I admit it, I’m a HUGE Mad Men fan. It helps that I work in the industry, of course.

I started watching reruns right before the start of the second season. I would stay up late and watch 3-5 episodes back-to-back. If I dozed off, I would simply rewatch the episode from the start when I woke up, no matter how late it was. I would even wake up early on the weekends and watch episodes before my kids woke up! I would think about the characters and their dilemmas night and day.

Yes, I was/am obsessed.

And that’s why I’m THRILLED that the new season starts a week from yesterday. In honor of that special occasion, we’ve got a special assignment this week for all your Mad Men (and Mad Women) out there.

The Assignment

This week, your assignment is to write a character sketch. But not just any character sketch–write one about a character in the show Mad Men. It can be for a character who is currently in the show, or you can make up a character whom you think might fit in.

What goes into a character sketch? I’m glad you asked. According to Wikipedia, that ever faithful servant of truth and meaning, a character sketch is “a character sketch is an abbreviated portrayal of a particular characteristic of people.” Or in this case, of a person.

What that means is that we’re not looking for any narratives here. Just slice of life, kinda stuff. What we REALLY want is a solid description of the character. But dig deeper than the physical. What physical traits does the character have that reveal their inner being? For example, do they bite their nails because they’re are nervous. Or are they always so tightly buttoned up because they have something deep inside that they’re hiding, just as Don Draper is.

It will also be helpful to know what their job is, especially since this is essentially a workplace drama. But make them three-dimensional. What’s their home life like? Do they live alone or do they have a family? Do they live in New York City or in Greenwich, Connecticut.

One tiny request: Please put the name of your character in the title of your entry.

Obviously, this assignment might be a little tough for those of you who haven’t watched the show. If you haven’t I recommend wathcing some of the videos on AMC’s website. Also, this NY Times article from last summer is pretty good too.

As always, spelling and punctuation count! If you’re not sure of something, look it up! And ask a friend or someone to read through your entry before sending it. Their feedback may prove invaluable.

Length:500 words MAXIMUM

Deadline: Midnight, August 17

Late assignments will not be accepted.
Good luck!

Tags: creative writing, mad men, writing contest

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