The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is a humorous writing competition that invites participants to compose the worst possible opening sentence to an imaginary novel. Named after Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, it celebrates delightfully awful prose, over-the-top descriptions, and intentionally bad style. The contest is run through San Jose State University and has been held annually since the early 1980s. Anyone can submit an entry via email, making it accessible to high school students worldwide who enjoy creative writing, satire, or experimenting with language. While it’s not specifically a youth contest, teens can participate on equal footing with adults, and strong entries sometimes receive category "dishonorable mentions" or inclusion in annual results. Participating helps students play with voice and style, sharpen their sense of what makes writing effective (or hilariously ineffective), and build a quirky, notable addition to a creative writing résumé.