Featured Posts at The Olive Branch Review
Hand Picked by Our Staff
My Love Letter to 2000s Network Television
Arianna explores the comfort and escapism found in rewatching early 2000s TV shows during times of personal struggle and societal upheaval. Through a mix of self-deprecating humor, pop culture references, and heartfelt reflection, the author delves into the challenges of navigating adulthood, relationships, and financial instability, all while finding solace in the familiar characters and storylines of beloved shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore…
Tab Hunter’s Little Box of Secrets
Welcome to the No Name Motel, where the sheets smell like pennies and the diner across the street serves up ptomaine with a side of mystery. Follow Kenneth and Devin, a couple bound by a dangerous plan, as they navigate the shadows of their own making. In this gritty noir thriller, the lines between loyalty and betrayal, sanity and madness, blur as the night grows dark. Check in for a night of secrets, suspense, and shocking revelations. Just don’t expect…
The Redemption of Sisyphus.
A veil separates our mortal reality from other unknown realities or dimensions. The world as we know it is subject to the limits that our senses impose on us. But there’s a connection between the world we know and other worlds. Dramatic actions in one world may favorably change events in different worlds. Calvin Rothenber,…
Clay Pigeons and My Blood: The Official/Unofficial May Song Review
In his latest review, Jake Gilmore ponders The Olive Branch Review’s recent trend of featuring actors’ musical endeavors as Songs of the Month. While he finds Michael Cera’s “Clay Pigeons” charming and clever, Gilmore suggests that the publication should focus more on up-and-coming musicians. He…
What Remains
“What Remains” is a fictional piece that centers around Amber, a young woman and older sister. She is given the news that her terminally ill father has passed, and now must travel back with her sister, Gloria, as they return to their childhood home. Amber must face her mother, an alcoholic, who will test all…
Why Are They So Good At Selling Hate?
I’m getting really sick of the right selling their hateful rhetoric, man. Like it’s nonstop. But it works. Which is why they don’t stop. And it historically has worked. Which is why they historically haven’t stopped. But guess what? Hate is counterintuitive to human nature. Some whackjob tried to conduct a study to prove otherwise and failed. A few whackjobs, actually. Come and read about it.
A Day in the Life of James Bonny
Bonny’s wife won’t answer her phone. His girlfriend is being suspicious. God only knows the last time he’s seen his kids. What constitutes a bender again? Bonny’s definitely not the one to ask. How exactly can this dude afford a boat? Wait doesn’t he also have an ex-wife? Jeez no wonder strange men are knocking on his door at all hours at the night. I think it might be time to pony up, James Bonny.
Spring Writing Competition 2024
Voting Now Open!
Submissions
5:01
Please log in to vote.
Even a Worm will Turn
Please log in to vote.
I Would Do Anything.
Please log in to vote.
In the Solitude of Travel
Please log in to vote.
The Bird and The Tree
Please log in to vote.
The Contexto
Please log in to vote.
The Heart has Many Rivers
Please log in to vote.
The Shadow that Escaped Daylight
Please log in to vote.
The Song I Heard From The Birds Outside My Window
Please log in to vote.
The Vampire Bride
Please log in to vote.
Tripping over my hallelujah
Please log in to vote.
Void
Please log in to vote.
Whispers in the Lunar Dust
Please log in to vote.
Accepting Submissions Through May 31st
Current Frontrunners
Newest Posts
The Lover, The Man, and The Sleep Masc.
He’s sitting in those sheets, the same charcoal-colored ones I used to grip in the middle of the night. His head is probably on my pillow: the one that I claimed my first night there because it was just the right balance of firm and soft. It would have helped if he was somewhere foreign,…
Finding a Community in Habitual Isolation
TV isn’t just a hobby for me; it’s a passion, a love affair, an obsession. From the moment I wake up to the second my head hits the pillow, the warm glow of the screen is my constant companion. But as much as I adore the flickering images, the clever dialogue, and the artful storytelling,…
The Bison and the Butterflies
He places His tattered hat on the bar and licks His lips, licks the hair around His lips, finishes off the second glass of Whiskey, adjusts Himself in the stool. The music is still playing but the cries are not there.
I Don’t Know Where My Child Is
I am a mother. Something I have always been told is the miracle of life brings beauty and meaning and a fulfillment into this world that is unmatched by any other experience. My response to that claim was, how can it be a miracle if it happens every day?
The Lost Art of the TV Finale
Spoilers ahead for M*A*S*H and How I Met Your Mother You’ve been following a TV show for years, eagerly awaiting the resolution of your favorite characters’ stories. The series finale airs, and it’s a masterpiece – tying up loose ends, delivering emotional payoffs, and leaving you satisfied with the conclusion of a story you’ve invested…
Panthers in the Pines
My daddy was a big man, in a different sort of way. He wasn’t particularly tall, a couple of inches under six feet when he had his work boots off. He wasn’t particularly heavy set either. A lifetime of manual labor had given him a body that was rock solid, arms bulging in his sleeves.…
Why Did We Have to Kill the Rock Opera?
Picture this: America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, caught in a maelstrom of cultural and political upheaval. From the corridors of power to the cornfields of the heartland, it seems the very soul of our nation is being torn asunder by the forces of division and discord. And what,…
A Prayer for Action
I was born a writer. Born a thinker. Born an asker of questions. But somewhere along the way, I was overcome by fear. Fear of failure. Fear of being weak. Fear of acknowledging my own weakness. Fear of success. Fear of my own greatness and the responsibility that it comes with. The responsibility I have…
Two Scrappy Dogs and The Joy Of Summer.
As primates, we all share standard features: the love of open spaces, the warmth of the sun on our skin, and freedom. We wandered wild planes and climbed steep mountains, searching for shelter or the wonder of discovering. No experience replaces the wonder of viewing an unknown place for the first time. Nature is the…
He knows why i love yellow flowers
Yellow is the reason why I’m alive Every spring when the depressing nights of Winter have finally said goodbye for a couple months, I get to lay amongst the yellow wildflowers again. And when i told you my favorite color, and you revealed yours, yellow became ours Because i barely knew you, and you gave…
Browse by Tag
#Feminine Rage advice art birds castle cityliving creative creative writing creativewriting drama educational essay female rage Fiction film helpful Horror informative marriage music music review my works are my own OC ongoing opinion personal philosophy pilot poetry professional queer review Rochester NY romance short prose short story Song of the Month story tech the wire thriller throwback tragedy tv review vespera shelley
The Olive Branch Review Song of the Month
The Olive Branch Review Prompt of the Month
Unlikely Encounters
In a world where reality bends and genres collide, two unlikely characters find themselves in a surprising situation. A cowboy from the Wild West and a detective from a dystopian future, a mermaid and an astronaut, or a vampire and a fairy—the possibilities are endless. Through their interaction, a story unfolds, revealing their unique perspectives, conflicts, and common ground.
Craft a short play that brings these two contrasting characters to life through dialogue. Explore the clash of their worlds, the challenges they face, and the unexpected bond they may form. Will they work together to overcome a shared obstacle, or will their differences prove too great to reconcile?
Click here to start writing! Remember to tag your piece as “May Prompt.” We encourage you to let your creativity run wild as you merge different genres and create a captivating conversation between your chosen characters. Use their dialogue to showcase their personalities, backstories, and the way they navigate this extraordinary encounter.
The submission that most effectively blends genres, creates compelling characters, and tells a engaging story through dialogue will be featured on our front page. Let your imagination be your guide as you bring these unlikely duos to life on the stage of your creation. The curtain rises, and the story begins with your words.
You must be logged in to post a comment.