Writing

Happy New Year!

I know it is closer to Valentine's Day than New Year's...
this is just how my life has been running the last few years.

We had our first snow overnight.
For me, it means a day of no school.

I have a book I'm anxious to get back to reading, and more than a few projects begging to be tackled (like a pantry and a closet), but what I really want to do is to sit down and write.

I have always wanted to write.  Which may explain my love of reading.  As a child I wrote imaginary tales.  My dad called them "fantastical" (I never mistakenly thought he used this as a form of fantastic).    When I was older I moved to writing mysteries, then onto poetry and stories filled with teenage angst.  A pen and a notepad were a favorite and constant companion.   Often when I am craving to pick up a pencil and write, I remember a story of a young girl who wanted to write fiction.

Once  in a distant time and place, a teacher assigned her seventh grade class the task of writing both a non-fiction and a fiction story.   One student in particular loved writing and telling far-fetched stories.  Receiving the assignment she tackled her least favorite first.  She was not particularly fond of reading non-fiction, and found researching a bit boring.  She didn't like using someone else's words.   Her dad had recently taught her how to use his "fancy" camera.  She would write her non-fiction piece about her dad teaching her to take photographs. She wrote down everything he had taught her.  She checked out books at the library.    She edited and reedited to condense all her information to fit
 the one page limit.  And, she was pleased.

With her camera story behind her, she pulled out her favorite pen  and began writing a white knuckled suspense story of two children exploring an abandoned house and finding an escaped convict hiding in a small room off the old creaky stairs leading to the attic.  The story clearly had a beginning, a climax and an end... in a seventh grade kind of way.   She edited and reedited to make sure her story fit the one page limit.   And, she was pleased.

The two assignments were labeled, and turned in.  The next week papers were returned.  The child anxiously awaited her graded work.   This was when she was surely going to shine.  She waited while everyone else reviewed their returned work.  Finally, the teacher ask her to come up to her desk.

The teacher handed her the non-fiction piece.  The grade was a B, okay, but not very interesting.   The teacher held the other assignment in her hand.  She looked at it, and looked into the girl's face.  She ask if the child understood the assignment.  The child nodded.  Reaching out the teacher placed the paper in front of the student.  At the top of the paper was the biggest, brightest red F the girl
 had ever seen.

The teacher looked at the child and explained, "I had to give you an F, because you labeled this fiction.  It should have been turned in with the non-fiction papers".  Confused, and with tears brimming her eyes, the child told the teacher it was fiction, it was a made-up story.  The teacher questioned the girl about the characters, and parts of the story, then picked up her pen and added an additional leg to F to make it an A.  She handed the girl the paper.  "If you continued to practice you could be a writer one day."

The girl did not continue to practice.  She grew up, the world grew loud and life happened.  She still loves to write.  She said in the New Year should get back to her writing.  Now, she suddenly finds she is standing nearer to Valentine's Day than New Years.

What a blessing a snow day can become.
Stay warm dear friends.
I'm off to tackle a project....
or maybe just settle in with my book.

I have so many books to write about....
 I'm going to need another snow day!

Enjoy!