The Prose Teacher
A micro fiction
A time ago there was once -
‘No. Again!’
The rod whipped through the air and across my knuckles, drawing blood. It dripped through my fingers onto my keyboard.
‘Your prose clunks like a pianist playing bad notes. A great pianist loses their audience in the music; their craft is invisible.’
She tapped my keyboard. ‘This is your instrument. The reader cares not how you type, just the words you play. They should not, like bad notes, draw attention to themselves. Again!’
Once upon a time…
I hesitate.
She nods. ‘Better. Much better. Continue.’
About the Creator
Shane Dobbie
If writing is a performance art then I’m tap dancing in wellies.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (42)
Simply superb. I'm glad I got to see that magical sentence in action (The rod whipped through the air and across my knuckles, drawing blood.).
Nice one
Getting Whiplash vibes. Great work
oh gosh, Shane, i connect with this story more than i even want to! 😉
Man! I hope 'she' is a metaphor for your own drive to be better, otherwise you need to change classes. Still you should have put a trigger warning for all of us catholic school survivors. Just kidding.
Wow. I felt this in my soul and fingers. We’ve all been there. Keep writing! You got this. 😉
Hahaha. I think that Prose Teacher has tenure in my head. Great stuff!
Great story. I'm glad I never had a teacher like that. I am old enough to have taken a typing class in high school!
Congratulations!!! Check out some of my writings too <3
I always wondered what happened to Mrs. Jones. 🤣 Great story Shane.Congratulations 🥇
Whoohoo! Congratulations on your Top Story!
This is great! Congratulations ❤️
Congratulations on your Top Story✨💖🎉
I felt this one...
Amazing work Shane!!! and congratz on Top Story.
Congratulations on Top Story, Shane!
This is relatable, hilarious, and a bit horrifying. Great work.
Ouch? Ah, the dangers of clichés... I wouldn't touch one with a ten-foot pole... Thwack! Great Top Story!
Congrats on top story! I really love this challenge and the great stories it brings out.
Great story and congratulations on your top story
Ouch. Congratulations!
I'm not gonna lie I really like this! I like how short this is but yet very interesting.
Ohh excellent ❤️❤️❤️
Ouch, I've been cracked across the knuckles before in school, but this is another level, lol. And blood is flying for the first line? brutal Congratulations on Top Story!
Congratulation. I guess you put the coma in the correct place. 😉