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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#36: Dear Diary

"April 4th, 1984." So begins Winston Smith's first diary entry in the George Orwell novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Of course, this dystopian tale isn't the only one to involve diary entries. Bridget Jones's Diary, Gilead, The Yellow Wallpaper, Dracula, and I Capture the Castle are among a long list of other books told at least in part through diaries or journals.

This week's writing prompts challenge you to write a short story in the epistolary format.

P.S — On April 3rd we're hosting another LIVE Write-In on YouTube at 4pm EST! We'll guide you through a series of 20-minute writing sprints to give you the boost you need to stay productive. During the breaks, you can share your progress, talk about your struggles, and ask our hosts any questions you may have.

Join us on YouTube HERE at 4pm EST. We hope to see you there!

This week's prompts

In the form of diary/ journal entries, write about someone who's just decided to take up journaling.

Adults – 117 stories

In the form of diary/ journal entries, write about someone on a long-awaited trip.

Holiday – 56 stories

In the form of diary/ journal entries, write about someone who's just experienced a big "first."

High School – 94 stories

In the form of diary/ journal entries, write about someone who's up late at night because they're having trouble sleeping.

High School – 237 stories

In the form of diary/ journal entries, write a story that provides glimpses into a person's life at different ages.

Character – 135 stories

Stories

“The Cry of the Night” by Aditya Patil

Submitted to Contest #36

March 14, 2009 Me and my family just moved to a new town. Now that we have technically started a new life, I wanted to record my life from here. I’ll try to write in this diary when I find time. This will be a big move because we moved from Illinois to Michigan. Jake my older son and Arwen my younger daughter, will have a hard time adjusting to Michigan. They had lots of friends in Springfield(Illinois). They had practically lived there their whole life....

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“Hello Angel” by Samantha Byrd

Submitted to Contest #36

June 11, 2015 Today is a day I will remember forever. We’ve spent months hoping and praying for the day that we would get the news of our family expanding. That day is finally here. You’ve began making your way to us! We’re so excited to meet you. The moment I saw those two pink lines show up I was in disbelief, I thought for sure it would be negative AGAIN. I couldn't believe what I was finally seeing. I was so excited to tell your daddy and had absolutely no idea h...

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“Penning it down” by Gideon Gichohi

Submitted to Contest #36

30.03.2020, MondayThis must be it. It must be the day that history takes root. I have read of all the great men and women whose journeys emerged from leather-bound books. I bought mine (a simple blue journal with rubber covers) the previous weekend and wow, I feel the words spilling out as if they had been in a dungeon for eons. As a first I give a weather report...sunny with a pure touch of lovely cherry blossoms. Ah! The air is appealing for outdoor events but of late home has been the new office. It seems pretty much that the lock-down in...

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“Under the Weather” by Skylar Schylar

Submitted to Contest #36

April 1, 2020 (night of)It is one in the morning, and I am at my bedside writing this. Of course, I’d rather be sleeping, but these days it’s not so simple. A pen and spiral notebook in hand, I will begin to follow my doctor’s advice.Today, after years of struggling to doze off and just get a restful night, I took a visit to a supposedly renowned sleep specialist, the absolute finest in the country. He suggested if I can find myself a nice journal and take 15 minutes every night before bed to write about the good things in my life and all th...

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“Greater things” by Marissa JAEGER

Submitted to Contest #36

(Trigger warning: abuse, assault, suicide) Dear diary, It's my birthday today! I'm turning fourteen years old, and I just started high school this year. Mom said she was going to take me out for ice-cream but when I tried to wake her up this morning she said she had a headache. I should have known she wasn't going to get out of bed. She's like that sometimes, I wish I knew why she gets so sad. I tried to make her some food and tea like grandma does for me when I don't feel well, but she yelled at me to leave her alone. Oh, I hav...

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“Amber Eyes” by Grace Schae

Submitted to Contest #36

Tue, April 7, 2020, 2:07 A.M.Dear Diary, I've been wanting to go back to sleep since I woke up this morning, but I guess the world had other plans for me tonight, none of which I want to go through or have gone through- whether it be the feelings or experiences. Aunt Sarah's boyfriend, Eugene (or as I like to call him... well never mind it's not the nicest name in the world), spent the night last night and though I didn't hear or see anything, I'd like to be kept in the dark about their relationship considering he's well... him. I guess he s...

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“4/25/19” by Susan Moore

Submitted to Contest #36

I can understand why I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, but why can’t it just happen? After today can’t I have just a bit of rest? I suppose I don’t deserve it. Ah well at least I have a confidante, and I’m certain that soon things will seem a little less cringe worthy.Because paper does not judge (to my knowledge), here are the events of today. — I was late for a hair appointment, so I couldn’t have my regular lady.-Instead I got this fun new guy. He had a French accent and I guess that made me trust him immediately.-I decided I wanted to...

