I started writing when I was in the 5th grade. We were told to write a short story. So, I wrote a fantasy story.
Standing in the front of the classroom, clutching my double-lined Mead page with both hands - you know, the one with the dashed line in between. I read the first page, flipped it over and kept reading with my head down; mostly for me. Because I loved what I wrote. When I finished speaking there was a silent pause. Then, the entire classroom jumped to their feet and clapped without prompt. They loved what I wrote just as i did. I was shocked, I smiled, I felt more seen than any other time. I landed my first punch.
