Story Street’s emergence as a pillar of popular culture was not to be a temporary fad. Clothing styles went in and out of fashion; wars were stubbornly started and apologetically ended; longstanding, ironclad traditions were suddenly criticized for ‘being sort of silly,’ and still Story Street carried on largely unaffected. Witnessing older adults introduce younger generations to the street was so common a sight many thought it was itself becoming a ritual. And the permanently festive atmosphere found at the street seemed to guarantee that a steady flow of common folks seeking to reveal their stories to the world would never really be in danger of coming to an end.

Interestingly enough, even with Story Street’s fame as a place that was welcoming of anyone’s stories, there were many people who wanted to participate more actively but just couldn’t get themselves to join the ever-growing group of anonymous storytellers that starred at the street. Some would claim to not have any good ideas that they could share. Others would admit to having a few ideas they thought were good, but would claim difficulty in putting them together to form a story they felt would be worth telling. And others yet were sure they had a few good stories in them, but remained unsure about their ability to properly tell them.

All of those conclusions were of course questionable given that those ideas and those stories had always only existed inside those people’s minds — so how could they have been so sure of their assumed shortcomings? But when you came to think of it all those excuses had one common factor to them: the horrifying and paralyzing fear of being exposed to failure in the eyes of others.

There was the fear of people not liking their ideas. There was the fear of people liking their ideas but not liking their stories. And there was the fear of people liking their ideas and their stories but not liking the way those stories were being told.

Fear…horrifying and paralyzing fear!

This subject soon became of great interest to a group of passionate storytellers and frequent visitors to Story Street, who also happened to be some of the most promising scientific minds of their time. To them fear had a logical purpose that was easy to understand: it was simply a human emotion generated in response to the imminence of danger that was in itself essential to our sense of self-preservation. But what they felt was particularly interesting in this situation was the fact that such paralyzing fear was generated not by a threat of physical harm or death but by a threat of emotional harm based on extremely subjective and personal evaluations of these people’s talent and ability as creative storytellers.

What those individuals feared was a rejection of their imagination, a rejection of their creativity. They feared being told that they should no longer dream because their dreams weren’t worth dreaming.

While some would have overlooked the importance of this matter, that was not the case with this group of young scientists. They felt stories were essential to how we behave as individuals and as a society. It’s through stories that we best learn about morality, about what is right and what is wrong. It’s through stories that we best understand our past and are therefore given the opportunity to adjust our own collective conduct with hopes for a better future. It’s stories that make us realize just how powerful human creativity really is, and consequently learn not only of our ability to dream but also that it’s okay to chase those dreams in our lifetimes — or at least that’s how it should always be. The point then was not really how great a story was or could be, but how much we all potentially lost by having a story remain untold for nothing other than a person’s own fears.

And so this particular group of scientists believed not only that every story had the right to exist, but that in order to exist, a story had to be shared with others.

Motivated by this common belief, they got together to research ways with which some of people’s most common storytelling afflictions could be dealt with. After a short period of very intensive work, initial tests proved immensely encouraging: some of the people who had previously thought their ideas were no good were now confident of their ability to turn them into stories. Others were made to realize that they had it in themselves to become good storytellers if only they tried.

So impactful and rewarding were the initial results of the new research led by these so-called story scientists that they soon concluded they should join forces for good — and join forces they did as they founded the prestigious Story Street Lab shortly after.

Today some might say they’ve never heard it, but there was a time when the expression ‘the lights are always on at Story Street Lab’ was as famous as Story Street itself. And you know, the lights were indeed always on at Story Street Lab.

As a matter of fact they still are…

Read more about the legend of Story Street on Story Street Labs.

The American Writers Museum and Story Street Labs have formed a partnership to capture and publish stories written by museum visitors in the museum’s Story of the Day exhibit. In this interactive space, visitors can try their hand at writing, after being inspired by our nation’s great writers and their works. Visitors can write on laptops, vintage typewriters, or with pencil and paper. The online Story of the Day allows visitors to create a collaborative story based on different daily prompts. The daily story is written and expanded on by visitors who choose to add to it throughout the day. Stories are compiled and published daily by Story Street Labs at awm.storystreetlabs.com.

