Welcome to Day 2 of the Metropolitan Diary challenge, part of our celebration of the column’s 50th anniversary. On Day 1, we gave you tips for identifying your New York City story. Today, we’ll help you write it. (Missed Day 1? It’s not too late to start.)

What makes for a good Diary? It’s simply a good story that happens to be set in, and capture, the essential New York-ness of the city. While this isn’t a full writing course, we do have guidance on the kinds of elements that the submissions we publish include. They typically have: a beginning, middle and end; sharp details; catchy dialogue; a bit of surprise; some humor, warmth or emotion. But there is no formula, so flouting these loose rules can be worthwhile.

Don’t worry if you don’t think of yourself as a “writer.” Focus on being a “storyteller.” Pretend you are telling your story to the person who’d most appreciate it, using whatever conversational language or pacing that would hold their attention. Do it out loud if you want, maybe give that person a call and tell them your story (or tell it to them again). Then write it down.

That’s the big picture. For more tips, read on.

Here is an example of a published Diary that we (and readers) really liked, and a few thoughts on why that may help crystallize yours.

One of this item’s best qualities is that it is short and snappy. Only 53 words! Although we will use stories of up to 300 words, many don’t need to be that long and the column doesn’t work if we don’t have a mix of long, medium and short, so we are always looking for stuff like this. Here’s another one!

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At Attention

Dear Diary:

It was December 1967. I had just finished basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey and was traveling to Boston in uniform. For reasons I no longer recall, I stopped in New York City on the way.1

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Walking on the Upper East Side2 in a snowstorm, I spied another man in a uniform. He was older, and his cap bore the familiar gold band that identified him as an officer.

I rendered a snappy salute. It was not returned. 3The uniform was unfamiliar, so I guessed he was a foreign officer. Military courtesy still required me to salute.

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A little farther down the street, I encountered another officer and offered another salute that went unacknowledged.4 His uniform was strange to me as well.

The third time it happened, the man I saluted ignored me while holding the door for a couple 5on their way into a large apartment building.

I realized I had been saluting doormen.6

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— Stephen Salisbury

To get your storytelling muscles going, think through or jot down the answers to some of these questions.

Let’s start with setting the scene.

Now, let’s move to the middle, the meat of the story.

And now, the end.

That’s it. Keep your story simple and use the kind of plain language you use in conversation. You are sketching a moment in time. The details are important. Let them move the story along. Have fun and good luck.

Once you’re done, read through what you’ve got. What details are less important and can be left out? (Remember, there is a strict 300-word limit.)

Write your Metropolitan Diary however you like, on paper, on your phone or wherever! When you’re happy with what you’ve written, put your diary entry into the box below, fill out your information and submit it. You might just hear from me about including it in a future column.

Several communities in the Pittsburgh area have adjusted their trash pickup times as the region is bracing for a heat wave with temperatures and heat indexes expected to be near 100 degrees this week. 

The hottest temperatures of 2026 are expected this week and by Tuesday afternoon, temperatures are anticipated to reach into the 90s. This, coupled with extremely high humidity levels, means the heat index — also known as the “feels like” temperature — will flirt with triple digits.

In Mt. Lebanon, trash and recycling pickup routes will begin earlier than normal to help keep workers safe amid the extreme heat.

“All trash and recycling should be placed at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day, as collection times may occur earlier than usual,” a notice posted on municipality’s Facebook page said.   

Shaler Township said that it received an update from County Hauling that collection crews will begin their routes earlier than normal this week as well. 

“Please place all trash and recycling at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day,” the township said. 

In Robinson Township, trash collection will begin at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, one hour earlier than normal. 

People are being asked to have their trash and recycling at the curb at least one hour prior to their normal pickup time. 

Pleasant Hills Borough said it had adjusted its trash pickup schedule for earlier in the day on Friday to “help reduce employee exposure to hazardous temperatures.”

“This temporary adjustment is being made in the interest of employee health and safety,” the borough said. “We kindly ask that you help notify your residents that all trash and/or recycling should be placed at the curb the night before their scheduled collection day, as collection times may occur earlier than usual.”

In Brentwood Borough, Noble Environmental will begin earlier collection on pickup routes as well.

People are being asked to place their trash and recycling at the curb the night before their scheduled collection day.

The borough added that collection days are not changing, only the start time of the pickup routes.

“Thank you for your cooperation as crews work safely during this week’s heat wave,” the borough said.

The Library Volunteer Fire Company said that trash pickup in South Park Township is being moved earlier on Thursday.

“We kindly ask Township residents to place trash and recycling at the curb the night before Thursday, July 2nd pickup, as collection times may occur earlier than usual,” the notice said.