A Few Lazy Sunday Notes

I’m sad to have missed entering this year’s Bulwer-Lytton Contest, but the winners for worst opening line ever are now available for your reading amusement. Sadly, there isn’t a YA category, but the winner in the Children’s Literature category penned the following monstrosity:

Danny, the little Grizzly cub, frolicked in the tall grass on this sunny Spring morning, his mother keeping a watchful eye as she chewed on a piece of a hiker they had encountered the day before.

If that doesn’t get you to read the rest of the results, nothing will. If you’re in the mood for something with a bit more substance, don’t forget that the Summer issue of The Edge of the Forest is ready, complete with features about the Nerdfighters, the 48-Hour Book Challenge, and more. There are also a number of interesting posts and pictures about the recent Los Angeles SCBWI conference at the relatively new Children’s Writers’ and Illustrators’ Market Blog, penned by Alice Pope.

Or, if you just want some Sunday schadenfreude, check out the Evil Editor blog (which I found on the aforementioned CWIM blog). According to the FAQ:

Authors with books that they feel are ready for publication prepare query letters, which they plan to send to publishers or literary agents. They get these letters into the best possible condition, and then email them to Evil Editor. Evil Editor prints the letters exactly as they came to him, adding his own comments in a different color. Evil Editor’s comments are intended for entertainment purposes only.

Shudder. Not sure whether to be frightened or amused! There are also some other fun items on the Evil Editor’s blog, like a “guess-the-title-from-the-Amazon-blurb” quiz. So–whatever your poison, hope you enjoy!