First Page of 1,000-Page Novel

How’s this for a Monday afternoon project:  Write the first page of a 1,000 page novel. What would you say? Where would you begin?

Or how about this one: Write something – anything – and then leave it somewhere. Anywhere, as long as it is within a 2-minute walk of your office. Connect what you write to the place where you’re leaving it. It can be about anything, to anyone, in any form.

When there are no limits, what do you write?

I don’t know if these ‘assignments’ are being wasted – but they were among the first dished out to a handful of students taking a seminar with Jonathan Safran Foer.  Like many recognized writers, he’s also teaching, in this case, to unformed 18 year olds who probably think they know more than they do, but that may be just fine.

It made me realize how creativity gets short shrift, almost everywhere, and especially at work.  When’s the last time you heard something that inspired you?  Much less read anything related to work that spoke to your soul?

If you think it’s a ridiculous question, that’s part of the problem. I’m sure we’re guilty of it, too, even here, at a small company, where news and currents move easily. We’re rushed, cryptic, too focused on the 140-character synopsis.

Maybe we’ll start asking our candidates to write their first page of their own 1,000-page novel? Or a message to anyone, about anything, left in a random place? Though we should probably start with us.

  - By Amy Bermar