This week, we're presenting you with the option to write formally, or creatively (or both!).

For your formal prompt, we have some  topics presented to potential Applicants to the CommunityInteractive Team, which we feel address some key categories that we find intriguing. 

You can choose any of the prompts from any of the categories, and develop a formal essay addressing your opinions of it. 

The prompts are:

Category 1: Story Structures

- Merits for the classic 3-Act structure and the types of stories that could largely benefit from it.

- How the 4-act story structure differs from the 3-Act structure, and the useful applications of it.

- How to structure short-stories and work out plot beats and word counts.

- Important notes for starting a series of books, and how to cope with the series plot versus the novel plot.

- What we learned from Chekhov and how we can plan for it.

- What we learned from the Greek Epics and how we can incorporate it.

Category 2: Thematic, Plot, Tone and Voice Skills

- Developing a voice as an author, and how to sharpen your worldview.

- The difference between an Authorial Voice and a Narrative Voice, and how they work together.

- What your narrative voice does for the tone of the book, and how they influence each other.

- Unreliable narrators: The pitfalls and how to circumvent them.

- What we learn about narrative voices and tone from music, and how we can use that in writing.

- What video games tell us about plot structures and character involvement, and the possible applications of them.

- How thematic concepts influence the tone and language of our novels, and how we should rethink them.

Category 3: Topics of Writing

- How the topics of writing influence genre, tone, and the message we're trying to send.

- Research and writing: The importance of it and where you can take artistic liberties.

- Creating Fantasy Worlds: A hitchhiker's guide to exploring your dreams and vision.

- An approach to world-building in writing without information overload. The dangers of over-building.

- Handling sensitive topics: minorities, suicide, depression, self-harm, abuse, rape, politics and illnesses.

- Bringing life to passions in writing. How they can be plot-relevant and thematically constructive.

Category 4: Characters

- Do all characters need to be fully fledged out? Where are you wasting your time trying, and where are you missing the target letting it slip?

- Defining and constructing interesting characters and how they play important roles in the story.

- B-Arcs and how your secondary characters serve the story.

- Character archetypes in classic literature and how we still use them.

- Modern character archetypes and how to approach them.

- The Peggy Sue and the Mary Sue, and their places in our stories.

- Character cliches: when to use them and when to burn them.

- Anti-Villains and Anti-Heroes: What are they and how do we use them?

Category 5: The Writing Process

- The benefits of planning and the benefits of rambling.

- Developing a healthy mindset around writing and finding motivation.

- The first, second, third, nth drafts.

- Scoping public interest and interacting with them.

- The dreaded re-structure: why you should consider it after a while.

- Writing for your target audience in mind, and developing your target audience as you write.

- How to practice healthy writing techniques.

Please note, we will not be judging you on your opinions. We will be looking at formal writing style and the ability to present coherent and compelling ideas.

Criteria:

The essay should be based on the prompt (but we always welcome artistic interpretation).

There is no required word-count (but we hope to be sensible).

Make sure that your essay is sensible and and follows all the Wattpad Content Guidelines.

To Enter:

In-line comment on this paragraph with the title of your essay, the book it's in, and the link to the essay.

Submissions must be stand-alone and do not require further cited sources.

In your entry, you should mention W7 Formal: Essays and Opinions and tag @CommunityInteractive. This is how we make sure that we've found the correct page for the entry.

Submission closing date is 12 July 2020, and Results will be posted a week after Submissions close.

This is to ensure that we have sufficient entries before the judging period begins.

Prizes:

The three selected winners will receive a shout-out and a detailed review about why we liked their story.

In addition, we will reach out to some entrants and officially invite them to join our team, so if you're interested, this is a good opportunity to apply without going through the laborious task of adressing the entire application (which has been described as excessive, and very exam-like).

Final Note:

We encourage you to read other submissions and interact with other entrants. We have a lovely community and would love for you to be a part of it. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage with others on a formal platform and academically discuss your work and viewpoints.

If you have friends you think would like to participate, we'd appreciate you letting them know about us.

We wish you well, and hope to see your entries soon!

-The CommunityInteractive Team