Discussing the Writing Challenges -- November and December 2010

[Devil's Advocate]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

It is astonishing to me that we had 42 stories three months in a row. If it had been exactly the same writers entering each month, that would be less surprising, but although it was largely the same people writing stories each time, there have always been a few who either dropped out or dropped in.

I was thinking exactly the same thing. We've had new people join in the fun as well, but somehow the number of 'newbies' has neatly balanced out those that dropped out after the first or second.

Are we sure no one planned this?

 

[Parson]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

I was thinking exactly the same thing. We've had new people join in the fun as well, but somehow the number of 'newbies' has neatly balanced out those that dropped out after the first or second.

Are we sure no one planned this?

Ahem! Of course I'm sure Somebody planned it!

 

[Culhwch]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Ah, but to what end? I'm assured He (or She) moves in mysterious ways, but this is a bit much, isn't it? Perhaps He (or She) is just playing with all our heads...

 

[The Procrastinator]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Right - I have decided on a short list. There were so many good stories that my short list kept growing and growing; as I passed ten I thought This Is Ridiculous! So I have limited myself to eleven, with ruthless pruning. These are they:

Naughty - Mouse
Murdered every night but one - mygoditsraining
The Calling Winds - Leisha
Transfer of Power - mosaix
A Heavy Heart - crystal haven
Reclamation - Precise Calibre
What Price Thy Virginity Now - The Judge
Big City, Bright Light - HareBrain
No One Knows - Lenny
The Ghost of the Ghetto - Coldburn
Puppet - Wybren

Congratulations to all entrants - there were many more I could have listed, but you have to stop somewhere. Now I just have to pick one.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

There's a little trick to voting on these things: get yourself set up a couple weeks ahead of time. Sure, more entries may come in, but try to eliminate most of the majority you can at the outset, then if there's a couple stragglers, add those to a list. I had effectively narrowed mine to simply two entries by the time my birthday had rolled around a week ago, and tonight I had, essentially, a mental coin flip decision. I decided to go for the nostalgic feel for this one. At least, nostalgia for myself.

 

[digs]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

I've narrowed it down to two, one which struck me with the neatness and simplicity of its writing (that makes it sound boring...but it's not!), and another which makes me feel all awesome inside.

 

[chopper]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Ah, but to what end? I'm assured He (or She) moves in mysterious ways, but this is a bit much, isn't it? Perhaps He (or She) is just playing with all our heads...

whoops. sorry. won't do it again.

 

[Talysia]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Another month, and another batch of really good entries! I found it really difficult to decide on my winner, with at least five on my shortlist - The First Failure, by Karn, A Parting of the Ways by Sephiroth, Big City, Bright Light, by HareBrain, No-one Knows by Lenny, and How to Make an Earth by Hilarious Joke. There were at least ten on my list before that! (including Mouse, Leisha, Parson, Hoopy and crystal haven's entries)

My vote for this month goes to HareBrain. Well done everyone!

 

[Moonbat]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything, so it is no surprise that we keep getting 42 entries.

 

[Ursa major]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

At least it's 42 in base 10....


An even more difficult choice this month (which is good), and only a few days in which to make it (which is less so).

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

If we get exactly 42 next month, I am going to be seriously disturbed. Although happy, too, if the Challenge remains that popular.

I'll be hiding under my bed with a smile on my face.

There were three stories that really stuck in my mind from the moment that I first read them. Three very different stories that I admired for very different reasons.

But -- again, for different reasons -- I thought two of them did not cleave as closely to the guidelines as the third one did, and as I thought they were all three equally good I let that be the deciding factor.

 

[onebigpotato]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Can I just say, wow, this is a lot more fun (& nerve racking) than I had imagined it would be. As we all know, all the stories are great and make for great entertainment (and a great waste of work time )

Special mentions to:
Chopper
Harebrain
Bookstop
Crystal Haven
Boneman
Axiom
Storm Feather &
Cyber

Good luck this & next month all.

 

[Parson]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Ah, but to what end? I'm assured He (or She) moves in mysterious ways, but this is a bit much, isn't it? Perhaps He (or She) is just playing with all our heads...

Technically neither She nor He. God is a spirit and is neither male nor female. (Parson shakes himself, gets out of the pulpit, and returns to the mundane.)

I am reminded of a line from ET "How do you explain school to a higher intelligence?" And a line from one of my seminary professors --- Hebrew ---- Who said to a student who was far beyond us sloggers when he asked a question that was miles in advance of where we were (or in my case would ever be). "I have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them yet."

---------------

I narrowed my list to four:

Ursa: "When the Sleeper Awakes"

Mosaix: "Transfer of Power"

The Judge: "What Price Virginity?"

Mouse: "Naughty"

I eliminated two of them because they seemed to stretch the rule a bit, and after a mental coin flip, I picked the one with a scene which continues to haunt me.

 

[Lenny]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

At least it's 42 in base 10....

Reminds me of one of my favourite lines from the game Portal:

You think you're doing damage?

Two plus two equals f-f-f-f-f-f-f-Ten

In base four! I'm fine.

Ah, GLaDOS, you old joker, you.

---

My vote this month goes to onebigpotato - the idea about the most advanced chip in the world being put into a lift rather appealed to me.

 

[HareBrain]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

I liked the wit and cleverness in OneBigPotato's too -- and in Mosaix's, and several others.

Silver, bronze and, er, some other medal, would have gone to (not necessarily in this order) MGIR's for packing such a lot of dramatic story in so small a space, the Judge's for its beautiful crafts(wo)manship, even making the hidden part seem like a happy accident rather than a contrivance, and Digs's, because I found it really moving.

But my vote this month goes to "If" by the Procrastinator, because I've read it about a hundred times trying to figure it out, and still find it haunting and compelling, even though I'm not altogether clear what it's about. But it made me want to know, which is the important thing.

 

[mosaix]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

Strange isn't it? I put a lot of effort into the previous two and get no votes, I throw this one together in ten minutes and it gets two votes on the first day!

 

[BookStop]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

I voted for Hoopy's Teddy story. Loved it!

Honorable mention to everyoone though, and especially to Chris, Mouse, Dusty, and Harebrain.

 

[The Procrastinator]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

I got a vote! I got a vote! Thanks HareBrain!! How excitement!

(maybe its true what they say, what goes around comes around, because I actually bit the bullet, made a decision, and voted for Harebrain last night before going to bed )

((btw HB if you get sick of puzzling what its about I am perfectly willing to let you in on it...such as it is...))

 

[onebigpotato]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

2 Votes, 2 mentions, I doubt HJ, Digs or Axiom will want to see me tonight, I'll still be smiling like an idiot! Thanks.
Funny though, I wrote the story I wanted to submit then went out to lunch, in the lift back up to my office to submit my story I thought about how relatively advanced the chips that run lifts must be..... BAM! There it was.

 

[Wybren]

re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- June & July

This month I picked Chris's FFT.

Honorable mentions to Taly, Leisha, Seph, Bookstop, Devils Advocate, Chopper and Ursa.