As part of my graduation requirement, I spent eleven weeks of my senior year as a full-time editorial intern at a business magazine in downtown Chicago. Think Anne Hathaway in “The Devil Wears Prada” — minus the fashion, the famous people, the trendy boots, and Meryl Streep. Magazine intern life is far from glamorous, and as I sat alone in my generic gray cubicle, I envisioned how I would portray these months of my life in writing when I (inevitably) become an award-winning novelist.
Between many mugs of coffee, irritable receptionists, and humorless jokes from co-workers commenting on my youth, I’d say I’ve gathered some quality material for my debut page-turner. Here are some working titles for my Fall Quarter novel:
- “Overcaffeinated and Underfed: An Americano Tale”
- After the great red cup scandal of Winter 2015, a young intern in Chicago proves her allegiance to Starbucks by using her one and only break of the day to get her routine caffeine fix. The price: no time for lunch.
- After the great red cup scandal of Winter 2015, a young intern in Chicago proves her allegiance to Starbucks by using her one and only break of the day to get her routine caffeine fix. The price: no time for lunch.
- “Billionaires Gone Wild”
- When Sarah’s editor assigns her the task of calling Illinois' 14 Forbes-listed billionaires to tell them their home addresses will be published in a story, things quickly turn sour, and Sarah must brave the angry screaming phone calls of the Chicago's elite and their assistants.
- When Sarah’s editor assigns her the task of calling Illinois' 14 Forbes-listed billionaires to tell them their home addresses will be published in a story, things quickly turn sour, and Sarah must brave the angry screaming phone calls of the Chicago's elite and their assistants.
- “The Dead Line: A CTA Horror Story”
- Follow the tale of Sarah, a magazine intern, as she falls asleep each morning during her hour-long commute on Chicago’s Red Line train. Will she escape the dangers of purse snatchers and phone thieves? Or will she wake up two stops too far, empty handed?
- Follow the tale of Sarah, a magazine intern, as she falls asleep each morning during her hour-long commute on Chicago’s Red Line train. Will she escape the dangers of purse snatchers and phone thieves? Or will she wake up two stops too far, empty handed?
- “For Rent or Retail Therapy?”
- Navigating the adult world can be tough, especially when you only make $8 an hour. Sarah faces her toughest decision yet when deciding if she will blow her hard-earned paycheck at the Nordstrom across the street from her office or if she will save it to pay for luxuries such as running water, heat, and internet in her Evanston apartment.
- Navigating the adult world can be tough, especially when you only make $8 an hour. Sarah faces her toughest decision yet when deciding if she will blow her hard-earned paycheck at the Nordstrom across the street from her office or if she will save it to pay for luxuries such as running water, heat, and internet in her Evanston apartment.
- “REFRESH”
- Afternoons at the office can get dull, but luckily, Sarah has a constant stream of updates on her Twitter newsfeed to keep her occupied. But one day, the “refresh” button suddenly stops working, leaving her with nothing but yesterday’s tweets. How will this millennial survive? Will she have to actually speak to another human to get it fixed?
- Afternoons at the office can get dull, but luckily, Sarah has a constant stream of updates on her Twitter newsfeed to keep her occupied. But one day, the “refresh” button suddenly stops working, leaving her with nothing but yesterday’s tweets. How will this millennial survive? Will she have to actually speak to another human to get it fixed?
- “Are We Human or Are We Intern?”
- Sarah quickly realizes she is the youngest, most inexperienced person in the office. Her colleague’s children are older than her. Over the course of three months, Sarah sets out to shake off the constant condescension from her co-workers and prove that, while she may be just a student intern, she is not, in fact, incompetent.
