Writing Prompt # 1

Effective dialogue makes strong use of subtext, what’s going on beneath the words. Here’s a simple prompt intended on building subtext into what should be a straightforward conversation.

A man is entering his house. He has just been fired from his job. The job was very important to family finances, and he is afraid to tell his wife. His wife, meanwhile, has been entertaining her lover in the bedroom. She descends the stairs, and sees her husband home early from work. Write their conversation, with both of them hiding their individual secrets.

In the conversation, try to use dialogue tags (he/she said), indirect dialogue (but she told me she would be late), or whatever varied approaches come to mind.

3-400 words