The First Writing Class

A Lesson in Short Story Writing


My teacher entered the class. With her back facing me, she began to write a list of disjointed words. For several minutes she continued in her mysterious fashion.

When she turned to face the class, she told us to write. Write anything. Write about a word on the board, write anything that comes to mind. Again and again she repeated herself. Then my teacher tottered to her chair and, sitting down, asked what we were waiting for.

I began to write, but I didn't know where to begin. Words flurried about my head, lost in the abyss of my own creation. Expressions attempted to draw a conclusion upon my paper. I was paralyzed by the vastness of my teachers challenged. I was told to write about anything, to me I was told to write about everything.

When I looked upon the word beauty, the snow capped Himalayas and the crystal waters of the south pacific seized my mind. When I began to write the word power, every conqueror stole the battle for my soul. When I looked through the spaces of my fingers, towards that ever expanding list of words, I could see the word fear. I thought of every male who trembles before his creator and every mothers desolation when she catches the last moments of her child. Every word meant more than one thing, and I was challenged to write it.

I closed my eyes and began to write. First it was black, then, slowly, like a new dawn, light shone across the horizon. Trees began to grown and animals filled the void. Voices called me by name and the winds held my hand. The feeling must have been like the day Adam was created: to behold the beauty of the world all at once.

Time seemed to stop for a moment, then all was over. I walked to my teacher and handed her my papers – I was the first one done.

She looked at me suspiciously, and then, my fear came true. She began to read. I watched as her disappointed face slowly became neutral, and finally a smile. She looked at me and said, “You have learned how to write.” I laughed and replied, “No, I have learned how to love.”