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Wrote off my 9th grade English teacher's prompt advice, then it carried my whole story last month
Mrs. Patterson pulled me aside after class back in 9th grade and said stop writing stories about stuff you'd want to happen and start writing about a time you were actually scared. I rolled my eyes so hard I think I sprained something. For 11 years I ignored her and kept building giant plots with spies and heists that never worked on the page. Last month I got stuck on a 2,000 word short story for a local writing group contest in Dayton, so out of spite I tried her idea and wrote about getting lost in a grocery store as a kid. Finished the draft in 3 sittings, and two people in the group asked if it was real. What boring advice did a teacher give you that you wish you'd used sooner?
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rowan96913d ago
Mine was a journalism teacher who kept telling us to just write down the small details instead of trying to sound smart, and I ignored her for years too. When I finally tried it, describing the sound of my mom's keys in the door made a whole scene click in a way my big dramatic setups never did. It's funny how the simplest stuff is usually what sticks with people.
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