Like dutiful beetles looking after their own eggs, most writers work hard to make sure that the opening line of their work is strong and memorable. But what happens when things go wrong? What happens when that opening line doesn’t have the intended impact? The Lyttle Lytton competition is aiming to find the worst opening line, and so far there are some very promising contenders.
The quality is ropey, like a rope. To get a feel for the standard of entries, you can take a look at the winners (losers?) from 2011. The competition has been running for a decade now, and while some of the entries seem a little forced and gimmicky, others were clearly meant to be powerful and deep, but ended up going rather wrong.
And so it begins again, the same way it always begins: entries for the 2012 competition are open. And if you happen to win, don’t feel too bad. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right? Sandra Bullock won a Razzie for worst acting performance a few years ago, and turned up to collect the award in person. So there’s light at the end of the tunnel, or at least most tunnels.
Discussion
No comments yet.