“We are excited about our new partnership with Story Street Labs,” said AWM President, Carey Cranston. “With Story of the Day being as collaborative as it is, it makes sense to have a partnership with an organization that specializes in a collaborative writing community.”

Story Street Labs is an online community open to writers of all levels who want to share their stories, give and get feedback, and engage readers and other writers. Their mission is to help writers get through the writing journey by welcoming them to a collaborative and supportive community where they can share their stories and meet others like them. Similar to the American Writers Museum, Story Street Labs strives to inspire future writers.

“Because our missions are so similar, we felt our online storytelling platform could serve as a great complement to the amazing interactive experience at the American Writers Museum, and vice-versa. We could not be prouder of this partnership,” said Story Street Labs Founder, Carlos Rosenwald.

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About American Writers Museum

The American Writers Museum is the first and only museum of its kind in the United States. The mission of the American Writers Museum is to engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence on our history, our identity, and our daily lives. The museum is located at 180 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60601, and offers something for every age group including permanent exhibits and special galleries highlighting America’s favorite works and the authors behind them. Tickets to the museum are $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, and free for children under 12. Museum hours are Tuesday — Sunday 10 AM — 5 PM, Thursdays 10AM- 8PM. For more information visit www.americanwritersmuseum.org or call 312–374–8790.

About Story Street Labs

Story Street Labs is a social platform where writers of all abilities can easily write and read short-form creative stories. This online community aims to enhance the creative writing process by making it easier for stories to be shared with the right audience for them. The mission of Story Street Labs is to connect creative storytellers everywhere by providing them with a safe place where their stories have a fair opportunity to exist and gain the world. For more information please visit www.storystreetlabs.com.

Two-hundred and forty-one years ago a new country was founded on the idea that people should enjoy certain unalienable rights that included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Bill of Rights, written 13 years later, further expanded on that notion by making freedom of speech a fundamental right guaranteed to all of its people. And while it's true that guaranteeing the enjoyment of such a right by all people has not always followed a smooth or fair process, the idea behind it remains revolutionary and relevant to this day. We may not always agree with what others say, but we cannot dispute their fundamental right to say it — and that is the process that ultimately makes us collectively better as a society and ever evolving as individuals.

Story Street Labs' founding was based on that same ideal. For too long we have lived in a world where only a few stories had the opportunity to be shared with the rest of us. Given the fact that many of the most famous stories ever told were initially rejected by those controlling the system, one can only imagine how many great stories and great storytellers were never given an opportunity to shine. But we believe it's not up to us to determine how great a story is, or whether it should be told or not. We believe all stories have the power to touch someone's soul and the potential to bring us together. Stories can make us laugh, helping us cope with the pressures of everyday life. Stories may live with us for the rest of our lives, serving as a moral compass to how we behave. Stories can be a better way for stirring meaningful discussions. Stories can help heal some of our deepest wounds.

That is why we fundamentally believe that everyone's stories deserve a fair opportunity to be shared with the rest of the world. We may not all write as eloquently as we wish we did or have the next great novel in us — but those are not valid reasons as to why we should keep our stories to ourselves or feel we may not have something that is worth sharing with others. Your stories have the potential to make someone's life better, even if just for a brief moment in time — and that is really all that storytelling should be about.

So today we'd like to wish you all a happy July 4th and join you in celebration of the inspirational, revolutionary ideas that remain to this day our basic guiding principles. And we'd like to invite you to join our own revolution, to help us fight for universal freedom of storytelling, not just for yourselves, but for all of the special stories that live untold inside of you.

Sincerely,

The Story Street Labs Team

Can you tell us a little about you — where do you live, what do you do, etc.?

My name is Eman Hassaballa Aly and I was born and raised in Chicago. I live in Westchester and I love it. I work in digital communications at a research institute in the Loop. Social media made me a better writer, especially Twitter because I had to say a lot in 140 characters. Academic writing is not my strong suit. I’d rather have teeth pulled or get an IV drip put in.

How did you start writing stories?

