Write a story about someone struggling to swallow some harsh (but fair) constructive criticism.

Posted in Middle School on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 26 stories

“Constructive Criticism” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #141

“I remember when I was your age I had to make the dinner and not complain about it”. “I bet you didn’t make the dinner when you were nine Grandma” said Johnathon disbelievingly. “Johnathon I did” said his Grandma, thinking back to when at his age she was capable of cooking dinner for the family while this boy in front of her had trouble toasting a piece of bread! “Gran, do you think I am useless?” he asked her lying on the couch. “No of course not. You just haven’t been taught how to do things. It was different in my day because I had to do ...

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“Cold Reception” by James Grasham

Submitted to Contest #141

Warning: This story contains an instance of strong language. The entrance hall of the Warrior’s Guild was much the same as Luthar remembered. The dark grey stone was reassuringly constant, as were the weather-beaten windows which looked out. Smoke rose from the chimney as fires were lit inside to protect against the first chills of autumn. Heaving his bag onto his shoulder, Luthar stepped forward and pushed open the door into his home. Forever reliable, Terence sat at his desk, taking a gulp of something from a flask. The wind disturbed ...

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“No Reply Needed” by B Serra

Submitted to Contest #141

I thought I put this baby to bed already. A writer, he had wanted a manuscript assessment of his 70k word novel. We sent him an offer. A week later he wrote again, noncommittal, asking for our qualifications, our 'fields of literary interest' and a wordcount of the manuscript assessment we would provide. A time-waster, we thought, who'd take forever making up his mind and ask a ton of questions in the meantime. We aren't stuck for clients at the moment; everyone and her granny has written a novel in Corona times, and all in need of improveme...

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“Reveries, Dreams And The Talking Book” by Kate Kilbee

Submitted to Contest #141

I was feeling jaded. For the first time ever, writing held little interest for me. The steady flow of words I'd relied on for years had slowed to a trickle over the last few weeks and had now stopped. I'd tried everything I could think of to get the trickle to turn back to flowing again, word games, prompts, reading, lots of reading. I'd listened to happy songs, sad songs, even so-called true life songs but it was as if my brain was as dry as a desert. Also, I seemed to travel under a dark cloud lately and I felt like all my positive...

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“Baloney” by John Minnaar

Submitted to Contest #141

Write a story about someone struggling to swallow some harsh (but fair) constructive criticsm Baloney So it was! Jake sat with his head in his hands leaning with elbows on his knees. The shock death, of his father, had just assailed his conscious awareness with penetrating reality. He was 18 years old, had just started a new job at the factory of a British consortium as a laboratory technician. The loss drained thought, leaving a mighty vacuum ….. not knowing how to take the next step…. without that stable, solid refer...

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“Me (or not) by Madelaine Roberts” by Madelaine Roberts

Submitted to Contest #141

I knew I should listen, if only to myself, to the signals my own body was sending me if not to the cacophony of well meaning ‘friendly advice’ bombarding me from all directions. Apparently, my children are being appallingly let down … I am setting a bad example, I am being selfish with our limited finances, I am making their lives infinitely more difficult due to the embarrassment of having me as a mother, I am unable to adequately cater for their needs. When this angle of attack does not seem to provide the requisite emotional (...

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“Old Days, Cheesesteaks, & The New ” by Dani Sheehan

Submitted to Contest #141

“A-ha!” Pa said, pushing up his reading glasses that were hanging onto the bridge of his nose. He pulled the newspaper closer to his face, brushed through the intro and soon began reading out loud. “....to say this restaurant can use some work would be putting it lightly–speaking of lights does this place have any? I understand a dimly lit ambiance but whatever happened to a well-lighted place?” Pa was breezing through the review.“Blah blah blah” he said, skimming through the page. “...the cheese was decadent….the décor? dated….” My fat...

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“Overcoming Her Obstacle” by Kia Ambrose

Submitted to Contest #141

"What am I doing wrong?" Jasmine thought to herself as she heavily panted while trying to catch her breath. Her soft wheezes could be heard from nearby but were drowned out by the firm stomps of several pairs of feet hitting the ground, each desperately pushing forward to get to the finish line before the other. Each step gradually got further away from her own, which had stopped in defeat. It was her first track meet, and she had already given up midway through the race. She didn’t know why she decided to choose track and field as an...

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“April Is the Cruelist Month” by Michael Pelepko

Submitted to Contest #141

Introduction…The husband in this tale will eventually tell all, admit how he is to blame for the predicament he now faces: “Henry Jackson” is indeed responsible for what’s now coming down in his life. The man knows for certain that “Elizabeth Meyers Jackson” has retained a lawyer: Stanley S. Shirk, Esquire.Hank’s wife deliberately discarded “the letter” on their bathroom counter, where it could not possibly be overlooked, the letter advising: “prior to any drawing up of your requisite paperwork, I’ll need to meet with you and your husband as...

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“Can I be honest” by Pascal Rockwell

Submitted to Contest #141

"Can I be honest with you?" I nod my head, not expecting anything aside from a token you'll do better next time, or things will work out you'll see. "Things didn't work out because you're a mess." I stared at her surprised and a little hurt. "Don't give me that look, it's true." She sighed before pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her shirt pocket, she offered one to me. "No thanks I don't smoke." She shrugged before taking the cigarette she offered me for herself and lighting it. "The reason things didn't work is because you're...

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“The Violin Sonata” by Hope Linter

Submitted to Contest #141

Max Kwong let his mother straighten his black bow tie, and then he watched her hands flick like a conductor’s at his collar, and finally smooth the black suit over his shoulders. “Don’t you think you should do more of your finger exercises,” she said, her worry lines creasing above her two fine eyes that reminded him of tiny swallows, always darting and busy. “Relax, Mom, I’ve got this. I’m technically perfect on my violin. Remember, my teacher Mrs. Lim has been telling you that for the last year. “Yes, but she...

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Write a story about someone struggling to swallow some harsh (but fair) constructive criticism.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 26 stories

“Constructive Criticism” by Valerie Preston

“Cold Reception” by James Grasham

“No Reply Needed” by B Serra

“Reveries, Dreams And The Talking Book” by Kate Kilbee

“Baloney” by John Minnaar

“Me (or not) by Madelaine Roberts” by Madelaine Roberts

“Old Days, Cheesesteaks, & The New ” by Dani Sheehan

“Overcoming Her Obstacle” by Kia Ambrose

“April Is the Cruelist Month” by Michael Pelepko

“Can I be honest” by Pascal Rockwell

“The Violin Sonata” by Hope Linter

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who critiques things for a living, or acts like they do.

Start your story with someone receiving a one-star review.

Set your story in the lowest rated restaurant in town.

Write about a character named after one of our contest’s judges.

Contest #141

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

177

Contest entries

111

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: