Hey, Lakewood - Share Your Front Porch Stories!
We launched Front Porch Stores to collect memories of every kind in any format about the joy of Lakewood, Ohio’s front porch culture.
Your stories will help us make a brag book about “the other living room” so many homes and apartments in Lakewood have, and the many amazing things that happen when you put down the phone, shut off the TV, stir up a pitcher of lemonade and sit on the front porch for an evening.
Six key elements of a great frond porch story.
Amazing things happen on the porch, or on streets that have a lot of porches. Our unspoken rule is: Your tale from the front porch must have some element of front poorness in it.
Here are some tips.
1 Give your story some structure.
Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You don’t have to tell a linear story (first this happened, then that happened…) You can start your story in the middle and circle back, or reveal the ending up front so we’re thinking how you got there while you take us back. But make sure that, somehow, we know where you began, you take us through the middle journey, and land with an ending that makes it all worthwhile.
2 Set the scene
Take us there. What kind of day or night was it? What was the temperature? What did it smell like? What were the sounds? These details will make your reader feel like they’re in your story and that feeling will stay with them long after they’ve read or seen or heard your piece.
3 Create memorable characters.
The colloquial way your kooky neighbor talks. The ever-present mumble of your uncle. That one really funny kid. Give vibrant descriptions of the people, pets, or other characters in your story to help us get a strong sense of who they are.
4 For your hook, use the power of three.
We’re used to taking things in doses of three. In addition to the three-part, “beginning, middle, and end” format, consider what your story is really about and develop a hook for it that you can reference three times. It serves as an anchor for your story, helps you build tension and emotion, and can deliver a good punch-line or meaningful ending. This can be as easy as, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” or it can reference something funny or poignant in your story.
If you’re story is about the friends you made from your front porch, your hook might be: .
When we first moved on the street, I wanted to be friends with the McKinneys, but when I went over to say hello, they all shouted, “Only club members on this porch!”
So I started my own club. An ice cream club. And when the McKinnys came over hoping for some ice cream, I said, “sorry, only club members on the porch.”
Then one quiet summer night, I saw the littlest McKinny being chased down the street by the neighborhood bully. I was terrified, but called the poor kid up to our porch and flew down the stairs at the bully. After that, and to this day, whenever we’re walking up the front steps for a get-together, someone will yell, “Only club members on the porch,” then add with a bit of sarcasm, “Oh, it’s you…”
5 Now shave it all down.
Memories come crashing in, but you can’t include all of them in your story. When you’re refining your story, here’s a few questions to ask that will help you tighten your story:
Is there anything unnecessary in my story? Each detail in your story should support the main theme and drive the story forward. It’s tough to get rid of an idea you love, but try eliminating superfluous details to make your story tighter.
Can I say this in fewer words? Yes, you probably can. See if you can cut phrases down to a single word, or reduce longer descriptions with a powerful word or reference.
Is anything messing with the flow of my story? Try reading your story out loud. Does anything feel bulky or clunky? You may want to smooth that over or eliminate it. Your story should have momentum, so refine anything that gets in the way.
6 Reveal the meaning behind your story.
There’s always a deeper reason why. A story about all the nights you spent on the porch with your best friends might be more poignant now that some of them are gone. Help us really understand why this particular story means so much to you.
This can be tough, but if a story sticks with you, dig in a little more to find out why. It’s almost always connected to an emotion, and when you’re brave enough to reveal that deeper meaning in your story, you’re giving a gift to the reader.
Ready to tell your story?
You’re already here! Explore the site some more for tips on story development. Need help? Check out our story starters post to get some good ideas, and check out our upcoming events to attend a workshop.
Front Porch Stories needs YOU. You can write it, make a video, create a graphic novelette…whatever format works best for you.
We’re curating these stories into a collection we hope will become a book filled with great memories, funny moments, ghost stories, and more that represent the full spectrum of what happens when. you simply leave the indoors to enjoy sitting a while on the porch.