Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Menu

✕

CONNECT

Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites

BLOG

Success Stories

APPS

TOOLS

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

ABOUT

About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#280: Talk That Talk

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReedsyTalk to share your stories (and potentially get featured on our social accounts)!

As an aspiring author, one story element I constantly struggle with is dialogue. Writing realistic, engaging dialogue is no easy feat — but when done well, it can help readers get to know your characters better, advance your plot, and improve the overall pace of your story.

This week, let’s challenge ourselves by composing stories focused on dialogue. Who knows? You might discover something new about your characters based on what they say (or don’t say)!

This week's prompts

Write a story that solely consists of dialogue. (No dialogue tags, actions, or descriptions. Just pure dialogue!)

Dialogue – 185 stories

Start or end your story with a character asking a question.

Dialogue – 78 stories

Write a story in which two or more people have a conversation — without using any quotation marks.

Dialogue – 36 stories

Center your story around a character who overhears others talking about them.

Dramatic – 37 stories

Write a story that includes someone (or something) saying, “No, don’t!”

Dramatic – 44 stories

Stories

“A Hell of an Offer” by Jason LeHuquet

Submitted to Contest #280

Pentagram of salt… check. Black candle… check. Weird leather book I found in Dad’s closet… check. Ok… Here goes. Ahem.Creatura male viventium in domo hac,voco te!Mercedem gratiam pro gratia. Ante me appare!Hoc volo, hoc posco, Hoc tibi mando!...……... NOTHING WRONG WITH A PLAGUE OF LADYBUGS, KAREN. LOCUSTS ARE JUST SO FIRST CEN—WHOA, WHAT THE– Dad?! Mom! What are you doing here?!oh, hi honey... we were jussssst... looking, for... umm.... don, help me here...HMM. THE CANDLE OF ETERNAL EVIL IS FLICKERING BLACK. W...

Read story

“Question or the Quotes” by Aaron Phillips

Submitted to Contest #280

Billy! Which one do you pick? Oh my gawd, if you yell at me one more time.I thought you were sleeping. My hand is holding your hand on the chains as we swing. Yeah, and I felt your grip relax for a moment. I thought you were falling asleep. ...

Read story

“A Chance Encounter in Winter” by Nigel Holmes

Submitted to Contest #280

“Gina! Hi, how are you?”“I saw you in the line for soup. I wondered if you’d come over. I’m good thanks Tim. You?”“Older. Wondering why I put up with the winters here.”“Still living in Chicago then?”“Yeah, well I’m still working. One day a week anyway. Could I join you, or are you waiting for someone?”“Sit down. No, I’m here by myself.”“I thought you were in Madison.”“I am, I’m just visiting. I wanted to see the Stanley Spencer exhibition they have on.”“I saw the sign about that, but the name didn’t mean anything.”“He was a British art...

Read story

“Leave it Behind” by M.L. J.

Submitted to Contest #280

“Are we sure this is a good idea?”“Well, no. Probably not, but the tides aren’t going to get this low again until after we leave tomorrow. It’s sort of the only chance we have.”“God, I can just see Lane rolling his eyes at us.”“Really? I was just thinking about how much he would have loved to do something stupid like this. He would probably film it all and make everything into a soap opera.”“Film? That’s such an old person way of saying record, Mom.”“Yeah, whatever, put your headlamp on and grab the stuff.”“Sheesh, coming.”“Careful, this tra...

Read story

“A Dove in War” by Juhee Singh

Submitted to Contest #280

“I don’t know, Gabe. I got a bad feeling.”“A bad feeling about what?”“The bird.”“I told you to let it go. There’s nothing to worry about. Hand me that flask, will ya’? A man gets parched standing around up here all day.”“Here. Hey, look, I know what you said, but I’m worried.”“You still on about that damn bird? You think too much, Udo.”“I can’t help it. There’s nothing to do up here but watch the Cleft and think.”“You forgot about walking our paces. ‘No one in, no one out. The Watch is keen, and our steel is strong. Back and forth, back and ...

Read story

“Soap” by Niha G.

Submitted to Contest #280

Do not touch me.Calm down. Let me take that from you, it would probably be best for us all if you ease up on the wine.Piss off. It does not matter anymore if anyone sees, right? You ought to be grateful too, Deran. Cheers.Keep your voice down! Please, stay seated. Stop!That two-faced bast—oh! Sorry, you surprised me little one.Sissy, are you leaving already?… Well I—come now, do not fret. I shall be back soon.… All right, then.***What is that you have there in your hand?A bar of soap.… Do you work here?No…I don’t think so.What is that s...

Read story

“Something's Fishy” by Paulina Smal

Submitted to Contest #280

“Don't, Margret!”“It’s too late, John.”“But–!”“I said, it’s too late.”“And I say don’t you dare. It’s too late when I say it’s too late!”“Be reasonable John, please, honey. Just, oh, stop pacing, would you?”“You don’t trust me?! A marriage is built on trust you know.”“I– dammit, John, it’s not about trust.”“Then what’s this about, huh?”“It’s rotten, the whole thing. There’s no saving it.”“That’s not–!”“It is true! You’re just too stubborn and prideful to admit it!”“I’m not prideful!”“Oh but you are stubborn, then?”“Don’t be cheeky! You’re th...

