CommonApp Essay- Power of Fiction and the short answer

'Lil baby short answer (elaborate on extracurricular)

I distinctly remember a certain Peanuts strip: as Lucy leans on Schroeder's toy piano, she asks him "What happens if you practice for twenty years, and then end up not being rich and famous?" I have often asked myself the same question. Being a violinist is not without its sacrifices; hours of practicing, Friday nights devoted to lessons, and weekends spent at music festivals. The very nature of playing an instrument makes being a good musician both tiring and time-consuming, but I have kept up with it since I started at age eight. Why? Schroeder answers for me in the next panel, stating "The joy is in the playing." The tedium of practicing pays off in every orchestral performance, when those not-so-enjoyable memories of repetition become insignificant to the melodious collaboration of instruments. Playing the violin can be exhausting, but the happiness of creating music uplifts and inspires me.

Topic of your choice.

Tick, tock. The clock's perpetual noise punctuated the night's silence. The furniture seemed to come alive, the cat-shaped nightlight casting their gloomy shadows down the hallway. A little girl, no more than five, nervously looked around before darting into her bedroom. Breathless, I ducked under the covers with my treasures for that night: a flashlight and a book of fairy tales that I had received for Christmas the year before. The book divided the stories into smaller sections, designated by dates of the year. I turned to page 39, January 26th, and began reading.

I have traveled through scorching deserts, icy mountains, and an infinitesimally small world that resides on a flower. Chess pieces visited me while I had breakfast with the Mad Hatter, before a great hawk swept me away and transported me to a kingdom among the trees. In no other way could I travel across the world, through universes and folds in time. Where else could I find playmates who accompanied me on my daily adventures? Where else could I casually stroll through the woods, only to be smacked in the head by a falling rope of hair? I was able to experience all of this before my tenth birthday even arrived.

Back then, I didn't understand how cats, mice, princesses, dragons, or green breakfast foods made any rational sense in the real world. To me, they were just things that delighted and entertained, nothing more. My mother would also contribute to my exposure to fiction, recounting old Chinese folklore that she had heard as a little girl. I didn't appreciate them any more than those fairy tales, although I later learned that their purpose was to teach me important values and lessons. When I asked my mother what it all meant, she didn't reply; she never gave me straightforward answers, preferring to let me figure things out on my own.

It wasn't until I became exposed to the daily stresses of high school that I learned to fully appreciate the power of fiction. These weren't just stories, but ways to express emotions and convey meaning without the secular boundaries of reality. The limits are positively and negatively unbounded; it's easy to be seduced by its possibilities. Remorseful that I didn't pay enough tribute to the stories of my childhood, I revisited my bookshelf and began rereading those tales.

During my nightly readings, I discovered that the situations of fictional characters, whether fantastical or realistic, closely parallel the struggles of real people. They strike a familiar chord with the reader, and the story works to its full effect. They present perspectives from different cultures, allowing me the view similar subjects with multiple points of view. Fiction creates worlds that aren't limited to dimensions or time. It creates the "rabbit hole" that every child and adult secretly years to encounter, where fanciful dreams can teach lessons, entertain, and dispel the mundane anxieties which cloud our mind. I am transported into that mysterious, elusive world beyond the pages where words and pictures come alive-at least, until my flashlight burns out.

--------

I would like to know if this shows enough (because I think it tells, but I can't really judge)

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

The l'il baby essay is kinda cute and what Schroeder answers really profound - you could write the long comm app on that alone - that the process and not the end-result of being rich and famous is the pay-off. (but yeah, the tedium of practicing only pays off when the orchestra makes good music all together, not only in the final performance but also in rehearsals.)


I think reinforcing this in your last sentence (instead of "the happiness of creating music uplifts and inspires me would make your essay even better. But already fine as is.

Quick comment about your long essay: You write well and I'm guessing will pursue this in school. I love the topic and it was fun to read. I would have liked to learn more about what aspect of fiction you appreciated other than for escapism. "it's easy to be seduced by its possibilities" What inspired you?


Could the first and second paragraph be combined into a recap your favorite story? Again, only suggestions here - the story is yours to tell and its already great as is.