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Published by Wyattt10, 2018-11-12 22:01:21

Literacy Narrative

My Journal


Property of : Taylor Wyatt
If you have made it this far, close the book and leave!!!!!


9/12
Standing in the middle of the book store, my best friend says to me very surprised,
“Oh my gosh! I have to do a Literacy Narrative too! What is it like, all colleges have to
follow the same curriculum or something?”
“I don’t know. I guess so,” I replied.
I didn’t know what to say as I realized that my college isn't the only one who starts freshman off with a Literacy Narrative during their first year. It made me wonder why this was so important. Why did I have to spend time writing a paper about me becoming a writer? Before today, I didn’t even think about considering myself a writer, but I did realize that I had a little bit of history on the matter.
“Yeah, but I know your story is going to be good.”
“Huh?” I said clearly missing some of the conversation while coming out of a deep thought. “Your Literacy Narrative, it’s going to be good. You know, since you love to read and all.”
“Oh yeah, I hope so,” I said nervously hoping that she didn’t realize I wasn't listening at all.


9/15
Sitting in my dorm, I think about how for a while now, how much I have been wanting to write a story since my early childhood. I remember being so excited to get the new action adventure love story out of my head and onto paper. Role playing everyday as if I was a real author, I would ask my classmates to combine skills to help create a graphic novel until finally someone wanted to join forces. “Hey Christopher, look what I got over the weekend!” I said as I showed him these little ninja figures that almost look like gummy bears.
“Wow! Those are so cool! Where did you get them?” he asked as I dust off my shoulders in confidence.
“Out of the vending machine at the dollar store, but you know what would be cool? If we made a story about them.”
“A story? Like what?”
“Anything! Come on, you can draw and I can write” I answered, putting on my best negotiating voice.
“Ok, why not” he said.
“Yes! Ok, I’ll text you” I said in excitement.
I would think about how many books I would sell and prepare my line to every fan that would show up to my book signing. Yes, I’m glad you liked it. Who is this going out to? I thought every time I finished a paragraph. My imaginative mind has always been something that’s has been a part of me, so why I can’t put it into good use? Most if the time I often bring a book with me everywhere I go even though I know I am not going to read it. It’s almost as if I feel comfort from them if they are with me. Maybe I should open up the book that’s staring at me from across the room....


9/17
Reading and writing is an art that has always been a part of my family, which is something that I think about every day. Is reading and writing something that is already flowing through my bones? How will I know if I never pursue it? How will I know if I never have confidence in what I write? I often start off with something cliché like a girl panicking as she turns off her forgotten alarm. Or, parents yelling upstairs to wake up their teenage children from the kitchen, just like in the movies. However, I always end up scraping the whole story all together and move on to my next big idea.
Confidence is something that I always lack when it comes to writing. I always think to myself “this is lame, this has nothing to do with what I originally thought in my head, I am nothing like John Green. Right now I’m thinking back to when I was in middle school and wonder where all of this doubt in my work stems from. Six grade, as I was sitting in the reading class, I can remember the loudness and projection of everyone’s voices as we took turns reading a paragraph of The Diary of Anne Frank. I felt as if I wasn't as good as everyone else when it came to reading. I panicked as the reading wave slowly but surely worked its way around the room and landed on me. I had no idea what I was going to say even though the words were right there in front of me. I stumbled over each word as I mentally tried to read ahead just in case I came across a word I didn't know how to pronounce. Where did this come from? It’s almost as if my love for writing started to fade away as I stumbled over each word. I realized and started to think that if I couldn’t read correctly I couldn’t write correctly. This is the logic I started to believe. This was my turning point of reading and writing.


9/26
“Hey Mrs. Moore can you read my essay for class?” I asked.
“Sure, just put it on my desk and I should have it back to you by the end of the day” she said ever so dryly.
All day I was nervous about the comments that my Vocabulary teacher was going to leave on my paper. By the time the end of the day came, I worked up the confidence in my head to accept whatever it is that she told me. However, with all of that preparing, walking up to her desk felt like an eternity. It felt as if her desk was moving further and further away as I inched closer.
“H-i-i Mrs. Moore, do you have my paper?” I asked fumbling over my words.
“Yes, here. Redo it. There was nothing interesting about this at all. Did you even read and learn the material that Ms. Wilson gave you?” She said.
“Ye-ye-yes I tried my best to-”
“Your best? Well I didn’t see it here. Maybe next time you should pay more attention in class” she said in the sternest voice I have ever heard.
“Oh......ok I will” I said trying to hide my disappointment.
All over again I remembered why I never had confidence in my writing. Who will ever uplift me instead of putting me down?


9/27
On to my high school years and I have never felt so underprepared in my life. I have always looked at my writing as underqualified and redundant. However, those ideas took a sudden shift. No longer did I think like that towards my writing. I was sitting in my U.S. History class when we had to write a paper on a leader during the Civil Rights movement. As usual, I couldn't focus because of the noise of the guys behind me making jokes about each other.
“Guys! Come on, shut up and let's get to work. You only have thirty minutes and you're done for the day.” My teacher, Mr. McGinnis, said. “Finally someone said it, they do this every day” I said just loud enough so my friend Miracle could hear me.
“Yea, I know right. Oh! By the way. Mr. McGinnis, can you help me with this paper?” She asked pleadingly.
“No you don’t need my help” he said jokingly and with a smile on his face.
“Yes I do! Please can you help?”
“Ask Taylor. Taylor you’re an excellent writer why don’t you help her out?” he said.
“What? I am?” I said surprised because I’ve never been told that before. “Yeah, go ahead” he said with more confidence than I have ever had.
I didn't know what to think. I have never been told that I was an “excellent writer” before. It was as if all of that doubt was washed away from my mind. I was more proud of myself in that moment more than I have ever been. From then on my confidence only grew greater. To whom I am now.


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