I came up with a new game today. It’s one of my favorite types of games; the sit at a bar and imaginatively judge people kind of game.
You know how (the proverbial) they say that absolutely everyone’s got at least one book in them? Well, next time you’re out in public people-watch and try to figure out what kind of book people around you would write. That bartender with the impossibly meticulous facial hair, the popped collar and the very impressive skill of making an avocado martini taste like an orange muffin; there’s something about him that just screams detective novel to me.
Most people in bars look like they’d write memoirs. Excusably self-indulgent works, since most lives are self-indulgent and you should write what you know. Or romantic comedies. A lot of people would write romantic comedies. They do already, I guess.
Incredibly smooth segue into…
My writing contest is over tonight! Let out a little bit of the novel inside of you and you could win a free copy of my book, Somewhere Over the Sun. The contest closes at 2/19 11:59 p.m, Central Standard Time (check what that means for you). The guidelines are simple:
The Guidelines
If you had the ability to turn fiction into reality, written words into truth, what story would you write? As per the limitations that my protagonist Alan lives through, assume that you cannot summon gold, or cure diseases or reveal any kind of deity. Entries should be between 200-1,000 words (I won’t strictly adhere to either limit) and can be the story itself or just the idea behind a story. I will pick the winner based on style, content, originality and that ever-subjective quality of likability. With his/her permission, I will post it on this site. All stories should be emailed to adi.alsaid@gmail.com. This contest is open to absolutely everyone on the planet.