I never considered myself a writer, but I always loved the idea of writing. I kept a journal in middle and high school. They are terrible. My first blog was on blogspot and then I started a more mature blog on WordPress. I still wasn’t writing fiction. I started writing longer opinion pieces on Facebook statuses and I was getting good feedback from my friends. So I decided to take my words to a broader audience. I’m not prolific and I can only write when I am feeling inspired or full of emotion. My first fiction piece was on story street labs and I’m still working out that muscle. I honestly think the things I’ve witnessed in my life are way more interesting than anything I can come up with in my head.

Why do you write? What would you like to accomplish with your writing?

I write because it’s an outlet. I write when I’m full and cannot dump what’s inside anywhere else. I want people to benefit from my writing. I want to help people get through rough times. I want people to smile. I want people to know they’re not alone. I want people to meet the wonderful people I’ve met in my life and I want them to maybe avoid the mistakes I made. If not, we can wallow in our failure together.

What stories or authors served as inspiration for you, and why?

I’ve read many authors in my life. But the stories that I never forget are the ones where the words disappear from the page and I see the story unfold before me. I can close my eyes and remember all of Ramona Quimby’s adventures. I used to feel the warm sun of her neighborhood on my face. This is why I hold such a special place in my heart for Beverly Cleary. She gave me a gift that I hope I can pass on to others with her stories and if I can be so bold, with my own. As an adult (meaning after college) I was reintroduced to my love of reading with Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring. That reawakened my senses; all throughout undergrad I didn’t read for leisure because I wasn’t reading my school books.

As much I love fiction, I love when non-fiction is written like fiction. Erik Larson achieved that with Devil in the White City. And I love history and historical fiction but when it’s true it’s so much more interesting. I love what Ron Chernow did with the life and times of Alexander Hamilton.

From the stories you’ve shared at Story Street Labs, which ones are your favorite, and why?

I don’t have that many stories on SSL. I recently signed up, but I love my piece called The Last Page of My Diary, 2016. There’s so much pain and healing behind that piece. I wrote it in one sitting. Don’t think I spent more than an hour on that piece. But it means so much to me.

What are some of the most memorable stories/authors you’ve come across at Story Street Labs?

I’m still exploring but Carlos Frederico Rosenwald wrote a piece of a son meeting (said confronting) his father after many years. I can’t stop thinking about that story. The internal dialogue engendered so much sympathy for the character and I just wanted to give him a hug. I’m a social worker by training and these kinds of stories both break my heart and inspire me.

Can you tell us a little about you?

I live in South Africa, am 41 years old, and I am the managing director of my own company that deals with web technologies and various web-related services. I am husband to Tanya, father to Brandon, and “little unnamed cheeky bugger” is still in mommy’s tummy. I am involved with 5 charitable projects, and also a member of Toastmasters, an organisation specialising in helping people become better speakers and better leaders.

How did you start writing stories?

I have always been told I have a “certain way of saying things” but I never took it too seriously. At the end of 2007, a few things in my life changed, mostly for the good. I saw a very big city (Los Angeles) for the first time in all its glory (and having not even seen Johannesburg in South Africa in all its glory before then, I consider that an experience never to be forgotten). A week later, I experienced Miami, and when I got back to South Africa, I tried to get out of the small town I lived in, and started looking for a job in the big city. During that period (early 2008) I dated a girl in a big city, and while visiting her for a weekend, someone broke into my car, and stole everything and caused a lot of damage. That is where my first story originated. It is called “I for Incapacity”, which I have published on my personal blog initially, but since then posted on Story Street Labs. Later that year, when I got my first job in the big city of Johannesburg, I had some aptitude tests done, and to my surprise, numbers and languages got the highest score. I always considered myself a nerdy techie, but I guess that was just a learned skill, and not a passion. Life got busy, and those newly found interests got neglected a bit: I worked 12–16 hours a day, 6 days a week to shape a new career for myself, started dating the woman who is now my wife, got my first son, started my own business in 2012, and only recently, at the end of 2016, did I get the feeling to write again. Since then I just couldn’t stop. Once I get an idea in my head for a story, it… just… flows!

Why do you write?

