Lorena (excerpt from "Trapped" Chapter Eight)

Finishing high school on yet another high note—class valedictorian   and acclaimed writer with more scholarships than anyone had ever been awarded, I was headed to college.  I couldn’t believe that high school was now in my past and I had every reason to look forward to college.  Little did I know that my “acclaimed writer bubble” was about to burst.

            Choosing classes in college was easy since I knew exactly what I wanted to do and for the first two years, we all had to take the same core classes. In my third year of college, I enrolled in a creative writing class.  Thinking I knew exactly what I was doing, I was handed my heart on a chopping block.  The first assignment submitted was dissected and mangled to a point where my ego was totally annihilated.  I couldn’t believe the comments made by other students and the instructor.  My first reaction was anger and then I was subdued.  I couldn’t figure out why they thought my story was so “elementary” as someone had said.

            “This is a college class, not a grade school assignment.  Your writing has no depth, your vocabulary is limited in scope, and your characters undeveloped,” remarked the instructor. “I would suggest you read more and begin to analyze the characters involved in your reading.”

            “But I do read a great deal,” I protested.  “I’ve been reading since I was four years-old and not just children’s stories.”

            “Okay, now I’d like to see you read some unfamiliar genres—more science fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, contemporary and some of the classics.  Here’s a list of books I’d like for you to analyze.  Not all of them, but at least four.  Read to analyze the characters, the author’s purpose and the plots and subplots.   Look at how the authors use words and develop characters and what is involved.  Pay attention to how authors build the plots and subplots and how they unfold. Consider this an extra credit assignment, but it should help you to re-write this first submission.”

            I looked at the list of books he’d given me.  None were by any author I’d ever read.

            “Thank you,” I said more subdued now than I ever thought possible.  “I’ll see what I can do.”

            I left his office dejected and headed to the library.