Commentary: One key to writing is having a story to tell

I began keeping a journal in the eighth grade. What prompted me to write was Amia Lucia Donatella Davia. She was the new student in Sister Dolores’ class who came from Caltanissetta, Sicily. Amia was the reincarnation of Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty. I was compelled to write about her and, after I got her out of my system, I kept writing about life in the Bronx.

My story is similar to that of Dante Alighieri. He’s the guy from 13th century Florence. The Italians called him il Sommo Poeta (the Supreme Poet). One day Dante was bopping down a cobble stone street in Florence when he spotted Beatrice Portinari, who was hotter than a biscuit. He was so enamored by her beauty that he wrote, “Vita Nuova” (New Life).

“There she stood dressed in crimson,” he said. “And at that moment my heart began to tremble so violently that my body shook; and in trembling I said these words: Here is a deity stronger than I; who’s coming shall rule over me. My spirit was filled with wonder and from that time forward love governed my soul.”

I didn’t write anything like that about Amia.

Dante and Beatrice never got together. As a matter of fact, they met only twice. However, his obsession with her continued throughout his life. She fueled the imagination of the poet, who famously went on to write “The Divine Comedy.”

So what’s my point? It’s about writing. More specifically, it’s about creating a story. My high school English teacher, Brother Jean Baptiste Martel, brought stories into the lives of his students. We were punks, inner city kids and it’s nothing short of a miracle that he got us to love Shakespeare. But when Brother Jean read from “Julius Caesar” I understood the power of story.

According to Brother Jean, story is the essence of writing. “We should read for the story,” he said. I documented his words in my journal, “1961.”

You might have spotted me in Starbucks helping kids with the college application process. I’ve been doing this since Christ was a corporal. It’s the first step toward adulthood, the rite of passage. Although it should be an exciting milestone for the family, I understand the angst parents and children feel when applying to college. But it’s like blowing candles out on a birthday cake. Don’t overthink it.

My focus is the college essay, which for many students is their Achilles heel. But when they have a good story, writing becomes easier. Everyone has a story to tell, but the secret is to tell one that reveals the soul of the writer, how they’ve changed, what they’ve learned, and who they’ve become. As they craft their story I ask, “So, what happened? Write it down. What happened next?” Although there’s no magic bullet to crafting a story, there’s a definitive methodology.

Initially, I’m not concerned with the logistics such as grammar and structure. We pick those up on the first, second, and third edits or we’ll get them on the final read-through. Students are amazed at the intensive effort of writing.

I never fulfilled Brother Jean’s wish for me to be a famous writer. My last journal was “1970.” Vietnam extinguished that candle. But I’m an old dog with new tricks and two books in my hard-drive. Brother Jean and Amia are highlighted in my first, “Stories from the Block.” Brother Jean was a life changer. Amia? Not so much. But she started me writing stories and I’ve never stopped. Look what Beatrice did for Dante.

JOE PUGLIA is a practicing counselor, a retired professor of education and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at [email protected]. Visit his website at doctorjoe.us.