Need a fun break from concentrating on your “Good” writing? Why not try some “Bad” writing!
We challenge you to channel your inner Snoopy (“It was a dark and stormy night”) and compose an opening sentence to the WORST of all possible novels using the word “dog(s)” in it. THE SENTENCE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A STORY!
This idea is a spin-off of the “The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.” Professor Scott Rice started it in 1982 at San Jose State University. His novel, “Paul Clifford,” began with the famous opener often used by the cartoon beagle, Snoopy. This line later morphed into:
It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
We want the worst of the worst that would cause any editor to shiver with distaste. To quote Professor Rice, “Congratulations, your material was not bad enough to be the winner!”
The rules are simple. Each original submission must consist of a single sentence no longer than 50 words, and contain the word “dog(s).” You can go much shorter if you wish. From the BLFC site, here are some non-credited examples adding a dog: “Dawn broke like a crusty suet pudding after the dog finished with it.” Or, “The limpid amber eyes of the serving wench flickered up petulantly, just like her dog’s.”
Please send your submissions to Anne Marie Duquette at [email protected] Please put “Stormy” in the subject heading. For security reasons, she will NOT open your email without it.
Email Anne Marie