Author's Note and Vignette

Author's Note

Columbine

 

      Fear is my middle name.  In elementary school we had duck and cover drills at least once a month, taking cover under our desks in case of an atomic bomb.  Every week we had to evacuate the school because there were bomb threats. Race riots were the in thing.  Anarchy reigned.  Sixties hope had died and was rotting in everyone’s hearts.  Generation hopeless that’s my generation’s legacy. You would think I would be prepared that beautiful spring morning of April.

     I woke up and put on black slacks and a white blouse.  I slipped in to some black flats and made my way to the bathroom. I kept my boots and mittens on reserve. Colorado weather is bipolar; sunshine and clear blue skies, and five minutes later the snow is falling while the sun shines. We would not be out of the woods until June. 

1.  I was living in Colorado when Columbine happened and my daughter was going school in Denver.  That day has always stuck with me and I wanted to express in to words what that meant to me.

2. The writer I had in mind when I wrote the piece was Truman Capote.  Instead of giving insight to the perpetrators, I wanted to express the grief of the community. I hope my piece does not exploit the situation but gives my reader a sense of the fear and grief of that day.

3. I have written short stories, fiction and non-fiction, poems, and kept a journal since junior high.  I find poems are fun because there are no rules to poems.  Short stories and non- fiction require a beginning middle and end.  Fiction is difficult for me because I have a hard time developing imaginary characters.  But I like the freedom of making up a story. With non- fiction I can tell a story as I see it.  Another benefit to writing fiction is that I don’t have to research my topic. 

4. I found when I shared this piece with my family they reminded me that some parts were missing or that I remembered them differently.  I think when I revise the piece I will include these missing pieces.  I found this piece difficult to write because it is so deep so the next piece I am going to pick a lighter topic.  One rule that I kept thinking about while writing the piece was to show not tell the story.    When I wrote this story I wrote it down on paper, I was just writing anything that came into my head.  Then I typed it on to the computer.  When I revise it, I will print it and read it out loud.  Then I will mark the paper and revise on the computer.  That’s how I usually work on a piece.