Open Creative Non-Fiction Writing

Hi Dineh,

This reads very clean and is a highly amusing piece. You might consider renaming it “the Mopes”. In fact, I think this could be split into two chapters, with the essay on the Mopes being its own. I am unsure how the poetry really comes into play—how it adds to Viola’s already interesting character. I might experiment with leaving the poetry out and in, maybe saving it for the third chapter. I would explore more of the surrealism you touch on in the beginning by describing Viola as a werewolf or some type of night creature. After all, you might make this a crucial element in the story. Right now, Viola lives in her head—mightn’t she venture out into the world and describe what she sees there? I think what might be missing here is a story or point to her railing against the Mopes. Why does she feel so threatened by them? Does she feel as if she has been misunderstood all her life by them? Etc.

In addition, Viola mentions her earlier life but leaves the threads loose.. you might try exploring why Viola has always been a night person. A perfect setting to explore this would be to describe past conversations with people who ask her about her night owlishness, for instance, if she has ever been to a therapist. Did she used to stay up late as a child as well?