For everyone who submitted to Robert Swartwood's Hint Fiction Contest, your "briefs" are being prepared for trial, the preliminary judges (Rob and me) are polishing our gavels, dry-cleaning our robes, adjusting our glasses (on our noses and on Scotch-soaked coasters). We're ready to find the best "HINTS" and send them up to the Supreme Court, in this case, best-selling writer Stewart O'Nan.
We're writing new law here, kind of. Genre-bending, at least as far as length is concerned. The buzz around the net is mostly positive curiosity, "Hint" being a new sub-sub genre, a story--or rather the hint of a story--in twenty-five words or less. Is it a fad or a legitimate endeavor? Will fiction this short get life or the axe? Or will it be sent on to a court of appeals?
I suppose it depends on what comes out of the 200 + submissions made via the comment section at Rob's blog. Some are probably quick attempts to join an A-list of sorts, to be one of the first; others will be sincere efforts, each word carefully chosen for both its literal and figurative meaning. If they are brilliant, perhaps we're seeing the beginning of a new abbreviated kind of story-telling. If not, well, I still have my pet rock.
Be assured, though, the briefs will be carefully, respectfully culled, ranked, talked about, argued over, and finally, presented to Chief Justice O'Nan.
And while the jury is out, the submitting writers must wait to hear what the final verdict will be.
We're writing new law here, kind of. Genre-bending, at least as far as length is concerned. The buzz around the net is mostly positive curiosity, "Hint" being a new sub-sub genre, a story--or rather the hint of a story--in twenty-five words or less. Is it a fad or a legitimate endeavor? Will fiction this short get life or the axe? Or will it be sent on to a court of appeals?
I suppose it depends on what comes out of the 200 + submissions made via the comment section at Rob's blog. Some are probably quick attempts to join an A-list of sorts, to be one of the first; others will be sincere efforts, each word carefully chosen for both its literal and figurative meaning. If they are brilliant, perhaps we're seeing the beginning of a new abbreviated kind of story-telling. If not, well, I still have my pet rock.
Be assured, though, the briefs will be carefully, respectfully culled, ranked, talked about, argued over, and finally, presented to Chief Justice O'Nan.
And while the jury is out, the submitting writers must wait to hear what the final verdict will be.
1 comment:
cool.
.... ever tried looking through bifocals? does Robocop get old? His eyes are organic so doesnt that mean he'll eventually need them?
verification word for this comment: nousime
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