Most of my stories are germinated in the truth, but are very much fictionalized beyond the basic premise of it. Some thoughts come from my life, others from the lives of people close to me, or events in local news or social media spectacles. I am constantly amazed at how the final story often starts with a single thought — such as my latest one, D for Drink, which is loosely based on a friend of my mother — who sort-of looked like the character I described, and drank and used drugs — but that is where it ended; everything else in that story is fictional. Writing, for me, is a way to express the creativity within me; I was certainly not blessed with the ability to play an instrument, be good at sports, sing well, or paint or draw well. So, this is my creativity, my way of showing that I am just as creative as the rest of my family, just different. As for what I want to accomplish? At this point, it is nothing but a way for me to express what is going on in my head. I do plan to cover all the letters of the alphabet (9 down, 17 to go…) and when I have my 26 stories, I will publish them in a book. It will make wonderful gifts to those that like my writing, or coffee cup coasters for those who don’t. Hopefully, in a few years, I will have gotten enough experience through writing short stories to start an attempt at writing a novel. I can think of no better way than retiring at the ocean, sitting on a balcony and writing stories every day while listening to the crashing of the waves against the shore.

What stories or authors inspire you?

I have lots of authors who inspire me, in lots of different genres. From Francine Rivers with her gentle and “fluffy” Christian novels to Thomas Harris for his brilliant psychopath, Hannibal Lecter or Stephen King with his exceptional way of describing your worst nightmares. I do not only read from the extreme ends of the spectrum though: I can easily settle down with books by Archer, Bradbury, Brown, Clancy, Grisham, Ludlum, Rowling, Steinbeck, Tolkien, Wilde… The list is endless! Why do I read their books and why do they inspire me? Because I get lost in their descriptions of events and people. I live the life their protagonists or antagonists play through their words. I get to escape from reality while I live in theirs.

From the stories you’ve shared at Story Street Labs, which ones mean the most to you?

R for Racecar — raw emotion, rings closer to home than most of my other stories, and comes from a very dark time in my life. Also, T for Twenty, is one of my favourites, dealing with the lighter side of life. It is one of my favourites because it takes me back to my youth, to a time where everything changed, and a lot of confusion reigned, but from which many of my fondest memories originated.

What stories or authors come to mind that you got to know through Story Street Labs?

As far as Story Street Labs members go, I have read every story of Lionel Walfish and some of Mimi Dey’s, as well as stories by authors these two authors are following. I am constantly amazed at how Story Street Labs authors have the ability to keep you engaged almost as good as those big names do. Lionel’s story “Off the Hook” about a man appearing to live a wonderful, happy life, but all is not as it seems must be one of my favourite short stories, and I place it right there with Jean Rhys’ “I used to live here once” as far as quality and surprise endings go.

Over the centuries many stories have been told about the street. Most, if not all, are normally dismissed as being nothing more than folktale or children’s fantasy — and it’s certainly likely that a fair share of them may indeed have been fabricated. But the truth is, when it comes to the street, it remains hard to separate what’s real from what’s not. Many of the stories initially thought to be folktale or children’s fantasy later proved to be true — even if some won’t admit to it. Hell, some people even go as far as to deny that the street has ever existed! They say it’s just a legend of some sorts…

A legend, right…

The street has always been there for us to see. I know because I’ve seen it. I’ve visited it, time and again. The street has always been there, even if a lot of those walking past it may be too busy with their own lives to acknowledge it. I make sure to acknowledge it whenever I can, even these days, in my old age. It’s the least I could do, given the street has played such a central role in my life.

So please allow me to tell you the street’s story as I was once told myself. No one is exactly sure when the street first opened, but the fact is that it has existed for as long as anyone can remember. Ancient scrolls, several millennia old, are the first ones to mention a street named Story where city people gathered to tell and hear all kinds of fantastic tales. Some claim the street may have been the birthplace of many of the world’s great religions. Others have theorized that some of the most amazing scientific discoveries in history had been inspired by stories first heard at the street. And during those difficult times when creative freedom found itself threatened by ruthless dictators or wars, the street remained a safe place for those seeking protection from oppression.

Prior to that however, according to what I was told, the street was just another regular street amongst millions of regular streets. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it that could have hinted at the strange, subtle transformation it would soon experience.

