Hi all, back from my hols and catching up on what I've missed. I see the Lit Idol shortlist has been posted. I'm glad to see from the Book Place website that, in my view, two of the candidates write really well, and none of them is particularly pretty. So perhaps Ali Gunn read my previous posting and chose accordingly :-)

It will be interesting to see that kind of publishing deal the winner eventually secures.

Al.

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or even 'what' kind...

Yes, I had a look too and they seemed to be pretty experienced writers. They should change the name of the competition - it doesn't do the winners justice.

Hi Elspeth, I totally agree with you about renaming the competition. The whole Idol tag is now such a devalued currency, evoking mediocrity, not excellence. Anyway, good luck to the contestants, I say, and may the best writer win.

Maybe they should make it Literary Competition for the Unglamorous No Mark Author with No Personality.

Then again probably not as catchy...come on guys, who cares? In this day and age image counts in every aspect of entertainment, showbiz, the arts, whatever you wanna call it, even in historical documentaries and vet shows. So...

Let's just pray, pray and pray even further that the finalists aren't the literary equivilent of Sam and Mark. I'd rather have Michelle (on my stereo...oh god, this is not sounding good) anyday...

Regards

Dav (Not bitter at all about the fact I entered and they ignored me...I mean what are they thinkin...etc etc etc...)

Hi Davey, so you like Michelle? I'm afraid I'm with Pete Waterman on that one. Which just goes to show that I do think image is important, but more so for a pop star than for a novelist. I have no problems seeing someone with genuine talent like Zadie Smith being given a makeover (she is now unrecognisably glamorous), but the talent should be there first before we spend too much time on eyebrow shaping.

Looks, sadly, don't last, whereas writing talent is more likely to endure.


Al (hoping one day to be taken seriously as a writer, not just as eye candy).

Speaking of writing, Al... when do we get to see any of yours... hmmm?

Dee

Dee, that's a very good question :-) Rest assured that when my book is finished, you will be amongst the first to get a preview. Now I can't say fairer than that, can I???

Al -

Mmmmmmmm-Miiiii-chelle.

Nah - I don't rightly care - her image will count against her in that business but good for her for winning the comp, although with Simon Cowell on your side you can't really fail. I just think things are just becoming increasingly based on image nowadays whether we like it or not. But it's not always a bad thing, alot of the showbiz glitz and image cheer life up considerably (well mine anyway!). I'm sure in the literary world things are much different, and genuine writing talent counts for much of it (cough cough).


Regards

Dav

Dav, I will reply with a haiku:

Who ate all the pies?

Must now go away and hone my write skills.

Al.

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that's 'writing' skills - honestly, all this Idol stuff sapping my creative juices :-)

Al -

She did
She did

That's my haiku back to ya!

I think "Who ate all the Pies?" would be a great album title...

Good luck with your write, and keep an eye on those juices!

Regards

Dav

Dav, that seems like an excellent title for an album. It reminds me of a very amusing internet cartoon/video that someone sent me a couple of years ago with a spoof of the Backstreet Boys' song 'I want it that way' turned into The Snacktreat Boyss singing 'I want a fat babe' - it had me crying with laughter:

http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/contentPlay/shockwave.jsp?id=regurge03&preplay=1

Thanks also for the good writing wishes - same to you!

Al.

Well, it looks like the best writer, Paul Cavanagh, a Canadian academic, did win after all. A wise decision, I say. But he does seem like the kind of person (an alumnus of a creative writing course) who would have got an agent and have been published any way. So I do rather wonder what was the point of the competition.