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

“Beyond Dreams and Reality” by Mona Bunnie

Submitted to Contest #186

“I hope you're patient because I tend to take my time. You don’t mind, do you?” “Oh no. I want you to take your time. Don’t worry about me, just do everything how you’d normally do it.” “Mmm. Are you comfortable at least?” “Yes. Thank you.” “Ok. If you're ready just shift your head slightly to your left. Yes, like that, but try to keep your eyes on me. I know it may be a bit uncomfortable at first, but I promise the outcome will be worth it.” “No problem. Is like this okay?” “Um. Do you mind if I move you actually?” “Go ahead. I’m only the o...

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“Whoops, Billy Came Back” by Brad Heald

Submitted to Contest #186

Content warning: Frequent cussing. “Billy it’s Polly.” “My oh my. Polly I never expected to hear from you, been sixteen years. Everything okay?” “Your sister gave me your number. Pike is mistreating your son Billy, and me. I don’t know what to do. I can’t talk much before I start crying. Can you help?" “Polly, if you haven’t already, assemble a go bag for the both of you. I’ll come soon. Pack those bags with important documents and what you will need in the short term. Hide them where they are easy to access.” ”Okay Billy. Come soon.”...

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“The Dining Room Table” by K.E. MacPhie

Submitted to Contest #186

“You think I WANTED to come here? I had nowhere else to go, Kenny. Trust me, I’m here for our children, not for you.” “You could hide out anywhere in the world and you pick MY cabin. Bullshit, Ashley. I’m sure you’re banging some new guy by now that could take you in.” “No one has a space like you have and you know that. Most people don’t do the whole Grizzly Adams survivalist thing on the rez like you. In fact, I think it was your total need for solitude that contributed to our divorce. Oh wait, you weren’t in solitude, you had…someone el...

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“Unforseen” by Gloria Bartone

Submitted to Contest #186

"Hi Mom. Boy do I have some exciting news! You just won't believe it. I know you were expecting me to try to break into a writing career with some periodical or online news source,but I think you will find that my news is even better than you expected!" " No, I'm not telling you that I'm married, or even engaged. When did I ever? But I have met someone; tell you about him later,okay? Yes I know I haven't been real good at writing or keeping in touch but I will try harder now that I'm out of school and have started a job. yes! A real job. A...

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“Moving On” by David Nesbit

Submitted to Contest #186

“Hey.” “Hey. You made it then.” “‘Course I did. I told you I would be here, didn’t I?” “Yes.” “Do you want something?” “Just a drink. You? No, don’t get up. I’ll get it.” “So.” “So.” “Say something, then.” “I don’t know what to say. You say something.” “Ahh. Where to….” “...begin?” “Exactly.” “Yeah.” “ So? Is it definite?” “ Come on.” “ ‘Come on’, what?” “We can’t have this conversation again, can we? We’ve been over this again and again.” “Yes. I know…It’s just, you know…” “It is what it is, Dan. It just is.” “I know.” “What are you...

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“Buy You a Drink” by Gio P.

Submitted to Contest #186

- A drink?- No, thanks. Diet.- You want Diet?- No—on one. I’m on one.- Oh…for what?- Isn’t it obvious?- Is it supposed to be?- I don’t know. It was a joke. I guess.- Weird joke.- Maybe. In some con...

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“This Isn't About Jam” by Carina Caccia

Submitted to Contest #186

“I asked for raspberry.” “Not strawberry?” “Yeah, nah.” “¿Cómo?” “It means—fuck, I can’t open the bloody thi—” “Give it here, you’re hopeless.” “It means that—thanks, how’d you do that?—that you can’t read a shopping list.” “You wrote strawberry.” “Get the list, Alex. Look, r-a-s-p—” “And that’s supposedly an ‘r’ back in Australia?” “It would be if it weren’t for the coffee ring. I wonder how that got there.” “I think it has more to do with your handwriting.” “Or your aversion to coaste—fuck!” “¡Joder! Don’t move!” “I’m—” “Nora, don’t move....

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“How About That Cigarette ” by Nicole Farmer

Submitted to Contest #186

“You’re probably wondering why I called you out here…”“My guess it would have something to do with last night.”“It does...And it doesn’t...I know you had a hand in what happened last night. It all worked out too perfectly for you not to have some part in it.”“I don’t know what you--”“Don’t deny it. Katie told me everything.”“Did she? Well then, exactly what did little Miss Katie say?”“She told me you planned the whole thing from the beginning. Starting on the night you all went out to the clubs. She told me you were planning to get some of t...

