I believe that my writing style is affected by every different fiction author whose books I read. It's affected even more so by fantasy writers, which isn't surprising because the main genre I read and write is fantasy. In Grade One, when I was seven years old and writing stories that lasted anywhere up to 100 words, I had no particular influences. The stories I wrote were generally accounts of true events hidden (very badly) behind a creative guise.
I don't remember where all the magic in my stories came from. Maybe films and cartoons, or fairytales. But when I wrote my first "longer" story (A Whole New World, or something very similar), it seemed set in stone the kinds of stories I would be writing.

It's been so long since I posted something I'd written when I was eight. Well, I want to finish Sam's story, and then maybe I'll lead you through Peter's crossover story. And maybe after that, I'll consider finishing Ashley's story. Either I'll update the style, or I'll attempt to satirise my 10-years-ago self. Either way, it should be interesting, and it will be nice having the decaying tangible copy in digital format, so at least the words will stay with me.

[Note: If you haven't read the earlier entries in A Magical World, you can do so by clicking the tag at the end of this post.]

[Paragraphing added for your reading pleasure.]
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A Magical World: Sam's Life!

Part III: The Dragon

Peter, Ashley and I were walking down the passage when Sam tho I saw a fireplace and stopped stoped stopped. Peter and Ashley stopped stoped as well.

"What's the matter?" Phill Peter asked.

"You know that moving wall, there's one in that fireplace."

"How do you know that?"

"I'll check it." So I did, I took a button and pushed it into the fire place wall. It was pushed about a meter back. "I think we should leave this until after practice and REPELLING-SMALL-BIG Class. So they we practiced and practiced until the bell went. The We entered REPELLING class. A teacher named Ms Mcoy was sitting behing an very old looking desk.

She said, "I was expecting you three later, but come in anyway." "we'll start withe REPELLING small to BIG, hold up five fingers to the plant you will find on your desks, then add another five fingers and your plant will grow. If you would like to shrink it back to medium size hold up eight fingers. To shrink from medium hold up eight fingers and fist Four. To shrink from BIG hold up Ten fingers and fist five, for that it will be normal size again. NOW THAT YOU HAVE LEARNT TO REPELL - CLASS DISMISSED!

RING! RING! RING!

They We walked around the Castle for about an hour when Sam I stopped stoped stopped, remembering the fireplace. He I ran down the corridor, round and round a blocks and through a door when he I found out, Phill Peter and Ashley behind him me, until he I found the fire place. I saw the pushed block and walked passed it. They we walked down a long corridor, although we heared big footsteps on the other side of the wall.

We walked, scared, hearing scattering, stomping, screaming, ROARING noises. Just then, a red, clawed hand punched a brick out of place. Then a whole body in form of a dragon knocked a Million bricks out of place wich toppled onto the stone floor and broke into Thousands and Thousands if pieces. Ashley screamed and bolted down the corridor. Phill Peter ran after her yelling his head off, which left me with the dragon.

It blew Five fire balls at me. I dodged Three and ducked from Two. I bredt breathed Three fire balls at it, to the dragon's suprise, it froze, wide opened mouth. Then, to my suprise, they went down the dragon's throat. They seemed to hit where the dragon's soal was meant to be. I guessed it died on the spot. I ran back down the corridor and out the fireplace screen, right passed Phill Peter and Ashley, out the enterance portrait, out the fake enterance, into the grounds and home out in no time as fast as I could and never came back.

{ALTHOUGH ONE DAY HE DOSE DOES}.

IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE READING

A Magical World: Sam's Life!

Part II: Next Year

I was on my way to school, when I remembered about the old magic Castle. As soon as I remembered, I dissapeared as fast as I could, down a path, up a hill, East, North, West. I walked across a long path for about Seven days and a night. Then I saw it, the huge Castle. I walked up to the door (without going straight for the handle) and politely knocked on the door.

The doors received the knock and opened. I said the password for the portrait and walked through. The old man came up to me.

"I see you have practiced how to control yourself about pressing buttons." [Interjection: I love this line!]

"Yes, I have," I started, "And a bloody whole lot too. So this had better be worth it."

"It will, It will," He replied, "but don't go pressing any more buttons." So I didn't, but I got foolish and wanted to see what would happen if I ripped off my button and pushed it into the wall. The wall pushed right forward abd across.

