West Seattle author Molly Ringle wins notorious nationwide contest

It wasn’t quite “it was a dark and stormy night” – we’d say it was even better. West Seattle author Molly Ringle came up with a real doozy (involving a kiss, a water bottle and a gerbil) to win this year’s nationwide contest for bad writing, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. The Seattle Times (WSB partner) writes about it here; you might recall having read about Molly here on WSB before – in April of last year, when her paperback novel “The Ghost Downstairs” went on sale. Molly’s website reveals she’s publishing another novel this year, “Summer Term.” And you can read her entire Bulwer-Lytton-winning passage here.

Donna June 29, 2010 (9:03 pm)

I LOVE this contest! Congratulations! Your winning line is fabulously awful!

ValMalGal June 29, 2010 (9:24 pm)

High-larious. Loved the sentence. Congratulations?!

Mary June 29, 2010 (9:34 pm)

It makes a West Seattleite proud, it does; congratulations Molly! (Does Square One Books stock your presumably better writing?)

Molly June 29, 2010 (9:49 pm)

Thanks so much, WSB! And Donna, Val, and Mary! I have been too shy to approach Square One so far, but maybe I’ll get up the nerve now that I’m officially awful. If that makes any sense.

Amanda June 29, 2010 (9:59 pm)

I just read this in the Seattle Times. I thought the same thing when my son was nursing. Good for you Molly!

Dale June 29, 2010 (10:37 pm)

Not unlike some of my blog posts.

Kevin June 30, 2010 (12:16 am)

Gerbils win every time. What? No mention of the rattling of the metal ball valve in the water bottle tube, like some frenetic echoed, osculated heartbeat ???

OP June 30, 2010 (10:58 am)

Congrats on your stunningly awful (and incredibly funny) entry, Molly! I’m a former SJSU creative writing minor grad. During my senior year, we had the incredible joy and honor of reading and judging some of the entries. It truly takes a good writer to write something so bad that it’s good. :)

JoanE O\'Brien June 30, 2010 (11:26 am)

Have been enjoying this contest for at least 20 years. Many congrats, Molly. I was so thrilled that someone from my new home town won, I sent your winning entry to friends from my old home town at Johns Hopkins University press. Be sure to let the blog know when your readings and book signings (or paragraph autographs) begin ; )

Truth Out - Get Some Truth June 30, 2010 (12:49 pm)

I remember entering this contest years ago when I was a kid, I didn’t win but it was really fun.
The posts here are so refreshing, I love that my WS neighbors seems to actually READ articles before posting. This story on the Times is generating comments like “Nothing to be proud of” and “Wow, now we reward losers for anything I guess.” Obviously without any understanding of what the contest is actually about. Geeze.

Stay strong Molly, and congrats.

Dailycommuter June 30, 2010 (1:18 pm)

OK, anyone who can write that awfully bad has got to be able to write awfully good. I’m inspired to look around for “The Ghost Downstairs” — I think I’m gonna enjoy it. Congratulations, and best wishes in all your literary endeavors!

Molly June 30, 2010 (3:58 pm)

Thanks so much, everyone! Yeah, I’m actually rather amused by (and sorry for) the people who don’t “get” the contest. How sad to live with such a malfunctioning sense of humor. ;)

Kevin–hah! Love the water bottle description.

And OP: very cool that you’ve helped judge the contest! Scott Rice, the organizer, has been the nicest guy throughout. He must be, to keep up such a long-running contest that makes so many people worldwide laugh.