Chanelle R. Blog 2: Comments on short story #1 first draft Raising Arms

Blog 2: Comments on short story #1 first draft Raising Arms

It was great to have that extra time to work on my story- I just want to say thanks again! But what really helped was having the chance to talk to you. Knowing that someone understood the wall in which I was continuously bashing my head on, and hearing that the head bashing was completely normal and acceptable helped to relax me and allow myself to think. You did basically give me my ending, I will say. If I were writing this as a novel, than Rohzen would have the time to save Pluto, but as a short story, I realized it was ok to leave it in a place where the reader knew she would try to do something, and at the same time allow readers to imagine what that solution she will think up. And as I was sitting and listening to you, I had an image of how to move on from tedious explanations to the present time and continue with the story. After that, the other ideas I already had in my head flowed into the paper. I just hate how writing what you already have ideas for takes so long! It’s because when I have a vision, it must be perfect, and I won't stop trying until it is, because if I do, I know I will hate what I write. I still haven’t written the battle scene, but I have what I think is a great plan for it. Originally, I was going to describe a battle scene, in all its bloody glory. But after reading page 60 of Tran’s The Gift of Years, I was inspired to describe a whole other type of a horror of war. I can’t wait to show the class- assuming I like how it comes out.