The Editors’ Choice Quarterfinalists in the First Page Cage Match

Kudos to the Quarterfinalists!

Ever sit through the nerve-wracking experience of a live-action slush? Ever wonder what those editors were thinking? Like, seriously, why are they all so judgy like that?

Well, the first page of a story is a little window into the entire piece. And we peek through many (many — like, thousands!) of panes per year. So we decided to bring you the First Page Cage Match to recreate the experience of a live-action slush reading, and to shed some light on just how challenging it can be to have a story (even a really, really great one) find a home.

With limited page space, publications do need to get a little, shall we say, particular. And, as you’ll see, sometimes the decisions are subjective. We don’t always go with our head — the heart and the gut get votes, too.

And rest assured: to be certain that all is fair in literary love and writerly war, we read all of the entries with the names of the authors removed.

Here’s what’s happened so far:

The Pulp Lit editors selected the eight entries for the First Page Cage Match that enticed us enough to want to read more. These eight quarter-finalist authors then sent along the first ten pages (2500 words) of their manuscripts.

We gave you, our keen-eyed readers, a chance to join the fun and vote for your favourite first pages. The results of the First Page Cage: Readers’ Choice Finals, which will be announced Monday, February 26th.

And now, the editors weigh in!

These stories were the eight, of the many entries, that most made at least two of the three of us want to read more. And, in the true spirit of live-action slush, here’s where we each raised our hands, and why.

Now, a peek into the minds of three editors (*insert appropriate ominous sound here*):

The quarter-finalists:

Murphy’s Law by Mike McArthur

Mel stopped before the end of this first page. She felt the the tone didn’t match the satirical intent, and there was no context yet provided for the murdering parent. Jen and Gen nearly didn’t make it to the end of the first page, but were glad they did, because the last line intrigued us and made us want to read more. Might the author consider making it the first line of the story?

The Year We Got Away by Nikita Andester

Jen fell in love with the skillful language: it conveyed tension, tone, and setting in a mere 250 words. Gen definitely wanted to read more, but Mel wanted a bit of a stronger sense of the central conflict.

Henri & The Lion by MJ Malleck

Gen liked the opening lines, which gave her hope there would be more little gems sprinkled throughout the rest of the story. Jen found the middle paragraph a bit wordy but made it through to the bottom of the page, and from here she wanted to read more. Mel was thoroughly hooked from beginning to end.

The Pansy Paradox by Charity Tahmaseb

We all read it through to the end of the page, and were just invested enough to want to read more. Gen nearly stopped at the ‘mask of grief,’ but was curious to keep going. Jen almost didn’t make it past the descriptions of umbrellas (which Gen enjoyed!). Mel was a bit concerned about the title, wondering if the term ‘pansy’ was going to be used in the story in its pejorative sense.

Everlastingness by Shanna Yetman

Mel was intrigued and wanted to read more. Jen was invested until the last two sentences of the page, which pulled her out of the story. Gen felt the last paragraph perhaps came a bit too early and heavy with backstory (dead kids and body parts, oh my!). But we all felt the writing was solid and left us curious as to where the author would take things.

C U by Marie Powell

Mel and Jen felt the skilled, confident writing assured them that they were in good hands with this author, and made them want to read more. But for Gen, the initial set-up didn’t quite work. Yes, with a group of editors, never the twain!

Frost by Adam Fout

Jen found the single-phrase paragraphs a bit choppy, but noted that if they were combined into more traditional paragraphs she would definitely be hooked (pun intended). The subject matter and style were not Gen’s cup of tea. While she could enjoy them in small doses (pun intended), she wasn’t sure if she was up for an entire novel of such. But Mel was addicted (pun intended — we could do this all day!) and wanted more. All of us were curious about what the rest of the novel had in store.

The Carrington Event by Christine DeLong

This was a well-written opening page, and made us all want to read more — a unanimous score! There was nothing brash or overtly ‘hooky’ here — just a gentle mystery and skillful writing that assured us we were in good hands with this author. 

Stay tuned to the blog to discover which of these advanced to the semifinals, announced March 1st!

Thank you to all who entered! And a deep bow to these eight brave souls, who joined the sometimes scary, occasionally surprising, and (*fingers-crossed*) often insightful live-action slush!

To be among the first in the know, sign up for our Pulp Spec newsletter!

And for all the latest from Pulp Literature, stay tuned to the blog! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Bluesky, or sign up for our newsletter.