WG Story Drone
Well-Known Member
BHM: Here's a tale from the Mail Room for all you FFAs out there.
Annalise skipped out of her editor’s office, beaming about her new column at the Mount Hampton Herald, her North Carolinian private college’s newspaper. Over the summer months, she had interned at her hometown newspaper in Ohio, shuffling papers and getting coffee. During those humid, monotonous days, she dreamed up an idea and put it together in a proposal:
In her proposal, she created a series of faux letters containing modern problems, giving answers that included a dose of thoughtfulness, a pinch of responsibility and a sprinkle of Southern humor. She fine-tuned the proposal throughout the summer and, on her first day back at school, submitted the idea to her editor, Professor Decker, for consideration.
The professor liked the idea, but with one reservation.
"If you want this to work, Annalise, you’ll have to keep Suzanne a complete secret. Tell no one. No one on the staff, not your family, not even your closest friends," she warned her eager student.
"I am great at keeping secrets, no problem, Professor!"
"And, you’ll have to keep doing some regular reporting around here too, so no one grows suspicious of why you hang around the newspaper offices with no assignments," she also reminded Annalise.
"I can do it, Professor Decker, I know can fit it all in," she confidently asserted.
"Alright, you’ve done your homework on this, I can see, so I’m giving you a shot, let’s see how it goes."
Professor Decker and Annalise laid the groundwork, publishing a teaser in the first issue of the year:
She had her brother the artist draw her a sketch of a sexy, busty Scarlett O’Hara type to accompany the column. He was a safe bet though, for not spilling the beans, since he was attending art school in San Francisco, unaware of the scope of her secret identity.
Within a couple of days, the first letter came in:
"This is good," Professor Decker told Annalis, "it’s helpful, fun advice, but pay close attention to ethics, your options steered him to something less than ethical. But it’s good, keep it up!"
The next week classes started and Suzanne had a few more letters flow into her specially set up email account. The usual stuff, "my boyfriend dumped me at the end of this summer, how do I go on?" and "I want to break up with my boyfriend, how do I do it?" She carefully, yet playfully answered the letters with kindness where warranted and sarcasm where it entertained.
Soon, students were buzzing about the letters, wondering who the writers were, but even more, wondering about the identity of Miss Suzanne. Annalise kept mum on the topic, other than to join in the speculation when appropriate. "Maybe it’s a guy!" she even offered as an idea to her roommate.
Within a couple of weeks, she was receiving praise via email for her advice; people seemed to be reading it, and based on feedback, finding success with it. She actually started to think that if she could handle the world’s problems, she wouldn’t have any of her own.
Dear Suzanne
By Ashley
By Ashley
Annalise skipped out of her editor’s office, beaming about her new column at the Mount Hampton Herald, her North Carolinian private college’s newspaper. Over the summer months, she had interned at her hometown newspaper in Ohio, shuffling papers and getting coffee. During those humid, monotonous days, she dreamed up an idea and put it together in a proposal:
"Annalise Jonsson as ‘Dear Suzanne,’ an advice column for college students. Suzanne can help you sort out your problems with academics, work, friends and, of course, romance."
In her proposal, she created a series of faux letters containing modern problems, giving answers that included a dose of thoughtfulness, a pinch of responsibility and a sprinkle of Southern humor. She fine-tuned the proposal throughout the summer and, on her first day back at school, submitted the idea to her editor, Professor Decker, for consideration.
The professor liked the idea, but with one reservation.
"If you want this to work, Annalise, you’ll have to keep Suzanne a complete secret. Tell no one. No one on the staff, not your family, not even your closest friends," she warned her eager student.
"I am great at keeping secrets, no problem, Professor!"
"And, you’ll have to keep doing some regular reporting around here too, so no one grows suspicious of why you hang around the newspaper offices with no assignments," she also reminded Annalise.
"I can do it, Professor Decker, I know can fit it all in," she confidently asserted.
"Alright, you’ve done your homework on this, I can see, so I’m giving you a shot, let’s see how it goes."
Professor Decker and Annalise laid the groundwork, publishing a teaser in the first issue of the year:
"Problems with school, parents, friends? Love-life got you down? Get some advice from Mount Hampton’s smartest Southern Belle, Suzanne."
She had her brother the artist draw her a sketch of a sexy, busty Scarlett O’Hara type to accompany the column. He was a safe bet though, for not spilling the beans, since he was attending art school in San Francisco, unaware of the scope of her secret identity.
Within a couple of days, the first letter came in:
"Dear Suzanne,
I really want to switch majors. My father wants me to stay in Business Administration, but I want to move into English Literature. He’s adamant about it and implied that if I change my major, he’ll stop paying the tuition bill. I can’t afford to go it on my own, so am I stuck with a major and a career, and a life that I’ll hate? Help!
