Hello WriteByNighters (and Snoopy, if you're reading):
"It was a dark and stormy night" has become perhaps the ultimate cliche in fiction-writing. Washington Irving used it to fine effect in "A History of New York," but that example opened a paragraph, not a novel.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton is the first known writer to have begun a novel with it: his 1830 book, Paul Clifford. Now there's an annual contest named after the poor guy where the prize goes to the writer who concocts the worst opening line of an imaginary novel.
And every time Snoopy perches atop his doghouse to write, the first line we see scroll across his typewriter is "It was a dark and stormy night." I love Snoopy dearly, and I've always been curious to see what comes next.
Hey, I'm all for having fun with bad writing, but I also appreciate a writer who can turn a cliche into something original.
In fifty words or fewer, write a short story that includes (but doesn't have to start with) the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night."
Enter as many stories as you wish. Write or paste your entries into the comments. The winner gets a free book from the WBN library.
And -- most importantly -- bragging rights until the next contest!
Good luck, and happy writing! But don't wait until a dark and stormy night: the contest closes when Friday turns into Saturday.
