Attention Writers

Matt's scored a real find: an online writing professor holding a free course. It started last week, but you've got time to catch up. It's worth it to even just read the commentary:

One of the best exercises an acting teacher in college had us student actors do was to record an hour of conversation among several people. We then had to transcribe it verbatim in script form, memorize it and act it out in groups onstage. Our performance had to sound as “real” as the tape. To prove it, the professor played the tape first and then we did the scenes. Harder than you think! All that overlapping of dialogue, all the non sequiturs.

What an awesome idea. Also seen on the comments: this poem about pronunciation (NOTE: contains some Britishisms) and this McSweeney's article on "Words And Expressions Commonly Misused By Insipid Brothers-In-Law." Priceless. My favorite item on Quiz #1:

3. She waited with (baited, bated) breath to find out if she would star in the Lavoris commercial.

My submission for Assignment #1 (a compelling opening sentence): My brother died on a Tuesday.

My rationale: you can go lots of ways with it, from thriller to comedy to tragedy, and death is always interesting.

I fully intend on completing assignment #2, so you might want to edit yourself around me for the near future. . . .