Signed,
Wannabe Bard"
"Dear Bard,
As I see it, you’ve got options, all adults have options. You can
A… make your parentals happy and your life a torturous hell on earth, if you want to cower like a nervous dog your whole life… Or
B… You can take a stand and take out college loans until your eyeballs turn green… or
C… you can do what a successful financier would do and combine hard work with a swindle: go get a double major or a major-minor combination. Daddy will get your ‘report cards,’ see that you’re still taking business classes, and not find out you switched programs until graduation day. Then he’ll be too dang proud to quibble over major-minor semantics.
Hugs, Darlin,
Suzanne"
I really want to switch majors. My father wants me to stay in Business Administration, but I want to move into English Literature. He’s adamant about it and implied that if I change my major, he’ll stop paying the tuition bill. I can’t afford to go it on my own, so am I stuck with a major and a career, and a life that I’ll hate? Help!
Signed,
Wannabe Bard"
"Dear Bard,
As I see it, you’ve got options, all adults have options. You can
A… make your parentals happy and your life a torturous hell on earth, if you want to cower like a nervous dog your whole life… Or
B… You can take a stand and take out college loans until your eyeballs turn green… or
C… you can do what a successful financier would do and combine hard work with a swindle: go get a double major or a major-minor combination. Daddy will get your ‘report cards,’ see that you’re still taking business classes, and not find out you switched programs until graduation day. Then he’ll be too dang proud to quibble over major-minor semantics.
Hugs, Darlin,
Suzanne"
"This is good," Professor Decker told Annalis, "it’s helpful, fun advice, but pay close attention to ethics, your options steered him to something less than ethical. But it’s good, keep it up!"
The next week classes started and Suzanne had a few more letters flow into her specially set up email account. The usual stuff, "my boyfriend dumped me at the end of this summer, how do I go on?" and "I want to break up with my boyfriend, how do I do it?" She carefully, yet playfully answered the letters with kindness where warranted and sarcasm where it entertained.
"Dear Suzanne,
I’m a 21 year old female senior who’s recently fallen for an 18-year old freshman. At first the age difference didn’t bother me, but then I started getting hassled by my friends because he’s so young. He’s mature for his age, and kind, and I’ll admit, adorably hot, and it’s not like its illegal (barely!), but I am frustrated that he cannot go out to the bars with me, and that he only talks about high school experiences because he has no college experiences yet. Should I wise up and find a man my own age, or let my buzzing feelings for him continue to dictate the situation?"
Thanks,
Cradle Robberette"
"Dear Robberette,
First of all, worrying about what your friends think is a recipe for a life full of messed up relationships. You’ll pursue people that will make others’ happy and not yourself. Get rid of those dandelions and move on to a higher level of thinking about yourself and your relationship.
Second, the tone of your letter indicates that you think you’re being illogical, and you’re not happy with that. Now, since when were relationships about what’s logical? Still, you should pay the closest attention to the mesh factor, beyond the superficial fluff. Do you get along? Share a similar sense of humor? Can you have an stimulating conversation with this person? Do you respect their mind? Let these questions be your guide, not your friends or your drinking habits.
Hugs, Darlin,
Suzanne"
I’m a 21 year old female senior who’s recently fallen for an 18-year old freshman. At first the age difference didn’t bother me, but then I started getting hassled by my friends because he’s so young. He’s mature for his age, and kind, and I’ll admit, adorably hot, and it’s not like its illegal (barely!), but I am frustrated that he cannot go out to the bars with me, and that he only talks about high school experiences because he has no college experiences yet. Should I wise up and find a man my own age, or let my buzzing feelings for him continue to dictate the situation?"
Thanks,
Cradle Robberette"
"Dear Robberette,
First of all, worrying about what your friends think is a recipe for a life full of messed up relationships. You’ll pursue people that will make others’ happy and not yourself. Get rid of those dandelions and move on to a higher level of thinking about yourself and your relationship.
Second, the tone of your letter indicates that you think you’re being illogical, and you’re not happy with that. Now, since when were relationships about what’s logical? Still, you should pay the closest attention to the mesh factor, beyond the superficial fluff. Do you get along? Share a similar sense of humor? Can you have an stimulating conversation with this person? Do you respect their mind? Let these questions be your guide, not your friends or your drinking habits.
Hugs, Darlin,
Suzanne"
Soon, students were buzzing about the letters, wondering who the writers were, but even more, wondering about the identity of Miss Suzanne. Annalise kept mum on the topic, other than to join in the speculation when appropriate. "Maybe it’s a guy!" she even offered as an idea to her roommate.
Within a couple of weeks, she was receiving praise via email for her advice; people seemed to be reading it, and based on feedback, finding success with it. She actually started to think that if she could handle the world’s problems, she wouldn’t have any of her own.
