Look to Canada for Novel Writing Contest

Regarding “Releasing Their Inner Novelist” (Oct. 26): National Novel Writing Month seems like a good idea, but raises the question: Why so long?

In Canada, back in the late 1970s, there was already an International 3-Day Novel-Writing Contest, sponsored by Pulp Press Book Publishers. Yes, three days, not one month.

The winners got their novels published by Pulp Press, and the books were real, if slim, novels, not just first drafts based on not discarding anything.

I have two of the novels: “Doctor Tin,” by playwright Tom Walmsey, and “Still,” by poet bp nichol, respective (and respected) winners of the second and fifth contests.

Here’s an excerpt from the publisher’s note in one of the books: “While a three-day contest is not in the business of producing deathless literature, we, as contest sponsors, continue to be amazed at the quality, depth and completeness of the entries we receive.”

I suppose taking a month to do what should only take three days indicates how laid-back (or lazy?) Californians are as compared with the Canadians.

BARRY NESTER

Jerusalem