Maria Mesa
Engl 112B
Warner
Doing Through Learning:
How English 112B Aided
My Creative Writing
I
had toyed with the idea of writing a young adult novel on a couple of
occasions, but I never really felt comfortable with how to go about it. The
bulk of young adult reading I have done outside of starting the Artemis Fowl
series and finishing/re-reading Harry Potter was of course done when
I was in middle school and high school. The most obvious answer to this feeling
was to get back into the habit of reading more of it, and that is exactly what
I have done over the course of this class.
I
did not, however, enroll in this class with the intention of starting a novel
right away, but as I am pursuing my master�s degree in creative writing, the
mood was struck the more I read and because of that my writing has been
influenced. I am used to reading and analyzing the works of adult literature; I
have spent my undergraduate years and the first semester of my graduate career
doing so. Those skills and my experience in literary critique and analysis
aided my understanding of what makes good young adult literature, and once I
figured that out, I attempted to apply it to my own writing.
The
story I have always wanted to tell but could never figure out how is a coming
of age tale from a Mexican-American point of view that is quite unlike any I
have read before. Most if not all of the novels concerning young people of my
culture have focused on the migrant aspect of it. The children, their parents
or an immediate relative is an immigrant into the United States. If they are
not, these children are of mixed race and dealing with the identity issues that
come with that. I am Mexican-American but I am not a second or first-generation
Mexican-American like the ones in the stories. I have had identity issues, but
I am not of mixed heritage. Often times growing up I felt alone in the fact
that I did not adhere to the perceived cultural standards of Mexican-Americans,
and years later I now know that if I felt alone, there are others out there who
do as well. Kids with stories similar to mine that, like me, they do not see
represented in the shows and movies they watch let alone in the books they
read. An essential aspect in writing for young adults is telling a story that a
teen can find their own experiences reflected in.
The
story that I�ve ended up with is not exactly like I had initially planned but
is the culmination of many things I have wanted to explore. I enjoy the sci-fi
genre, and I also find representations of people of color in this genre
(whether it be books, comic books, movies or television) few and far in between.
The same goes with representations of people who, like me, do not see their
experiences in stories that are told about people from their culture. That is
where Fermina was born. Her life issues are not
intended to follow the strict format of what it would mean to be a female,
super-powered, person of color. She is Mexican-American but comes from a middle
class family who have been in the country for longer than they can remember,
she is a girl but she does not adhere to the traits of girls we see in the media,
she is a person of color but that is not her defining feature, and finally, she
has a super power but no initial desire to be a super hero. She is a girl,
struggling with what to do with her life, and on top of that she gets a wrench
thrown in the smooth gears of her college-bound quiet life when she discovers
that she may be the fastest human on Earth.
Inspiration
for Fermina came not only from my own personal
experience but from female characters I have read and
found some kinship with. Melinda from Laurie Halse-Anderson�s
Speak is an extraordinary character. Even though I have not gone through
the trauma that she has, that sense of confusion and isolation is incredibly
familiar. Throughout her solitude and rejection from her peers, Melinda manages
to conjure bits and pieces of strength that eventually help her break out of
the shell that her pain has trapped her in. Hermione Granger from Harry
Potter is incredibly smart and self-sufficient and has a set of goals that
differentiates her not only from other girl characters but from the boys as
well. Through the books, whether right or wrong, Hermione always maintains a
sense of self that she stands by and does not waiver on and as a leading lady I
find that an admirable quality. These are just two of the female characters
that have put their stamp and helped form the creation of Fermina
Reyes, I am sure the list can go on for quite some time.
The
science fiction aspect of the story came about partially because that is a
genre I am particularly fond of, and having spent my undergraduate years
practicing creative writing in a college that actively discouraged genre
fiction, I am using my current freedom to exercise this interest. Another
reason is because due to this class I have been able to find support for my
belief that genre fiction, particularly when it comes to YA novels, allows the
reader to experience a perhaps larger than life event while simultaneously
being able to use what they learn from the story in their own lives.
Reading
up on the Exeter qualities of good young adult fiction, I realized that the
bulk of these qualities were something that I either have done or have wanted
to do in my own writing for young adults. On a more stylistic note, taking this
class and reading the novels as we have done has influenced me to experiment
with first person narrative. I know not all young adult novels are written in
first person, but it is something I do not do in my usual writing, and
something that I thought I could play with while writing this story. I am not
exactly sure if in future drafts it will stay this way, but I am interested in
what affect it will have on the way the story develops and the way I choose to
portray events. Fermina has a distinct voice that I
enjoy writing in, and I like the idea of toying with
that by having her narrate the story.
I had
not put much thought in to what makes a good young adult novel prior to taking
this class. The entirety of my college career has been so focused on adult
literature and of course canonical texts. My interests in young adult
literature had thus been relegated to pleasure reading to the point where I
would sometimes feel embarrassed to admit my enjoyment of it in literary
circles. It is a damaging thing to not take literature aimed at young adults as
seriously and to primarily focus on solely the literary canon that most English
programs depend on. Many of the issues I had when I was younger may have been
easier to deal with had I the means to find bits and pieces of my own story in
those of others. It is something I hope to remedy with my own writing and,
hopefully, my own teaching. Taking this class has allowed me to analyze what
the exact makings of a good young adult novel are, and much of what I learned I
have tried to put to use in my own writing.
Maria Mesa
Engl 112B
Warner
Hero
Stuff (Working Title)
Hero
Stuff is a novel in-progress about a young girl coming of age in multiple
ways, including and most especially the discovery that she has superhuman
speed. Never being one who wants to stand out too much, Fermina
Reyes is suddenly faced with the fact that she has an ability that she may not
be able to hide from the world. At a time in her life where she will soon be
deciding things like what college to attend, she also has to deal with the
ultimate decision of what to do with this newfound power, if anything at all.
Written
in first person perspective, the novel follows Fermina
through the process of not only understanding and coming to terms with her own
powers, but also with her own identity and the eventual transition into
adulthood that is looming over her once she finishes high school. It deals with
issues such as identity, responsibility and friendship at a time where not all
of these aspects are clear.
Hero
Stuff demonstrates seven of the eight Exeter qualities and
narrates Fermina�s multiple transitions that occur
after her fifteenth birthday. Transitions that may seem out of the ordinary but
can be reflected in situations that many young adults are familiar with. She,
along with her best friend and trusted confidant Derek—the only person
who knows about her ability and has a secret himself—navigate teenaged
life and high school together, keeping each other�s secrets as well as
encouraging each other to do what they feel is right, even if others may not
agree.