Writing about 'firsts' - by Fran Hill

I stood at the kerb, waiting for the school bus, on my first day at secondary school. I was eleven. My mother insisted on waiting with me, mainly because she was convinced I would take off the compulsory beret that my grammar school imposed on younger pupils. It was navy blue with a gold tassel and when she put it on me and tugged it tight around my head, something inside me crumpled.

I didn't know why she was being so militant about it. I now understand that her own life had been so chaotic and messy, she was probably proud that I had passed my 11 plus and was going to grammar school. In some way, the beret represented my success.

But I didn't know that then, and would it have made any difference if I had?  I was terrified of getting on that bus, facing the other students, many of them older and meaner than I. The beret made it all so much worse: it may have represented success for Mum, but for me it was a symbol of my naivety and vulnerability. It marked me out. I sobbed and begged, desperate for her to let me take it off before the bus came.

When it arrived, she had to force me up the steps. Worse, much much worse, she then asked an older girl, sitting at the front of the bus, 'Can you look after her? She's nervous.'

I remember nothing of the day at school that followed. But I won't forget that first bus journey.


Firsts: a rich seam of writing ideas to explore, in both fiction and non-fiction.

There's that song, isn't there? Roberta Flack's 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'. Beautiful and haunting, it captures the power of the 'first time'.

Whether a first day at school, a first job, or sibling, or pocket money, guitar, pet, bereavement, holiday abroad, dish of snails, bout of chemo, acceptance of an article, kiss, trophy, teddy, house, betrayal, husband, live concert,  - firsts have such resonance and significance.

In fiction, putting a character into a 'first' situation can reveal much about them. Flash back to their own first day at school, perhaps, or their first love, first pet, or first guitar. This will reveal early motivations and influences.  Or have them experience a 'first' in the current narrative, such as seeing a fatal accident, or visiting India, or reading someone's private diary for the first time. It's one way to characterise them for the reader - how do they react? What do they think? How does it change them?

'Firsts' make for interesting non-fiction too, whether that be a slice of your own autobiography, a travel article about your first visit to Spain, or an advice piece about how to cope with that first rejection letter.

You'll find, if you're writing about your own past experiences particularly, that as you write, the emotions and impressions experienced will come back to you, making the writing authentic and powerful.

So, even if you think, 'I could write about that first time in hospital as a child, but I'm not sure I'll remember much detail,' just start. I promise you will! And you may well surprise yourself with what your subconscious has squirrelled away.

If you have any other ideas for 'firsts', please write them below in the comments.

And what about 'lasts'? Equally as rich a seam, no doubt. I could definitely write a piece about the last time I let my mother wait for the bus with me!

Another candidate for the 'first time but also the last time' category?

Fran is a writer and teacher from Warwickshire. Her new book 'Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?' will be published by SPCK in 2020. You can find out more about her at her website right here