And yet, despite its normalcy, that was the street where one normal day a normal passerby decided to suddenly come to a complete halt, turn around and tell all those who now faced him a random story he’d had in his mind for days. The story that was told wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t matter: people loved it the same as if they had been told the best story ever. And with that first story being told that day soon other people passing through the street decided to come to a complete halt, turn around and tell their stories to those who now faced them. From that one person telling a story to a group of people you now had several different people telling several different stories to several different groups of people — and those different groups of people were no longer made up of random passersby either, but by actual visitors who had intended to come and visit the street they had heard so much about, hoping to hear a good story that would brighten their day, make them dream whilst still awake, forget about their troubles even if only for a moment, and meet good old friends for the first time, be them real or imaginary.

The street’s fame spread like fire to all corners of the world, capturing people’s imagination and inspiring many to listen to their own inner storytelling voices for the very first time when they wouldn’t have otherwise. And as people came together from near and far to celebrate stories of all sorts and varieties, what had once been just another regular street ceased to exist forever.

And in its place laid Story Street.

Read more about the legend of Story Street on Story Street Labs.

Can you tell us a little about you ?

I live in a small town in New Jersey called Dunellen. It’s only about a square mile in area, but it’s got a lot of different businesses lining Route 28 that runs straight through, including a couple of banks, restaurants, an auto store, a school, and the only cinema café in the state, thanks to the tavern literally one wall over. I attend the local Roman Catholic church, St. John the Evangelist, on occasion, and love going to the local library. The town is most notable for the train station, where trains stop on their way bringing people to their jobs in Newark and New York.

I am currently an undergraduate college student studying a major in history, although I started out as a major in secondary education. I attend Seton Hall University in South Orange, which means I have to regularly commute in order to make it to class. I also work a job on the weekends and during the summer as a team member in a Sbarro franchise store at Bridgewater Commons Mall.

In my personal time, my favorite activities consist of listening to music on my iPod, reading, watching TV or movies, and, when I’ve worked up the nerve, writing. I particularly enjoy a well-written fantasy novel or watching an entertaining and thought-provoking anime.

How did you start writing stories?

For years, the vast majority of my storytelling came as part and parcel of homework assignments in middle school and high school, so I didn’t have any particular impetus to write my own stories. Then, after my class did a segment on The Canterbury Tales in British Literature, I had an idea to craft my own version of it, with a twist. It didn’t get very far at all, and I subsequently abandoned it for years, before I would later pick it up after I got reenergized in writing to take and make it into The Hexiad Plague.

It was after I got into college when I discovered the astonishingly diverse world of fanfiction. For years, I have constantly kept penned up in me a host of “what-ifs” regarding the many different stories I’ve read and watched, and this finally gave me the opportunity to see them play out. After months of reading, I finally got tired of reading and not getting all of the “what-ifs” off my chest and decided to pick up pen (it was actually a laptop) and write fanfictions of my own, thus getting my writing officially started.

Why do you write?

I write because there are a lot of very creative ideas I believe can make for truly entertaining and thought-provoking stories, but I either just don’t see enough of them in the stories I read or they don’t get explored with the attention to detail that they are warranted. The Hexiad Plague, for example, is the familiar physical transformation story, but played out on a global scale (or at least would be if I got around to writing it in greater detail).

In the end, I desire to one day publish a bestselling novel, and see how much of an impact it leaves on the culture around me. Thus, my greatest goal with my writing is to have it leave an impact on those who read it. That it impacts them enough to come back and read it again, and even inspire them to write works of their own, perhaps even write works that draw direct inspiration from them.

What stories or authors inspire you?

I have read so many stories I don’t remember the vast majority of them. Of fanfictions, a lot of them are little more than passing interests, but a few have latched onto my attention that I devote entire hours to reading them. None, however, caught onto my imagination like the fanfiction crossover series Halkegenia Online, which sees an entire virtual world filled with tens of thousands of players be suddenly transported and physically manifested in a fantasy world of magic, monsters, religion, and cutthroat politics. This work is my personal favorite among fanfictions, not only for its premise, but also for the sheer depth of detail into character development, plot delivery, and world-building, which directly came to serve as the direct inspiration for my story, Aincrad Realized.

