As some of you may know, I'm currently attending college with the intent of earning a BA in Creative Writing. Right now I'm only in my Sophomore year but I've finally made it past the general credit classes: Now comes the fun stuff. Currently I'm taking a course specifically for English Majors.
Creative Writing ^__^ Yes.
In this class we're given writing assignments due weekly. It's two weeks into the school year, thus two writing assignments have gone by.
This is the first. We were assigned to write a non-fiction scene were we included ourselves as the main character. The scene had to be in third person -- which was awkward because I hate saying my own name -- and it had to be at a length where we could read it aloud in under two minutes.
I'm going to be posting every assignment we're given, but I won't assign any special titles to them other than what the assignment was. So this one will be titled after it's time limit.
Please comment your thoughts =) And I hope you enjoy.
CRW Assignment 01 -- Two Minute Scene
Janira looked over her note cards again for what must have been the seventh time in the past ten minutes. It was the day of her first speech presentation and her nerves were getting the better of her. She looked around the room and spotted the other five students that would also be presenting that day, identifying them by their formal attire. She couldn't help but notice that none of them looked as nervous as she was. Turning back to her note cards, she noticed her hands were shaking slightly so she slowed her breathing in an effort to calm her nerves.
Three students came and went, but their gracious and impressive performances only intensified her fears. It would be her turn next. As the previous presenter took her seat, Janira stood on shaky knees and walked to the front of the room. There were only twenty students in the classroom but there may as well have been a hundred. She could feel the weight of her fellow classmates' stares as she plugged in her flash drive and opened her Power Point file.
Once everything was prepared, Janira directed her eyes to the back of the room where the instructor, Mrs. Bledsoe, was writing down her comments of the previous speaker. She took this opportunity to take a few deep breaths, trying not to focus on the forty eyes that were staring right at her. "You can do this," she mentally coached herself, "it's just for five minutes then it'll be over." At the instructor's nod, she took one last breath before beginning her presentation--the small beep of the stopwatch not going unnoticed.
The slow breathing failed to help as she felt her anxiety grow. She began to shift her weight from one foot to the other in attempt to keep them from knocking. She grasped the note cards with both hands hoping that no one would notice them shaking, and she cleared her throat after every other sentence in hopes that her voice would stay even. The sympathetic looks from her classmates only horrified her more. It was at that point Janira realized she had lost her place; with a mumbled apology she consulted her note cards, her face growing hot. When she finally resumed her speech she couldn't hide the quiver in her voice. There was no kidding herself now; this was a disaster.
When her presentation was finally done, she thanked the audience quietly before collecting her things and returning to her seat. She exhaled sharply, feeling her heart pound against her ribs. Someone gently touched her shoulder and she looked up. The girl that sat directly beside her smiled gently and said, "You did great."
All Janira could do was nod and smile graciously before turning back to the front of the room. This was going to be a long semester.
There you have it. My first writing assignment. It's not as descriptive as I wanted it to be but that's because of the time limit I had so if it seems a lacking in that aspect, that's why.
Thanks, share your thoughts.
3 comments:
"...and her nerves where getting the better of her."
My brain is a bit frazzled at the moment, but that stood out. Also, I understand it was supposed to be in third-person, but at some points you would re-insert your name again. It seemed a little inappropriate since we knew it was you, even if it was at the beginning of a new paragraph. Basically, just using your name less, when it was just focusing on the one character.
The end seemed a bit rushed, but you had a time limit.
I love the writing none the less, I could feel the emotion as I read it. ^_^
I agree with Aliisza. There were a few unnecessary "Janira's," but other than that I liked it. I could actually visualize you giving a speech with this description. Good Job. ^_^
Nancy here, I loved it. I agree with aliisza (un-usual spelling) about repeating the names. For example in telephone etiquete it's proper to say the clients name 3 times no more. I don't know anything about writing but it seems that you could get away with a few "she's" and less "Janira's". Good news is, that's the only thing we can find. The story is good, it leaves you wanting to hear more (which it's always good on a writer) and it makes the reader feel how horrifying you were. I don't know how you do that but it's great. YOU WILL BE A GREAT WRITER!
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