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Third Issue Editorial: Hubris

NOTE: There's no telling what's going to happen this quarter. Good luck with that.

CHARACTER VIGNETTES

The next assignment is closer to the work we all want to do: a character vignette.  With or without a clear plot (you won't be penalized if your piece is simply a "slice of life") you will take a character -- one you've created already, or one you've developed for this work -- and make them "come alive" in the space of 300-700 words.  If you run long on your first draft (*Hannibal glances at Chinedum*) turn it in on time any way.  You're gonna take a character and breathe life into her/him, letting the character walk around (metaphorically speaking) for 300-700 words.  

"Why?"  Well, this is the sort of exercise that kicks writer's block in the gonads.  You're stuck on a piece.  You stop.  You start writing about one of the characters -- maybe not even related to what you're doing -- as just part of their life.  The ways they interact with other characters starts to become more clear.  From that comes emotional resonance and backstory, and you could find yourself back in the groove of your main project shortly, with a nice bit of "DVD extra" fiction to boot.  

For example: in this piece, I'm gonna take the song "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry and write from the perspective of the girl who got kissed.  Why? I think it's interesting.  I also have a tolerable idea on how to write it.

Deadline?  First drafts are due November 17th.  Plenty of time.  I'll publish mine first. Peer review is back, kids, so Chinedum email your draft to ... er ... , oh, let's say me (but CC the group -- accountability matters), Ritch sends his to Rumond, I'll fire mine off to Chinedum and Rumond to Ritch.  I think I haven't duplicated any peer review there.