Hey Story Lovers,
I read on the inside of a pizza box that Miami, Florida never gets below 10 degrees and never gets above 100. We can talk about the veracity of the source—the veracity of all sources—but instead I want to talk about how I’ve been enjoying our moderate climate ever since I learned this.
It’s obnoxious to admit this, but I felt smug when I read about the heat waves in England. Sure it gets warm here, but never dangerously hot.
This morning, I soaked up the sun on the tennis court. At 10 a.m., I checked the weather on my phone—86 degrees. Not bad, I thought, despite the sweat faucets pouring out of my knees. My coach told me he had to change his visor when sweat dripped off the lip.
Whatever, Miami is mild. The pizza box said so. Miami’s cool even, compared to London.
When my son, Sebastian, was probably 10, he wanted to close all the air vents in the van, apart from the one over his head. I said closing the vents makes the air too loud. Sebastian insisted closing the vents makes the air quieter. He jumped into the way back and closed all the vents. The air blasted so loud, I laughed.
He said, “See?”
I said, “See what?”
Did Sebastian really hear less noise? Does what you believe change your experience?
This got me thinking: We’re all living inside our own pizza boxes. Maybe we believe what suits us. I mean, it suits me to live in a temperate climate.
Come talk to me about using yourself in a story to say something bigger about society at this Saturday’s Tips Clinic.
TIPS CLINIC
SATURDAY, August 9, 2025
12 to 1 p.m. ET
Zoom
We’re going to study this story, in Short Reads by Shala Erlich and talk about using yourself as an example of something you think might be universal. We’ll write and (if you want) you can share what you wrote for feedback.
Tips Clinic is $15.
If money is an object, please use this FREE Tips Clinic Zoom link.
All Patreon members, please use the free link.
As always, we have two First Draft weekly writing groups where you write to a prompt and share if you want.
Click here to join Allison Langer Tuesdays 12-1 ET.
Click here to join Margery Berger on Mondays 12-1 ET. The first session is always FREE.
We’re running some of our favorite episodes this summer. Here are the latests. Episode 209: How to Write about Life when Everything Is a Reminder of Death with story by Colleen Arnold. Episode 210: Birds Will Be Birds with an essay by Chris Blackwell.
There has been a rash of student publishing successes. If I missed one of your stories, please email me pronto so I can brag all about you.
Student J. Martin wrote The Man Who Betrayed Me Was Also the Man Who Loved Me in Narratively
Sarena Neyman got her story published in Go World Travel Magazine, How We Finally Afforded Our Dream Trip to the Swiss Alps.
Danielle Huggins has stories coming out in Short Reads. Will post when it launches.
Rachel Lithgow has what is sure to be a very funny book—My Year of Really Bad Dates—coming out in November. Pre-order TODAY.
Lucie Frost is out with a book and I am in the acknowledgements!! How the Hell Did I Not Know That? is hilarious and informative and if you’ve ever been lost, and who hasn’t, this is a must read.
This can be you! How? Hint: Classes really help.
Thanks for reading. And thanks for listening to Writing Class Radio.
Love,
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