, my destination a lone table at the far end. I let my right elbow lean into t...

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“The Gas Station.” by Cirrus M.A.D

Submitted to Contest #216

The Gas Station. I’m not really hungry, I mean I already had what could pass for dinner and I really should be trying to get home as soon as possible but God I do want some kind of candy. My car is filled with all the gas it could need but I still find myself pulling up to the gas station and heading into the store. It’s quiet, silent in fact. No cars, no birds, not even the sound of buzzing lights that should have been there, the large neon sign was very bright and the dark misty air seemed to reflect it tenfold. The only sound I could ma...

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“When the Next Train Comes” by Michael Novak

Submitted to Contest #216

“Evening, Mr. Manzelli. The usual?” “Yeah Frankie, what I always get.” “One Scotch and Soda, coming up!” Vinnie Manzelli sat in his usual stool in his usual bar, about to have his usual drink. He heard Frankie the bartender drop ice into a highball glass with an audible thunk, followed by pouring a measure of scotch, and then finally the hiss of the soda siphon as he finished off the drink and slide it down the bar. Vinny caught the slid drink with reflexes surprisingly fast for someone of his age. He was around 50, impeccably dresse...

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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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