New York
Metropolitan Diary Challenge Day 1: What Is Your N.Y. Story?
Welcome to the Metropolitan Diary challenge, part of our 50th anniversary celebration for a column that, by design, could only have gotten this far with readers’ contributions. Metropolitan Diary is a weekly collection of New York experiences that capture the essence of this remarkable metropolis at its best — and it is composed entirely of submissions from readers sharing short personal stories.
In the next two days, the plan is to help you carry us to the 100-year mark. We want your New York story! Today, we’ll help you jog your memory to find a good one. Tomorrow, we’ll offer tips for how to turn it into a great written submission.
Metropolitan Diary is a grab bag with one constant: Every story is set in the city. Odd snippets overheard on the street; snappy comebacks from waiters; random encounters with strangers that illuminate human kindness; and, of course, the occasional celebrity sighting. It’s all column fodder.
So what’s your Metropolitan Diary story? First, a few basic parameters: It must be true, something you saw or experienced firsthand and be a tale you can tell in no more than 300 words (we are quite strict about that). We keep politics, and pretty much anything else that could be divisive, out. Also, nothing vulgar and, generally, no “kids say the darndest things.” Again, when we say “Metropolitan,” we really do mean a story about New York City.
Beyond that, it’s up to you. It’s almost certainly true that the submissions we wind up publishing begin with something that stuck in the author’s head for whatever reason — for a day, a week or 20 years — and made them think, “that’s New York to me.” It’s something you can’t wait to share with a partner, parent or friend over coffee or drinks. And very often, it’s something that others can easily relate to because there is something familiar in the details.
A story like this may already be in the back of your mind or on the tip of your tongue. If you’re unsure of how to begin the process of writing it down, consider these durable Diary categories as potential starting points. Here are some popular standbys:
Getting From One Place to Another
New York’s mass transit system, that great urban unifier, is a reliable source of items. Virtually everyone rides the subway or buses. Do you recall something funny that happened on the train? Ever see something unexpected during your daily commute? Did running late (or early) put you in a spot to meet someone you otherwise wouldn’t have?
The Kindness of Strangers
Did a stranger ever do you a good deed or vice versa?
Nostalgic Places
Do you have a memory of a special moment tied to one of the city’s well-known landmarks or neighborhoods? Is there a particular room at the Met or a favorite diner in Queens where you once had a memorable encounter?
Memorable Lines
Do you still laugh about something you overheard a passer-by say? Did a waitress or counterman ever respond to your order with a snappy comeback dripping with New York attitude?
Did these stories remind you of anything? Spend some time today thinking about it. Once you have some ideas, jot them down. Come back tomorrow for Day 2 of the Metropolitan Diary challenge and we’ll help you develop one of them into a full story.