The Concordia Bad Writing Contest
Posted on: Oct 11, 2012
Every year the English Department runs a creative writing contest. This year we are doing our own version of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.
The rules: All you have to do is come up with the opening sentence of a novel. That's right — just one sentence. The catch is that it has to be the worst sentence possible. And by "worst" we don't mean that your spelling or grammar should be atrocious. Instead, you should aim for something corny, wacky, lame, melodramatic, over the top.
Example: It was during a poker game that Eden realized why she wouldn’t want to date a vampire: when the stakes go up they’re too bloody scared to bite the bait.
For further examples of wonderfully bad opening sentences, just follow the link above. It's generally a good idea to pick a genre (like western, harlequin romance, science fiction) that you want to parody.
The contest is open to all students, faculty, and staff until December 5th (midnight). Entries should be emailed to Dr. Conrad van Dyk (conrad.vandyk@concordia.ab.ca). You can submit up to 3 entries.
As soon as entries come in they will be posted on our website and you will have a chance to comment on them and tell us which ones you like. Your comments may influence the judging committee!
Prizes: the winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card. The runner-up will receive a $25 dollar Amazon gift card. All other participants will receive a few good laughs.