Writing Assignments

DS106 Product Review

DS106 has a number of products for sale on Amazon – from network hubs to wedding gown slips to iron on patches to bench cushions. But we need to keep moving units to keep this thing going! Help out by writing a product review. Let’s make DS106 the next Three Wolf Moon.

The Onion’d Article

Take an article from a serious newspaper (like “The Washington Post” or “New York Times“) and turn it into something you’d see on The Onion.

For example, the WaPo article “New USDA Poultry Inspection Procedures are Based on Bad Data, Government Report Says” becomes “Chickens Vote on USDA’s New Inspection Procedures.” 

Include how the USDA fragantly courted the gray rooster bloc and public suspicion that lobbyist released a fox into the coop to prevent hens from voting.

Unusual Superhero

Inspired by Jen Dalby’s reference to Captain Condom, create an unusual superhero.  What are their powers?  Write an origin story.  If you’re more visual, design the costume for Sanitation Man, The Amazing Credit Default Swap, or  whatever other unusual hero you can come up with.

Write Your Way Into History

Think of a historically significant event, and write a journal entry as if you traveled back in time to take place in it.

Poem Made with Twilight Zone Episode Titles

You must make a poem from Twilight Zone episode titles. You can get the titles from link at the bottom of this post or use the Google Doc Table created by Tom Woodward.

Monologue of a household tool

Have you ever wondered what your tools around the house are thinking from day to day? Write a short inner monologue or narrative from the perspective of a household tool. It can be a blender, a circular saw, chair…anything you use around the house. Try to keep it vague so your reader has to think about what the tool is. For bonus points, throw in an image or a GIF of that tool’s perspective.

Haiku Recipe

Write an entire recipe only in haiku. Stick to the 5/7/5 syllable pattern as much as possible, but don’t leave out any key instructions!

Extra credit: include step-by-step photographs to illustrate each stanza.

Cartoons on Trial

Cartoons are full of conflict and violence, what would happen if a character was brought into court and put on trial? It has happened, in the case of Wile E. Coyote v. Acme Company.

Your assignment is to write up a legal document outlining a case that might arise out of a cartoon, TV show, or comic. Use all of the legal language, and make an effort to make your document look real. For added points of challenge, include some form of media (a traffic cam photo, a chart of evidence, a video) to support the case.

Historifig

Write about your favorite historical figure, it could be anyone famous or not so famous from the past. Do more than just giving some biographical details however, describe WHY they are your favorite, how and why you relate to them, and why they inspire you.

10 Seconds of Thanks

1. Using a timer, write what you’re thankful for in just 10 seconds! Anything and everything that you can think of being thankful for is fair game, but stop at 10 seconds.
2. Share what you’ve written on a blog, wiki, or some other digital space that others can comment on.
3. Bonus! Complete a 10 second drawing of yourself to accompany your writing, inspired by the November 19th, 2012 Daily Create!