Discussing the Writing Challenges -- November and December 2010

[digs]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

My shortlist:

HB - Gift
R M Tobias - Hook
TDZ - Rantin' 'n' Ravin'
Mag the Mighty - Samain
Teresa - November Eve
mosaix - Harry Whittaker Turns His Back On His Chance Of Fame…
Mouse - The Eternal Optimist
The Judge - I, Shaman

It was a close one, but in the end my vote went to Mag.

 

[HareBrain]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Not far from my own shortlist, Digs (apart from mine of course: thanks for the mention! **) but I'm still deciding.

For me, the trouble is that there are many good entries but very different in approach, which makes them difficult to compare. I love the atmosphere created by the Judge's, and Mag's. My favourite humorous ones are by TDZ and Mosaix, with a special mention to the relentless, pounding trademarks of RSLiwinski. But they all have something good about them. I think the standard really does keep getting better.

As a piece of writing, the Judge's would win it for me -- dark, chilling, atmospheric and old -- but within the constraints of my personal voting system, I think it'll come down to a choice between Mosaix's, and DA's (which to my surprise doesn't seem to have been mentioned yet, but which makes an impression each time I read it). And Procrastinator's cautionary little folktale coming not far behind.

** And thanks very much to everyone else who voted for or mentioned mine so far.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

By the way, when is the deadline (i.e. the date and time after which we will no longer be able to cast a vote)?

 

[Boneman]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

By the way, when is the deadline (i.e. the date and time after which we will no longer be able to cast a vote)?

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, October 29 2010
(October 31, in the event of a tie-breaker poll)

 

[Vertigo]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I have found this the hardest one to pick so far ( I've only been around for three though!). My short list was:

Talysia - One Night
Deathfrommassive - Picture Perfect
mosaix - Harry Whittaker Turns His Back On His Chance Of Fame
Parson - Justice Exquisitely Sensual Undoubtedly Severe
Mouse - The Eternal Optimist
Moonbat - Three sides to every coin
Oxman - One Man’s Trick
Culhwch - The Witching Hour

And my final choice was a between Parson and Mouse, going by a whisker (sorry!) to Parson.

 

[Parson]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Thanks for the vote Vertigo! I am honored.

Mouse would have been a good choice too.

 

[Vertigo]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

You are very welcome P. I liked the fact that both yours and Mouse's stories whilst not being over obscure made me stop and think who or what is this about and only then did they really make sense.

I'm afraid there were quite a few stories this month that I just didn't get which is a shame and I hope I haven't excluded any gems through my own ignorance

 

[Mag the Mighty]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I've finally voted - I've been offline for a bit this month, so took me a while. Re-read the whole thread, but decided to go with my early gut feeling in the end...

 

[Precise Calibre]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I feel like asking for a show of hands as to who didn't get mine, not that I think it's overly secretive or anything.

It was quite hard to choose this month, quite hard indeed.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I feel like asking for a show of hands as to who didn't get mine, not that I think it's overly secretive or anything.

I couldn't even raise a paw. (Even after rehearsing....)

 

[StormFeather]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Well, my first 'short' list had 32 names on it. With a great deal of internal wrestling, I got it down to the following:

Harebrain
SynofMan
Mosaix
Parson
J-Wo
Moonbat
DevilsAdvocate
Lenny
Oxman
The Judge
Reiver33
Sloweye
Culwch

After careful deliberation, I ended up having to toss a coin between Harebrain & Mosaix. Both stories stayed with me since I first read them, but Harebrain just had that haunting edge, which is why my vote went there - sorry Mosaix.

 

[Culhwch]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Many thanks to Taly for another vote (doubling my previous personal best) and to eveyone else for all the mentions. Truly didn't expect much recognition at all this month, so I'm extraordinarily chuffed by the reaction...

I'm yet to do a final reread and vote. Must set a chunk of time aside to get it done. I make it sound like a chore, but then choosing between such quality entires usually is...

 

[mygoditsraining]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Great entries this month. I ended up casting a vote for digs. Nicely put together!

Apologies if I seem quiet(er) these days, but between lessons and running and all the rest I don't seem to have much time spare...

 

[mosaix]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I feel like asking for a show of hands as to who didn't get mine, not that I think it's overly secretive or anything.

I think I understood yours well enough PC. It was Vector7's that had some difficulty with. Put me out of my misery Vector7, let me into the secret.

 

[sloweye]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Quite chuffed to have got a mention on my first go, thanks StormFeather.http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/members/stormfeather.html

 

[Mouse]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

Mouse would have been a good choice too.

Thanks, but I'm surprised my story is even getting mentions this month! Yours is waaaaaay better.

You are very welcome P. I liked the fact that both yours and Mouse's stories whilst not being over obscure made me stop and think who or what is this about and only then did they really make sense.

Cool! Ta.

 

[Parson]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I feel like asking for a show of hands as to who didn't get mine, not that I think it's overly secretive or anything.

In my profession raising hands has a number of excellent connotations. I must admit I didn't get your story at first reading. It wasn't until the discussion about it and the explanation that entailed that the light went on.


[Parson grins as he thinks about pretending to be an evangelist asking for a show of hands. But not quite my style. I'm more laid back; more subtle, more internal. [If I can judge these things.])

 

[Precise Calibre]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I must admit I didn't get your story at first reading. It wasn't until the discussion about it and the explanation that entailed that the light went on.

I don't think I explained mine yet. I remember I clarified someone else's story to another member, though. I'll lay down the explanation after the voting is over for mine.

 

[HareBrain]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

I don't think I explained mine yet. I remember I clarified someone else's story to another member, though. I'll lay down the explanation after the voting is over for mine.

I thought yours was Pretty Clear, PC (oh, the wit!) unless I've gone completely down the wrong track. It's frightening how people can misinterpret things, though. I had a non-chronite friend read one of my 75 worders, and because he made one wrong (but not unintelligent) assumption about what something meant, and stuck with that assumption, he couldn't get the story at all. I've no way of knowing how many other people did the same.

I know there's no critiquing allowed in this thread, and rightly so, but I wouldn't mind putting some of mine up somewhere, at some time, to see what I could have done better. (In a blog post, I guess.)

 

[Ursa major]

Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October

As long as you meet the critiquing criteria, as policed by The Judge (so have a doctor's note ready, HB), I can't see why you couldn't put a selection of your old ones in the Critiques section.

There's no point in endowing our stories with perfect grammar and making them pleasnatly readable (not the same thing), if we are unable to get across what we want to (which is what good writing should do).