Write a story entirely of dialogue. Nothing but dialogue. No attributives (he said, she said, etc.). No descriptions of scenes or gestures or movements (unless these things are presented in the dialogue). Just words between quotation marks. Pure, beautiful, untainted dialogue.

Posted in Dialogue on Feb 17, 2023

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✍️ 275 stories

“Judgment” by Sally Morem

Submitted to Contest #186

“First things first. I’ll tell you all straight out. This online convocation was not my idea. Tuussay insists.” “It is so. Humans learn about Liuapands. Intelligent or not? Beloved Jen choose. Beloved Jen good chooser.” “Right. Did everyone get the downloads?” “What size are these aliens? They look kinda like squids.” “Not squids, beloved Matt.” “Some sort of octopus?” “With eleven arms?” “Not octopus, beloved Anna. Liuapands. Not from Earth.” “Yeah, they’re aliens.” “How can we possibly figure out if they’re intelligent?” “Humans ask. Ask m...

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“Interview 12” by Caity G

Submitted to Contest #186

"Agent Mark Jeffries, ID 582934. Interview 12 concerning the incident at Hope Town Community School on September 8th, 2022." "Before we begin, state your first and last name, age, and occupation for the record, please." "Penelope Waters, 27, and...to be honest I don't know what my official title was, but I worked as a sort of assistant in the school library. Kind of did a bit of everything, whatever they needed done. Shelving books, checking the kids books out, shelf reading, that sort of stuff. Did some like...I guess you could say art ...

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“The League of Twelve (a companion to A Different League) ” by Steve Rogers

Submitted to Contest #186

“I hope how thinks don’t to be out we start decent cookies today trust that three o’clock yes thanks.”“Okay, okay. Everyone quiet down. Can everyone stop talking and sit down please?”“Who wants coffee?”“Oh, please. Always need a coffee to start.”“Okay. Get your coffee or whatever and we’ll get started”“Cookie?”“Yes, please. It’s a while until the sandwiches and muffins”“Now. Let’s have another vote to see if we’re all of the same mind as yesterday’s finish”“I’ll do the whiteboard again”“Let’s start here”“Not guilty”“Not guilty”“Guilty”“Not g...

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“Black Widow” by Stephanie MacLeod

Submitted to Contest #186

“Black Widow” “Hi, Edwin. Glad you could make it.” “You sound surprised, Mollie. Weren’t you expecting me?” “I hoped you would come. I wasn’t sure though.” “Well, after you dropped that bombshell yesterday about Mrs. McEwen, of course I had to come and find out what this is all about.” “You probably thought I was crazy. You wouldn’t be the first.” “I don’t think you’re crazy. But I am curious to know why you are bothered about me staying at Beach House. Before I ran into you on the beach yesterday, we’...

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“Fodder” by Lizz Dimercurio

Submitted to Contest #186

“911, what's your emergency?” “Help! My crazy neighbor is trying to get in to kill his cat!” “Ma’am. Please slow down. You say your neighbor is trying to break in? Where are you now?” “In my house. He’s pounding on the door. You can’t have him, Frank! He’s mine now!” “Ma’am. Why won’t you give him his cat?” “Because. He's been chasing the poor guy around with a knife for an hour in nothing but boxers. Frank, not the cat. When he ran up to my door, I let him in. The cat, not Fran...

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“A Suspicious Phone Call” by Becca Yurok

Submitted to Contest #186

“Hello? He-llo!? Is anyone there? HELLO!”‘Uh yes…Good day…”“You’re lucky! I was just about to hang up! “It must be a bad connection, sir.”“Maybe…but I think that you must mean ma’am.”“Oh yes…I am very sorry for my mistake, please accept my apologies…ma’am.”“Whom am I speaking with?”“Yes, ma’am. This is officer Joseph and I am calling from the Canadian Revenue Agency, badge number 55- ”“Your voice sounds very familiar…do I know you from somewhere?”“No, I don’t believe so. As I was saying, I am ca...

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“Cosmic Latte” by Jennifer Johnson

Submitted to Contest #186

“It’s colder than I expected.” “Who said that?” “I did.” “I couldn’t have. I am the only ‘I’ here.” “Well, I’m also an ‘I’. To me, you’re ‘you’ and I am ‘I’, and I guess I’m ‘you’ and you’re ‘I’ the other way.” “But then who am I?” “I’m…. not quite sure.” “But then if you expected it to be warmer, you must’ve expected to meet me.” “…. I suppose so.” “So where did you expect to be?” “I think I was expecting it to be bright and warm, not cold and… is that smell raspberries?” “What do raspberries smell of?” “I gues...

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“George” by Jesse Glover

Submitted to Contest #186

1 August, 9:13 a.m.morning Georgeous Gorge, are we still on for tonight with your parents?--Yep, its locked in. dinner at 7I’ll pick you up around 6--Ok, great. Im so excited!11:48 a.mOmg, work sucks today! Remember what i told you about Donna? So annooooyyiiiinnng!!!--Lol suuuffeerr. Im having a great daybut cant wait to see u.Love u Anna-banana-rama3:13 p.m.Oh you wearing your new beret tonight?U should. It rly is so hot!--11:02 p.m.Thanks for tonight, I had a great time. It was so good to see your parents again xx--No probs, babe. They lo...

