We used to yell “Hot off the Press!”

when we finished writing stories at the creative writing table in my multi-age classroom in elementary school. We’d also put on a hat that said the same. I loved those days.

So it was fun to wake up today

and find my story featured here at the top of Fiction on the Web’s site!!! It will preside there, king of the hill, through Wednesday night. After that you can just scroll down a bit to find it, or search by my name: Lisa Meltzer Penn or story title: This Is A Piece of Chalk.

This story takes place in a sixth grade composition class, middle school. It borrows its subject matter from my own time in that middle place, where I found a less celebratory attitude about writing than in elementary school. That kernel from my own life takes a a flight of fancy through the five senses here, really the six, as Alison figures out how to write a paragraph about what seems like the most boring subject in the world: chalk. Or is it? Read and find out for yourself!

It’s All Free!

Fiction on the Web has been online and continuously publishing since July 1996, which makes it the longest-running short stories website on the Internet. And best of all, it’s always free to read.

Let me know what you think

in the comments here and on FOTW’s website and you’ll make me really, really happy!

Thanks for bearing with me, friends, while I figure out the ins and outs of Substack.

-Lisa

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Welcome

I’m happy to see you!

I’m Lisa Meltzer Penn. I write literary fiction with a twist of magical realism (novels, short stories) and essays. I’ve also worked as an editor for many years, though I’m concentrating on my own writing these days.

After a bit of a hiatus, my blog is migrating from WordPress to Substack, where many of my cool writer friends’ blogs can be found. I’m excited to “Melt My Pen” again and explore new ideas. The impetus behind my blog has always been to do a deep dive into the connections between writing, the subconscious, and life as we know it. That’s a lot of territory and deep thoughts to cover and you’re invited to join me on the journey.

I’m pleased to report…

My short story “This Is A Piece of Chalk” was selected as an upcoming feature story at Fiction On the Web, which bills itself as the longest-running short stories website on the Internet and endeavors to support and promote its authors. I’m excited to join their family! It’s due out July 20th. The publisher had this to say about my piece:

Alison remembers a school exercise set while the P.E. teacher was playing substitute in her sixth-grade Composition class. Unique and enjoyable character voice. The way the story was structured to align with their essay structure was a very good touch. It connects childhood learning, memory, and change in a very meaningful way, showing how a school exercise can stay in someone’s mind for a long time.

In the meantime:

You can access an array of thought-provoking blog posts on my website, like Dog Blog #3: The Dog & the Cat Come Back by my late, great guest blogger Ruby (a.k.a. my black & white Springer Spaniel) who true to this final post on her impending mortality, has moved on, as has her pen-pal, Joshua, a cat. My writer friend Audrey Kalman and I have been meeting weekly for many years so I guess it’s no surprise our pets would eventually chime in, even if dogs and cats have very different ideas about the world. Writers’ pets—not your average Joes.

Please subscribe to my Substack—

And share with your friends if you’re so inclined. I’m aiming for 1-2 posts a month for starters, all free for now.

If you’re a writer, reader, and/or deep thinker, you might enjoy yourself!

Some of you are already subscribers to my WordPress blog or newsletter. Everything is moving to one place now and you will continue to get new posts. So you won’t need to do anything. If you no longer wish to be on the list, you may unsubscribe at any time. But I hope to see you back here soon.

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