Please Help Me Find an Old, Obscure Parody Book on Writing
December 8, 2006 8:29 PM Subscribe
Please help me find any and all information available about an old book about writing whose very long name I cannot recall.
This book was a parody of "how-to" writing books. From what I can remember, it appeared to have been printed in the 60s or 70s, though that's just estimation.
The title was long... so long that the font grew smaller and smaller as the title continued down the cover. I can only remember bits of it, but it started out something along the lines of "How to Write Ten Different Bestsellers in your Spare Time and Become the First Writer on your Block, Unless There's Already a Writer on your Block, in Which Case You'll Be the Second...." and so on. Again, I'm paraphrasing, so the actual title could be very different, but that's the gist of it.
There was a section on how to end a story in which the author suggested simply saying, "and then they were all run over by a truck." Or, if your story were about trucks, have them run over by a larger truck.
All of my searching has proved fruitless. I know it's a longshot based on the minimal information I have, but if there's anyone who can help me out, it's Metafilter.
This book was a parody of "how-to" writing books. From what I can remember, it appeared to have been printed in the 60s or 70s, though that's just estimation.
The title was long... so long that the font grew smaller and smaller as the title continued down the cover. I can only remember bits of it, but it started out something along the lines of "How to Write Ten Different Bestsellers in your Spare Time and Become the First Writer on your Block, Unless There's Already a Writer on your Block, in Which Case You'll Be the Second...." and so on. Again, I'm paraphrasing, so the actual title could be very different, but that's the gist of it.
There was a section on how to end a story in which the author suggested simply saying, "and then they were all run over by a truck." Or, if your story were about trucks, have them run over by a larger truck.
All of my searching has proved fruitless. I know it's a longshot based on the minimal information I have, but if there's anyone who can help me out, it's Metafilter.
Best answer: The truck thing was also in the National Lampoon's "How to Write Good"
posted by milkrate at 9:26 PM on December 8, 2006
posted by milkrate at 9:26 PM on December 8, 2006
Response by poster: You are all fantastic. Thank you.
posted by Nedroid at 5:49 AM on December 9, 2006
posted by Nedroid at 5:49 AM on December 9, 2006
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-in your spare time-and become the first author on your block, unless there's an author already living on your block, in which case you'll become the second author on your block, and that's okay, too, and other stories.
Author: Kirgo, George.
Publication: New York, Simon and Schuster, 1960
posted by icontemplate at 8:37 PM on December 8, 2006