Commemorating the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest: A Writing Challenge Embracing Subpar Prose
The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, a humorous celebration of questionable literary prowess, was launched in 1983 by Scott Rice. The contest, named after the author of the infamous overly dramatic opening line, "It was a dark and stormy night…", aims to encourage writers to invent deliberately bad, amusing, or excessively florid opening sentences for imaginary novels.
Scott Rice, a former professor at San Jose State University who specialized in 18th century English literature, designed the contest as a form of playful entertainment. Over the years, the contest has grown in popularity, receiving at least 6,000 entries annually.
The contest's winners have displayed a knack for creating openings that are both ridiculous and entertaining. Molly Ringle, a third contest winner, captured the essence of a character's kiss in an overly descriptive and humorous manner. Dave Agans, another winner, described a character's body in a peculiar and over-detailed manner. Lawrence Person compared a character's impact to a five-pound ham hock tossed from a speeding truck.
Despite the contest's humorous nature, it serves as a testament to the creativity of its participants. Molly Ringle suggests that it takes skill to write sentences as bad as the winning entries in the contest. Jonathan Grossman, a UCLA English professor, read a line from Bulwer-Lytton's work that is considered bad writing, and his reading was met with laughter.
The contest has managed to stay fresh over the years because people keep reinventing it. Scott Rice, the contest's founder, states that he wants to take a break from the contest to read other things. However, the spirit of Bulwer-Lytton's creativity lives on through the contest, capturing the essence of his work in a strange yet fitting way.
Last year marked the final Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Despite its end, the contest's impact on literature and its ability to entertain readers will remain. Lillian Nayder, a professor of 19th century British literature at Bates College, acknowledges the contest's unique place in literary history, saying, "The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, in a strange way, captures the spirit of Bulwer-Lytton's creativity."
In its heyday, the contest received widespread attention and recognition. Edward Bulwer-Lytton, the author of the original infamous line, was a celebrity in his day. The contest, in its own way, continues to celebrate the spirit of Bulwer-Lytton's creativity, turning literary badness into a form of playful entertainment.
