Jackie Baker

Essay 2

                                                Sweat, Blood, Tears = Solid Fiction

Sweat, Blood, Tears! I had to shed all these three liquids, in order to produce a solid piece of fiction. I never thought that it would be this difficult to create my own piece of fiction, but I was greatly mistaken. I agree with former student, Neelam Damini, when she says that, “being a writer is not easy; it takes dedication, patience, and perseverance to be an effective writer” (2006). After going through much hardship, I learned a few things that will make the car ride a lot smoother for future writers. Join me for the ride; I promise no carsickness here.

The first advice that I learned from the workshops was that a writer must build a strong foundation before creating a successful story.  Imagine that you are building your dream home. What is the first thing that you have to worry about?  Is it the exterior facing or the structure of the house? If you want your house to last through more than one windstorm, all would agree that the foundation is the most important aspect to consider. When I was writing my fictional piece, I focused too much on the details, without having first set a strong foundation for my story. In chapter 12 Minot mentions that a story with a strong foundation has reliable, “plots, characters, settings, and themes (148). After writing my first draft, I realized that I had embellished the story with details, but that I had no storyline. After revising the story about 5 times, I felt comfortable enough to present my story in the workshop.

Secondly, I learned about the effectiveness of a classroom workshop. When I found out that we had to write our own fictional piece and that we would have to share it with the class, I was terrified. Once I read my story for the workshop, I realized that my nervousness was foolish. I had been worried that my story would be a flop, but all of my peers were very professor. All of the comments that I received were constructive and in no way, demeaning (Objective 1). All of the peers present took the workshop seriously; in turn, it was beneficial to those present.

By having more than one pair of eyes analyzing my story, I was able to make modifications that I hadn’t considered. For example, Jeff, one of my peers, told me that I needed to give further background information for one of the characters in my story. I followed his advice and I went back and added further information about Hortencia’s mother. After adding this information, the story was more cohesive, and it answered some of the questions that my classmates had about my story.

During the draft exchange Karina made suggestions that allowed me to, “self direct and further edit the dialogue” (objective 2) in my story. She told me that I had to edit my dialogue, so that it would be less robotic. Having never incorporated dialogue into my writing, I hadn’t realized the importance of it. In chapter 13 Minot says that good fiction, “is launched with a situation involving characters interacting with each other” (166). So, if the interaction is not realistic, then there will be a loss of authenticity in fictional writings.

Lastly, I learned that I have to be more outspoken in future workshops. Now, I truly see that it takes a community to launch a successful story. After taken this class, I feel confident that I am equipped with the proper tools to build a story with a strong foundation and a strong voice.