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IWW
Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Fear itself
These exercises were written
by IWW members
and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its
members.
You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that
you found
them at the Internet Writers Workshop
(http://www.internetwritingwor
kshop.org/).
Prepared
by: Bob Sanchez
Posted on: February 3, 2008
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Exercise: In 400 words or fewer, show us a person beset by fear.
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"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," FDR famously said.
We humans are hardwired to feel a range of emotions to fit the
circumstances we
face: love, hatred, anger, and joy, to name a few. They can be
intertwined and
confused, as fear and cowardice often are. Some succumb to their fears,
while others
don't. The soldier in combat knows he may die at any moment, yet he
does his duty.
Firefighters and police officers face their fears, yet do their jobs.
But we don't have to face death to feel fear. What about that final
exam? That job
interview? The speech you have to give? The teenager you're still
waiting up for,
and it's one a.m.? The sources of fear are endless; it can be the only
reasonable
emotion, or it can be irrational.
Get inside the poor bloke's head, letting us know how the person feels
and why. The
fear can be of pain or death, but feel free to inflict the worry of
shame,
imprisonment, divorce, dishonor, hell, public speaking, or even success.
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Exercise: In 400 words or fewer, show us a person beset by fear.
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In your critiques, consider whether the submission evokes a strong
emotion in
you--and never fear, because these Practice subs are always about the
writing and
never about the writer.
Have fun!!
Web site created by
Rhéal Nadeau and
the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Greg Gunther.
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