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“Diary of a Long-Lasting Love” by Paige Owen

Submitted to Contest #36

2010Dear Diary, Why is this so hard? I mean, I’ve always loved writing-don’t get me wrong. I’ve loved it ever since I received the first gold star in a sea of red ink. Typically, I just add in some Miriam Webster vocab words to a weak plot and-BOOM!-an easy A. But writing about my feelings? It’s a bottomless chasm of confusion and empty-mindedness. Ugh. I can’t even come up with something better than a hyphenated, flimsy excuse of a word. Stupid Kyle Cardin. You see, this all started with the note I found in my locker after second period. Th...

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“I Call Him Dad” by Patti McQuillen

Submitted to Contest #36

February 18, 1941Twenty-eight degrees. No snow falls. About five degrees higher than the local average. Inside the bustling hospital, tender cries from a bassinet. It’s a boy! Joy from family, relief from his parents, Catherine and Hubert Earl. He can’t replace the loss of the first babe. It just wasn’t his time. Yet, this one shall live. No one knows what the world will bring to his feet. Turmoil reigns as world leaders rise to the sound of war. Less than a year after the birth, horror and death explode in Hawaii. The new babe is too small ...

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“Dear Diary: This would happen to me!” by Ashley Vanderhoff

Submitted to Contest #36

-Anabel's point of view.-Dear Diary, Today is Monday, April 6th 2020. On this day, I met him. The man I'm going to marry! I'm not kidding diary, I, Anabel Violet am going to marry Aaron Green. See, we met on the bus today, well actually I...may or may not have fell onto him. OKAY I DID! But it wasn't my fault, it was the stupid drivers! And the equally stupid potholes in the street! I could feel everyones eyes on me, on us! Anyway, Aaron was the sweetest man I've ever met! He smiled and asked if I was okay, even though I had just fallen onto...

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“The Best/Worst Days of my Life ” by Aubrey Linder

Submitted to Contest #36

Sep. 4, 2008,9:45 p.m. Dear Diary, Yay! It’s almost the first day of middle school. And I even have my clothes planned out. But there is one thing wrong, my friend Amelia is moving to Hartford, Connecticut. (>.<) I will really miss her. Well, she wrote me this note before Summer Break, Dear Fawn, I really wish I wasn't moving. I hate Leaving u but I have to go. Call me at any time :3 From, Amelia. P.S. I live in Vernon, Connecticut...

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“My Midnight Half” by Valentina Gandía

Submitted to Contest #36

Friday, September 18, 1992 It is midnight and no surprise I can't sleep. I have so many things going on in my head that I can't just relax. I feel a heavy weight that keeps me knocking me down, I wish it could go away and that's why I get help. It's been over 5 months since I started writing in this journal but I haven't seen any progress. It's practically me writing the same thing over and over again, every night. I still can't understand my therapist's point of this. She says “Jonathan, expressing your feelings in your journal ...

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“Late Night Thoughts” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #36

Tuesday, April 3, 10:54 PMI thought staring up at the ceiling would help. Maybe counting to 1,000 to tire my brain out? Or maybe tossing and turning, trying time find a comfortable position to lay in.None of it helped.I don’t even know what’s bothering me. I just can’t sleep. It’s been happening for the past couple days.So I decided to just write about my thoughts as they pass through my head. I don’t know what I’ll write or if I’ll offend anyone, but it’s not like someone’s going to see this. It’s my property. It’s my notebook, and some ran...

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“Voice from the past by Misty (AKA Deborah Stelzle)” by Debbie Stelzle

Submitted to Contest #36

Voice recorder on Today is May 1, 2246. My ID number is 452151956. My given name is Thea. It's been a long time since I used that name. I'm unable to sleep, it has been dark and cold for such a long time. I have little food and water left. I used most of the wood I had can only keep the fireplace working for a day or two. I'm dictating this so those who come after will learn from our mistakes. We played with nature; we thought we could control it, but we discovered it will have no master. Let me go back into the past t...

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“Growing Up in Love” by Adrienne Sharp

Submitted to Contest #36

Growing Up in LoveJune 15th 1966I’m so excited about being able to go to my first dance. Grade 7 and I haven’t even kissed anyone yet. Living out in the country is so boooring! The most exciting thing I get to do is pretend to drive to Toronto with my sister in the Volkswagen Bug that’s up on blocks on the grass beside our long laneway. Yeah OK it’s a square dance, lame I know but John will be there. He is so cool with his shiny black hair brushing the collar of his wide lapelled polka dot shirt. I get all tongue tied w...

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$50

Prize money

639

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 10, 2020 EST

Won by Zilla Babbitt 🏆

Title: Kiss of the Snake

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.

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