In honor of America's foremost Southern Gothic Modernist
Exercise #011 - An Authentic Voice
Put yourself into the mind of a character who has a unique voice. This can be a person you know, someone chosen from the movies or television, or you can create your own character. Write an interior monologue recounting a story, or talking about a subject of your choosing (real or imagined), or from the following prompts. Allow the words and grammar to fit the manner and nature of the person you inhabit>
PROMPTS:
1 You are walking along a dusty road. In the distance, you see a woman walking toward you. As she passes you, she says nothing, but hands you a letter from her late husband and walks on.
2 You are stuck in a traffic jam, with the sun beaming down and the air conditioning broken.
3 Drinking black coffee in a roadside cafe. There is no milk or sugar.
Exercise #012 - Crossing the River
Two people are discussing how to get to the other side of a river with no obvious way across. Write a passage of dialogue between these two people. They have strong colloquial diction. Imagine the sound of their voices and write the dialogue so that the reader can interpret the diction and hear their voices. Allow yourself the freedom to tear the words up. Keep the treatment of words consistent and ensure they remain legible and coherent. For this exercise keep all the dialogue qualifiers simple (e.g.. "he said" and "she said") Don't use any adverbs to qualify the dialogue such as "she said angrily." Instead, show the reader the anger in the voice from what is said and how it is said.
Exercise #013 - Inspiration from the art world
Write a short piece inspired by a painting, sculpture, or any other form of artwork of your choosing. Think about the senses evoked within the artwork- the sounds, the tastes, the smells. What are the stories behind painted objects or people? Do any abstract forms trigger your own abstract thoughts and memories?