If there is one author that directly inspires my writing, it would be Brandon Sanderson, the author of Elantris, the Mistborn series, Warbreaker, and the Stormlight Archives. He has written and is writing multiple series of stories that directly challenge the tropes and stereotypes of fantasy adventures with detailed visions of societies, peoples, and politics that make them live and breathe like few others do in the decades since J.R.R. Tolkien.

From the stories you’ve shared at Story Street Labs, which ones mean the most to you?

While I’ve been writing several stories, two have not only become the most popular, but also my personal favorites: Aincrad Realized, and Sending A Bigger Monster.

My first work, Aincrad Realized, is a fanfiction of the popular anime Sword Art Online, which is a story about 10,000 video game players trapped in a virtual world that kills them if their avatar dies (although it later evolves beyond this premise). My work is based on a simple premise: what if Sword Art Online manifested in the real world? After months of reading fanfiction and not seeing this premise get played out, I decided that “if you want something done, do it yourself.” And so I did, publishing the first chapter on fanfiction.net on Thanksgiving Day of 2015. It is now my most popular work to date, with over 60,000 views on fanfiction.net, more than 700 followers, 500 favorites, and 200 reviews. Still, it is one of my favorites for the simple reasons that it was my first, and it plays out my personal fantasy regarding one of my favorite series I’ve seen.

Sending A Bigger Monster is a crossover of two of my favorite anime series: Hellsing Ultimate, and Tokyo Ghoul. After a while, I noticed that no one else in the fanfiction community had ever crossed the stories over before, which I though was a crying shame as the two series are not only very well done, but also rather compatible for a crossover with their themes regarding the nature of monsters and the meaning of being human.

Since no one else was willing to do it, I decided to do so myself. Although I had to utilize the familiar “falling into another world” device (by having Seras Victoria of Hellsing Ultimate be transported by a magic portal into Tokyo Ghoul) and introduced some original characters in order to make the crossover story legitimate, I’ve taken the liberty of absolutely SCREWING a number of other tropes that generally go into this fanfiction format. For example, I’ve completely left out one of the series protagonists (Ken Kaneki of Tokyo Ghoul hasn’t even the opportunity of a cameo), killed off key characters (planning to permanently alter or kill off more), and generally SCREWED the plot of the source material (everything occurs before the story of Tokyo Ghoul even begins). All in all, this story is just a joy to write, and a greater joy to await the reactions of my audience.

What are some of the most memorable stories/authors you’ve come across at Story Street Labs?

Considering that fanfiction.net is primary web haunt, there hasn’t been a lot on Story Street Labs that I’ve been particularly enthused with. Also, since I primarily enjoy longer stories, the short story format is honestly not my cup of tea the vast majority of the time. Although, I did favorite one story from Carlos Frederico Rosenwald, When Pigs Fly, for its short, funny, and thought-provoking writing.

Can you tell us a little about you?

Hi! I like to be called by my pseudonym, Syndi. I am from the Philippines and just turned 34 a few days ago. I recently quit my job in a bank to start a new career as digital creative content specialist.

How did you start writing stories?

I started writing stories when I was in the 4th grade — but an unfortunate experience back then led me to not write anything for nearly two decades. I remember being really excited as one of my closest friends encouraged me to submit a story we had written to our school newspaper. She and I were the bookworms in our class, but I had been a victim of bullying by older students in years past and was a bit unsure about submitting my work — I studied in an all-girls’ school and I think it is a much worse environment than a co-ed school. Well, my fear came true in the form of my teacher. She rejected my work in front of my friend and told me I didn’t have what it took to be a writer. I felt embarrassed and humiliated. My friend tried to lift up my spirits but I told her it was okay: I would just concentrate on making the softball team instead. I never told anyone else about it, not even my parents — I didn’t want to cause them any additional worrying after the long fight they had fought to make sure the bullying I had endured came to an end. I still have a hard time believing a teacher could do something like that — and remain quite shocked with the destructive effect just a few wrong words can have on the self-esteem of a child. I learned writing the hard way, when, during the summer vacation of my freshman year in college, I finally had the guts to share my writing online. My first ever story was a fan fiction (you can check out IN LOVE WITH HIM on my SSL page). Still today, part of me remains skeptical about my writing because people can be harsher on social media then they would face to face — and words tend to cut deeper, right?

