There's a lot of material out there to advise a writer how to deal with writer's block - that is, what to do when you're faced with a blank screen and no words. Apparently there's another kind of writer's block that's more insidious. I don't know what to call it, but we discussed it at length last night and the word you both used to describe it was "laziness."
In lieu of telling you both to sit your asses in front of the computer and write something already, I'm throwing out the next assignment, which you can, of course, take or leave as you like.
Think of a traumatic situation, such as a car accident or a funeral*. Describe the event in a series of first-person monologues from fifteen different participants/attendees. Give each character his or her own voice and interpretation of events. Don't stop after three! Keep going! Stretch!
Giving credit where credit is due, this is from Writing Begins with the Breath, by Laraine Hering.
*To open this up a bit, there are other events and situations that are emotionally charged and involve lots of people. I don't think we need to limit ourselves to traumatic stuff. I think the critical point here is that we're not describing a walk in the park.
Submit one perspective every day, no shorter than 300 words, posted here.
FIFTEEN? I can't just do seven and leave it at that?
Of course you can. But all three of us know that we have enough imagination to come up with fifteen different characters and fifteen different monologues. Don't wimp out. Do it.
As far as subject matter goes, yeah, I'd like to use a scene from Sanctuary. Lori, I think this is a perfect time for you to do something completely unrelated to the NHN and the lycanthrope project. Dig into that storehouse of memories. Kelly, if you're tricky about it you could even cheat and fold the childhood assignment into this as well.
So. Fifteen different perspectives. Fifteen days. Starting now. First post due by midnight tonight, your time.
Go.
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