My story was written about having been insulted by my grandparents while they were under the influence, centered around coping with a family bond and how my trust with my grandparents is broken after this experience. In my first draft of my narrative, I focused a lot on small details that wouldn't be a good contribution to my story, and it wouldn't be necessary. I remember writing and thinking about the exact words used in that moment and how I was feeling and just trying to put everything into a narrative, but it was so frustrating. Whenever i'd write a certain emotion, or thought, I felt like it wasn't good enough, so I'd erase it and start again. I'd find myself wandering into sites that had "descriptive emotions" or "how to describe emotions and thoughts in a writing piece", which would help me apply everything into my narrative. Not only did this help my narrative by showing vulnerability, but it also helped me find descriptive language that I could later use in So Say We All workshops or in my personal writing that I do. What I've realized, after reading one too many dystopian/superhero books, is that characters aren't interesting if they don't have a backstory. You don't get to know them if they don't have a backstory, if they don't have context. I was able to find that connection with my narrative when I was writing my second and third draft. I realized that as a human, I have a backstory, and that's what I can make the audience connect to. My narrative will not be complete if I don't explain my backstory, why my grandma's insults hurt so much. That's how I was able to incorporate that last paragraph into my story, how I was able to write about how this wasn't the only time I had ever been insulted or criticized by her. This is how I realized, that narratives were supposed to work. This is when I realized what my narrative was truly missing.
My drafts:
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First Draft:
Third Draft:
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Second Draft:
Fourth Draft:
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