Step 67: Get an Honorable Mention

I had mentioned this in the ridiculous rough draft of Step 66, but it got cut out during editing. I'd still like to share it with you all, so, ta-da! Two posts in one day! That's probably more amazing than getting an honorable mention in The Current in Noblesville's Halloween Writing Contest.

It was a real confidence booster to see this, especially after last month. It reminded me that I'm not terrible. :) The newspaper says you can read mine and everyone else's stories online, but you can actually only read the two winners. If you want to read mine, it's below (and it's short!).

So, my question to you: What did you do for Halloween?
And my challenge to you: Try not to eat the giant Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Pumpkin that your mom got you in one sitting--you'll most likely regret it. :P

Second Best

I am the second best runner on the team.

That’s the thought that keeps going through my head as I sprint down the darkening path.

I am the second best runner on Noblesville High School’s cross country team. I can outrun it.

It. I don’t even know what “it” is.

When I first spotted it down by the river, just past the one-mile marker at Potter’s Bridge, I thought it was a large panther. A panther would have been surprising enough—the most you might see in Hamilton County are coyotes—but then this thing stood up! It stood up on its hind legs, and it was taller than me! I’m a senior on the boy’s cross country team, and I’m not short by any standards.

While it stood there, staring at me with glowing red eyes, I couldn’t move. Just had to stare back at its muscle-ripped body balancing on two huge paws. Then it screamed and dropped to all fours again. The scream was like my sister’s when I used to drop spiders on her head from the top of the stairs—high pitched and filled with terror and hate. The scream broke the trance of its blazing eyes and sent me running.

I’m second best.

I hear its claws scratching against the pavement as it closes the distance between us.

“HELP!”

It’s piercing scream is the only response to my cry.

Stupid. Save your breath. There’s nobody out on the trails. Not at this time of night. I shouldn’t even be out here.

I suck in more oxygen, pump my arms harder. Sweat or tears run down my face. I’m not sure which. Probably both. I can’t see anything ahead of me—can’t tell how far I am from the parking lot.

Second best. Second best. Second best.

Something furry brushes against my right arm. I shouldn’t look. I know I shouldn’t. But I can’t help it. My eye’s flicker over.

It’s racing along side me, grinning with long fangs, saliva spilling from its mouth and slapping my legs. I don’t even have enough air to scream. It stays at pace with me a moment more before pulling ahead. It gets a few meters in front of me before skidding to a stop and turning to face me.

I was only second best.

Step 66: Overcome Your Paralysis

Ha! Wow, you really don't want to read the first draft that I wrote of this blog post! I've been told by multiple teachers and authors that you should just write whenever you're doing a first draft. Don't stop to think about the logistics of what you're saying. Don't go back to correct the grammar mistakes or the mistyped letters. Just write down what's in your head.

I absolutely HATE doing this. I get frustrated and just start writing about how much I hate this non-stop tactic, so whatever idea I was trying to get across gets completely forgotten. I usually cheat and say some crude comment before writing "The End," giving me the ok to go back and re-write the story or the blog post how I want to.

But, as much as I HATE to admit it, it surprisingly helped.

I knew October was going to be a hard month after deciding to put aside the novel I'd spent the past year working on. I accepted it and told myself I just wouldn't write anything until November. Start fresh with the new month.

And while I have been a good girl and worked on a new story for the minimum one hour per day, it has been terribly slow going. I'd write a line then sit and contemplate it and the entire story for several minutes before writing the next line. It wasn't so much that I didn't like the story (I actually think it could be really good) as it was I was afraid to start something new and "fail" again.

I know "fails" not the right word. I didn't "fail" at my last story--it was great practice and I can still go back to it when I'm a better writer. But knowing and feeling are two separate things. And many times your feelings can block out logic. And they can stop you from moving on. They can paralyze you.

Even trying to write a new blog post was hard. So, I did what any paralyzed person does--I did my exercises. I wrote without stopping. It was hard, and I hated it. But it helped me break through my writing paralysis. Now I've got a nice cohesive blog post.

Hopefully this will carry over to my novel--and to my life in general.

So, my question to you is: What's some fear that you've had to overcome?
And my challenge to you: Don't let your fears stop you. I basically wasted a whole month stewing in my own self-doubt, and I almost let it carry over into this new month. There's too many exciting experiences to be had to let that much time slip by un-used.