The Author

By Ella Changwa

When Rachel signs up to take a creative writing course run by her author hero, horror writer Clark Geoffries, she doesn't realise just how close their relationship is going to get... Or with how firm a hand he mentors his favourite students.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ella Changwa
• Release date: Mar 6, 2017

Book preview

The Author

By Ella Changwa

Rachel pushed her way through the throng of people exiting the tram and began to half-jog towards the hotel. She was half an hour late for her first writing class with the infamous thriller writer Clark Geoffries. Why he had chosen to hold his classes at a pub Rachel could only guess at, however, she certainly wasn't complaining. It would make the whole affair of meeting him that much less intimidating.

As soon as she entered the hotel she ordered herself a white wine. It would make her another few minutes later than she already was, but at this point, she didn't really care. She was about to meet one of her all-time heroes and she was nervous as all hell. Clark had been a favourite author of hers for as long as she could remember. He'd written several New York Times bestsellers in the past, but he hadn't had anything published for five years. Rumours were floating around that he was in the dreaded throes of writer's block. Rachel hoped to convince him to become her mentor.

Before she could even begin to manage that, though, she would have to try to relax a little bit. She gulped at her wine as she surveyed the inside of the hotel. In the corner, at the head of a large table seating about twelve, stood the man himself. He seemed affable and every bit as handsome as the portrait on the back of all of his book covers, although as Rachel gingerly walked over and quietly took a seat at the end of the table his smile did seem a little forced as he noticed her. Despite that he welcomed her to his class.

Sorry I'm late, she apologised, I'm so disorganised lately. I took forever to leave the house today. Sometimes I think only a crack of the whip would get me out of there any sooner. Her voice wavered as her lame attempt at humour fell completely flat. Everyone in the class was staring at her. She blushed emphatically.

Clark's forced smile turned quizzical as she made this last admission. His voice was soft and kind as he replied, That's alright, Rachel. Maybe you could stay after class and I'll catch you up on what you missed.

The class was everything she could have hoped for and more. Clark's advice was both illuminating and inspiring, and the writing exercises he had his students undertake turned out exceptionally well... For everyone else, that was. For Rachel, Clark reserved only the sharpest critiques and no praise.

Why are you writing in the third person here? This whole thing would be much better as a first-person narrative. Begin again.

What you're saying here isn't clear, Rachel. Nobody could decipher what you're driving at. Start again from the beginning.

Rachel... I don't even know what to say about this one. It's just so... Clichéd. You sound like a total hack. Throw it in the bin.

Rachel could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes. The whole class was watching her, waiting to see how she would react. Her breathing became fast and shallow and she stared at Clark, who returned her bewildered gaze impassively. Her mind grappled with her options. Should she just leave? Forfeit the fee she had paid for the class? Not return to any of the remaining ones?

No, she decided; this man was her hero, damn it. She would not give up a chance to learn from him. But why was he treating her this way? She wanted nothing more than to please him, nothing more than to show him her raw talent and have him acknowledge it... But