LaTashia Madsen English 1101 9-21-2013 Literacy Memoir Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one

less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Robert Frosts famous poem The Road Not Taken is by far one of my favorite poems of all time. In a matter of a few stanzas he manages to evoke such emotion and imagery. It causes one to think, to feel, to wonder. In all actuality, I know I will never be among the famous authors and poets that people will talk about for years to come. I can, however, aspire to one day finish and publish a novel worth reading. I remember my first real book. Here we go again. That is how chapter one began and ended. It was called Bud, Not Buddy and was one of my favorite books. I can remember random things about it here and there but the one thing that has stuck with me is the very first line. I realize that it was that line that pulled me in, that made me read. The first opening paragraphs are a vital part of the novel. If I was not intrigued by that first sentence, I never would have read the book. This was in third grade when I had yet to realize the importance of the written word. When I thought books were boring unless there were pictures. When I was just beginning to notice how a few simple examples of imagery would stick with me for a lifetime. In sixth grade, I was immersed in the Harry Potter series. I had of course read other novels and stories in between third and sixth grade but nothing as magical as Harry Potter. I was in school, reading it between classes. I could not for the life of me tell you what class I was in at the time or even which of the books I was reading. What I can tell you is that when my teacher told us that class had begun, I remember thinking, I dont want to be in potions class right now. Only to realize, to my disappointment, I did attend Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry. It was amazing to me how easily I felt I was a part of the story, of this one wizards life. It was as if I was actually there and I wanted to know how J. K. Rowling possessed the

ability to capture her audience in a way that just made us believe. It was in that moment that I wanted to know how to write. I started writing in seventh grade. Nothing that was outstandingly good. I lacked the ability to create imagery, to use foreshadowing, to understand the meaning of a color or the difference between simple words such as thought and pondered. I never finished a story I wrote because I never felt it was good enough and truth be told, back then, my writing was not good at all. I became discouraged at every turn, after reading other pieces of work and doubting my own work in the process. I was too fearful to show it to anyone because if I did not believe in it, how could somebody else? In tenth grade I took a creative writing class, in the hopes of becoming a better fictional writer. My teacher, one of my favorite teachers, had always told me I was a good, strong writer. He helped me when I struggled with our short stories and encouraged me at every turn. He was the reason I loved my English classes and without him as a teacher, I probably would not appreciate reading and writing as much as I do. I probably would not have continued writing if it were not for him. I wanted to make people feel. I wanted them to cry as my characters cried. I wanted them to be enveloped by the world I created. I did not just want to write simply to write, I wanted to write like the authors I so loved. After that day in sixth grade, I started paying attention to the techniques that authors used when writing. Such as the imagery used by George R. R. Martin. One specific example that I remember reading of his was, When he opened t he door, the light within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king. To understand that imagery, one must know that Tyrion is a dwarf and was thought of as nothing. He had just present Jon, a character who was also looked down on for being a

bastard, with some advice. After being inspired by this dwarf, Jon had seen him as a king. To me, it was the most beautiful imagery I had read. The way it was presented and the order it was presented in was just perfect. It was because of their perfection that I often became discouraged in my own writings. How could I write like George R. R. Martin; even though much of what I learned was from evaluating his writing? How could I create a whole world and magical spells like J. K. Rowling; even though I grew up rereading her works and understanding how much research she put into her novels? Try as I might I always felt that I would never be as good as the authors I looked up to. As Scribner would say, I had put them on a pedestal, in a state of grace. I know their writing is not perfect. I know they make plenty of mistakes and I am sure I have noticed their mistakes from time to time. However, the way they convey their message, their story, is indescribable. After reading just one chapter of theirs, I would often look over my own stories. I would see my lack of skills in literary elements that I admired so much in their writing and in the end my stories would be deleted. It felt pointless to even try to be as great as my idols yet their work is the reason I want to write. I wanted to create the next Harry Potter or the next Game of Thrones. I wanted to be on the same pedestal that I had placed them upon. Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Like Robert Frost I want to take the road less traveled by but I have yet to complete a work of complete genius or even complete one of my stories at all. If I continue to study other great works and pieces from famous authors and figure out how to mimic their techniques that I like while still using my own style, I can finish my own novels. I think that will make all the difference.

Works Cited Frost, Robert. "The Road Not Taken." By Robert Frost : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013 Curtis, Christopher Paul. "1." Bud, Not Buddy. N.p.: Yearling, 2002. N. pag. Print. Martin, George R. R. A Game of Thrones. New York: Bantam, 1996. Print. Scribner, Sylvia. "Literacy in Three Metaphors." American Journal of Education 93.1 (1984): 6. Print.