Read story

“When You Wake” by Lindsay H

Submitted to Contest #280

“What will I say to him when he wakes up?”“Tell him you love him.”“He won’t believe that. He probably hates me.”“Madison, Auggie can never hate you. He is still your baby brother, and he loves you.” “Look at him. I feel so helpless. I let this happen. He will never look at me the same way again.” “Okay, stop that. You didn’t do this to him — your ex did. You did everything you could to bring him home.” “But I didn’t bring him home, did I? He did that all on his own— and he called you to come get him. He doesn’t trust...

Read story

“Coffee Chat” by Ellen Talboom

Submitted to Contest #280

Implying death of a pet"Great coffee here, right"?"Yup. Glad you chose this place"."The gluten free muffins taste good as well"."Ok, I don't eat gluten free foods. But the regular muffins are great"."Have you read the current posts on the neighborhood text chat"?"Second think I do every morning"."Second"?"Feed the pets. That is always first on the to do list"."Right"."Speaking about pets, did you read about the woman who lets her cats out during the day? And then she posts that if anyone has seen her cats because they did not come home a few...

Read story

“Skin” by Maxx Randell

Submitted to Contest #280

Today we have three pieces up for auction and please remember that all costs will be above your bid. If you wish to make a special request for the handling of your property, inform us right after the auction has concluded. Up first is a piece that is rather unique to this auction house. We are not use to auctioning off technological statements. For those not up front, I refer you to the screen above my head. Now, the first piece is a mock of The Creation of Adam. As you can see, man has replaced God and a robot has replaced Adam. According t...

Read story

“There's Not A Ghost in My House” by JC Forrest

Submitted to Contest #280

"Sally, Sally, are you running from me, Sally?""I'm not running, Jessica.""You tried to leave before I could catch you.""I'm busy, Jessica. I work.""Meaning I don't work?""Let’s say you don’t do a 9 to 5?""Oh, I work, Sally. I work plenty. I work around the clock working.""If you call what you do work.""So that's another rumor you've been spreading about me? I’m a bum now?""I don’t spread rumors, Jessica.""My name is Jesse, and you know it, since you throw it around a lot!""You’re paranoid.""Oh, really? I’m paranoid? That’s why the whole con...

Read story

“Strawberry Yoghurt ” by Oksana Buga

Submitted to Contest #280

— Hello, Doctor.— Come in, have a seat. What seems to be the problem?— Well, I think I’ve got a bit of… low self—esteem. It just won’t go away.— Any other symptoms?— I think I’m also having a career crisis. Constant issues with my boss at work. I’ve tried everything—courses, meditation, detox — but nothing helps.— Anything else?— I can’t seem to build a relationship with men either. And, you know, when I drink too much—which is rare, of course—but when it happens, I have this attention—seeking thing. I feel like there’s something else, too, ...

Read story

“Clocks and Spoons” by Henry Zahn

Submitted to Contest #280

“Well… I mean this, Jim. I mean, I don’t know what I want to say. I want to say that. And I wanna say something else—that this stuff makes me funny… makes me feel funny… like my feet, Jim. Look at ‘em. I see my feet and legs and hands and arms leading up to my body and neck and it keeps going up and up into what you says is my head, but I don’t feel nothin’… And look at all these colors! Are you seeing this? Please say something. Cause if it’s not really there then I oughta get to worrying, eh Jim?... I’m hallucinating rain.” “It’s raining.”...

Read story

“Lunch Date ” by John Affleck

Submitted to Contest #280

Oh, look. It was here, right here, that’s the place I met your father. That school right there. Which is strange because I know we’re in Canada and we aren’t Canadian. Those damn Canadians, always thinking every place is their country, Hahahahaha, see I can joke about it even though it’s strange. Like so many things are strange. Laugh in the face of fear, I’ve always said. Because he who laughs last laughs last. Canadians. I could teach them all a thing or two. And that’s funny, you know, because see that sign over there? It says Home of the...

Read story

“Things I Should've Said to My Ex (But Things He Said to Me) ” by Clarissa Salman

Submitted to Contest #280

“Fuck you.”“Wow, really? That’s a mature reaction.”“You don’t get to lecture me on what’s mature and what isn’t. I’m not the one that got us into this mess.”“Yeah, and I’m trying to fix it.”“How? How is this fixable?”“It wasn’t my fault. David wanted me to do it.”“David wanted you to download a dating app?”“Yeah.”“And you did it?”“Yeah.”“Signed up for a profile and everything?”“Yeah, he wanted to meet someone.”“What does that have to do with anything?”“Because that’s why I downloaded the app.”“And made a profile and everything.”“Right. So he...

Read story

Load more stories

$250

Prize money

380

Contest entries

138

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 13, 2024 EST

Won by Jay Wayne 🏆

Title: 45 Seconds

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!

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