The assignment: Choose a writer that interests you. The writer can be literary or not–novelist, self-helper, whatever… Read one of their short stories, or the first five to ten pages of a book. Notice as you read how long their sentences are, what proportion of their prose is dialogue vs. scene-setting vs. philosophizing. Notice if they tend to use more words with Latin roots vs. Anglo-Saxon roots. Do they use fancy words or street language? Notice what tense your sample pages are in, and if they are written in the first, second, or third person. Now, endeavor to write a story or vignette in their style.

The result: “Stabbing Vonnegut” is my attempt at writing a first chapter in the style of Kurt Vonnegut, specifically based on his novel “Sirens of Titan.” In my chapter, Maximus Eiffel

is a drone for the advertising industry, and like everyone else, he fills his life with material objects, fear of the unknown, and a desire to be unique. Until one day when he and his boss, the cold and predictable Ursula, are given a task that will change the future of life as they know it.

So what happens next? You tell me. What will the Master reveal to them, if anything at all? How do they change the world? What is their purpose?

I’d love to hear your ideas!

B