Well, it's been a while since I posted the syllable challenge, and I 
thought I'd give you all something else to ponder a bit over vacation :)
This is an exercise in characterization which I am calling "the people 
you love to hate."

It is a two-part exercise.

First, pick a character from any anime (or even make one up) that you 
hate.  Write a short scene involving that character in which you make the 
audience also hate that character.  (This probably won't work well in 
script form.)  Try to do so narratively, without speculating on the 
character; show it through actions, dialogue, and description instead of 
telling us.

Now take that same scene and rewrite it from that character's point of 
view.  Try to get inside the character's head and express how he/she/it 
sees him/her/itself.  Justify the actions.  

This exercise is supposed to help in characterization.  Sometimes it is 
too easy in characterizing someone unpleasant to make that unpleasantness 
superficial. (i.e.  Shampoo/Ranma/Nabiki is simply evil)  By delving into 
that character's motivations and opinions, you bring yourself and the 
audience closer to the character, giving it that much more depth.  It 
should also be useful in consciously making you think about point of 
view.  At least, I hope it'll do these things.  And, if nothing else, it 
shoudl be fun.  That's what we're all a bout, ne?

This is mooched from the same book as the other one, though I've changed 
it a bit for the subject matter, and worded it my own way because I left 
the book at home.
  
mata ne,
bengman


bengman ***  "On the appointed day, I notice something amazing. When I take a 
step outside the vacant lot, a meadow spreads out before my eyes.  And there 
are lots of horses and cows staring at me. Since when has there been a ranch on
Akane's street? -- Where the heck am I?!" -- Ryouga, "Ittai koko wa dokonanda?"