Welcome to the first week of the Spring Writing Challenge!
We’re so excited to get started on these stories. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, set your fingers on your keyboard, and get writing. Will your story contain aliens? A prince in disguise? Maybe even a sweet summer romance? Whatever happens, we can’t wait to see what you come up with!
So, without further ado, here’s your very first prompt!
Week One Prompt – The Dialogue Prompt
“If you know something bad is going to happen, do you have to try and stop it?”
“I just got here.”
Wait…what’s a dialogue prompt?
A dialogue prompt is a conversation between two characters. It doesn’t matter who says it, or if it takes place in the beginning, middle, or end of your story. However, one character must say the first sentence, and the second character must respond with the second sentence.
Before you start writing, there are some important rules to follow.
Writing Rules
1. Please keep the content of the stories you post to a PG rating. Please avoid real curse words. Violence/fighting should be limited and purposeful. Please do not include any spice. Moderators may remove stories and comments for any reason at any time. Moderators may remove any member from the challenge at any time.
2. Your story must be 1,000 words or less, and must contain the prompt to be counted for the challenge. You’re not required to post it in order to “win” the challenge, but if you want it to count for your team, your story must be posted by Sunday at 11:59 PM ET, and you must include your team name.
It’s time to post your story as a comment down below! We can’t wait to see all the fun directions you guys take this dialogue prompt. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at info@writers.company!
Happy Writing!
Ava,
Your story was very well written! I enjoyed reading it! 👏
Melissa
Ooh, what a fun story, girl! Fantastic job!
Wow, this is beautifully written!
I love your writing style!
Wow, I’m very impressed. The worldbuilding here feels grounded and real, the characters fleshed out, and the prompt just flows so smoothly with the rest of the narrative. Great story here!
I hope this part of something larger. I was totally sucked in.
Thanks for sharing your work. 🙂 Enjoyable read.
great opening line!
Beautiful story! Great job!
Absolutely loved it
i NEED the rest of this asap! i would love this as a book series. its excellent! The world-building is so good. you did a great job. i especially love how the characters are already full of the knowledge of the world and there is no need for any one character to outright explain things. again, have i expressed how i literally want this in my life so much!
Great details! I was brought right into the world you built!
Such a fun story! Loved the comical banter between characters
Team A (Herbert? I think?)
Delilah smiled wickedly as she entered the room. Women weren’t typically allowed this much power, but this moment was hers. She alone could present them with what they desired. She sauntered to the leader, allowing her hips to sway as the men watched her pass. “So, Avshalom,” she asked, dipping her head to look at him through her lashes, “are you willing to pay my price for delivering Samson to you?”
She heard the sharp intake of breaths. The decision had already been made, but the men did not expect her to be so bold in asking. Avshalom sneered. “You honestly think you are capable of weakening the strong man?”
Delilah smirked at his response. “You, so afraid of granting women power, ask me if I am capable?” Her glare was felt around the room as the men grumbled amongst themselves. “You asked me to do this and then doubt my abilities? My price has doubled. Eleven hundred shekels of silver – from each of you.” She pointed around the room, stopping at Avshalom. She leaned in close to his ear, cupping his cheek with her hand, and whispered, “You know better than most what I am capable of gleaning from men.”
Avshalom’s face paled as the others stilled at the brazen display toward their leader. “You have a deal,” he replied, his voice shaky.
“Paid immediately upon delivery.”
“Yes,” agreed Avshalom.
“Gentlemen, you will each have my silver ready by Samson’s downfall. I expect it should take no longer than a week.” She threw her head back as she laughed. “The man finds himself in love with me. I doubt it will take that long.” She left the room, aware of the brawl about so ensue over Avshalom’s agreement of her new price. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked away, noting that Zeev, the youngest of the men, was watching her while ignoring the argument surrounding him.
***
“Samson?” Delilah made her way behind Samson and hugged him. As much as she cared for him, her debts were increasing, and she would be no one’s servant.
“Yes, my love?” Although he was a man of great strength, he was a pushover for the woman he loved. He patted her arm and heard her heavy sigh. He faced her. “What is it?”
Seeing his emotions and knowing what she needed to do warred within her, and the desperation spilled out of her eyes as a tear trickled down her cheek. Samson wiped at it with the pad of his thumb. More tears fell and Delilah stepped from his embrace.
He reached for her again, but she held up her hand, shaking her head. “No.”
Samson’s head hung. “How can I prove I love you?”
She offered a watery smile. “You’ve shown it, Samson, but…” she trailed off and her gaze flitted to the window.
“I haven’t told you the secret to my strength.”
“Oh, you’ve told me the ‘secret,’” she said, using air quotes around the word. “But I’m quite convinced you haven’t been truthful. Shouldn’t we be honest with those we love?” She bit her lip at the last line, hating it. She moved to the sofa and sat.
Samson thought for a moment. Surely his mother hadn’t met that God didn’t want him to tell the woman he loved. He’d been thinking about it for days, ever since the first time she’d asked. He moved to sit by her. “You’re right, my love. Let my share my secrets with you.”
***
Samson wept in his cell. He’d been there for months, blind after the men who’d captured him had gouged out his eyes. He felt alone, as Delilah hadn’t visited at all. He hoped she was safe after his home was raided. As every night since being captured, he thought back to that evening. He had fallen asleep for a nap shortly after Delilah had left to collect some water. When she returned, she yelled for him, no doubt terrified of the men who had assembled in his home. He rose quickly after waking, intending to protect them both, but his strength was gone.
