Friday, April 13, 2007

John M. Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #160: Suggest Your Own Weekend Assignment!

John's going to be a very busy boy in the near future, as he explains below (which also explains why he's got us doing his job):




Why does Mrs. Scalzi look so pensive here? Perhaps because she's pondering this week's Weekend Assignment:

Weekend Assignment #160: Suggest a Weekend Assignment for one of the next few upcoming weeks. Why? Well, because very shortly now, I'll be doing a three week book tour, in which I'll be traveling all over the country like a madman in support of my latest novel, The Last Colony. While I'm doing that I'll still be checking here and doing things like the photo shoot and the Weekend Assignment, but it would be helpful for me if I had the Weekend Assignment topics all lined up and ready to go. Not only that, but we do this "suggest a topic" thing about once a year, and it generally ends up with some really interesting topics that I myself wouldn't have thought up. So in all, this seems like a great time to pick your brains for great topics.

For this particular weekend assignment, you don't have to write up your suggestion in your blog or journal, just drop it into the comment thread. You can suggest more than one topic if you like -- but try to limit yourself to no more than three or four. Make your suggestions, and on Monday I'll let you know which topics I've selected and from whom. Then over the next few weeks, I'll run those topics and play along as well.

So get to it! I'm looking forward to seeing what Weekend Assignments you'd like to see.


Dear John,

I've been without an internet connection since the first flakes flew yesterday afternoon. Another six inches of the white stuff, heavy with so much moisture such that the usual aluminum feed scoop that serves me as a snow shovel has been relegated to the sidelines. My back isn't up to lifting 75 pound scoops of snow and my heart isn't, either. Consequently, it's a little tough to get all wound up with the thought of spring travels and other flights of fancy. Still, I'm a little envious that you get to do it and I don't. On the other hand, for much of the rest of the country it is spring, even if the weather hasn't always appeared that way. And spring means the start of open water fishing. So how about this for a Weekend Assignment: Tell Us About The One That Got Away. For extra credit, why, pictures, of course. Better yet, video of you landing the whopper!


Most norte americanos have tried their hand at fishing or else know someone who has. So, let's celebrate the spring ritual of dipping a line with a weekend assignment devoted to piscatory pursuits.

As always, give my best to your lovely wife and progeny. And if you've never taken them fishing, now is your chance to do it and to write off the expense of a trip out with a guide on Lake Erie – it's a legitimate work expense for a blog entry, isn't it?

wil


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