Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers March Slice a Day Challenge! I’m slicing every day this month. Thanks for stopping by.

When I introduce Slice of Life writing to students, we usually end up talking about what makes a story. Inevitably, someone will say they don’t have a slice to write about.

Then I get to tell them that they’re wrong.

I mean, it’s not often that I get to say that sort of thing to students. I usually say it with an eyebrow wiggle.

It’s so fun to help them understand that stories are all around them! That they don’t have to wait for an amazing exciting vacation, or a winning game, or a birthday party to find a story.

And you know what? They figure it out. They try some formats, they write more and more and they realize that there are stories everywhere!

Today I thought to myself, “Well, being home all the time for 2 weeks really makes it hard to find a slice every day. Everything is always the same!”

Because of Social Distancing, I guess it’s my own job to tell myself that I’m wrong. I’ll even add an eyebrow wiggle.

Writing is hard right now, for new and strange reasons… I’m tired of sitting at my computer, I don’t know how to frame a story about something that happened over zoom, my brain is too full of anxiety to pause and find the little stories that are in front of me, and by the time I sit to write, I’ve lost steam, and maybe even hope. That’s why the stories are hard to find.

After my last zoom of the day today, and a quick run to the store, we took a walk. It’s our most used route. “So much the same every day,” I thought.

Then I noticed the signs, on almost every signpost. They are posted by the Jana Marie Foundation, and they might be just what our community needs.

“Well, that’s different,” I thought.

It’s nice to see a little hope posted at every corner.

More hope = more stories = more writing.