Format your story in the style of diary entries.

Posted in Middle School on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 53 stories

“buried in saipan” by Alex Sultan

🏆 Winner of Contest #139

There are still rusted bayonets to be found in the dirt. Alongside broken firearms, canteens, and bullet-struck helmets. At times, still attached to skeletons. The deep-sea team would occasionally find a corroded tank or the remains of a submarine acting as an aquarium. Fighter planes would turn up far off in the mountains, a surprise to climbers. Rare was it that Hisao found letters buried in Saipan. He dropped his shovel and knelt, the archaeology team at work behind him—industrial lights illuminated the tunnel with a silver glow. Brushing...

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“Diary of an Answering Machine” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #139

July 18, 1985 “You’ve reached Matt Nicholson and Buddy. Buddy say hi: Woof! We can’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks!” BEEP “Matt, it’s mom. Are you still at work? It’s nearly seven thirty; you should be home by now. It’s time you settled down; you’ll be thirty in two weeks-you’re too old to be barhopping and galivanting around. Anyways, it’s Kelsey’s baby shower tomorrow and I wanted to know if you’d like to carpool with me and dad. No use in takin...

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“I'M BREAKING UP WITH JEFF BEZOS” by Felice Noelle

Submitted to Contest #139

I'M BREAKING UP WITH JEFF BEZOSI confess. Jeff Bezos knows me more intimately than my husband does. But don't tell his ex-wife. And I haven't been able to hide it from my husband. No, I swear, it's true. Couldn't be more true. Jeff and I communicate more frequently, more personally, and just MORE than I communicate with any other human on this Covid confined planet.I can't just punch a delete button on my keyboard and wipe my order and return history out of my life like I can with my Google browsing history. So I have left a telling, shamefu...

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“The Bad Best Friend's Diary” by J.C. Lovero

Submitted to Contest #139

Thursday, April 21stBack home after falling for her tricks AGAIN.Elena asked me to skip eighth period to hang out at the coffeehouse. Ordered my usual: venti caramel macchiato, extra shot, extra hot, extra whip, and sugar-free. Barista rolled her eyes as she scribbled on the cup—hope she didn’t add extra ingredients. When Elena offered to pay, I should have known she was up to something.“You should try tea sometime,” she said as she wrapped her palms around her cup, raising it to her face. “There are many studies—”I tuned her out while she r...

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“Wendy, Never After” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #139

Day Four Hundred and Thirty-Seven Tinkerbell still won’t speak to me. She keeps insisting that I used her shampoo. I did no such thing. If I even attempted to pick up the bottle, I would crush it instantly. Her accusations used to be easy to brush off, but now they crawl up my skin like the forest bugs that swarm us every night after dinner. This place is meant to be some sort of Paradise, and yet, it has all the trappings of every other tropical island. Insects, humidity, birds that look like rodents and rodents that look like birds. Pe...

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“Memorium” by Connor Greene

Submitted to Contest #139

Today You know how little I remember. It’s strange to have lived a whole life and not have any memory of it. I’m lying here in a hospital bed, with no memory of how I got here. There is no one in the room and the door is shut. I cry out for help and no one answers. My sheets are tucked tightly over and under me from my waist downwards. I am clothed, that much I can tell. My right wrist is shackled to the bed by a single handcuff. Words and my voice are clear to me. I recognize them. But why can’t I remember my name? Beside me is a small op...

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“Dear Diary” by Shelby B

Submitted to Contest #139

January 3rd, 2017Dear Diary,My therapist told me it might help me to start writing down my thoughts every now and then. I’m not entirely sure how writing down stupid words on a piece of paper will help me at all, but who am I to judge? She’s the professional after all. I’m not sure how to even write in a diary. It all seems so childish, but if it gets my mom and therapist off my back for a while then I will do just about anything. So diary, I guess I’ll start off by saying why I’m in therapy. They say it’s because I’m depressed, but I don’t ...

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“Herb's 5-Day Crash Weight Loss/Conditioning Program” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #139

Herb’s 5 Day Weight Loss/Conditioning ProgramPlanning: Set goals (realistic): Lose 5 lbs; jog 1 mile (without stopping); develop healthy eating habits and structured, disciplined lifestyle; cut down on drinking (within reason). Preparation- Buy rugged, activewear jogging suit, a pair of Nike running shoes (on sale if possible) and an exercise mat; shop for healthy, low-calorie foods (ask someone ...

