Better Than You- Originally posted by James Staynings

I wrote this not that long ago, its a short story that hopefully will be appearing in The Ripple sooner rather than later. It's the result of a challenge to write something in under 500 words and it came out suprinsgly well, but judge for yourself.
Better Than You.
It's Sunday night, I'm driving from Manchester to Leicester and it's raining. I'm travelling back to uni from a weekend long creative writing course and can't help but feel, disheartened by the words of one of the teachers. The guy told me in so few words that really, my poems were comparable to Sylvia Plath; melancholy and unoriginal. He might as well have pulled down my trousers and castrated me. It feels like he did. What could be worse? Well I'm in the car sat next to my worst enemy. The problem? The guy's been my best friend since sixth form.
'So yeah, that's why Shakey's overrated,' he laughs. And the annoying thing is, he's right. The guy can talk and the guy can write. He might as well be superman. His words might as well be made of silver. He's a word-smith, and a better one than me. At least for the time being. 'Your still not thinking about what the instructor said are you?' It appears now he's also a mind reader. Then again that's easy for him to say, the instructor practically called him the next Anthony Burgess. 'Don't listen to him, even the greatest writers have their critics,' he says. Why does he have to make this so hard? I want to hate him but he's killing me with kindness. His smile might as well be the knife that stabs me.’
'Doesn't help me mate,' my eyes don't leave the road.
'Your poetry is great.' The guy’s so ridiculously sweet, he's sugar coated. Then again it's easy for him to play the comforter. I basically drove 118 miles to find out he's a better writer than me. The sad thing was, I already knew it. It hurts. Why do we as humans always feel the need to compete with each other and compare ourselves?
'Do you really care what he thinks? The guy published a novel back in the 80's and hasn't done much since. Is his opinion really valid?'
Maybe he's right. What does that teacher know? Let's face it, creative writing instructors are the same as demeaning critics. Both failed to make it to the big time, so now they take it out on others. Seriously, what gives a failed writer the right to tell me that my own work is no good? Nothing but failure. It's a sick cycle, and I'm better than this. I can rise above it and move up the ladder.
They say no matter how good you get, there will always be someone better than you. It’s true, so what's the point of worrying about them, when there’s ways to better yourself and surpass the people in front of you. It takes hard work and preparation, but I knew it would come to this sooner or later. What's the best way to move up the creative ladder?
'Why we stopping?'
Take out the people who are better than you. Kill the competition.

By James Staynings.