First Fan Fiction

I don't know what it was about Mrs. Eckler, but I loved having her as a teacher. It may have been how different she was Mrs. Hammond, my fourth grade teacher from the year before, who seemed to always be unhappy with me. It may have been that feeling she gave you, which made you feel like you could do anything. It may have been that I had started to like reading and writing, which were subjects she was really excited about. Mrs. Eckler, and her fifth grade class shaped a part of who I am.

I remember a little bit of how this started. The teacher had come in, wearing a brown dress suit with a white blouse and I think a big shiny brooch. She had a milk crate, which she sat down I front of her on Alison's desk as she, herself, sat on a stool. Without much explanation, she withdrew on of the books inside and started reading. It was a clever story about a ladybug and an ant. It seemed a little young for us, but we liked it. It was then she told us that this book had been written by a fifth grader, it was the winner of the Young Author's competition, which we would be participating in.

That's right, I had just been told my book could be published. I would get to write it and illustrate it and, if it was good enough, it would be the story teachers across America would read to their students to introduce the Young Author competition. I was interested in that, but I had my doubts.

That day we were asked to make lists of ideas. I wrote down story ideas about bugs and aliens, dragons and dogs. Also, at the time I was reading the Xanth series, by Piers Anthony, so I wrote an idea of a character who didn't have a power in a world full of people with powers, which is the premise of the first book of the series. When I met with Mrs. Eckler this was the idea we settled on. I would be writing a Xanth story, I got started right away.

Over the next few weeks, we outlined a story and started drawing pictures, started writing sentences and really laying out the book. Each step of the way, the teacher would set with us and play editor, give us more details, explain why that happened, could you draw a picture of that, what is the resolution. Also each step of the way, she would tell me how much she liked my story and how I could win. This might have been the first major project I was genuinely excited about.

I presented my story, a story of a ten year old without a power, who was picked on by all the kids who had good power. That is except for one friend, a girl, who had the ability to talk to insects. They get in trouble because of a mean prank, where they were dumped into a thorn bush, where they risk being trapped or being cut up trying to get out. It is then the boy learns his power, which is controlling plants. They escape unharmed and then cause vines and bugs to torture the bullies.

When I was done reading, the class applauded and the teacher to me I had done a good job. I only came in third in the class, but I was hooked. From that point on when someone asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would say, with no pause at all, "be a writer."