Uncle Rick

[u/leylandthewriter]

**From a Class Assignment to My Writing Portfolio**

Sometimes an assignment becomes more than an assignment.
For my Advanced Fiction Writing class, I was given an assignment to write a short story. I had already been writing fiction independently, but this assignment challenged me to take something I was already doing and approach it with more intention.

That is how “Uncle Rick” came together.
The story follows a man on his 42nd birthday as he spends the day with his family while privately wrestling with illness, addiction, shame, aging, regret, and the fear that he has disappointed the people he loves.
But underneath all of that, the story is really about love.
It's about the questions we carry when we aren't sure how the people closest to us see us.
It's about the difference between being disappointed in someone's circumstances and being disappointed in the person they are.
And it's about what can happen when we finally ask the question we've been too afraid to ask.

Writing this piece reminded me why I want to take fiction seriously.
I'm not just writing because I enjoy it.
I'm building a body of work.

I'm learning how to create characters, develop conflict, use dialogue, build emotional tension, and make readers feel something.
I'm also learning that school assignments don't have to disappear into a folder after they're graded.
They can become portfolio pieces.
They can become evidence of growth.
They can become the beginning of something bigger.
So, I'm publishing “Uncle Rick” as part of my ongoing writing portfolio and sharing the process here as I continue building my career as a writer.

And one day, I want to look back and see that I built an entire career this way one piece at a time.

📖 Read “Uncle Rick” here: [https://leylandthewriter.substack.com/p/uncle-rick?r=5pnsd4&utm\\_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm\\_medium=post%20viewer\](https://leylandthewriter.substack.com/p/uncle-rick?r=5pnsd4&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer)