This month’s Writing Assignment article is the first in a series of how-to-write-fiction exercises designed to help new writers become more familiar with fiction writing.

For this month, please consult our “Character Vignettes” on the title page. Take a hint from one of our best writers, Simon Marshland, who submitted a few vignettes for publication on author-me.com.

What’s the point? Characterization is the point. In fiction writing, one of the most important elements is characterization.

Ideally, a story is written by creating characters, dropping them into a setting, devising a relevant point of conflcit, and then letting them interact until the problem is solved. While not all fiction writing follows this track, the procedure will allow you to create more believable characters and settings. Furthermore, it should help your people stay in character with more consistency. You story line will progress in a natural way.

How are stories usually written?. The writer decides to write a story on a topic.  Then the writer devises several negative a story, creates a character to fit it, and comes up with a suitable setting.  As you might imagine, this approach leaves the writing project wide open for inconsistencies in setting, characterization, and other important qualities.

So your assignment is to create at least one character vignette before the end of the month. In return, you will receive a critique and your vignette will be considered for listing in our Character Vignettes section.

As an added feature, you will receive further assignments to help you practice this form of writing and, hopefully, to sharpen your writing skills.  Good luck!

New developments continue to invigorate the fledgling e-book industry.

Andersen Consulting’s predictions of vast growth remain (a $2.3 billion market by 2005). Also, the Glassbook Reader we mentioned last month has been purchased by its competitor, Adobe, Inc. (which, as we hinted last month, was only fair play).

However, more measured forecasts are emerging, along with a valuable ZD Net story suggesting that the immediate growth in e-book will lie in college dormitories. College textbooks and custom offerings from the bearded ones. See

 http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/

stories/story/0,10738,2628171,00.html.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget that less known market, the emerging writers. We’re here, present and accounted for, and we need to take advantage of the e-book market right away. Because we, like those well-paid professors with the beards, can’t afford print runs and publicity.

 So, until our writing careers blossom (with that treasured offer from a real publisher), we have serious new tools at our disposal. The e-book, to contain our writings. And the Internet, with its many writer-friendly websites which will list our titles for free.

Publishing New Writers, October, 2000 (no.104)

Editor Bruce L. Cook, P.O. Box 451, Dundee, IL 60118.  Fax (847) 428-8974.

Submissions and comments to cookcomm@gte.net. Links are welcome.

www.author-me.com