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niyad

(128,607 posts) Tue Nov 11, 2025, 02:52 AM Nov 11

I have very sad news to report. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest* is no more. [View all]

After a mere 42 years, Prof. Scott Rice has the NERVE, the AUDACITY, to. . .to. . . gasp. . .retire! As if being merely a year older than Joe Biden is a legitimate excuse, the layabout!

The only consolation is that the contest winners have been archived.

*For those unfamiliar with the BLFC, it was a contest to write the worst possible opening sentence of an imaginary novel, inspired by Bulwer-Lytton's "It was a dark and storrmy night. . .", co-opted by Snoopy.

I am inconsolable! Devastated! Grieved beyond measure!

17 replies

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Highlight:

I have very sad news to report. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest* is no more. [View all] niyad Nov 11 OP

Aw man! I always enjoyed those! n/t Coventina Nov 11 #1

As did I. niyad Nov 11 #5

And you could have been a contender Dear_Prudence Nov 11 #2

Thank you for that lovely compliment. One tries one's humble best. niyad Nov 11 #6

Curiously, Bulwar-Lytton's intro followed Hemingway's famous dictum nuxvomica Nov 11 #3

More like hemingway copied him? niyad Nov 11 #8

That's a genuine shame. Paladin Nov 11 #4

As will I. niyad Nov 11 #9

I regret I never got to enter my novel's opening sentence nuxvomica Nov 11 #7

It is a shame that you did not enter it! niyad Nov 11 #10

I had not heard of this. Sounds hilarious. Disappointing to see it go. electric_blue68 Nov 11 #11

You can check out the website, as the whole contest is archived. niyad Nov 11 #13

Cool! I will. TY. electric_blue68 Nov 11 #16

Reminds me of the story of the doorman at an exclusive London club. malthaussen Nov 11 #12

Awww, thank you for that delightful story. niyad Nov 11 #14

I misremembered as an opening line, "There is a fort in the South..." - turned out to be a few lines later. UTUSN Nov 11 #15

Thank you for these, as I neither read the book, nor saw the movie. niyad Nov 11 #17