Many writers do not intentionally write with flaws and then enter the work in a contest, unless they were exceptional writers. It is noted that Jeanne Villa was thrilled to receive the news that she had won the romance category in the Lytton Fiction 2008 award for the worst writing. She submitted a manuscript with this confusing and awkward opening: "Bill swore the affair had ended, but Louise knew he was lying, after discovering Tupperware containers under the seat of his car, which were not the off-brand containers that she bought to save money, but authentic, burpable, lidded Tupperware;. . . “It goes on interminably to describe Louise’s, or is it Bill’s viewpoint, or are we really learning about the Tupperware containers. At any rate, the sentence is sixty-nine words in length, which tells me she worked extremely hard writing the worst opening she could write.
I don’t know about you, but it takes all my energy and stamina to write. I could probably begin to think about this award with any of my worst sentences, and I could find a few options without looking far. After smiling and wondering which I’d like to spend my energy on, writing the worst or the best story, I have to admit I still attempt to write right.
While Jeanne is celebrating her badness, I’m going to wish her well realizing that to win the award, her badness had to be the best. I guess that’s the best oxymoron that I could come up with. I often talk about the last being first and the concept of inside out and upside down, but it’s difficult to wrap one’s mind around the worst being the best.
Today, I will do my best to write my way. And somehow, I think that will be easier than to write to win a Lytton Fiction award for the worst writing. Way to go, Jeanne!
Donna Mann
www.homestead.com/the-meadows/mann.html
Take Time to Make Memories: memoirs
WinterGrief: a personal response to grief
Aggie's Storms (2007)
Aggie Dream - coming in 2009
Faithful Choices: a workbook for small-membership church working towards renewal (2009)
Looking for a place to feel inspired and challenged? Like to share a smile or a laugh? Interested in becoming more familiar with Canadian writers who have a Christian worldview? We are writers who live in different parts of Canada, see life from a variety of perspectives, and write in a number of genres. We share the goal of wanting to entertain and inspire you to be all you can be with God's help.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts
-
Write Canada is more than a professional networking conference. It’s a safe place where beginning and intermediate writers can learn ...
-
by Rev Ed Hird One of the best loved Christmas Carols is the 146-year-old carol: Good King Wenceslas. In 1853, John Mason Neale chose Wences...
-
Inspiration hardly strikes on an empty stomach. For this, and other reasons, writers must eat. And if you like minced beef (and you...
-
I know it's only the 27th of November, but judging from the abundant lights in my neighbourhood, the holiday programs on TV, the parades...
-
A question was posed on The Word Guild discussion forum, asking, "What do you do when you are itchy to write but feel stuck, blocked -...
-
The rhythm formed by a writer's unique way of stringing phrases and sentences becomes their voice. This voice is the author's trad...
-
By Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird We hear a lot about essential workers and essential services in these COVID-19 times. At 7 pm each ...
-
There are many things I fear. Having a flat tire on a freeway. Or worse, having a flat tire at night. The result of this fear is that I avoi...
-
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will b...
-
As an author, I take great pains to choose the right name for all my characters. Even the animals in my stories get the same careful deliber...
No comments:
Post a Comment