Project Progress: School Lunches

 

As I carry on working on the final project I had to do some research, especially towards authors who write for young people. I looked into Michael Morpurgo. ''Unlike many of today's authors for young people, Morpurgo rarely features contemporary family issues such as divorce, inadequate parents or urban social problems. Instead, many of his books have historical and rural settings, and he uses his gift for telling enchanting stories to explore timeless virtues'' (Elizabeth O'Reilly, 2009) I think I too want to explore virtues and even moral dilemmas as I believe they are inspiring and capable of healing, although I would like to use more accurate settings for today's youth. For this reason, my story will be set in a School. 

Here is an opening paragraph from my first draft of a story I'm writing.

''The clock, just a foot above a rusty chesnut chalkboard, was where all of our concern was aimed. Seconds hand so dangerously climbing up the dial towards a finish line, a bell about to ring. Every little jump it made would resonate throughout my body, fingers wrapped around the corner of a desk as a slingshot, ready to launch my little self towards the door. ''Class is not over yet. Put your textbooks back on the desks.'' the teacher would shout in halftone as kids in the back would already have their bags attached to their backs. ''the bell is for a teacher, not a student and, I can keep you here as much as I like.'' she would add with a grim smile as if she was about to command a ward to behead us all.''

Furthermore, upon doing more research on how different authors work on they stories I decided to write a little backstory for my protagonist.  ''Back story is all the stuff that happened before your tale began but which has an impact on the front story''(King, 2012). With this, I was trying to catch a glimpse into what's going on inside protagonist scull. I used Capital letters to highlight youthful rage. 

Here is a paragraph from a backstory I'm working on.

''I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHO I AM WITHOUT SOMEONE CONSTANTLY TELLING ME WHO I'M NOT AND HOW I SHOULD BEHAVE. I DONT WANT TO BE TRAPT IN A MOLD THAT PRODUCE PERFECTION. I JUST WANT FOR ONCE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THAT I REALLY LIKE, NOT TOLD TOO. WHAT IS THAT TRULY INTERESTS ME. And what it is that the new English teacher is doing in her room after hours.'' 

I'm just finishing my first draft, therefore I am a little bit behind my schedule but it will be finish by the time of a deadline. 

References

Michael Morpurgo - Literature (britishcouncil.org)

King, S., 2012. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Hodder Paperbacks.