Outstanding Mediocrity

Abstract

Outstanding Mediocrity is a semi-comedic work of fiction written over the course of nine months. Writing this story as my thesis project gave me a rare opportunity to receive extensive feedback on a product that was too large to be considered regular coursework within the major. The thesis was written in several sections, each one being reviewed in detail and revisited several times over the course of multiple stages of revision. The experience provided me with a great deal of insight into the unique difficulties that arise when crafting the structure and plot of a long-form narrative. I learned firsthand about the importance of maintaining a consistent pace and voice throughout a story as well as the importance of giving every paragraph a purpose. In conjunction with the writing, I read several works of fiction that either reflected the tone of my work or dealt with similar subject matter. These included The Great Man by Kate Christensen, Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, The Subject Steve by Sam Lipsyte, The Age of Wire and String by Ben Marcus, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders, and The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.