I walked through and came to a band and read: FIRE TABLETS, WARNING: MAY BURN THROAT AND CAUSE TO BREATH FIRE. -->

I looked t the right and saw the FIRE TABLETS. I tranceported over to the basket. [Interjection: I adore the use of the word transport in this context.] It I took Two tablets missing sight of a sighn read: I TABLET EACH. >

My throat was burning like hell. It repeated as I struggled to find water or something. I couldn't find a single drop. Of course I wanted a plural drop. I breathed as hard as I could and instead of breath I got three fireballs about the size of a bowling ball.

I think I'd better keep my breath to myeself.

RING! RING! RING!

The bell went.

MOVING OBJECTS, I read on a door and walked through. A teacher named Professor Levana was in there. "Ah, your all here. Welcome to MOVING OBJECTS class."
"We will start with LEVITATING."
"Excuse me, but could you please repeat that?" asked a boy named Peter.
"LEVITATING! She repeated in an angry voice. "Now, to LEVITATE fist all your fingers exept your pink-"
"EXCUSE ME, I DON'T LIKE THE SOUND OF PINK!"
"-y," she added, "aim at the OBJECT you want to LEVITATE. It will float in mid-air. For it to follow you, step backwards, to push it, step forwards, to pull right, step right, so, of course, to pull left, step left, and at last to drop, unfist your hand.
RING! RING! RING! "Class DISMISSED!"
I walked outside the door. Two people came up to me. "HI, I'm Peter and this is Ashley, want to practice Levitation with us?"
"Yeah, ok, but only if I get to show you some thing first."
"Ok, we'll follow you."
"My name's Sam by the way," I said on the journey.
I went back to the spot where I pushed my button into and did the same. Peter and Ashley were right behind me. I showed them why they should take the Fire Tablets. But to my suprise, Ashley didn't take any, but then again, Peter took Four.

I told him to breath, and he was really suprised when he saw what happened.

I wrote this poem three years ago in Year Eight for an assignment. It is a parody of The Ugly Duckling. Read to the end for a unique twist!
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RYAN SULLIVAN - BHA IS-FO LINLAVUE

The Ugly Duckling (The True Story)

Once a long long time ago

A mother duck was feeling low

The mother duck had laid her eggs

But half of them looked just like kegs!

One day the eggs began to hatch

They cracked and cracked

And all ten matched


One hadn't hatched and it was big

And looked different

Like a fig

The mother thought

"Oh me! Oh my!

"I guess this duck will never fly!"


Next day she came back to her lair

To her dismay

It wasn't there


He ran and ran for all his luck

She couldn't catch him

She was just a duck


He ran and ran till he was calm

Eventually he came to a farm

He was caught in a net

And came out of the wet

And landed in an old woman's palm


"I am going to cut you and slice you

"And mangle you into pieces!

"Then I will share you with all of my nieces!"


He was locked in a pen

With a hare and a hen

And soon it was night

And he was in fright


"Run!" said the hare, "With all your luck

She can't catch you, you lucky duck!"

"If you don't," the hen said

"She will chop off your head!

"And blood always makes me chuck"


So off went the lock

With nought but a knock

Away from the hen

Away from the pen


While the duck ran he also thought

"Oh why, oh why is life so short?

Oh why, oh why must all things die?

Oh, how I wish that I could fly!"


He was alone

Out on his own

And didn't know where to go

He saw a big light

Which shone very bright

But what it was he didn't know


The closer it came

The less it looked tame

And suddenly out went the light

He heard a door close

And that's when he froze

For he couldn't see much in the night


He was put in a sack

And thrown in the back

And the air in there was very tight

He gasped for his breath

On the verge of death

And that's when he noticed his plight


"I have been worked like a hound

"I thought they were very profound

"I'll chop off their heads

"The hare will be dead

"And the hen will be running around!"


The car stopped

The engine hopped

The duckling leaped onto the floor

The keys were turned

The engine churned

And the car drove on ever more


While he was sitting in the back

The duckling quacked and quacked

"Shut up, duck

"You're out of luck

"And no, it is not coming back!"


She pushed the clutch

But far too much

And somehow opened the door

Then she got out

And came about

And the duck thought, "Man, what a--"


She picked up

The ugly duck

And took him to the front door

It was locked

And so she knocked

And it wasn't locked anymore


The woman said

"Hi, McNewan! I've got the perfect duck for stewin'!"

"Come in! Come in!" said McNewan

"I just got the water brewin'

"He's still alive, but that's the best!

"Now let's be done with this damned pest"


They took him down the hallway floor

To the left and through the door

Past the photos all around

Hanging up and looking down


To the kitchen hence they came

Leaving then the hall of fame

"Mmm," the duck thought, "duckling stew"

"WAIT!" he thought, "That duck is YOU!"


They came closer to the pot

The duck went in

"That water's HOT!"

