Week 2 Story

Find the updated version of my retold story on my website.

The Fearful Author

On a cold, rainy in New York City, we meet Julia Schriver. Julia was very hesitant to move away from her safe, quiet home in rural Arkansas, but her parents insisted that it was time for her to begin a great adventure on her own. On the inside, she knew that they were correct, she had always wanted this; this however did not make leaving any easier.

Julia is a very successful writer and has moved to New York City for new inspiration. Although she seems strong on the outside, she is always fearful that something could go wrong. Loud noises scare her and she takes a while to warm up to new people. Without her mother here to calm her nerves, Julia fears that she will let something small scare her worse than ever before. In spite of her fears, Julia leaves her apartment in The Village and walks to the local coffee shop, this coffee shop is cozy and provides the perfect atmosphere for Julia to write her next novel. After ordering a plain latte from  the brooding barista at the bar, Julia finds a seat by the crackling fireplace. The warmth is comforting and Julia thinks to herself, "this cannot be too bad. I have a warm place to write and I feel like something big is about to happen." Julia spends most of the day outlining and planning the chapters of the book that she is working on, but she cannot seem to nail down a plot that she absolutely loves. Later in the afternoon, five twenty-somethings blaze into the coffee shop and flop down on the burnt orange couch next to Julia's chair. They seem to be very close with one another and with the staff of the coffee shop. Julia keeps her notepad pulled up to cover her face in hopes that the group will not notice that she is extremely interested in them and would like to just sit and observe them. After a while, one of the men in the group approaches Julia and asks her if she would like to join them. Julia is very hesitant and on the inside she wants nothing more than to leave and go home. When she begins to resist, she hears the words of her father, "you will never know what is really out there if you let the good people in your life scare you back home." She knew he was right, and with that sentiment from her father, she mustered up the courage to turn and meet the rest of this group of friends. 

                         A Familiar Coffee House where Julia Meets Five New Friends                               

                    

Author's Note: The following story was inspired by The Foolish, Timid Rabbit, in the original story, a scared rabbit believes that the Earth is breaking up and in his pandemonium, he strikes fear into the hearts of many other animals and causes them to also believe that the Earth is breaking up. 

Bibliography: "The Foolish, Timid Rabbit" from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. Web Source.