OFF-TOPIC - 'Atlanta Nights'

[Tammy Rizzo]

On 3 Jul 2005 at 4:32, Marilyn Peake wrote:

> 
> Hi, Tammy,
> 
> I notice that you have a quote from "Atlanta Nights" by Travis Tea, 
> the book that was written as a prime example of everything not to do 
> in writing a book. I love the story behind how and why that book was 
> actually written!!!! :)
> 
> Best Wishes,
> Marilyn

Yeah, it's just about the funniest thing I've ever read.  The backstory only makes it 
funnier!  :-)

For those who might not have heard of 'Atlanta Nights' by Travis Tea (hint - say that 
name fast), it's a real book, written over a weekend at a writer's convention, as a 
sting against an online publishing group which claimed to have high standards for 
the works they bought, but would actually buy any piece of crap that came down the 
pike.  'Atlanta Nights' was written as badly as these pro writers could manage, just to 
prove this publishing house was lying.  The writers got together, bashed out a list of 
characters, each with a vague history ('Bruce was in a car wreck' is an example of 
the extent of these pasts, actually), and picked a chapter or two each to write, and 
then broke up and wrote their chapters without discussing them with the others.  
There is NO continuity (Isadore changes gender twice, for example), the writing is 
the worst I've ever found, spelling and grammatical errors abound, and it's all done 
that way ON PURPOSE!  :-)  So, they put the chapters in order, banged out another 
one by having a computer program chose words from the other chapters and put it 
in order that way, and sent it out to this publishing house with such high standards, 
and they BOUGHT it!  Heee heeee!

Anyway, a search for 'Atlanta Nights' might eventually get you the free online PDF 
version, or you can actually order a bound hardcopy through Lulu.com (NOT the 
publishers in question, btw), the proceeds of which go to a writers' health fund, 
whatever that is . . . .  However you get your copy, it is well worth the read!  It's like 
'Plan Nine from Outer Space' -- so bad it's good!  At least, this time, its badness was 
intentional.  ;-D

***
Tammy Rizzo
ms-tamany at rcn.com

What were you in your pants that was still pining over and went to the
businessman?
          -- 'Atlanta Nights', by Travis Tea (chapter 34)