Sunday, March 3, 2013

Metacognition: Shaping The Story

"You all will be writing short stories."
Oh no. The dreaded words from my English teacher. As thousands of thoughts race through my mind, my debate frame of mind kicks in. Suddenly, I begin mincing words and trying to find deeper meaning in words that have nothing to do with the story I'll be writing itself--yet it's in this frame of mind that my story began fitting together.

Short. I am short. Barely above five foot. There are twelve inches in a foot, and I have a little over five feet making up my height. Hm. My character will be short! And if I am said, nameless, non-existent character, I would want someone who makes me feel tall, yet not too tall as my "sidekick" or supporting character.

Stories. Story? Every person has a story. I want to tell an untold story. But within one story, there are many more stories. I need to tell a story that needs to be told, one painstakingly real yet just far enough away to keep readers safe. 

You. Me. I will be writing a story. The story will not be writing itself, no matter how cliche-author-esque I want to get. I will be writing a story, and I will allow my characters to tell a story. They will change, they will grow, and I too will join them on a journey, simply walking along from the other side.

I will be writing a short story, and the reader will read a short story. Yet I will be telling a long tale, I will be teaching a lesson, and my reader will understand this. Life is short. I am short. But lessons? They live as long as we choose to keep them alive.

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