Why do you write?

I write because I want to express myself without revealing the REAL me. Writing allows me to live in a fantasy world, an alternate universe that I can shape and turn into something magical — though a lot of times I still lack the confidence to share what I'm writing and may end up disregarding the texts I have been working on. Still, I continue to do it because my mind is always buzzing with ideas — “forcing” me to create another realm in the world of (literary) fiction.

What stories or authors inspire you?

So many stories and authors inspired me, but if I had to pick the top ones I'd say THE HARDY BOYS and NANCY DREW series really stick out! Ever since I was a kid, I was fascinated with detective and crime series on TV — such as Mission Impossible or MacGyver, to name a few. Reading THB and ND stimulated me, as I tried to solve those unsolved mysteries as I went through the stories. Their plot twists made me anxious and excited — and I think that is the ultimate challenge for writing a story. Even though the stories I write are not in the same genre, I think they still remain my main source of inspiration.

From the stories you’ve shared at Story Street Labs, which ones mean the most to you?

I guess my favorite story is IN LOVE WITH HIM, because it is the first ever story I wrote. Even though it is fan fiction, I still got my readers to critique and appreciate my (short) story. I know it might not have been the best story (fan fiction or not) out there but I am particularly proud of it.

What stories or authors come to mind that you got to know through Story Street Labs?

I have two favorite stories at Story Street Labs: THE BODY STORE by Aimee Watson and THE QUIET PATIENT by Carlos Frederico Rosenwald. Like I said before, I like mystery. Both stories made me think/imagine what would happen in the following chapter. They both build up an anticipation really well — it took all my will power not to bombard the authors with messages/comments/emails demanding the release of a sequel. What I like about in a story is when it feels the author is interacting with his readers by making them analyze what they're being told — to make them think and work with the (hidden) clues that are dropped throughout the story, especially if the author is writing a mystery/suspense.

Disclaimer: Carlos Rosenwald is Story Street Labs' founder. He in no way, shape, or form asked to have his story mentioned by Syndi, although he admits to being very proud that it was :) — and he wishes Syndi a very happy belated birthday!

Can you tell us a little about you — where do you live, what do you do, etc.?

I’m Mimi Dey, which is a pseudonym, one of many, and I live in the UK, where I was born. I live alone just now though I was once married. I currently work in a cinema where I do secretarial stuff. My interests are mainly music, listening and making my own dance music, reading, movies and watching Tennis online. My favorite kind of movie would be romantic comedies and romantic dramas usually of the old school, we are talking late 1930’s and 1940’s, though I have plenty of favorites from later dates too, and I have dozens of them on my hard drive as well as DVDs. I’m also an avid reader with hundreds of books on my Kindle Cloud Reader and piles of paperbacks as well as shelves full of hardbacks.

How did you start writing stories?

I was always interested in reading as well as listening to singer songwriters, and the first things I wrote were song lyrics. Eventually I wanted to try to write stories, but I wasn’t sure how to really go about it. I bought text books that only frustrated me and often made the process look impossibly hard. But finally I found a book by Julian Birkett called “Word Power — A Guide to Creative Writing” and this book basically taught me everything I needed to know to get by. And so finally I could write. I really began by writing fantasy horror stories under the influence of Clive Barker — and I wrote dozens of them in longhand because I couldn’t type. I went to a typing school to learn to touch type, bought my first computer, and never looked back. I then discovered Jack Kerouac and his spontaneous prose style, which I found amazing. And I was soon writing massive amounts of stuff in that same style because it felt so easy. Most of it is like improvisation, and anyway I never plan my stories because I don’t want to know what’s going to happen before I start, so it’s a kind of journey, and it’s perfect for me, and I still mostly write in that style. I use writing prompts more often than not to give me a starter, and go on from there.

Why do you write?

