Writing 101: Day Thirteen – Compose A Series Of Vignettes (Stormy Weather)
Today’s Writing 101 day thirteen,
Repetition and accumulation give structure and momentum to a piece of writing — and help your readers stay engaged (it’s one of the reasons why lists, which we’ve explored earlier in this course, are so effective as a narrative tool).
Today, tell a story through a series of vignettes (short, episodic scenes or anecdotes) that together read as variations on the same theme. They can each be as short or long as you see fit — they don’t have to be the same length — but they need a common feature to tie them together, whether it’s a repeated phrase, a similar setting, or the appearance of the same person.
The spectrum of moods you can create with this format is extremely wide. You might aim for a warm, lighthearted vibe, like a travel blogger channeling her love of the road through a string of portraits of the people who took her on as a hitchhiker. Or tackle a serious, tough issue like discrimination through the fragmented lens of anecdotal storytelling, as shown in Teri Carter’s sobering piece enumerating the instances of racism she’d encountered in her own family.
Not sure how to approach this assignment? Pick one of these:
- Tell a story composed of scenes in each of which you eat your favorite dish, or enjoy your signature drink.
- Build a narrative of your own personal growth (or your attempts at achieving it) by evoking some of your past birthday parties.
- Write a post in which each section begins with the phrase “You may never believe this.”
- Recount the same anecdote several times, but do it in a different style or genre each time, so that each retelling exposes something new in your tale.
Vignettes Theme: Pantone 2015 for Fall – Stormy Weather
Home Decor
Fashion
Wedding Ideas
As what I said in my day two blogging 201, I am a visual learner as well, so I hope I interpret Vignette precisely.
What was the theme of your Vignette Series?
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I love it! It’s a great approach to the assignment and I feel it fits your blog. I’ve recently found myself in love with grey (or stormy weather) palettes and I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one. 🙂
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Hi Lacie, good to know we are few on this earth, hahaha, have you checked out the designers who included STORMY WEATHER pantone in their theme collection? Check them out here, glad to share fellow fashionista 🙂 http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr/?season=fall&year=2015&pid=11#stormy-weather
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I have not, but I will certainly look at it. Always glad to expand my horizons. 🙂
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Nice idea
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Thank you 😊😊😊
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I love a grey palette, I like your choices. Your piece is like a mood board of greys. A unique approach to the assignment!
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Thank you Joy, I run out of words so I used pictures to interpret the task. Have fun learning too 🙂
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