Dialogue

Reflections on A Languishing Manuscript. Top Story - July 2026.
Years ago, I was president of a town’s writing group, but it disbanded. Ten years ago, a character appeared in my mind and poured onto the page, words frothing from my fingers like sudsy waves at the shore. My hip replacement cemented my decision to retire, and recovery meant long hours outdoors on sunny days with my aging dog. Her love and devotion grounded me. I finished the book that summer. Two years later, my faithful companion was gone, and the manuscript remained untouched, saved in a file that moved only when the computer did, still unseen.
By Andrea Corwin 3 months ago in Critique
Truth or Dare
By the time the impromptu foursome made it to the green, the tension was tighter than a Delta blues combo in a New Orleans dive bar. Masie missed her birdie putt on purpose so that Ben could ask Josh for a truth instead of her. After Josh sank his bogey, she said, “Why don’t you ride with Marty and let Ben ride with me? Otherwise, I’ll walk the course.”
By Harper Lewis 3 months ago in Critique
Independence
Today, Americans all around the country will be smiling and happy. Maybe not content; after all, who could be, in the world we live in these days? But for this entire day, people will forget their woes and those of the world, and they will engage in merriment, sunshine, and good times.
By Alexandra Grant3 months ago in Critique
The Birth, Dissection & Evolution of a Story Never Written
For as long as I’ve had the desire to entertain readers with creative fiction writing, I’ve had a mermaid tale in my mind, just dying to come to life. It started out as a simple story idea, but has gradually evolved into something much greater.
By Justiss Goode3 months ago in Critique
The Front Nine
“Masie? Is that really you?” Josh sucked in his beginning of a paunch. “Where’s Sam?” The pro shop guy looked confused as he turned to return to his post.
By Harper Lewis 3 months ago in Critique
La-La Lost You, Formosa
The woman lowered her sunglasses as she pulled up in her Model Twice electric car. Chou Tzuyu was usually chauffeured around the sprawling City of Angels for most of her time in the US, whether by her staff, her Waymo-programmed EV, or her husband Ray. But ever since her daughter Isla was old enough for weekend playdates with her godmother and namesake Isla Banaag, she took it upon herself to personally drop off and pick up her little girl at and from the Alhambra light rail station. The Angeleno public transit system of 2050 still paled compared to that of pre-COVID-19 Taiwan and pre-Bibimbap Baby Bust Seoul, but she wanted to be able to give her daughter as much of her childhood Asia experience as possible- short of taking her back to Taiwan province, now in its 12th year of reunification with the Chinese mainland.
By James Bao3 months ago in Critique
The Novel That Bit Me. Honorable Mention in Not Quite There Yet Challenge.
Fir the Next Great (American) Novel challenge (which, despite the title, didnae actually huv tae be American), Ah hud two ideas an' two entries. Baith included Glasgow as almost a central character. One wis heavily inspired by Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh an' a real-life experience that happened many years afore Ah started writing.
By Paul Stewart3 months ago in Critique
The Plantation Club
”It would suit me just fine if you would quit grinning,” Mary Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest after she buckled her seat belt.
By Harper Lewis 3 months ago in Critique
Detective Kali
I began the story after meeting a who stated that I look like a character that they thought they had made up. Eventually, I was approached with the idea for writing it, and I was so excited because I wanted to make sure that I approached my writing with a very diverse that reflected the world that I grew up in my personal experiences or things that I just simply witnessed.
By Cadma4 months ago in Critique
Investigating Privately
The day began as all days begin, with the sun rising in the east. As it rose, dawn spread her rosy fingers over Liz’s eyes, the warm, pink light drawing her out of slumber’s embrace. Time to rise and make tea, get this party started.
By Harper Lewis 4 months ago in Critique
Blackwood
The story is called Blackwood. It begins with a high school English teacher named Evelyn Carter learning that her biological father… whom she never knew existed, has died and left her everything.
By Amber4 months ago in Critique
Goodnight, Sweet Prince . Content Warning.
Susan pulled her car, loaded down with all of her worldly belongings, into Trey's driveway behind his car. As she approached the house, she noticed a line of ants marching over the walkway, not having the sense to go around the crack that every third or fourth ant fell into. There was a dead bird under the dogwood tree, and the ants were working hard, taking treasure back to their queen.
By Harper Lewis 4 months ago in Critique