Main Entry: sin-gu-lar-i-ty
Pronunciation: “si[ng]-gy&-’lar-&-tE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
1 : something that is singular : as a : a separate unit b : unusual or distinctive manner or behavior : PECULIARITY
2 : the quality or state of being singular
3 : a point at which the derivative of a given function of a complex variable does not exist but every neighborhood of which contains points for which the derivative exists
4 : a point or region of infinite mass density at which space and time are infinitely distorted by gravitational forces and which is held to be the final state of matter falling into a black hole
Main Entry: nu-mi-nous
Pronunciation: ‘nü-m&-n&s, ‘nyü-
Function: adjective
1 : SUPERNATURAL, MYSTERIOUS
2 : filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : HOLY
3 : appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : SPIRITUAL
Main Entry: hom-age
Pronunciation: ‘ä-mij, ‘hä-
Function: noun
1 a : a feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord b : the relationship between a feudal lord and his vassal c : an act done or payment made in meeting the obligations of vassalage
2 a : expression of high regard : RESPECT — often used with pay b : something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another : TRIBUTE
Main Entry: ex-per-i-ment
Pronunciation: ik-’sper-&-m&nt
Function: intransitive verb
: to carry out experiments : try out a new procedure, idea, or activity
Main Entry: fa-cil-i-tate
Pronunciation: f&-’si-l&-”tAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -tat·ed; -tat·ing
: to make easier : help bring about
I don’t remember what the assignment was here, but I know I wrote it for a class. It could’ve been a really vague assignment like “write a 1500 word story with first-person dialogue.” I really don’t know. Try not to take this piece too seriously. There are a lot of half-jokes and wordplay here that is supposed to mimic the original. It actually got a few good laughs when they read it in class. Maybe you will laugh, too. Oh, and the last word in the story is not a typo.
For this assignment, we were supposed to have a three-person dialogue about video games without using quotes or identifying markers. I kind of cheated here by adding color, but I’m sure no one will really care either way.
The purpose of this assignment was to help us construct the smallest story without having to write an introduction, and to concentrate on developing the story and characters in what was implied rather than said. In case you’re wondering, they are not on ecstasy.
The assignment was to write about a serial killer doing something mundane, like shopping. I’m sorry but I just can’t help but think in the future. The main character in this story was originally named Mr. Rivus, but I had to use that name somewhere more important.
This assignment was to write a dialogue between two people without using identifying markers like, “he said,” and “said Kari.” I don’t remember what the content requirements were, but I would guess there weren’t any. My professors are good about that.
The assignment here was to “write the worst, horriblest story” I could. I’m sure it could’ve been worse, but I wanted to be somewhat readable. Though I’m sure I missed a few, I tried to break every rule I could think of, including (but not limited to) grammar, spelling, coherency, decency, and blasphemy. How many can you find?
I messed up this assignment because it was supposed to have three perspectives, which threw my creative writing class off. They were confused as to who was speaking. To compensate for that problem, I color-coded the text. But it took away from the point of the exercise. And we can’t expect people to print stories in color. That’s called a comic book. Anyway, I decided to keep the two speakers in two different fonts because I wanted it to be immediately obvious that there were two different narrators.
The assignment was to write from the perspective of someone who is wearing two different shoes and suddenly realizes it. They were supposed to think that everyone noticed and (I guess) freak out about it. My only fear with this story (besides how insufferably lame it is) is that someone might completely miss the irony. Dude, I swear I’m not, like, represented in that story. Like, you know, dude?
I originally started writing a story where the author torments the main character by putting him in various weird situations. I set it aside for a long time until I was told to write a metafiction story. I pulled out the sections that did not fit my new story and wrote the rest months later.
This was actually enjoyable to do because it allowed me to do something with a piece that I have had a hard time finishing. There are so many things you can do with the seed idea that I just left it alone because it was so open-ended. This, however, is a relatively satisfying way to compress a book into a short story.
This was an assignment where I was supposed to read T. Coraghessan Boyle’s “The Hit Man” and rewrite it using any other profession. It is intended to be a humorous piece about the life of a drug dealer. Special thanks to Boyle for not suing me (yet) for “borrowing” the idea. Try not to take this piece too seriously. There are a lot of half-jokes and wordplay here that is supposed to mimic the original. It actually got a few good laughs when they read it in class. Maybe you’ll laugh, too.
These stories were mostly assignments from creative writing teachers, which will hopefully explain the odd mix of stories. More importantly, I hope it will keep it lively enough to keep you entertained. Explanations of the assignments that led to each story can be found to the right of each story. Remember, this was just my [ Read More ]
This short story focuses on the experiences of one man that finds himself unwilling to deal with the rest of humanity and his decision to leave society. After a time, strange things begin to happen in the skies above him, and he eventually finds himself wanting to reconnect with the people he had once abandoned. It was originally published in the inaugural issue of the Texas Texas University Honor’s College journal in 2003.