Self-Editing Epiphany

Like any challenge I first read the description of what the challenge is about and what the judges are asking from us as creative writers. So in this challenge "Self-Editing Epiphany they ask us to share an excerpt that I would consider both imperfect and brimming with potential! Immediately I thought of the story I shared in the "Unreliable" Challenge. This challenge asked us to write a story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator.

My mind went stir crazy with all the endless possibilities. I am a very creative individual, always have been from the time I can remember. I used to dance and choreograph routines when I was younger. I used to draw the Cartoons that I found in the Saturday newspaper, and me and the kids on our block used to organize parades, and hand out a newspaper for the families that lived on our street.

I drew a lot of inspiration from what I had seen on tv, and then what I dreamt at night. I tend to go wherever my mind takes me. I don't ask questions, I just go with the creative flow that comes forth. The only problem with this type of logic is there is none. It may not be award winning material, but once I get something in my head I have to see it through or it will continue to harass me day and night.

This may have been one of those stories where I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep and the thoughts just flooded my mind and would not stop. So here I am at what possibly could have been 3 in the morning struggling to do whatever I could to fall asleep and then just decided to write instead.

I have always been an out of the box thinker, a bit weird, and a little wacky. That's just me. I don't pretend that I'm anything other than a bit strange, and I can't always hide it so why not allow myself to express it through art and in this case my writings.

When I thought of the challenge, and the prompt to write a story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator I had to first define what unreliable meant to me in this moment. And what does a narrator do I might add... he or she sets the tone for the scene. But what if you can't get a clear answer. What if the narrator can't even make up their own mind and know right from left or up from down. Looking at things from another perspective is how I looked at the entire story from start to finish.

Nothing in this story will make complete sense. It should always have the reader second guessing their own thoughts, and second guessing the narrator who in this sense is totally unreliable. It's like the plot twist in a really good movie!

The Prompt

Write a story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator.

Step into the mind of a narrator you can't trust! In this challenge, you'll craft a story told through the lens of an unreliable narrator—someone whose perspective warps reality in intriguing, deceptive, or downright confusing ways. Whether your narrator is deliberately hiding the truth, struggling with their own perception, or simply unaware of their flaws, you'll guide readers through a world where nothing is quite as it seems.

This is your chance to play with reader expectations, twist perceptions, and create a narrative that keeps people guessing until the very end. Does your character know more than they’re letting on? Or are they trapped in a misunderstanding they can't escape? Whatever the case, the unreliable narrator invites readers to question everything and look deeper for the truth.

In my mind I had done just that....

I crafted a story from the lens of an unreliable narrator. Someone whose perspective warped reality yet intrigued the minds of many. This story was to stir up emotions and give the feeling of downright uncertainty; a story that would confuse the greatest minds alive like Plato, Isaac Newton, or Socrates.

The story starts off with a bizarre question even from the start within the subtitle. "Was it really real or just a delusion of my mind..."? If that doesn't capture your mind with intrigue and urge a reader to want more than I don't know what will!

And it doesn't stop there. The first sentence sets the tone for the entire story. "I was sitting in a haze. The sky was clear as day although it was night." We have the idea of two different perspectives coming together. Which one is right, is the sky clear and bright like daytime or is it dark as night?

The story goes on to state "My thoughts unsettling and continuously shifting I decided to go on a walk. I kept reassuring myself that everything was okay." This was the narrator hinting at an underlying issue within himself. Can I even trust my own thoughts? This ties the concept of the story back in with the title "Was it really real or just a delusion of my mind..."?

The next few sentences to follow, "I could feel my head spinning like I was trapped in a vortex of destruction. My body floating on top of the calm waters, hidden in the distance, but put in the spotlight of the moonlight." Once again it tries to confuse the reader from combining two opposite perspectives, leaving the reader to ask what! The reader is meant to picture an individual who is spinning in a vortex, yet they are floating on top of calm waters. It can't be, it is physically impossible. Also how can something in a spotlight or a light shining down from the moon illuminating all around be hidden.

Once again I chose to make the possible impossible. "My mind replaying the last half hour of this week. My thoughts racing slowly repeating over and over what could I have done differently... nothing!" I chose words that would play tricks with the minds of my readers. Make them take another look at the sentence. Did I just read what I thought I read? The last half hour of this week has two completely different time frames, one in minutes or an hour and one in days of a week. Then I took two opposite perspectives again. How can your mind have racing thoughts yet slowly repeat over and over? The unreliable narrator then asks again a question regarding one's mental health. I wanted to highlight the fact that this is what someone with mental health issues may face on a regular basis. And what could that individual have done differently... nothing. You can't always control everything in life. Sometimes there are some things that are just beyond your control.

Throughout the entirety of the story I come back to the main concepts. The narrator is so unreliable you don't even know what to think. Oh I am so confused. Could this be an underlying mental health issue? I tried to think of creative ways to incorporate perspectives from opposite sides but that also flowed well. "Had mine eyes really seen what my ears had heard. How could I be certain of the uncertainty that resulted from those few split indecisive decisions that unfolded." So I tried to bring a few of the five senses into the story to really draw the reader in more. I repeatedly asked, how can I be certain? I think a lot of us throughout life often second guess ourselves, and a lot of times we do have to make in the moment decisions that will affect us in ways we can't even imagine.

I often find my works whether it be art or writing, or really anything else I tend to do unique and different. I give a voice to those without one, I try to showcase and highlight things in life that we should be holding real discussions about, or asking the questions that might not always get asked. I am a very curious and inquisitive person, and I am always asking why? I need to know why something is the way it is, why you do this versus that, I need to know more to what is going on, the behind the scenes type info. I like to dig deeper and I don't take things for what they are at face value. There is usually more to every story. I'm drawn to the unique! I always have been. I wanted to shed some light on the way others think but in a creative and fun way. I wanted to break the stigma that is tied to mental health. And I really wanted people to look at life through another perspective.

Even if it didn’t literally pay off in this challenge. I still won. Because I believe it paid off in me becoming a better writer!