That Place You Love: Real People. Real Stories.
Round-Up on Home Pt. 1; Next-Up Home Pt. 2. Writing episodic flash nonfiction...
The first time I wrote for hire…
It was for a Volvo ad. High-concept.
Polished wood. Brushed metal aesthetic. Meditative camera moves.
I stayed awake all through the night doubting my role to communicate creatively for someone else.
It took 17-hours to write three sentences.
I had wanted to freelance as a commercial treatment writer ever since I was asked to rewrite the drafts of the people we hired who were paid much more than I was on staff.
It has taken me years to write without fear of having nothing to say.
So why write & share flash (short) nonfiction if I can write long?
Because it makes me dig harder for the truth & has staying power.
Every piece written by a TPYL Contributor stays with me after reading it.
The granular becomes universal. We don’t need filler.
Round Up on Home Pt. 1 & Home Pt. 2 Prompt - below!
If you’re reading this for the first time…
And want to know more about the ZINE’s mission, go to ABOUT or FORUM on the Substack platform or read the introductory post I WAS AN EASY LIAR.
11 Contributors weighed in on HOME:
I shared my initial ambivalence towards owning a home until my family showed me its value, but we must take on The Man to reunite a property split in two.
(in order of appearance)
Carole D meditates on the chores of home, the routines & rhythms of homemaking, not only as a legacy passed down but to honor love & relationships.
Carol M traces her mother’s homes over a lifetime, including minimizing space in exchange for safety & care with aging, knowing this time with her is precious.
Amelia unlocks a time capsule of home, revisiting the songs of her father & family life and acknowledges an unforeseen loss for walking out on that world.
Karen E goes full circle from childhood home & back decades later to take a tour through the quaint Maine town that revives the past & feeds the present.
Julia W wonders if the end of an era in a house is when home becomes a state of mind. Are relationships the same as shelter or a place to lay your head?
Tiffany recognizes the hauntings in every house, living & dead, but knows it’s possible to create a safe home, one that fulfills the unmet needs of childhood.
Intact Animal credits his steadfast childhood home as the root of confidence out in the world. Whether as outsider or local, the feeling of home travels with you.
Tabitha B paints a vivid scene of home with its sights & sounds, its corner location, and knows that even an overpriced “shit flat” can be as good as home.
After selling off everything she thought made home a home, Shirlé realizes home is anywhere she feels happy, safe and with her husband. Stuff not required.
With a trip on the horizon, Zig explores the wonderful memories of a childhood home in contrast with the charged relationships that inhabited the same space.
New Contributor Priscilla writes about the ghosts of airless, coffin-like homes of the past, even with a partner enchanted by the possibility of a near future home.
READ & HEART this week’s writers & SHARE your own story in the comments.
Next Up: HOME Pt. 2
On Monday, I’ll wrap up my story about HOME and see what I come up with as a new HOME prompt.
While writing about Molino Vega 9, the truth began to reveal itself as more complex than the purchase of a foreclosed property.
I decided the story needed to be split in two - just like the house itself - and so this week’s theme is Part Two.
Reread your post. Is there a Part Two for your story?
Reconsider HOME and share on Monday!
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More to come on Monday….
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely, for real.
Michelle