TOPIC OF THE WEEK

Alright, my simian brothers. I thought long and hard about this topic -- and then I talked with Lane and Jack and realized that my initial plan was, well, rather flat.

What I had originally intended to do was roughly as follows: "Write a story that takes place only in one enclosed area (e.g., a room)." But it turned out that a lot of people have been doing that after a fashion, and I didn't want things to be too repetitious.

So I thought. What was something we haven't done yet? What seemed far enough out of everyone's comfort zones to be actually useful?

And then it hit me -- something from way back when, when I was obsessed with DragonBall Z and RIFTS. I'm loathe to admit it, but I think I may have something of a headstart on you all.

So here is this week's topic: You are to write a fight scene.

That's all. And when I say "that's all," I'm serious -- don't bother wrapping the scene with set-up, denouement, or flashback. I just want a fight, visceral and primal. Who are the combatants? What are the fighting with? Why would things come to blows in the first place?

Remember, a fight has to be two things: impactful and elegant. That is, it needs to showcase some kind of change or climactic event; and it needs to do it in a way that is easy for the reader to imagine. Drawing diagrams means the reader can't imagine anything; just saying they, I don't know, shot some bullets until one of them died, that's just boring.

So there you have it. As your bloodthirsty taskmaster, I only have this to say to you: WRITE, MONKEYS! WRITE!