Writing Challenge Discussion -- FEBRUARY 2011

[The Judge]

It doesn't even look like she came to us courtesy of the usual press gang.

Full many a likely lad (or lass) has perished at sea... all for accepting of Her Honor's shilling.

I don't think it's all my fault...


The promise of fame for a yarn that's spun
(Yo ho-ho, me hearties)
A call, a challenge, some simple fun...
(Yo ho-ho I cry)
But the tavern's guest
When once impressed,
Cannot so easily run.

But who's to blame when the deed is done?
(Yo ho-ho, me hearties)
Those who seduce, or those who stun?
(Yo ho-ho says I)
Those whose words are blest,
And whose tales are best?
Or those who relentlessly pun?

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

I was about to say the same as Mosaix.

Apparently there is an annual competition to write a full story in six words, based on the above.

There's a six word story thread on this site somewhere.

 

[Ursa major]

His wife?

You mean trouble and strife...?



By the way, the six word story thread is in the Lounge. (I've just bumped it, with a six-word extension to someone else's story.)

 

[Culhwch]

And I think this is all part of Cul's creative ritual - thriving under pressure. If that's the case, then we can expect a gem anytime soon.

Oh, great, no pressure or anything...

 

[No One]

Oh, great, no pressure or anything...

Just take "I think" and "if" as the operative words.

There. No pressure.

 

[No One]

Sorry for the double-post, but it's good to be right

Great one Cul (with all of 5 minutes to spare).

 

[Culhwch]

Thanks, No One!

The poll is up: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/foru...e-75-words-read-first-post-4.html#post1471759

 

[J Riff]

And I am voted.(yo-ho!)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I don't think it's all my fault...

So you say.

(Sung approximately to the tune of "It Was Pleasant and Delightful.")

Oh, I was a young writer, with a love I adored
‘Til I went to a tavern and ordered an ale
Then a woman approached me with a judicial swagger
And I wooooke in the moooorning on a ship in full sail
And I woke in the moooorning,
And I woke in the mooooorning
And I wooooke in the moooorning
On a ship in full sail

T’was write a short story or a taste o’ the lash
They tied me to a mast crying “Write seventy-five.
And the theme is important, we’ve a new one each month
And if you dooon’t dooo it, then you’ll n’er return alive.”
And if you don’t dooooo it
And if you don’t doooo it
And if you doooon’t dooooo it
Then you’ll n’er return alive

 

[TacticalLoco]

Oh, great, no pressure or anything...

Wow! That is very good!

 

[J Riff]

LOL!
Seventy-five words from a dead man's pen
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of ink
Write, and the devil be done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle to drink.
The mate was fixed by the bosun's pun
The bosun brained with a McGuffun...

 

[Culhwch]

Karma karma karma karma karma cha-meeee-leon
You come and goooooo
You come and gooo-oh-oh!

Wait, I think I may have missed the point of this game...

 

[Culhwch]

Wow! That is very good!

Many thanks! Glad you liked it!

 

[onebigpotato]

Noooooo, my precious story. I wrote it on the 2nd of Feb and set a reminder for 2pm today to post it. Whyyyyyyyy!

Seeing as posting my story can't influence votes (as I don't have a story submitted), please enjoy! Actually, I wrote this WELL before anything in NZ so please don't think I'm having a jab...

Gaia

It was the sweetest harmony.

Mars and Venus looked on, empathising with their sister. She’s singing a song, a song of renewal, a song of life.

Her body was churning, lifting folds and crashing them down, ridding herself of the parasite that ravaged her. If you could hear past the brutal melody, I wonder if you could’ve heard their screams.

And it was over. What had been was gone and what was left was beautiful.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Oh dear, not a bad one certainly.

Why on earth didn't you post it when you wrote it.

Hope you have a good pair of size tens to kick yourself with.

Almost makes your story come true!


To EVERYONE:

It's obvious from the last page of posts that we are all closet Lennon and McCartney's.

The solution is obvious.

WE NEED ANOTHER COMPETITION

YEAH

YEah

yeah

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Lennon and McCartney wrote sea shanties? I had no idea.

(Of course, being from Liverpool and all, maybe that's not surprising.)

I suppose we could start a thread devoted to Chronicles folk songs.

 

[Allanon]

I just voted for The Procrastinator. Problem is it's not showing that my vote has counted!!!

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Teresa:

Yellow Submarine.

The Pool on the Hill

Don't Let Me Drown.

to name but three.

 

[kopiteste]

I should have voted myself...I would have topped the poll very briefly! Voted for mosaix, my idea was similar but when I read yours I didn't want it to look like I copied.

 

[Moonbat]

I'm sure I have mentioned this before someone on the Chrons, but I once bought a book edited by Forrest J Ackerman (I think) that was full of very short stories and in it he mentioned the story that was the shortest sci-fi story was

"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door..."

but then someone made it one letter shorted by changing it to

"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a lock on the door..."

But in the book Forest J Ackerman wrote what he said was the shortest ever, because it was only 1 letter long, but to be fair it had some extra words and letters (not to mention formatting which I can't replicate), I believe it went something like

Report Card for planet Earth​

F​

So we had 52 entries this month, would have been 53 if someone had set their alarm a day earlier. Not sure who to vote for, but watch this space for my short list, then my shorter list, then my final five (BSG anyone) and then....well that's it because I might not say who I actually voted for.