I’ve made it to the halfway point! I’m pushing forward on this and doing all right. I just got a note from our professor encouraging me, letting me know that I’m doing well, especially coming to the course from another language.

I remember I said that I would attach the newly written stories to the post but I’m going to have to back off maybe just for this one story. I went way out of my comfort zone on this story and there is a lot of, how shall I put this, “colorful” language and adult topics. I’m sensitive to what I put out because a lot of kids frequent my site.

I titled this new story “Grave Error” and it’s a little twisted. Like I said, “out of my zone of comfort.” If any of you would like to read it then just send me an email to Baba(at)babathestoryteller.com and I’ll forward you it as a Word file.

I’ll try to tone it down on the next assignment so that it can be posted to the blog. For those of you who do take the time to read it, please send me a little feedback. Also, let me know if you want the English version or the Spanish version.

It is a strange thing to have to admit but, as difficult and torturous as this process of writing creatively in a foreign language is, I’m actually enjoying it. Yes, I know I complain from time to time but I am human after all. Right?

This assignment almost wrecked me. You would think that by the 5th assignment I would get into some kind of groove or something but noooo. I’m not sure what is wrong with me. I’ve always been the type that, if something got easier for me, then I would attempt it again, but do it standing on my head. Is there a personality type for that? Hmmm… can you say “lacking in higher levels of intelligence?” Ok enough ranting. Attached are the stories that I wrote for the current assignment. I was able to get it to flow alright in English but the Spanish version is a total re-write. I could not, in spite of hours of torment, get the two stories to have the same rhythm. I had to put the English version aside because I will edit  and re-edit, read and re-read until the cows come home.

I am proud to say one thing though. I have outgrown a few of my old Spanish dictionaries. That is a good feeling. I’ve purchased a new one called “Real Academia Española” and it has a really nice hardcover. Now I’m in search of an equivalent reference book containing Spanish synonyms and antonyms. Ooops… geek alert! I caught myself! Sorry ya’ll. I have to remember that people who get excited about reference manuals and materials are in the minority.

You guys can read the attached stories and let me know what you think. Be nice because I labored over these like you wouldn’t believe, even though it may not seem like it.

Baptism: English Version

Bautismo: Versión Español

Damn!!! Alright I have been writing for almost 9 straight hours! Who does this? In the current assignment we’re supposed to engage the senses of the reader. The reader should be able to see, touch, taste and smell from the narrative.  That’s an oversimplification of the professor’s instructions but I’m sure most of you get the point.

As I’m writing, I keep going off on tangents. It seems easy enough but my mind keeps doing battle with competing thoughts. A one point an overwhelming, almost rabid desire to hunt down some chocolate chip cookies hijacked my thought processes.

Don’t ask. Yes I did and it was not a pretty sight.

To those of you who have written me words of encouragement, thank you sooooo much! Sistah Fair you are truly a gift from the ancestors. Charles I think we are starting for form a fraternal writing bond that might be long lasting. What do you think?

Anyway, I needed a second to vent and this is usually where I do it. It’s funny when you think about it. I have spent more than 9 hours today writing and then, in order to vent, I go on my blog and write some more. Insane huh?

I’m almost finished with this assignment. As soon as I finish I will post it as an attachment to the next blog “Initiatory Process VII.” Oh yeah, I’ll post an English and Spanish version as usual.

Two more months of the class. I’ve completed each assignment thus far. Will I make it all the way through? We’ll see.

Con cada ejercicio puedo ver que mi vocabulario español esta creciendo. Aunque he sido hablar español desde 20 años esta bien retar yo mismo de nuevo. Poco a poco se va lejos! ¿Verdad?

This assignment was difficult for me. I had more trouble than usual trying to figure out how to address my reader in 2nd person. One thing that I’m noticing though is that my Spanish vocabulary is improving by leaps and bounds. I’m being forced to spend a great deal of time in conversing with the other students in the on-line forum and their Spanish is absolutely flawless.

