Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo) used to be a thing. Basically, participants used writing prompts to fulfill a goal of posting daily (or writing 30 posts total for the month.) I thought it was a great challenge to keep blogging fresh. Along with NaBloPoMo, several daily blog writing prompts have stopped posting new content as well, leaving us to use our imagination. I miss all of those tools.

My longest personal streak was six months of daily blogging.

So this year, I decided to create my own prompts using my hometown of Pittsburgh as a general theme. And you are welcome to join in the fun.

Anyone can participate, although it obviously is a bit easier if you have ties to Pittsburgh. But you can insert your own hometown or modify any prompt – still counts. Length is up to you. Format, style, and really everything is up to you. The idea is to remind us how exciting blogging can be and introduce new readers to lots of blogs. Daily photographs? Sure. Lists? Quotes of the day? Podcast or video segments? Sure.

Here how it will work. I am posting ALL of the prompts at the end of this post so you can look ahead and plan your blogging schedule. If you prefer to be surprised, I will also post daily with just the day’s prompt; you leave a comment with a link to your post each day that you participate. Be sure to scroll through the comments to look for other Pittsburgh-ish related content. Note – all comments are moderated so there may be a lag between posting and seeing it on this blog.

We will keep a blogroll here in this post and I will eventually move this content to a permanent page. The blogroll will include the name of the blog and the URL.

Your posts are your own. Be thoughtful and funny. Dive deep into the difficult nuances of the prompts or keep it simple with a concise response. We love political things. We love being challenged. We love thinking outside of our comfort zone.

However, this project will not promote content that promotes violence against or directly attack or threaten other people. We do will not promote content that discriminates on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, health status, body shaming, etc. We encourage the use of trigger warnings and content notes. I’m going to make the final call on questionable content. If you see something problematic, please reach out to me via Twitter @pghlesbian24 to get my attention quickly. We can’t be held responsible for content posted on other sites.

Your posts should contain a link to this blog, either this post or the daily posted prompt or the main URL so we can track participation.

I have zero idea if anyone will actually join in this endeavor, but I’m looking forward to answering my own questions.

Legalese – #NaBloPoMoPgh is a project of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents. Please do not modify or edit the logos, buttons, badges or other images associated with this project. This is offered at no cost to any participant, but be cool about a link back to this site, at least to get other people reading blogs.

For now – leave a comment to be added to the participant blogroll. I’ll have a form up ASAP.

Summary

What: National Blog Post Month 2019 (NaBloPoMo)

Where: online, hosted by this blog, pghlesbian.com

Who: anyone with an interest in blogging daily; Pittsburgh is our theme

When: November 2019

Hashtag: #NaBloPoMo2019 and/or #NaBloPoMoPgh

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Keep scrolling for daily prompts

Pittsburgh themed writing prompts. 

These prompts are for anyone interested in or connected to Pittsburgh Some of you grew up here, some relocated as adults. If the prompt isn’t a perfect fit, feel free to adapt to your circumstances – insert your own towns, tweak it a bit, write about something else entirely. 

1. Tell us about your geographic relationship to this region. Were you born here? Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? Do you feel a strong tie to any particular neighborhood? What about living in the urban neighborhoods versus the suburbs and rural regions? 
2. Summarize what you learned about Pittsburgh’s history in your school days? As an adult, did you learn anything new about Pittsburgh’s history that surprised you? What part’s of local history would you like to learn about now?
3. Do you identify as a ‘yinzer’ or ‘jagoff’ or some other Pittsburghese term altogether? How so? Is there anyone in your life that fits your perception of these terms?
4. There’s a phrase often used describing us as living in “two Pittsburgh.” Pittsburgh has multiple legacies, from being named ‘Most Livable’ to the recent report from the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission describing the magnitude of racial inequality in our city. How do you relate to this dual nature of Pittsburgh?
5. Describe one or more overlooked cultural gems of this region that deserve more visibility. Tell us why. 
6. Pittsburgh has deep ties to labor movements. Are you or have you been a union member? How has union culture shaped your life? Do you believe we need more or fewer unions now in both the public and private sectors? 
7. Have you ever met a stranger from Pittsburgh while traveling? Tell us about that experience. 
8. Kennywood is a very unique regional resource. Most people do not have fully realized amusement parks so accessible. Did you visit Kennywood as a child? What is/was your favorite ride? 
9. Pittsburgh no longer has a daily newspaper in print. Did your family ‘take a paper’ when you were growing up? Did they watch the local tv news or listen to the radio news regularly? Do you regularly read any Pittsburgh based media sites, both mainstream and alternative, now? 
10. Were you alive during the Immaculate Reception? Do you have any memories of that moment in sports history? If no, tell us about the first time you heard of this historic event, even if that means you googling it right now. 
11. Pittsburgh is famous for slaw and fries on sandwiches, cheese on fries on salads, pierogies, and more food speciality items. Did you have these types of items when you were growing up? Does the Pittsburgh food of your childhood carry into your adulthood?
12. Is Pittsburgh a cat or dog city? (Or alligator city?) Explain your answer. 
13. What are the names of the bridge and tunnel closest to your childhood home? What about now? 
14. There are lots of folks described as “Pittsburgh famous” – what does that phrase mean to you? Please list a few Pittsburgh famous folks that most people might not immediately think about. 
15. How often did you have to wear a coat with your Halloween costume? Should this be a dealbreaker? 
16. There are 90 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and 130 municipalities in Allegheny County. Tell us about one of each that you’ve never visited. And about one of each that you absolutely adore. 
17. You are packing a Pittsburgh box for someone who has moved away. Describe what you include and why.
18. Who do you know about the people who were indigenous to this region, living in or around what became Pittsburgh before Europeans arrived? 
19. Where is the best place to watch the fireworks in Pittsburgh? Any fireworks count. Why? 
20. Is Pittsburgh part of the midwest, the east coast, or something else altogether? 
21. Describe one local Pittsburgh tourist type activity that you’ve never tried. Why not?
22. What do phrases like “the Pittsburgh Nation” or “Steeler Nation” or “Yinzer Nation” bring to mind for you? 
23. Pittsburghers are famous for using ‘things that used to be there’ as references and landmarks when giving directions (make a left where the Isaly’s used to be). Tell us about your favorite thing in Pittsburgh that used to be there. 
24. Pick a Pittsburgh sports topic and write about it today.
25. Do you spend time in Pittsburgh’s waters – rivers, creeks, runs, etc? If so, describe. If not, please explain. 
26. Pittsburgh has been the locale for many films and stands-in for others locations even more often. Pick a movie set in Pittsburgh and tell us what they got right (and wrong) about our City. 
27. All politics are local. Tell us about your experiences with Pittsburgh’s politics. 
28. Tom Hanks is cast as Mr. Fred Rogers in an upcoming movie. Pick another local famous personality and tell us who you would cast as them and why. Both the famous person and the actor can be living or dead. It is just after Halloween after all. 
29. Create a “Top Ten” list related to Pittsburgh touching on something (somethings) that other lists might not consider. 
30. Describe a perfect Pittsburgh winter’s day. 

Bonus or Alternative Questions

• Describe your first visit to Century III Mall
• Tell us about Pittsburgh creators with whom you would like to collaborate (poetry, music, charitable work, STEAM, etc.)
• How long has your family lived in the Pittsburgh region?
• What color belt would you add to the Pittsburgh highway system and where would it take us?