The LitWit Challenge for July: Romantic as heck
Consider some of the most romantic stories in literature. Romeo and Juliet. Wuthering Heights. Guinevere and Lancelot. The Great Gatsby. Anna Karenina. Gone With the Wind. What do all these stories have in common? The lovers may be mad about each other, but they don’t end up together. Assuming that they survive their passion, they spend the rest of their lives longing for each other. Because the definition of “romantic” is “Anywhere but here, any time but now.”
For this month’s LitWit Challenge, write us a story of at least 500 words in which the lovers are separated, probably for eternity. We’ll accept fan fiction—stories using existing characters, situations and settings in popular culture. Characters from 19th century novels, superhero comics, My Husband’s Lover—the choice is yours.
In short, 500 words at least, romantic, bleak, should make the audience feel bad for the characters. One of the great things about literature is that the most terrible things can happen, but we survive.
The prize is a hardcover edition of Dear Life, short stories by Alice Munro. Post your entries in Comments. The deadline for submission of entries is on 10 August 2013.
The LitWit Challenge is brought to you by our friends at National Bookstore.
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