There and then the phone did ring

"You're mother's called about that thing!"

"I'll be back," McNewan said

"With bourbon and a loaf of bread"


The duck got out of the pot

And turned the knob a lot

He stopped at low

So he would know

The water wouldn't be so hot


The duck got back inside the pot

And now it was not quite so hot

He had a good laugh

And then he thought

"Well, I do love a good bath!"


McNewan returned with the bourbon and bread

And placed them down, nodding his head

He took a step back, admiring the view

And looking forward to his duck stew


McNewan's coat made him look fatter

He was coming to the pot with a platter

The duck looked asleep

With not even a peep

And everything else didn't matter


The woman's hands went to her head

"Oh my God! This duck's not dead!"

Then he hissed

And bit her wrist

And the rest of her hand went red


"Right!" McNewan said

"If this duck isn't dead

"He can go far from here

"And get eaten by the deer!"


"Throw me! Throw me!

"I don't care! I have courage like a bear!"

"I think you mean a lion, duck!"

But the duck was no more there


He flew and flew

"Achoo! Achoo!"

He had caught a cold

He thought that he had grown immune

But he was getting old


He landed by a clear blue pond

With which he felt a special bond

He had seen it once before

And now he was quite fond


"Hey, Ron! Yes you, the swan

"Do I have some luck?

"Am I just like you, a swan?

"Or am I just a duck?"


"Sorry, mate

"You're not a swan

"You're all out of your luck"


The other swan said

"Stuff him mate!

"He's just an ugly duck!"

Here is what my writing was like in Grade Two, a year after I began writing. It is fun to laugh at the incredible mistakes I made, and the lack of knowledge I had of the English language. The obvious naïveté is also interesting to observe.
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A Magical World: Sam's Life!

Part I: The Castle

Hi! My name is Sam. I pretty much don't like my family. There's rules everywhere! I'm not even allowed to jump on the couch. It's unfair! I wish there were no rules. And if there were no rules, my life would be prefect. I woke up next morning. It was beautiful. But I had a plan. A brilliant plan. Tonight I will run away from home. I played, had breakfast, played, didn't bother about lunch, played, had dinner and went to bed. I stay awake until... Snap! The light just automatically turned off. I can't help it. I must... Hor shoo, hor shoo.

Yet again I woke up. This morning is a bit different. The air is all dusty. The day went by so quickly and it's already night time. That means it's time for my runaway. I hid from table to chair, from chair to couch to wall to door. I carefully slid up the door. I quietly opened the oor. It made a loud CREACH! Few! no one woke up. I opened the door a little bit more. Mum came out of he room. "What's all the noise?!" She asked in a terrorfied voice.

I ran, ran for my life, out the door, down the path, up a hill, East, forward, West. At least I think I went that way. OOOPS! Now I know what I for-got. My compass! "Oh well, I'll follow the sun once it comes up. Until then, I'll follow the moon for five minutes and have a sleep until the sun comes up. Good night world.

Ah! Rise and shine. I had a BIG STRECH, and then walked along the path again. It was a beautiful bright sunny morning. The sun was shining brightly ["brightly" has rays drawn around it] in my eyes. I carefully followed the sun since I forgot my compass. At I did the same thing for seven days and a night. "AH! It's nice to be away from home for a change. There's no rules out here in the open." I looked up at the sky. I looked down again. I looked back up. a "OH I MY GOD!" "There is a HUGE Castle right in front of me! NO! REALY! I'M SERIOUS" I went up to the Caste door. I very slowly go for the handle. BOING! I weakly flung back. Ow! I got up. The doors flung open. I fell back. "Don't be afraid," A voice said in amazement. "Come inside," It was a pretty small room compared to how big the Castle was. The only thing in the room was an old rusty picture hanging on the wall. The voice said, "BIARA BULA!" The picture opened. "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!," I yelled.
"Well, I just said the password for the portrait."
"IT'S A PORTRAIT!"
WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME IT WAS A PORTRAIT?"
I slowly calmed down and walked I through the portrait. An old a but tall looking man came up to me. He said,
"Hello Sam," He said.
"How did you know my name was Sam?" I asked
"I'm a phsicic, but anyway I'll tell you what you'r here for later. Until then you should have a look around."

I saw a door in the corner. I went up and opened it. There was a button on the far side of the room.
I forgot what the old man said and pressed the buttton. Spikes came out of the walls and they threatened to close in on me. The old man came in and said
"BREESEN BUA! The spikes dissapeared and the walls widened. You can't obay obey the Castle rules, I guess you won't obey the spell-bounding spell-binding rules. I suggest you come back next year.