Mrs.
Gallo, our eighth grade English teacher was acting her usual stoic self, never smiling as she put a single word on the chalk board at the beginning of each class.
She handed us each a piece of blank paper with the understanding that paper was to be an easel on which we would paint a story based on that word.
The process is called free associative thinking and it helps getting your inner thoughts on paper in a creative style, one that you develop yourself.
In the beginning we all looked at each other in doubt, challenged even to write two or three sentences.
The effort was unbearable.
Finally, after weeks of wrestling with ourselves, a light bulb came on and we were hooked! Writing became second nature; our creative thirst grew with each passing week.
We could hardly wait to get to class to find out the new word written on the black board and exercise our creativity.
Each student knew it was an honor to be picked when called by Mrs.
Gallo to read aloud.
Finally, after a month of creative writing she told the class that it was time to make an outline and pick a poem or short story for our final project.
Despite her announcement that "It's time to tackle the hard work" the class could hardly wait to showcase their writing talent.
I chose to do a short story, and spent the next few weeks planning the plot and bringing the characters to life on paper.
It was difficult to follow the conventional steps to write the story, first making a general outline, then begin to flesh it out with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Most of us wanted to jump in immediately and make the story line come to life, but reigned in our enthusiasm and worked through the accepted process.
We worked together, editing our work and choosing our words carefully as we brought characters into the story.
We learned the benefits of proofreading, and soon realized the additional benefits of having fresh eyes review our work.
Our efforts were their own reward, as each word and character felt magical.
My children's story grew with me, and underwent further rewrites as I learned more advanced writing techniques in high school and college.
Some of Mrs.
Gallo's students kept in touch in the years that followed; some continued to perfect their style and make their characters even more lifelike.
We were able to take advantage of the resources offered by the high school, learning to do the illustrations to engage the readers' interest further.
The whole experience made us realize how much difference one teacher can make.
I later became a teacher and watched my students as they began to realize the magic of writing.
After retiring, I dusted off my eighth grade book called,"The Purple Eyes of Moony,Moony," and smiled as I let the characters stretch their legs in my imagination once again.
After dozens of years and hundreds of students, "The Purple Eyes of Moony, Moony" took its final form, and I decided to take the last step and publish the story.
Remembering Mrs.
Gallo's efforts to bring books alive for all of her students, I was able to take those first steps toward writing, illustrating, and publishing my own creation, a book for young children who are ready to begin the process of storytelling themselves.