On the whole, working on Experiment #2 so far has been a really enjoyable experience for me. I am really happy with the direction things are heading thus far, and I think the sample is off to a good start with a lot of future potential.

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When I first set out to work on my second experiment, I intended to write my dystopian chapter as the first chapter in a hypothetical book. However, my research as well as my peers helped me realize that it would be better to write the chapter as if it were in the middle of the book. This ended up being a good decision, and it has helped ensure that my chapter is more action-packed and engaging. Since I plan to only write a single chapter in this experiment, I think it makes more sense to focus on action and conflict as opposed to exposition and scene-setting.

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One of the reasons working on Experiment #2 has been so valuable for me is because of my peers. I decided to volunteer to be workshopped by the class, and I got so much great feedback. Reading through all of my peers’ comments has been very helpful and worthwhile, and I have gotten so many new ideas and directions my experiment can go in. It was difficult to decide which revisions to work on after the workshop since I had limited time. Some of the most common comments I heard revolved around whether my sample really belonged in the middle or the beginning of the book; I tried to better explain this in my sketch so readers can better understand why I believe my sample is a middle chapter. I also paid attention to my introduction and did more research on the national debt crisis, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the situation in particular. Finally, I made some changes to my actual sample to improve flow, reduce redundancy, and integrate a flashback. I know these revisions are only a fraction of what my classmates suggested. I feel really strongly about Experiment #2 and hope to revisit it for my final project; I am excited to consider the remaining suggestions then, since they are all extremely valuable.

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In sum, as I think about everything as a whole, I think one of my greatest successes so far is the plot development and world building in my sample. I wasn’t sure before writing that I could convey this apocalyptic and catastrophic world well enough, but I feel now that the world I’ve built so far is really engaging and encourages readers to think more deeply about the growing national debt. This is something my peers told me they really appreciated in the sample, and I was very glad to hear that.

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At the same time, one struggle I’ve encountered thus far is making this chapter stand well enough on its own. While I’m happy that it is in the middle of my hypothetical novel, I want to ensure that readers get enough sense of the background information and central conflict. This is a question my peers helped me with significantly during our workshop. I realize now it is alright for the chapter to not necessarily stand so well on its own, since I wrote it as a middle chapter. 

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I am really happy with how the final draft of my second experiment turned out, and am looking forward to seeing what I can do with it next.