Saturday 13 August 2011

Wanted - writers of bad fiction

As many may know, the Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest is held every year in several cateogries. All you have to do is write a seriously bad opening sentence to a novel. As a taster, here's this year's winner in the Romance catogory:

As the dark and mysterious stranger approached, Angela bit her lip anxiously, hoping with every nerve, cell, and fiber of her being that this would be the one man who would understand — who would take her away from all this — and who would not just squeeze her boob and make a loud honking noise, as all the others had.

Ali Kawashima

It's a thought, isn't it? For those of us who may have given up hope of winning prizes for good fiction-writing, here's the perfect opportunity. You get quite a lot of publicity, too.

8 comments:

  1. That sounds like fun (the competition, not the honking)

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  2. Yes. Worth a try? And any publicity etc etc....

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  3. Now there's a comp with a difference. Can't stop laughing at Patsy's comment. :-)

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  4. Oooo this is interesting Frances - never heard of it.

    I shall commence writing... Have you had a bash.

    Anna ;o]

    PS Keyboard injured - nothing works in upper case hence no kuestion mark ['kew' doesn't work at all or the number two] and capitals are gained with much trickery.o

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  5. I take it you can't nominate somebody else's writing! :)

    I think it's much harder than it looks to get it bad enough to win. the art must be in making it not too contrived....

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  6. Have a go, Diane!

    Anna - no, I haven't had a go yet, but might well. There seem to be plenty of categories!

    Dee, it has to be your own. But oddly, I don't think this kind of thing is nearly as funny as it is when it's unintentional (like the Bad Sex Award).

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  7. A well deserved winner. Think you're right, Frances, that it's funnier when the doesn't make it up just for the award!

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  8. Yes, Rosemary - deliberate bad writing doesn't quite work, somehow, but that one did amuse me.

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