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“Flowers of the Sun” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #139

February 16: Dear Diary, I love Wednesdays. That’s because it’s drama and literature day at school. For this term, Mr Kozak has challenged us to write about a topic that he selects each week. Assignments must be handed in every Tuesday for grading on Wednesdays. He says I have the aptitude and talent to go to university, but I still have many things to learn about the world. Being a 17-year-old girl in a small city is not always eventful, so I’ll try to write about...

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“Dear Departed,” by Suma Jayachandar

Submitted to Contest #139

C.W: This story contains descriptions of the dead and death rituals.March 9th, 2022When the news of your passing finally arrived, I felt relieved. Of course, people will say that is how one would expect a daughter-in-law to feel. But they haven’t had a journey that you and I share. How the ticking clock had turned me from a cowering bride resentful of your possessiveness to the one who gently cradled your head in the crook of her arm and fed you the mashed food.I saw your boy-my husband, repeat the doctor’s words in a choked voice before sli...

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“Twisted logic” by Bradon L

Submitted to Contest #139

Tuesday January 2ndDear diary,I did it! I got the job! All my hard work is finally paying off! There aren’t enough exclamation points in the world to describe how happy I am!!!!!! There is no time to celebrate however, because Im supposed to meet up with my first client next Friday. I have so much to do before then. I have to get new clothes(cause girls go crazy for a sharp dressed man), new equipment, and I think I need to register with the state. I’m not sure if I should be a corporation or an LLC? Does this mean I have to pay in quarterly...

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“Dear Diary” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #139

April 7, 1963Dear Diary,My name is Howard and I found you, hidden in the back of a closet. Mom said you used to belong to my grandpa. If you don’t mind, I would like to write in you.It is springtime here in West Eaton, New York. Dandelions have started to bloom, peppering the lawns. Leaves are sprouting from the surrounding maple trees. The weather is beautiful today. This morning, on my way to Sunday school, all I needed to wear was a light sweater to keep me warm. But you should know, Dear Diary. The weather may be nice, but Sunday school ...

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“Maturation Diary” by Mike Panasitti

Submitted to Contest #139

03/01/22“Being an adult child is not conducive to a person’s mental health.” Those were the good doctor’s words today. It’s his therapeutic longhand for saying, “you need to grow up.” I’ve got some nerve. Fifty-two years of age and I’m still being monetarily and emotionally sustained by my septuagenarian parents. But doc, I’ve got a handicap, the playing field I’m on is not level, the game’s been rigged against me. “And you’ve made and continue to make poor choices,” said the doctor. He is more than hinting his belie...

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“I Don't Want to Grow Up” by Pamela Torres

Submitted to Contest #139

Friday, March 25, 2022 9:30 p.m. Dear Diary, What's wrong with me? Is it weird that I really like where I'm at and what I'm doing with my life? All my friends do is talk about getting out of this "podunk" town and how there's nothing to do. So they dream about next week, next summer, five years down the road...and they miss the NOW. In the school cafeteria, it's a constant litany of when they get a car, then they can go places and do things. When they graduate from High School, then they can get a job and start making money. When they ...

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“Divorcing the Dead” by Rachel Snider

Submitted to Contest #139

The thing is, even though Rev’s the one who’s always been nice to me, I married his stupid brother instead. Why? Well, you can’t exactly marry the brother of the guy who knocked you up, right? At least that’s what Mammaw said. She said, “Darlin, you’re gonna marry the sunnuva dog who knocked you up. So who was it?” I said it was Tak Bullock (cause it was) and that settled that. On the day of our divorce (which Tak had not contested cept that he filed for full custody of Austin and Bella, which wasn’t happening over my dead body, eve...

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Title: buried in saipan

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Format your story in the style of diary entries.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 53 stories

“buried in saipan” by Alex Sultan

“Diary of an Answering Machine” by Kathleen Fine

“I'M BREAKING UP WITH JEFF BEZOS” by Felice Noelle

“The Bad Best Friend's Diary” by J.C. Lovero

“Wendy, Never After” by Story Time

“Memorium” by Connor Greene

“Dear Diary” by Shelby B

“Herb's 5-Day Crash Weight Loss/Conditioning Program” by Murray Burns

“Flowers of the Sun” by Chris Campbell

“Dear Departed,” by Suma Jayachandar

“Twisted logic” by Bradon L

“Dear Diary” by Howard Seeley

“Maturation Diary” by Mike Panasitti

“I Don't Want to Grow Up” by Pamela Torres

“Divorcing the Dead” by Rachel Snider

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story that involves a character donating a box of clothes which have been outgrown.

Start your story with someone having their height marked on a door frame.

Start your story with the words: “Grow up.”

Write about a character sowing seeds for the future (literally or figuratively).

Contest #139

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

239

Contest entries

135

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: