[ OT ] I 'm working on a short story right now for a contest of sorts , and I need some tips . Specific obstacles are in the description .

I would n't say I excel at it, but most of what I write is character-driven. 
 
 `` Showing progression, even when the plot itself is sedentary'' 
 
 Depends on what kind of progression. If it's character progression then think of situation to uncover new traits for your characters or somehow change them. Think of situations in which they act not like anyone else, or question they will answer in a unique way. Honestly, I do n't quite get the question here, a clarification would be nice. What exactly do you want to achieve/avoid? 
 
 `` Interesting and comprehensive dialogue.'' 
 
 This is a tough one. There are two main ideas when writing dialogue that I try to keep in mind. 1 ) It has to have a purpose. Do n't just go on ramble fests between two characters. Whether the goal is plot-level ( one character has to explain something to another one ) or story-level ( you want to develop characters or uncover conflicts ) does n't really matter, just always think about why the conversation is happening. 2 ) Ideally, you have to be able to identify whose speaking just by the way they speak. I'm not telling you not to use dialogue tags, but most of the time they should be semi-redundant. This is less difficult than may initially appear. In the end of the day, just a couple of quirks plus a strong emotion or two can easily make a character distinguishable. 
 
 Overall, character-driven stories are not devoid of a plot; it's more about the fact that the plot has to be formed by your characters and their conflicts and has to center around things that allow them to grow, express themselves, or change. 
 
 That's just my two cents. If you want more focused advice, then I would ask you to be more specific with what exactly you struggle with.
