That Place You Love: Real People. Real Stories.
That Place You Love: Real People. Real Stories.
Round-Up on Ambition; Next-Up Comfort; Publishing in TPYL!
I’m honored & humbled to read the Ambition stories.
Do we learn ambitious behavior by example? Is it a natural extension of our survival instinct? A luxury or an ego-driven addiction? Each of this week’s contributors touches upon these questions by sharing and baring personal experiences of ambition.
Scroll down for the recap!
What is this thing called That Place You Love?
That Place You Love aims to satisfy a need for first-person, true stories without fluff or excuses. Weekly posts are 3-minute “flash” essays on a theme followed by a prompt to write & share. There’s no pay or pledge wall. No crosstalk or analysis. It’s easy to go back and read, reflect & respond on earlier posts.
16 writers regularly take part with 300+ subscribers in 9 countries.
Want to publish in TPYL Zines’s Anthology series?
The Zine will live on its own website (URL) separate from Substack. There are no submission or reading fees. The only prerequisite is active participation (4 post minimum) in the TPYL Substack community in the 4-month period before the publication month (January, May, September).
The first edition with artwork will launch in May 2023.
More info in the Forum!
TPYL had a compelling turnout for the eighth Episode: Ambition
After obsessing over times when ambition bit me in the ass, I decided to write about a comedic attempt at becoming the world’s next great find in the dance world. “It was time for coal to shine” might be one of my favorite lines!
Carole D wrote about her eighth grade ambition to join the popular flock of girls only to discover how boring it is to be popular.
Intact Animal wrote about how the ambition of undertaking an unchartered adventure in remote locations can result in fresh oysters & lifelong memories.
Melissa wrote about acknowledging and defending her self worth as an artist, even if youthful ambition ramped up the drama in the process of discovery.
Zig wrote about reckoning with ambition and the urgency to commit to the task of writing after noting generations of incomplete attempts in her family.
Shirlé shared her ambition to conquer the hills of a new land in an effort to regain herself and her body after years of enjoying the flavors of life.
Lisa H considered aspects of ambition that don’t serve the soul of the individual but could be rebranded as a rallying cry for the collective.
Amelia wrote about the imaginative mind and the challenged body being at odds in the artist and how it’s better to pause rather than compromise her vision.
Pascale wrote about a run where she named her ambitious voice "the little asshole" and her defeatist voice"the crybaby" to silence them with a smile.
READ & HEART these writers & SHARE your own story in the comments.
Next Up: Comfort
On Monday, I’ll write about COMFORT through the lens of truth and see what I come up with as a prompt. I can’t help but think of food, but then I look over at my dog snoozing in the sun. I hear birds chirping as the chill of winter subsides. Perhaps comfort is a mantra or recurring image, like riding my bike through the empty streets of Berlin with nowhere to be. Letting go of toxic relationships and commitments, which often requires letting go of resources.
What gives you comfort? How do you give comfort to others? Is comfort a feeling you have every day? Or one you long for, or perhaps never truly felt?
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More to come on Monday….
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely, for real.
Michelle