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.