My God....I don't know anything!

[gypsyanna]

So.  Our second essay assignment in my Creative Nonfiction class is now turned in, as of last night.  The first draft of our third essay assignment is due Friday.  I, of course, have class tonight and tomorrow night, which leaves me essentially Thursday night to do this assignment. 

The first essay was a memoir.  Easy!  The second, a personal essay.  Easy, again - but I did discover that I really shouldn't write essays when I'm irked or angry. 

This third essay is a bit more challenging.  It's a literary journalism essay.  We're supposed to reference other sources.  Do an interview.  But first, we pick a topic which - let me see, how did she phrase it?  Oh, yes:

"For this essay, you will write on a subject with which you are familiar--something you know a great deal about."

And I have realized.... I don't know a great deal about ANYTHING.

She uses the example of knitting.  If she were writing this essay, she'd write it about knitting.

Uh.  Okay.  That doesn't help me.

So I"m completely flummoxed on what this paper should be about, especially since I have to do at least one interview.  How sad is it that after 35 years of living, the thing I know the most about is Pern?  I can find three internet sources for that, sure - but the interview?  I"d have to hit up Todd or Anne McCaffrey for that 'expert' interview.

Maybe worldbuilding?  Character creation? 

I'm wide open for ideas because there's not a one good one rattling in my brain at the moment!

Comments

[topayz4.livejournal.com]

Think broader. Yes, you know about Pern, but you know even more about Pern Fandom. I imagine that would increase the number of people you could potentially interview.

[googlebrat.livejournal.com]

Yes! Do that!

[gypsy-anna.livejournal.com]

So, you're volunteering to be interviewed, right...? :)

[gypsy-anna.livejournal.com]

See, I thought about that. But I thought, "No, that's too broad and general."

But my other options - world building, character creation, ect - didn't seem a good idea either because I didn't know if the people I considered experts would be people that the instructor would accept. And I also didn't know if interviewing a published author would be either possible, or a good idea for an ENGL class.

But I've kept pondering and it occurred to me, I can narrow the focus of Pern fandom more: instead of Pern fandom in general, what about Pern fandom and what it means to the people in it? :) Now, that would work, wouldn't it? Because everyone IN Pern fandom would then be an expert on what it means to them, right? :)

What do you think?

[alphasunrise.livejournal.com]

Was going to say the same thing. Fans, fandom, fanfiction, fan websites....

Also, scan back through your LJ here at some things that you've seen fit to blog about--working as a temp, living with impaired vision, television and age appropriateness, managing school and work, and just about anything else that pissed you off enough to vent.

[gypsy-anna.livejournal.com]

Good ideas...but I don't any experts who I could interview as part of the assignment. :) That's been my stumbling block for most of the ideas that popped to mind - where do I find my expert to interview?

[alphasunrise.livejournal.com]

Pretty much anyone you've worked with in fandom could be considered an expert - if you don't interview googlebrat or topayz4 you could also ask perimyndith.

For a work/college connection, you could interview a college counselor or seek out an online source.

For temp work, you could interview a placement officer at a temp agency, or even your employer, perhaps.

For vision, try one of the national organizations, make contact online, and see if they'll do an email or chat interview with you,

Have fun with it. :o)