I’ve been speaking Spanish for over 20 years and this is really challenging for me. Although I’m getting agitated through the process, I’m loving the results. So typical huh?

Attached are two pdf’s of the story that I created. One is in English and the other is in Spanish. The title of the story is “Becoming a Champion.” I think I did alright but it is definitely not my best work. Part of this process is putting yourself out there so that’s what I’m doing. Feels a bit unsettling.

English readers let me know what you think about the story and Spanish readers let me know what you think as well. If any of the Spanish readers feel like editing or correcting any of my errors then don’t hesitate. I’m looking forward to hearing all of your critiques.

I’m going to go have a tall cool class of water, stare up into the sky and do nothing for a little bit. I’ve earned it.

Becoming a Champion (click here to download the story in English)

Convertirse un Campeón (haz clic aquí para recibir el relato en español)

Writing in 2nd person!!! Who writes in 2nd person anymore? This next assignment we’re supposed to create a narrative in 2nd person. I “hate” writing in 2nd person and to write creatively in Spanish is even more onerous to me. I don’t use the word hate too often but when I do I really mean it.

Ok, breath… think. Don’t let this get to me. I can do this.

Deep long inhale,  hold it and now a slow long breath out.

Alright. I’m cool now. The whole point of an initiatory process is acceptance. Poco a poco se va lejos. ¿Verdad? Little by little one goes far. Right?

I’m going to have to mull this over for a little while to figure out what it is that I will write about. The last time I read something in 2nd person was “Fight Club” and that was bizarre experience.

Wow… I call myself a storyteller and I started out wining like a little… hmmm, like a little what? Oh well, forget it, move on because that’s what a champion would do. Did Ali bow out in Manila? No he didn’t and I’m sure that was a hell of a lot harder than contemplating writing your story in 2nd person.

Alright. I’m purged. I can move on now. I’m going to take a little time to think and then, without any hesitation and I’m going to sit my but down and write. After I’ve exhausted myself writing I’ll write some more.

See ya’ll soon swith whatever I come up with.

Denial seems so much easier than acceptance. I can feel this level of denial surging up through me when reading the critiques of the professor. Intellectually, I know it is there but psychologically it still wants a dominant role. I have to admit my errors.

In my first assignment I was a bit lazy. I wrote one draft, didn’t check the grammar or pacing of the story. I was just happy to have it finished. I sent it off and washed my hands of it. That was until I got the critique back from the professor who basically told me that my use of the Castillian language in writing was “tan pobre (oh so poor)”. Do you know what it feels like to a storyteller to be told that his use of “any” language is “poor.” I was devastated but knew that the error had been all mine. When I write in English I, painstakingly, take my time to examine each little nuance of every word, placement of adjectives, adverbs etc. Why hadn’t I done this when writing in Spanish?

The answer is simple but not flattering. I was scared. Fear was a factor in writing my first assignment and when I got to the end of writing it, I just wanted it to go away, leave me alone.

For the second assignment we were required to examine a singular moment in time and illustrate it as best we could by using the sights, sounds, smells of the incident to pull the reader in. I chose to write on what happened with my family and I during the 92 Riots here in LA.

I am pleased to say that the professor gave me a glowing review of the second exercise. He basically said that I must have worked like a madman in order to make such improvement. Do you see me smiling?

I actually did work like someone possessed. I couldn’t see myself doing less than I was capable of (fear or no fear). I have been speaking Spanish for more than 20 years but I realize, now more than ever, that speaking and writing creatively are two very different disciplines. I, literally, spent an entire day checking and re-checking my sentence structure, grammar, word usage, etc.

Knowledge and wisdom are not the same. I feel like I possessed a great deal of knowledge when it came to writing in Spanish but, through this initiatory process; I feel like I may gain a little of wisdom if I keep pushing on.

If anyone wants to read it, just email me or get me a message and I’ll send it to you.