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“"Face it, Oaklyn." ” by Catherine Burford

Submitted to Contest #186

“Oaklynn, don’t do it.” “What?” “It.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Uh, yeah, you do.” “Please explain in greater detail. If you know me so well, then you know better than to be vague with me.” “Ugh, I can’t believe I’m stuck with you.” “You and me both.” “Look here, smarty. I know you’re thinking about telling Lydia how you really feel.” “I have every right to tell her how I feel.” “Do you, though? You blew it. You always blow it. Get over it.” “That’s just it. She keeps telling me to “get over it”, no matter what it is. ...

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“The body” by Feona Sayles

Submitted to Contest #186

The Body “Do you think she knows we’re here Jan?” “I don’t know Ang, she looks like she’s asleep Or dead..” “Should we prod her?” “Nah, let’s just sit here til she moves” “But that could take ages..” “Yeah, but what else are we going to do? This place is so boring…no wonder she’s dead” “Don’t say that! She is not dead! She is asleep! She’s breathing!” “Are you sure……let’s put a mirror up to her face” “Why the hell would we do that? what is she going to do? Open her eyes and look at herself?” “No dumbass, that’s what I read in a book, its w...

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“Buried in Blankets” by Tasneem Dairywala

Submitted to Contest #186

“When I opened my eyes today, I couldn’t see anything. It was terrifying. Could you”? “No, I couldn’t either. I was blinded by light so bright, it hurt.” “Did you hear it calling you? Did it deafen you with a high piercing sound”? “Yes, I found myself floating upward, floating toward the sound, floating toward the light.” “I felt as if I had lost all control of myself.” “I felt as if I would rise right out of this bed, but as always, something was weighing me down.” “Something was keeping me grounded, heavy on this bed.” “It w...

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“The Symphony” by Shelly Desjarlais

Submitted to Contest #186

“I’m not known for having great ideas. Seriously, you’re looking at the guy who inspired the warning labels on most household products. But you can trust me, Dr. Schneider. I know what I’m doing here. You have to let me take him.” “This isn’t a library, Jon. You can’t check out a patient and then drop him off like some book you needed for a research paper.” &nb...

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“Order are Orders” by Brownbread Fred

Submitted to Contest #186

“Fuck you, sir.”“What did you say to me, private?!”“Fuck you, sir.”“How dare you speak to an officer…”“Holy shit! The new private just knocked the LT out.”“I ain’t see shit. C’mon Jones, lets beat feet. Besides, there’s Sergeant Moultry’s, let him take care of it.”“What the fuck happened here, private?” “LT, you good? Come on; on your feet, sir.”“Huh? Ye-yea-yeah, I’m fine sergeant.”“Well, private?”“There is nothing to ask him, Moultry, he assaulted me! An enlisted soldier struck a commissioned officer, what else do you need to know?”“I want...

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“Your Station for the Nation” by Edward Savage

Submitted to Contest #186

"Welcome Sports Fans! This is Marcus Titus Grippius welcoming you to the fourth day of the Lupercalia games. This is your Station For The Nation, Radio Rome! Sports Fans we have a full day of thrills ahead of us. The Emperor is rumoured to be attending and what a thrill that will be for those lucky enough to be here in person. For those out there in the city and the burbs, stay tuned and don't go away as we bring you blow by blow coverage of today's events. Now here's Antonius Priapius Diccus with a recap of yesterday's events for those who ...

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“Dad Bot” by Andrew Fruchtman

Submitted to Contest #186

So, you gonna answer me or what? Yes, yes Dad, it’s just that I’m real busy right now. The kid is napping and I’m trying to get some work done before he wakes up and I honestly don’t have time to address your vanity issues. Can we talk about this later please, huh? Okay, okay I’ll power down for a while. My equivalent of a nap. Talk to you later. Thank you. Good evening family, how is everyone tonight? I feel so refreshed after my little doze. Funny Dad. Hey, JJ come here and say hi to Grandpa. &nbs...

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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

“Beyond Dreams and Reality” by Mona Bunnie

“Whoops, Billy Came Back” by Brad Heald

“The Dining Room Table” by K.E. MacPhie

“Unforseen” by Gloria Bartone

“Moving On” by David Nesbit

“Buy You a Drink” by Gio P.

“This Isn't About Jam” by Carina Caccia

“How About That Cigarette ” by Nicole Farmer

“"Face it, Oaklyn." ” by Catherine Burford

“The body” by Feona Sayles

“Buried in Blankets” by Tasneem Dairywala

“The Symphony” by Shelly Desjarlais

“Order are Orders” by Brownbread Fred

“Your Station for the Nation” by Edward Savage

“Dad Bot” by Andrew Fruchtman

🌟 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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