Humans have a unique relationship with the animal kingdom. We keep pets, we take our kids to the zoo, we seek them out sometimes in their own natural habitat.

Although the fable is essentially a dead literary genre (when was the last time a book of fables graced the NY Times Best Sellers list?), humans have always anthropomorphized animals. We look to them to learn something about our own nature and history. We look for common features, behaviors, likes and dislikes.

This week, it’s your turn to look through the eyes of the animal back at us, the humans.

The Assignment

Write a short story entirely from the viewpoint of the animal. You can pick any animal you want. It can even be an insect or a micro-organism. The animal can be in any situation. Domesticated, wild, in a zoo, whatever. The most important thing is to remember what the animal wants. We all want something, and all animals are the same. This will be the driving force of your story.

This week’s assignment is a little longer than the last two, 900 words MAXIMUM. Stories can be shorter than that, but not longer. This also makes it a little more challenging. I recommend taking the time to thoroughly think through your story. Think through the character(s), think through the plot. Map out the plot points if that helps you.

I may also extend the deadline slightly to give people more time. At this point, though, the same one-week deadline applies. I’ll make an announcement if this changes.

Please spell check and make sure your punctuation is correct. If you’re unsure about something, ask someone or consult a resource.

Send your completed assignment to weeklywritingassignment@gmail.com. Please include the assignment number in the subject of your email. Please also include your name and email in the header of your entry.

Due date: Midnight, August 10, 2009.

Late assignments will not be accepted.
Good luck!

Tags: creative writing, writing contest

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