I write because it’s fun and it comes at no cost and I answer to nobody but me with it. I go my own way with it, do as I please, write what I want. And now there are so many places online where one can publish one's work at no cost that the whole thing is just pure joy. And of course with the advent of Kindle one can now get paid for one's work. So what could be better than that? Years ago I tried to get my work published via mainstream publishers, but was rejected hands down, constantly. And it was very depressing. But now it’s a breeze. Who needs mainstream when I can go on Amazon and publish my stuff to the world without any hassle in just a few minutes. It’s perfect.

What stories or authors served as inspiration for you, and why?

The first author to truly impress me was R. F. Delderfield. I read the “A Horseman Riding By” trilogy, and then “Diana”, which is my favorite book ever. And my second favorite book is “The Rich are Different” by Susan Howatch. Reading those kinds of books, and one’s similar, taught me so much about life and people and how they interacted. My parents were very nice people, but they never told me anything about how to get by in life. And it was the same in school where the teachers were more interested in punishing you if you got things wrong instead of trying to help you. The afternoon school finally ended was one of the best of my life. I could finally move on. It was only through reading novels that I learned about life and living and what I needed to do to get by. But the biggest inspiration as far as my own writing goes was definitely Jack Kerouac because of his style. “Doctor Sax” by Jack Kerouac is my third favorite book of all because despite its occasional eccentricities, the story is both romantic and very evocative.

From the stories you’ve shared at Story Street Labs, which ones are your favorite, and why?

I don’t have any particular favorites of my own work, they were all fun to write, but once it’s done I like to move on to the next thing.

What are your favorite stories/authors at Story Street Labs?

I don’t really have a favorite as such. What I do like is the mix of different styles and the talent that shines through from all the writers. Each one individual in the way they put their stories across. You never know what you’re going to come across next. That's why I love Story Street Labs, because you can come and do your own thing, and I think everybody is individual and have their own style and way of doing it, and that doesn't mean that one is better than the other. That’s the fascination of it.

The initial meeting between Lionel Walfish and Story Street Labs took place long before Story Street Labs even existed. On September 1st, 2015, Lionel signed up to our first prototype and has not stopped sharing stories with us ever since. Beyond being a marvelous storyteller, Lionel has also emerged as one of our community's most valuable members and a positive influence to many others.

Please allow us to kick-off our new Community Spotlight feature with this brief Q&A with Lionel Walfish:

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

As a young child, I was extremely fortunate to have a mother who believed that the arts are an essential part of a child’s education.

By the age of thirteen, live theatre, ballet and opera were common events in my young life.

I was born in Montreal, and my formal studies took place there. I wrote my first stories in my mid-teens. Interestingly, I was not allowed comic books at home (although I did sneak a few in and hide them under my bed.).

Further studies brought me to New York City and Paris, spending two unforgettable years in each of those fabulous international cities.

Returning to Montreal, I worked as a copywriter in advertising and with CTV Canada as a script reader and writer.

I next moved to Toronto where most recently I have been concentrating on writing short stories (my first love). I am also working on my autobiography.

How did you discover your love of writing?

I was always kind of a creative kid.

When I would read a children’s poem written by an adult author, I would think “Hey, I can do that. I’ll write about my dog”.

My Mom always encouraged me to go even further, she being a very artistic woman herself. (fashion designer).

What stories or authors influenced you?

My reading history began with the likes of Dr. Seuss and progressed to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and, of course, The Hardy Boys. If I were to name the most influential writers in my life, they would have to be O. Henry and Guy de Maupassant.

Can you say more about your love for short stories?

I think that it was more about wanting to read about as many ideas as possible within a shorter period of time, which is not to say that I do not love a great novel.

Out of all the stories you've shared with us, which ones are your favorites?

‘The WSC’ and ‘PRETTY THINGS’ stand out as being favorite stories that I have submitted to Story Street Labs.

I find that there is a certain economy of words, in both these stories, and that, I believe is the true test of my writing skills.

Who are your favorite authors at Story Street Labs?

What a wonderful web-site Story Street Labs is. The format is beautiful and allows authors full expression and feedback. I particularly enjoy Mimi Dey’s sophistication and honesty in her work. She writes it like it is and I love that. I also admire the stories of Kobus Myburgh. In his ‘20 Kilometres,’ this author takes you on a speed race to beat all races. Good one, Kobus!

View Lionel Walfish's Profile at Story Street Labs.