“So, You see,” He, She, They Said
John Clark staring up from the bottom of the Well of Delusion and Despair at current reality. This month, we’re tackling one of those creatures designed by committee, the infamous point of view. It brings to mind one of my favorite writing exercises from What If? : Writing exercises for fiction writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter, a book I used when teaching creative writing. Create a meal and people it with various family members and/or guests . Have readers/ aspiring writers take a look inside the minds of each person to see how differently they perceive what’s going on, who likes whom, and their takes on the dishes being served. When I used this exercise, I encouraged my students to experiment with th eir fictional diners sitting around the table, changing emotional dynamics, past experiences that might drive/ effect individuals/relationships. More often than not, one or more students would come away from the exercise with sufficient material to write a short story.
