Nonfiction

The Hardest Chapter of My Life
There it was, what felt like the end of an era for me, but it was simply one chapter finishing. In a short four years I had been shaped into a man and hardened and haunted by war. What I thought would be a lifelong career ended with more pain and bitterness than I knew how to handle. I had chosen to finish out my military contract and go my separate way. Always holding on to the dream of going to college and becoming an archaeologist, but I was unprepared for the next chapter of my life.
By Matthew Mccahey2 years ago in Chapters
We Both Reached for the Gun
I did try to take the gun once. I forget why we’d even been fighting; it was just kind of what usually ended up happening. We’d been drinking, but as usual, he was way ahead of me and beginning to slur.
By Test2 years ago in Chapters
Opening Paragraphs
The title and subtitle are the introduction to a piece and that first paragraph starts the action! On many platforms like Vocal and Medium, the first paragraph is also visible to a potential reader browsing through latest Stories, their homepage, or checking out the newest from the creators/writers to which they subscribe.
By Judey Kalchik 2 years ago in Chapters
A Dish of Ice Cream: A Sweet Delight Beyond Taste
A bowl of ice cream has a special position in the tapestry of life's most basic pleasures because of the countless memories, feelings, and connections it evokes in addition to its delicious flavor. This frozen dessert transcends its culinary origins to represent comfort, nostalgia, and the pure joy found in everyday life, from childhood innocence to happy times spent with loved ones.
By ma Qiaoli2 years ago in Chapters
Featured Images
Besides a thoughtful and thought-provoking title and subtitle, the visuals of a piece set the tone for the reader's experience.
By Judey Kalchik 2 years ago in Chapters
Titles and Subtitles
Titles are important; they set the stage, draw in the reader, and pique the interest as they build the desire to find out more. Subtitles are an additional nudge, a taste of what's to come, and often a clue to the upcoming content.
By Judey Kalchik 2 years ago in Chapters
You Can Find It! Identifying AI-Assisted and Generated Content
When I was a bookstore manager one of the things I did every Spring was make sure my CliffsNotes displays were full and that I had plenty of backstock for the always-assigned classics that students were assigned to complete over the Summer.
By Judey Kalchik 2 years ago in Chapters
Cow tales: Story of Bonzy
Cows make the best pets, an unconventional notion, but one that rings profoundly true. Their noble disposition, gentle giants with a touch of majesty yet grounded humility, they are simply the best companions, if you can overlook their enormous size.
By Temjenungla Imchen2 years ago in Chapters
The Sand Pit
I can’t possibly write about my life without mentioning the sand pit. Across the white sandy road I grew up on, there was a vast field of weeds we called the "Great Waste". Tall clusters of yellow and green weeds swayed in the summer sun for as far as the eye could see. On the other side was another road; one with sparkling beach-white sand, leading down to a sand pit.
By Veronica Coldiron2 years ago in Chapters
The Ultimate Prank
Many years ago, when I was a girl of 18, I pulled one of the best pranks ever on my older brother, Ed. It turned out to be the ultimate sibling prank, only because of events that happened earlier in the night that, at the time, I was completely unaware of.
By Mother Combs2 years ago in Chapters
Warm Beers
A streak of sunlight hits the windshield, so hot and bright I find myself in a headachy dream state that drags my concentration away. The white sunlight reminds me of the ‘jetty days’, age 14 through to 17. Every summer afternoon all five of us boys would go down there, eager to seem fearless as we drank shitty warm beers and backflipped off the railings. We would stand, sprawled against the thick wooden sun-bleached beams and attempt to pull the older girls from the college. They didn’t pay much attention to us. Back then, none of us had jobs, it was the end of year ten, our first summer without school, we were keen to not let anyone take away our newfound freedom. None of us wanted to continue with school, it just didn’t suit us.
By Bea2 years ago in Chapters
Emily
Emily was a much-wanted child, born 9 months and 4 days after our wedding day. Starting out as a problem child, she poked her fingers through the sack and sent me into an early labor that would unfortunately be less than successful. She was now to be born through a pitocin fueled delivery on Thursday, January 12, 1984. Well, that didn’t work so onto a C-section on Friday, January 13, 1984. Note the date please.
By Barbara Gode Wiles2 years ago in Chapters