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“If Men Could Give Birth” by Yevgeniy Peregudov

Submitted to Contest #186

“Daddy, where do babies come from?” “Well sweet-cheeks, that’s a complicated question, I’m not sure you’ll be able to understand even if I tell you.” “I want to know! I want to know! I want to know I wanna know I wannanow! I wannanooooo!” “Ok, ok, stop, OW! Stop waving your fists around!” “My friend said his parents told him but that he couldn’t tell me because I’m too small.” “You know it’s not nice to hit people. Settle your little fists down.” “Ok.” “Quit jumping around too, if you want me to tell you, you have to settle down. Here sit on...

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“The Choice” by Heather Wolverton

Submitted to Contest #186

Trigger Warning: Contains Themes of Teen Pregnancy and Abortion “Are you certain, Dr. Lovel?” “Yes, we ran it twice. It was positive.” “I see. So where do we go from here?” “Well, now you have a choice to make. Here, Hannah. This pamphlet outlines your options for terminating. And this one explains how your body will change if you choose to carry to term. If you have any questions, you can call my office. I know this is a lot to take in.” “Thank you. What do you think I should do?” “Hannah, this is a family matter now. Thank yo...

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“Pasta Carbonara” by Jarleene Almenas

Submitted to Contest #186

“One tablespoon of black pepper.” “That can’t be right.” “Is that too much? A tablespoon can’t be that... OK, that’s a lot of pepper.” “It says one teaspoon. Check the recipe.” “I think I did need my glasses. Should I pour the rest back, then?” “Why don’t you take over the pancetta? The spaghetti should be almost done too.” “This smells amazing, doesn’t it?” “Yes.” “Just like Italy, right?” “Yep.” “Remember the night we first had this? That little hole-in-the-wall place with the broken lightbulb above the entrance. We walked in and everyone ...

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“You Are Worthless” by Laura Magee

Submitted to Contest #186

“I can’t believe you’re doing this again.” “Fuck off.” “You think you are going to get any work done? You’re not. You’re not good enough. You’re worthless, remember?” “You think I am worthless. I’m not.” “No, you think you are worthless. And you are the only person whose opinion matters. I am only here telling you these things because you want me to.” “I don’t want this. I want to get my work done. I want to focus.” “Bullshit. You want to be the best. You want to already be done. You want to get attention and be told how go...

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“Acquired Daughter” by Mike Males

Submitted to Contest #186

Note: refers to sexual violence, suicide, mental health issues, and contains normally explicit language but no explicit descriptions of sex or violence. Acquired Daughter “Nice day for skipping school.” “I am not skipping school.” “So, why’d you hike all the way up here instead of joining the gathering behind the amphitheater fogging away this fine Friday afternoon?” “I’m Rhona. You didn’t ask. Why are you here?” “I teach at the college. I come here Fridays because it’s high up. I’m into views and swings and drinking bad wine and r...

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“Riven” by Jennie Stevenson

Submitted to Contest #186

Riven “Maggie! … What are you doing down here? You’ll not come to see me off then?” “I wanted to – but I couldn’t … I thought if I came down here and climbed the tall rocks, I’d be able to watch you all the way across, see you safe all the way to New York.” “Pfft, it’s unsinkable, you goose! It’s the absolute pinnacle of modern technology. All the papers say so. They say nothing short of an act of God himself could sink it.” “Well, even so, maybe – maybe I just needed to feel like I was doing something to keep you safe … Do you have time...

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“What's Wrong?” by Jennifer Addison

Submitted to Contest #186

What’s Wrong? “What’s wrong?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, what’s wrong? I can tell something’s off…I don’t know. I just see it. And I have my own things to say, but just tell me.” “Your own things to say?” “Baby. What’s wrong?” “Do you really want to do this tonight? It’s been a long week.” “Yes! I want to know what I did.” “It’s nothing you did. I just feel…sad. Lately.” “Sad about what?” “I don’t know. How we used to be. I feel like we’re just going through the motions. I don’t feel heard, or valued, and it makes me sad.” “I’m working...

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Write a story entirely of dialogue. Nothing but dialogue. No attributives (he said, she said, etc.). No descriptions of scenes or gestures or movements (unless these things are presented in the dialogue). Just words between quotation marks. Pure, beautiful, untainted dialogue.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 275 stories

“Judgment” by Sally Morem

“Interview 12” by Caity G

“The League of Twelve (a companion to A Different League) ” by Steve Rogers

“Black Widow” by Stephanie MacLeod

“Fodder” by Lizz Dimercurio

“A Suspicious Phone Call” by Becca Yurok

“Cosmic Latte” by Jennifer Johnson

“George” by Jesse Glover

“If Men Could Give Birth” by Yevgeniy Peregudov

“The Choice” by Heather Wolverton

“Pasta Carbonara” by Jarleene Almenas

“You Are Worthless” by Laura Magee

“Acquired Daughter” by Mike Males

“Riven” by Jennie Stevenson

“What's Wrong?” by Jennifer Addison

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story in which each paragraph begins or ends (or both!) with the same sentence.

Write a story of fragments. Many options here: no verbs, sentence fragments, short sections, nothing but objects, etc. The fragments should relate to one another obliquely, hesitantly, subtly, ambiguously, preposterously, marvelously.

Write a story within a story within a story within a ...

Write a story that formally utilizes a mathematical sequence; e.g., the Fibonacci sequence could determine the number of words in each paragraph, or start with a number and work backwards. Make sure the formula is made clear, either within the story, or before or after it.

Contest #186

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

479

Contest entries

141

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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