Libby Drew

Here's a bit of fun: the 2009 winners of the Lyttle Lytton contest. Not to be confused with the The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which challenges entrants to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels. (2009 Results for the Bulwer-Lytton should be out soon.) Lyttle-Lytton 2009 Link: http://adamcadre.ac/09lyttle.html Excerpts: "What? Those are the winners?! Where is my glorious entry? Dammit, you wouldn't know funny if it bit you on the ass!" No doubt. This sort of thing is enormously subjective. It's hard to draw a line between those that just barely make it in and those which are just barely left out; on another day I might well have chosen a rather different set of winners. And of course, I wouldn't know funny if it bit me on the ass. I will begin with my now-traditional exhortation about what this contest is not. It is not a "funniest sentence" contest. It's relatively easy make people laugh with you, if you try. *** Again, what this contest is going for is a simulation of unintentional comedy

Thanks, Paul! I'd hate to say 'absolutely never' to a sequel, but it would be on the back burner while I concentrate on some works-in-progress. But if you were to read a sequel...what would you like to see happen? Good chance I'd be inspired by your ideas. I really appreciate the feedback, and I'm so happy you enjoyed this little story. These characters feel very safe to me -- not to belittle Thomas' struggle -- but I see his story as one of faith and success rather than of despair and failure. Must be Seth's influence. Thanks again for commenting and let me know your ideas!

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day.

Happy Birthday, Greg! Hope it's a good one.

I'm sending healing vibes. Please let him know my thoughts are with him.

I prefer colder weather, myself. Fall is my favorite season. Sorry about the heat. Maybe it's time for an Alaskan cruise. ;D

Of course it's okay! Everybody has their own system. With the exception of one or two shorter pieces, I don't think I've ever written a story in order from beginning to end. I write scenes as they come to me, generally. Do what inspires you. Good luck!

Happy Birthday, Viv! Many happy returns.

I love this show. I've been on pins and needles for series 2, which is supposed to start this fall on the BBC. Don't watch it for the historical accuracy, you'll tear your hair out. But it's great entertainment. It's a very large and prolific fandom. *whistles*

I have the utmost faith that the competition will be organized and executed fairly. I've only ever written three anonymous stories that were actually voted on (judged against others), and to be honest, even in those circumstances, it was the spirit of the fest that won me over, not being recognized as the "winner". The remainder of my anonymous writing experiences were for gift exchanges (the biggest being a recurring holiday fest that includes over a hundred authors and posts in December). So with all due respect to the serious business of keeping things fair, I'm in for the thrills! When can we start?

Happy Birthday, Vic! Hope you have a great day.

Thanks for reading and commenting! I'm glad you enjoyed it and pleased you found it a visual story, especially as writing from Thomas' POV is challenging in that regard. I am fond of these characters and was pleased to have a chance to revisit them. Thanks again and take care.

Thank you for taking the time to offer some feedback and encouragement. I'm so happy you're enjoying the stories. I'm still dedicated to finishing Between Lives, but other things keep getting in the way. I appreciate your (and everyone's) patience. Please continue to comment in the forums! This is a fantastic community, very welcoming and friendly. You won't be sorry you got more involved. Thanks again and take care! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I'm thrilled that you like the stories, especially Between Lives. It does start out with a lot of sadness and despair, but there's hope on the horizon. Promise. Take care and thanks again for the feedback!

Happy Birthday, Bob! Hope it's a wonderful day.

I'm under the gun on another editorial deadline, and these next two months are crucial. So, of course, yeah...I'm totally in. (You know me -- a total sucker for anon fests.)

Being wrong is fun, and says a lot about being a reader/writer in general, I think. I always believed I'd be able to spot my favorite authors a mile away. It wasn't as easy as it seemed! You looking forward to it...that means you're doing it, right?

Ah. Well, that's true of course, though I've never taken part in a competition where any writers or editors are allowed to vote, so I didn't realize that would be the case here. That said, the majority of my plot builders/copy editors/betas aren't a part of this community, so that's not an issue in my case. Plus I doubt I'd feel comfortable putting a work of this length forth without having it scrutinzed with a fine tooth comb by my usual betas. It's all food for thought.

I would hope the number of betas/editors wouldn't be limited, but I can't imagine it would be. As long as those people are tight-lipped on your project, it shouldn't be a problem. You could be right about your second point, but that's part of the fun, isn't it? One of my favorite aspects of anonymous fests is guessing who's who. Sometimes I'm right, but others...you'd be surprised how hard it can be. Jordan can probably back me up on this. I've been shocked by the "reveals" more than once. Especially if the list of people participating isn't common knowledge. Such fun!

Ooh! I love this idea, but I'm partial to "anonymous" contests/fests. Sounds like great fun!

You've got a big heart. Thanks for making me smile.

Thank you all so much! It was a great day, mostly because of the kind wishes I've been receiving all day. Thanks for thinking of me. And through the power of GA, I'm 37 this year. AGAIN! I love that.

Some brief thoughts on this story: How often and to what extent we write to please others varies from author to author. Once in a blue moon (because my schedule simply doesn't allow for more than that), I'll ask somebody if there's something in particular they'd like me to write, usually for a special occassion, like a birthday. And while the process itself may feel a bit more restrictive, the satisfaction from giving makes up for it tenfold. This is a gift fic, written for one person in particular. Still, I hope there are others who will enjoy it as well. Thanks.

You and I definitely have a coffee problem. I was thinking about this the other day. All my characters are coffee addicts too. The subconscious is a funny thing. Thanks for reading and, as always, for the thoughtful and kind comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter. As for Bruce, I had planned for him to head back to the city right away, but I've grown a bit attached to him myself. I think he needs to stay for a while. Take care, dear!

Yes! It's a good thing. It means you're writing from the heart.

Thanks, Adam. I'm thrilled you're enjoying the story, and I'm especially appreciative of your thoughtful feedback. I'll try to keep the chapters coming regularly. Take care!