Somehow, someone had slipped in and shaved his head while he slept. When the realization hit him, he crumpled. Samson heard Delilah’s cries as they led him away but could not find her amongst the men leading him away. He called out to her, but she did not respond.
As Samson cried, he realized his hair had been growing back. It had been many months since it had been shaved, and he was surprised no one had thought to do so again.
“Samson!” called a guard. “You’ve been summoned to perform at the gala that’s happening. “Let’s go.” The guard led him away, ignoring Samson’s stumbling.
Samson blindly acted out some of his most famous deeds for the crowd. When he was finished, a young man brought him a drink.
“Thank you.” Samson paused. “What is your name?”
“Zeev.”
“Thank you, Zeev.” Samson took a long drink, praying that God would grant him strength one last time. “Tell me, Zeev, if you know something bad is going to happen, do you have to try and stop it?”
“I just got here,” mumbled Zeev. He eyed Samson shrewdly. “Do you know something bad is going to happen?”
“I don’t suppose I do. How could I possibly?” replied Samson.
“I knew of something once and did nothing,” Zeev shamefully admitted.
“How did you come out of it?”
“Poorer.”
“Zeev, could you help me out? This is more than I’ve done in months. I need to rest, could you walk me to a couple of pillars?”
Zeev led him to a pillar and Samson leaned against it as though he was resting. “Thank you.”
“It’s the least I could do.” Zeev left before Samson could ask what he meant.
“God, give me strength,” prayed Samson. He reached for the other pillar and pushed. The last thing he heard as the build collapsed around him was Delilah’s shout. “Samson!”
This is amazing! Such a great way to add the prompt to a biblical story! Great job!
This was a great way to add the prompt to a biblical story! I really loved it. Great job!!
To Change the World, by Ava Murbarger
P.S.- sorry I missed the meeting, we were out of town. I hope to be at the next one!!
The sky was bleeding again.
Rust-colored clouds hung over the City like bruises, pulsing faintly. Rael kept her eyes fixed on them, one hand on the rail of the Watchers’ Tower. Her gloves were too thin. The steel was cold enough to bite.
Behind her, a door creaked open.
“You’re late,” she said without turning.
Boots scraped against the stone. A new recruit, probably. They sent one every week now. Fresh eyes, fresh loyalty.
“I got lost,” the boy said. He sounded too young to carry the badge. Too soft to hold a blade. “Sorry.”
She turned and looked at him.
Dust-colored coat, too long in the sleeves. Wide eyes. Not from the City, then. One of the Outer Rings. Maybe even farther. She sighed.
“If you know something bad is going to happen,” she said, “do you have to try and stop it?”
The boy blinked. “I just got here.”
“Well, obviously.” She crossed her arms.
He shifted nervously on his feet.
Rael turned back to the cityscape. “The answer is yes, by the way. At least, if you’re cursed with a conscience.”
He joined her at the rail. Together they watched the distant flicker of drones weaving patterns in the smog. A red warning rune glowed briefly on the horizon, then faded. Rael knew what it meant. The Reclamation Agents were moving again. Soon, another neighborhood would vanish.
“Why do you do this?” the boy asked.
She laughed without humor. “Because no one else will. Because the High Council stopped caring two winters ago. Because someone has to.”
A long pause. Then, “Is it true the Watchers can see the future?”
“We read the signs,” she said. “Patterns in weather. Seismic anomalies. Political shifts. The Council says it’s superstition.” She paused. “But when the streets burn exactly seven hours after the rats vanish, over and over again, you stop calling it chance.”
He was silent. Good. Maybe he was listening.
“You said you got lost. But you still came up here. Why?”
“I heard the bells.” He hesitated. “They said you can’t hear them unless you’re meant to.”
Rael glanced at him. The brass bell on the tower hadn’t rung in years. She narrowed her eyes.
“Name?”
“Wren.”
“That’s not your real name.”
“It is now.”
She smirked. “Fine, Wren. Welcome to Watcher’s Hill. Welcome to the losing side.”
Another alarm rune lit the smog. Closer this time.
Rael pulled her scope from her belt and scanned the eastern edge of the city. “Sector Four. They’re burning the food lines again.”
“That’s the second time this week,” Wren said quietly.
She lowered the scope. “Third.”
He didn’t speak for a long time. Then he said, “My sister was there.”
Rael’s fingers tightened around the rail. She didn’t ask if the girl had survived. That wasn’t the kind of world they lived in anymore.
Instead, she reached into her coat and handed Wren a folded map, inked with lines and red X’s.
“There’s a storm tunnel under the old trainyard,” she said. “It’s not on any schematics, and it’ll get you to Sector Four faster than any street. But it’s dark. And crawling.”
Wren took the map with trembling fingers. “Why are you helping me?”
Rael looked at him, really looked. The wide eyes weren’t wide with fear, not completely. It was fire. Just hidden under the ash.
“Because sometimes the only thing worse than seeing the future,” she said softly, “is doing nothing to change it.”
Wren nodded. His jaw set. “Then I’ll go.”
Rael watched as he turned, vanishing back into the tower’s dark. When the door slammed shut behind him, the bell gave a soft chime. Just once.
And far below, the wind began to shift.