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Changes to EAC-BC seminars: pricing and scheduling

FROM: Tina Robinson and Eva van Emden, professional development co-chairs

As we head into the fall, we’re looking forward to another season of great seminars. To start off, we’re offering another chance at two seminars that sold out last year: Advanced Proofreading in September 2012 and Stylistic + Structural = Substantive Editing in October 2012. We’re working on a schedule of seminars for the rest of the 2012–2013 year, which we will announce soon.

This year, we are making a couple of changes to the way we run seminars.

  • Seminars will be one hour longer, running from 9h00 to 16h00. Seminar participants and instructors told us that it was hard to fit the course material into our old schedule. Adding an hour will let the instructors teach a more complete course at a more relaxed pace.
  • The cost of seminar registration will go up $20 to $120/$140 for members and $180/$200 for non-members (early bird/regular). Fees for half-day seminars will be half the full-day fee. The earlier start means that the per-hour cost of attending is almost the same, but raising fees means that we can pay our presenters more and offer partial compensation for their travel costs. We also expect to attract a wider range of presenters. Our registration fees, which haven’t gone up since 2008, are still lower than other EAC seminars across Canada.

If you have questions or feedback about these changes, please contact us.

—Tina and Eva

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Overwrought writing wins prize

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The contest that awards overwrought writing is back: the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Since 1982, the English department at San José State University has sponsored the contest, one that challenges writers to compose an opening sentence to the “worst of all possible novels.”

The entry categories for the 2012 contest were as follows: Romance, Adventure, Children’s Literature, Crime, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Purple Prose, Science Fiction, Vile Puns, and Western.

Canadians take (dis)honours

Three Canadians were singled out for their particularly turgid efforts: Guy Foisy (Ontario), who won the Purple Prose category; Emma DeZordi (Quebec), who received a Dishonourable Mention in the Romance category; and James Macdonald (Vancouver), who received a Miscellaneous Dishonourable Mention.

The sentence that launched the contest

The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is the brainchild of Professor Scott Rice, who, when a graduate student, wrote a paper on Victorian novelist Lord Edward Bulwer Lytton (the Bulwer Lyttons do not hyphenate their surname but the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest does), author of the English language’s (arguably) most infamous opening sentence: “It was a dark and stormy night …”

Here’s the sentence in full bloom:

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

Paul Clifford, Edward Bulwer Lytton, 1830

Years later, after having judged numerous writing contests, Professor Rice “struck upon the idea of holding a competition that would be honest and—best of all—invite brief entries.”

Selection of 2012 winners

2012 Purple Prose: runner-up
“Corinne considered the colors (palest green, gray and lavender) and texture (downy as the finest velvet) and wondered, ‘How long have these cold cuts been in my refrigerator?’”

Linda Boatright, Omaha, NE

2012 Purple Prose: Dishonourable Mention
“The drugged parrots pelted the village like a hellish rain of feathered fanny packs stuffed with claws and porridge, rendering Claudia’s makeshift rabbit-skin umbrella more symbolic than anything else.”

Jeff Coleburn, West Chester, PA

2012 Western: runner-up
“He got down from his horse, which seemed strange to him as he had always believed that you got down from a duck or a goose.”

Terry L. Johnson, Tularosa, NM

Read all the 2012 winning entries.

How to enter the 2013 contest

For information about entering an opening paragraph of your own into next year’s contest, go to www.bulwer-lytton.com/contact.html. The submission deadline is April 15, 2013.

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TEST: Are you a hopeless bookworm?

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Editors are bookworms. Hopeless bookworms. Take this 13-question self-diagnostic test, created by hopeless—but happy—bookworm Frank Karabotsos, to determine exactly how “hopeless” your book-loving condition is.

You know how it is. You approach a bookstore and resolutely tell yourself, I’ll only go in for five minutes, buy the book I want, and make my escape. Yeah, right. When does it ever happen that way? I used to feel guilty about this, but my only worry now is, how bookish am I, really? Perhaps you’ve asked yourself the same question. Well, you’re about to find out.

If you answer Yes to more than 11 of the following statements, you’re a Bibliolater: you’d sell your house for a first edition; between 6 and 10, you’re a Bibliomaniac: you’d read a book while skydiving; between 1 and 5, you’re a Bibliophile: you probably carry reading material with you into the bath.

Only if you answer No to all of the questions are you truly safe, able to resist the temptation of books when circumstances warrant.

Take the test to find out how “hopeless” your book-loving condition is.

DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?
You judge a book by its spine, that is, by how well it will look sandwiched between other books on your shelves.
You change the arrangement of the books on your shelves to give them a refreshing new look, the same way others rearrange their furniture.
You wince when you hear a crack after someone bends a hardback more than 180 degrees.
You have at least three copies of War and Peace (or another famous work) in three different translations.
You know the difference between bibliophily, bibliomania, and bibliolatry.
You have an urge to remove the dust covers from your books and display them as posters in your office.
You use a steam iron to smooth out the wrinkles in the satin ribbon markers of your books.
You purchase two copies of the same book: a paperback for reading on the beach, and a hardback for reading at home.
To avoid your spouse’s cry of “Not another book!” when a parcel arrives, you have your orders sent to your work address or to a sympathetic non-bookish friend (someone who won’t be tempted to open the box).
You have multiple copies of a favourite novel, one with a cool cover, one with illustrations, and one with scholarly notes.
You buy Brodart plastic covers to protect your books, just as libraries do.
You start reading a paperback in the store, but then order the hardback since you want a copy with nicer paper and wider margins for notes.
You wish you had never heard of The Folio Society.

Now it’s your turn. What other symptoms of obsessive bookishness do you (or others you know) exhibit?

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CONTEST: poetry and short story

Contest sponsor: The Vancouver Writers Fest
Contest deadline: October 21, 2012

Calling all poets and short-story writers—The Vancouver Writers Fest is holding its annual poetry and short story contest. Entries are being accepted for unpublished work in two categories: poetry (up to 500 words) and creative short fiction (up to 1500 words).

Prizes will be awarded (first prize: $500; second prize: $350) for the top two entries in each category. First-place winners will be published in subTERRAIN magazine, and all winners will be published on The Vancouver Writers Fest website.

  • Entry fee: $15 for each story or poem submitted
  • Deadline: October 21, 2012; 17h00
  • More information

Editor pens press release in style of King James Bible

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The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633 (or possibly, the Bowen Island ferry).

TO: West Coast Editor

FROM: David Harrison

Earlier this year, I attended an EAC-BC stylistic-editing seminar. I enjoyed the writing exercises, especially one requiring each of us to write a press release announcing that the next sailing of the Bowen Island ferry would be cancelled due to bad weather. We were given several styles to choose from, including that of Jane Austen and the King James Bible. I chose King James …

—David

CHAPTER I
A message comes down from on High to the waiting hordes, &c.

AND an Herald came down from on High to the fearful crowds, assembled by the boats on the shore of the Salish Sea.

2 O ye of little faith! saith the Herald. Ye, who dwelleth in the dank wildernesses of Bowen Island, who yearn to see the nether reaches of the Salish Sea: hearken now unto the voice of those who go down to the sea in ships and occupy their business in great waters!

3 Behold, as this day dawned, there arose a great tempest, insomuch that the ships were covered with waves: and the sea captains were sore afraid.

4 But the wind abateth not.

5 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and they who prophesy about such things hear the sound thereof but cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth.

6 It is enough, saith He: we have given up the ghost: verily, the peoples that live in the Land of Cristy shall not set forth upon the seas this day.

7 We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry, quoth the Herald.

8 And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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EAC-BC scholarship recipient sends thanks

EAC-BC chair Peter Moskos presents a $250 scholarship to editing student Meaghan McAneeley at the Langara College scholarship ceremony on June 27, 2012. Photo courtesy of Langara College.

TO: EAC-BC

FROM: Meaghan McAneeley

I am writing to express my gratitude for the scholarship you awarded me this semester at Langara College. The money helps to ease financial burdens as I near the end of my diploma. Even more than that, though, I appreciate the recognition of my hard work while studying editing and working as an editor for our class magazine. It helps me to feel confident in my abilities and supported by a community as I embark on my job search. The recognition will surely help me to express to potential employers my passion and dedication to the craft of editing. Thank you very much.

—Meaghan

Two book-related videos

TO: West Coast Editor

FROM: Frank Karabotsos

I just read the March issue of WCE online, which looks great. I appreciated the link to the poem on English pronunciation. What a hoot!

Speaking of links, I am not sure if book-related videos fall within the purview of WCE, but recently I found two of interest. The first is a stop-motion video of books coming alive at night after a bookstore has closed. Interestingly, I used to visit that store when I lived in Toronto.

The second is the recent Oscar winner for animated short “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.” Its message? If you love books, they’ll love you back.

—Frank

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Print Futures EAC-BC scholarship recipient announced

EAC-BC chair Peter Moskos presents a $250 scholarship to editing student Dee Noble at the Print Futures Portfolio Show on April 14, 2012. Photo courtesy of Douglas College.

FROM: Peter Moskos, EAC-BC chair

I’m pleased to announce the recipient of a 2012 EAC-BC scholarship: Dee Noble from the Douglas College Print Futures program. I presented Dee with her scholarship—$250 in cash—at the Print Futures Portfolio Show on April 14, 2012.

Dee will be joining the EAC-BC executive as member services chair.

—Peter