This week! Publishing! In!
As predicted by frequent blog reader and commenter (and noted seer) Sex Scenes at Starbucks, now that you have been warmed up by Wednesday's You Tell Me on the best first lines in literature, get ready for the ultimate... the stupendous... the magical... the probably not as good as "Cats".... Ultimate First Line Challenge!
Um, that will be next week. So start polishing those first lines. As with any contest on this blog, the rules will be ill-defined and the winners subjectively chosen.
I can feel the excitement in this room.
Meanwhile, there was a week, and by golly the publishing industry decided to join in.
The Booker Prize shortlist is in (thanks to Galleycat, who was on it like a saucer of milk). Good luck to the nominees! Keep working on that pensive look, which you'll need when the camera pans to you as they're saying "The Booker goes to..." And then you have to look happy for the winner even though you want to kidnap them and administer death through paper cuts. It's a tough job being a writer, I know.
Also via GalleyCat, Rosie O'Donnell has declared war on the nation's copyeditors. I don't even have a joke here, except to say that I hope I'm not caught in the crossfire.
On a more serious note, one that features nuanced discussions on the vagaries of the book industry and culture at large (this is The Millions we're talking about after all), aforementioned book blog The Millions has a breakdown of the latest articles about the decline of newspaper book pages. In particular I'd direct you to former LA Times Book Review editor Steve Wasserman's really interesting article on the same matter, which is a thing that made me go, "Hmmm."
And finally, faithful lurker Cassie Whitener was the very first to point me to this article about the case of Polish writer Krystian Bala, who thought it a good idea to write and publish a novel about a murder he actually committed. Whoops. A lot of people have joked about this already, but here's what I'm outraged about: isn't this the oldest murder mystery cliche ever? Police tracks crime author using clues from latest novel? Come on, Krystian Bala. I've seen Insomnia. I fell asleep. Geez.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, September 7, 2007
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20 comments:
Wait, I wanted the contest to be today. I told my coworkers they could vote early and often.
topher1961-
Sorry -- I'm afraid they're going to have to vote late and often. Next week! Promise!
Are there valuable cash prizes involved, or is it simply the satisfaction of a job well done?
Anon-
Let's just say the satisfaction of a job well done will feature prominently in the prize section.
Also there might be.... a partial manuscript critique!!!
That's way better than cash.
Yer gonna be swamped.
He won't be swamped. He'll read mine and declare me the winner...I know it sucks slogging through all those horrible entries, but it was just as hard writing it and revising it and rerevising it....Whomp there it is. Can't WAIT to read everyone's lines!!
If I'm not mistaken the first line of Tag Team's now-infamous song is "Let's get ready to rumble!"
Indeed, let's.
I won't be able to participate . . but I have a good excuse: I'll be on a research trip for my novel!
"the satisfaction of a job well done."
I love that. I think the winner should agree to tatoo the letters W-E-L-L D-O-N-E on their knuckles.
Sort of on topic:
Madeleine L'Engle died Thursday at age 88. How fortunate we are to have her work. She didn't give up despite numerous rejections. (A lesson for all of us.)
My favorite opening line was:
"It was a dark and stormy night." --A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine
I like first lines. I do awesome first lines. But I also already have an agent. Can I still enter?
Anon-
The only people who can't enter are Lakers fans. Everyone else is welcome.
May we submit first lines for unfinished works? Works actually "in progress," vs. ready and out on the query circuit?
amanda h said...
Sort of on topic:
Madeleine L'Engle died Thursday at age 88. How fortunate we are to have her work. She didn't give up despite numerous rejections. (A lesson for all of us.)
I was just reading her obituary on the NY Times Web site and noted that the obit is dated September 8. Even in New York, it's not tomorrow yet.
Perhaps a tesseract of some kind;-)
mkcbunny said...
I was just reading her obituary on the NY Times Web site and noted that the obit is dated September 8. Even in New York, it's not tomorrow yet.
A big congrats to Lloyd Jones for being nominated.
Go Kiwis! (that's New Zealanders).
"the rules will be ill-defined and the winners subjectively chosen."
Hmm. Reminds me of a certain industry we all know and love. :)
Heather
I with Writing Angel, go Lloyd Jones.
I support Kiwi writers!
Its nice to see people from other places get recognised for their work.
Six words rooting for the contest:
Ooo Ooo Ooo, I'm so excited!
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