What Is the First Story You Remember That Made an Impact on You?: From Our Readers (Comment for a Chance at Publication)
This post announces our latest From Our Readers question: What is the first story you remember that made an impact on you? Comment for a chance at publication in a future issue of Writer’s Digest.
Our upcoming September/October issue is focused on storytelling. So, we would love to know about the first story you remember having an impact on you—whether it was a published work or a family tale.
Our formal question: What is the first story you remember that made an impact on you?
Storytelling is in my blood—yes, I mean that my mom is an English teacher. Beyond that, every family gathering is accompanied by a parade of scrapbooks and photo albums, of "Remember when...?" and old favorites that I can recite almost word-for-word (even if I wasn't even alive when those stories happened!).
But thinking about storytelling, I always go back to my first and truest love: Where the Wild Things Are. That was the first book I loved to "read": My mom read it to me so often that I memorized the book and would recite it to my parents by age 3. There was something about Max's riotous nature, about the way that he wasn't afraid of the Wild Things, about the safety of that supper waiting for him at the end.
I loved the book so much that when I turned 18, I got a tattoo based on the book.
What is the first story that you remember having a real impact on you? Share your answers with us in the comments below for a chance to be published in the September/October issue of Writer's Digest. Here are the guidelines:
- Provide an answer to the question "What is the first story you remember that made an impact on you?” in the comments below.
- Answers can be funny, weird, poignant, thought-provoking, entertaining, etc.
- Remember to include your name as you would like it to appear in print.
- Deadline for commenting this time around is June 25, 2021.
- Only comments shared below will be considered for publication, though feel free to share your answers on social media with the following hashtags: #WDReaders and #WritingAchievement.
Note on commenting: If you wish to comment on the site, go to Disqus to create a free new account, verify your account on this site below (one-time thing), and then comment away.
Since obtaining her MFA in fiction, Moriah Richard has worked with over 100 authors to help them achieve their publication dreams. As the managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine, she spearheads the world-building column Building Better Worlds, a 2023 Eddie & Ozzie Award winner. She also runs the Flash Fiction February Challenge on the WD blog, encouraging writers to pen one microstory a day over the course of the month and share their work with other participants. As a reader, Moriah is most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook.
Learn more about Moriah on her personal website.
