I can see how feedback from the class has highlighted key strengths and opportunities for growth for my short story The Red Bandana. They appreciated the personification of the city and how it seemed to breathe as a character itself. This living creature feels the impact of the tragedy deeply as if the planes were flying into a living being. Just before the violence strikes, this life in the city grounds the story and gives it a sense of ordinary warmth. I want to keep building on this feeling of a breathing city to enhance the contrast between normalcy and the sudden shift to chaos.The elevator scene’s irony and timestamps…

Reflecting on the feedback I’ve received for 1600m, this writing process has been an exciting balance between building tension and deepening character development. One area where the story has resonated is in its depiction of perseverance and personal struggle, though there are still aspects that could be enhanced.  My initial focus on the race and practice scenes seems to have engaged readers, but the rension could be amplified further. I particularly like the suggestion to include a moment of pre-race nerves, such as my protagonist putting on her spikes and dealing with the need to pee. That small, humanizing detail could offer a brief release of tension, only heighten it…

The Red Bandana 6:15 am It was a warm, early morning as I boarded the A train from Brooklyn, just like every other weekday. The city was already buzzing, despite the sun only just beginning to rise. I watched as people hurried through the station, heads down, briefcases in hand, everyone with somewhere to be. I leaned against the window as the train sped towards Manhattan, the familiar hum of the city waking up around me.  7:00 am My stop at Fulton Street came soon enough, and I joined the crowd, climbing the stairs to the street level, where the crisp September air met me. I stopped by my regular…

1600M I take a deep breath, steadying myself as I step up to the line. My pulse thrums in my ears. “Set!” The world narrows to the track in front of me. I hold my breath. Bang! The gun cracks. We’re off. The first 100 meters is chaos—elbows jostling—runners fighting for the inside lane. Feet pound the track. I focus on not clipping the girl in front of me. It’s a mile, just four laps, but it feels like an eternity. Stay calm. I’ve run this race a hundred times before, but today? Today, the next six minutes will define everything. My entire running career boiled down to this. Warm-ups…

The Red Bandana It was a regular Tuesday morning, nothing out of the ordinary. As always, I took the same train into the city, cradling my coffee and half listening to the early morning hum of conversation around me. The sun filtered through the windows, and I remember thinking it was a beautiful, clear day. After arriving at the station, I made my usual stop at the corner cafe, the same barista handing me my coffee – the same way I always take it – with a smile. By 8:30, I was in the elevator with a few coworkers, chatting about the usual—weekend plans, the latest office gossip. There was…

1600M I take a deep breath, steadying myself as I step up to the line. My pulse thrums in my ears. “Set!” The world narrows to the track in front of me. I hold my breath. Bang! The gun cracks. We’re off. The first 100 meters is chaos—elbows jostling, runners fighting for the inside lane. Feet pound the track, and I focus on not clipping the girl in front of me. It’s a mile, just four laps, but it feels like an eternity. Stay calm. I’ve run this race a hundred times before, but today? Today, the next six minutes will define everything. My entire running career boiled down to…

1600M I take a deep breath, steadying myself as I step up to the line. My pulse thrums in my ears. “Set!” The world narrows to the track in front of me. I hold my breath. Bang! The gun cracks. We’re off. The first 100 meters is chaos—elbows jostling, runners fighting for the inside lane. Feet pound the track, and I focus on not clipping the girl in front of me. It’s a mile, just four laps, but it feels like an eternity. Stay calm. I’ve run this race a hundred times before, but today? Today, the next six minutes will define everything. My entire running career boiled down to…