4 Writing Sprint

The day had finally arrived, and with the sun casting a warm glow over the town, my mom and I made our way to where the contest was being held. Nervous anticipation bubbled within me. Entering the building, the low hum of conversations and the rhythmic sound of pens meeting paper entered my ears.

"I think that's where you register," my mom said as she pointed at a long line to a booth where people looked to be filling out forms.

"Right, let's do it," I said.

We neared the registration booth, and I began filling out the required forms. A friendly organizer, clipboard in hand, greeted us.

"Hello there, are you done with the forms?"

"Yes, he's done with it," my mom replied, handing over the completed forms.

The organizer's eyes then shifted to me and then my mom. "Oh! Your son is the one entering. I thought that you were...."

My mom chuckled, "Oh no, I'm just here to support my talented son." She said as she ruffled my head.

The organizer raised an eyebrow, a momentary surprise flickering across their face. "Really? Well, that's quite impressive. We don't get many contestants your age, young man." I grinned.

The organizer nodded, scribbling something on their clipboard. "It's fantastic to see young talent. Best of luck!"

"What do we do now?" I asked my mom.

Mom looked around and then gestured towards a group of writers engaged in an animated conversation. "Why don't you go introduce yourself, Daniel? It might be a good opportunity to share ideas and learn from others."

Taking a deep breath, I approached the group. The conversation hushed for a moment as they acknowledged my presence.

"I hope we aren't intruding," my mom asked politely.

"No, no, the more, the merrier," a woman in the group said. "My name is Emily," she introduced herself. "This is Oliver and Amanda," she said, gesturing to her companions.

"So, first-time entrant?" Oliver asked, a friendly smile on his face, looking at my mom.

"I am the one who is entering. My name is Daniel Adler; this is my mom, Mary," I said, introducing myself and my mom.

Emily, Oliver, and Amanda exchanged surprised glances but quickly broke into warm smiles. Emily shook my hand with a friendly grip.

"Well, this is a surprise," she said. "Surprise indeed. You must be very talented to compete with the adults here."

"Oh, he is," my mom said, holding me closer.

They talked for a while then Amanda says "You know, Daniel, there is another competition happening as well,"

"Yes, I almost forgot there is a writing sprint happening," Oliver informed them.

"You should definitely give it a try," Amanda encouraged.

"It's a fantastic way to test your creativity under pressure. I am entering too," said Emily.

"So are you up for it, kid?" Oliver asked.

My mom, always supportive, chimed in, "What do you think, Daniel? It sounds like a fun opportunity. You've always been quick with your ideas."

"Yeah, I'll give it a shot," I replied. "Where do I sign up?" I inquired.

Oliver pointed toward the registration desk. My mom wished me luck with an encouraging smile, and Emily, Oliver, and Amanda offered supportive words as well.

I filled out the registration. Emily had come with me as well as she was also entering. We walked towards the designated area; there were more people than I expected there.

"Wow, that's a lot of people."

"Well, this event is sponsored by multiple publishing companies," she said nonchalantly.

"It is?" I exclaimed.

"You didn't know?" She said looking at me.

I shook my head. "No, I had no idea." 'This just got even more interesting.' I thought.

We found a couple of empty seats in the writing sprint area, where participants were already setting up their laptops and notebooks.

As we prepared for the sprint, Emily leaned over and asked, "Are you nervous, Daniel?"

I hesitated for a moment before admitting, "A little. This is a whole new experience for me." And it was. I had never been in such competitions before; even during my adult life, I had given up on it as it was getting serious.

Emily nodded understandingly. "Don't worry. It's natural to feel nervous. Just do your best."

Just as I was starting to relax, a man from a nearby table approached us. He looked older, and his expression held a mix of surprise and skepticism.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he sneered, eyeing me with disbelief. "Are they letting kids compete now?"

Emily, ever composed, replied, "Hello Jackson. Not surprised to see you here, and yes, there is no age limit, remember? And Daniel here is a talented writer."

The man scoffed. "Talented writer". " This is a serious competition. Hey, kid, stop wasting everyone's time."

I felt a knot in my stomach, but Emily defended me. "Just ignore Jackson, Daniel. He has always been an ass."

The man huffed and returned to his table, muttering under his breath. I took a deep breath and calmed myself.

'I am not letting him beat me,' I thought to myself.

The organizer came forward. "Alright, now that everyone's here, let's begin. The themes for this sprint are 'A person leaving his comfort zone and facing his fears and conquering challenges,' 'Finding friendships in unexpected places,' 'Accepting who you are and embracing your true self.' You can use a single theme to write or use all three; that's your choice."

The organizer looked at his watch. "You have 1 hour, starting now."

I thought about themes and started thinking of a story. After a few minutes, I realized that there was a story that fit all three themes. Since Pixar doesn't exist here, it wouldn't have been made. I was thinking of Finding Nemo. Yes, that would work; it's perfect. Marlin searching for his son Nemo and leaving his comfort zone, making an unexpected friend named Dory, and Nemo accepting who he is.

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Marlin is a cautious clownfish and an overprotective dad to his son Nemo, always concerned about Nemo's safety, especially after a tragic incident in the past left Nemo with one smaller fin than the other, making swimming more challenging. Marlin never allowed Nemo to venture beyond the coral reef, but in an attempt to impress his friends and prove himself, Nemo ventured beyond the safety of the coral reef. Ignoring his father's warnings, he swam out into open water and was quickly captured by a diver.

Marlin, devastated by the loss of his son, vowed to find Nemo and bring him home, even if he had to venture out into the open ocean, which he was afraid of doing. During the journey, he encounters Dory, a regal blue tang with short-term memory loss but is filled with unyielding optimism.They have opposite personalities, and together they travel to rescue Nemo and form an unlikely friendship.

Meanwhile, Nemo found himself in a fish tank in a dentist's office. Initially scared and uncertain, he befriended other fish in the tank, including Gill, a wise and scarred Moorish idol. Through their adventures, Nemo discovered his own resilience and courage, accepting his smaller fin as a symbol of his uniqueness. Eventually, they plan to escape to the ocean and are successful.

Marlin and Nemo reunite. The father and son, through their separate adventures, learned valuable lessons about courage, acceptance, and the unbreakable bonds of family and friendship.

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As I was finishing, the organizer returned. "Alright, everyone, time's up."

I quickly finished my work and looked around. The room was filled with the sounds of pens being set down, laptops closing. The organizer continued, "Now, if you could all submit your stories so our judges will start the evaluation process. Thank you for participating."

Emily and I went to submit our entries.

"It will take them a couple of hours to announce the winners," Emily informed me.

"Thank you for your help, Emily," I said, genuinely grateful.

"Look, your mother's coming this way. We can meet up back here when it's time."

I nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

I rejoined my mom, who was eager to hear about my experience. We decided to get some lunch and explore the nearby book fair while waiting for the results.