Writing Challenge Discussion -- FEBRUARY 2011

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I've just read through all the stories again, and instead of helping me to decide, what did this exercise do? It added two stories to the already long short list I posted earlier:

digs
pyan

I have to vote before I go to bed (yes, everyone else in California is getting up about now, but I've been up all night) because I can't count on waking up in time before the deadline.

Must decide. Too hard. I like Boneman's idea of six votes.
 
Many thanks to fitzchivalry, Moonbat, mosaix, Evelinn and Cul for the honourable mentions. I was a little pessimistic about my entry this month, so seeing these comments has made my afternoon.:)
 
Boneman: Thanks much for the mention. It is always a joy to know someone enjoyed your effort!
 
Short list:

Mouse
HareBrain
Bookstop
GreenKidx
Precise Calibre
chrispenycate
reiver33
No One
Perpetual Man
The Judge
J-WO

Yay!

My vote went to Mouse for that last line.

Double yay! Thanks! :D

TEIN, your story reminded me of one I read in Murky Depths the other day. Can't post a link to the exact place, because the site uses frames. But it's under 'stories' from issue 14. Murky Depths: the award-winning science fiction, horror and fantasy magazine

Mouse - brilliant last line, which I didn't see coming, but made the rest of the story perfect.

Cheers, dude! Glad people are liking the last line. :)
 
Being strict and keeping to no more than ten for a short-list was hard, and several very good entries only just missed out, including those by Evelinn, Challah Rajni, Culhwch and J-WO.

In order of posting:
Harebrain -- Fate
GreenKidx -- The Piano-man's Wife
chrispenycate -- Les moulins de mon core
mosaix -- The Song is Life
Parson -- From Death to Life
reiver 33 -- Encore
Teresa -- Azariah
Moonbat -- How I learned to stop the silence
pyan-- Fell top, July, 7.30am
The Procrastinator -- Unsung Hero

More whittling and my final three were Chris, Teresa and reiver, each excellent, but in the end Chris's incredible cosmic windmilling won mon coeur and my vote -- but now I want to see it properly finished with the missing lines!

And special mentions also to Brev for The Pit (something odd; nevertheless good!), and Ursa for the sustained punning of Gunsingers of the Old West (though I feel we should have seen the gunsingers' fan, Shula, of The Golden West salon).
 
Carefully avoids sword as he hugs the Judge.

I might just do that; and try and move the starmills where they belong, next to the asteroids, rather than in the ralentendo.

And thanks to everybody who mentioned it; I wonder how many of you were even born when the original was popular.
 
After a very very long, backbreaking day helping my brother move apartments (again, I might add), I'm chuffed for the mentions from two esteemed contributors in Teresa and Parson.

Many thanks!
 
Right. This is blooming tough! First list was 29 stories long, and I had to be really ruthless to keep it that short.

Long shortlist is;

Bookstop
Brev
GreenKidx
Cornelius
Reiver33
No One
HoopyFrood
Karn
Heck Tate
J-Wo
Fitzchivalry
Pyan
Alchemist
Challah Rajni
Cul

Shortlist;

Mouse
Teresa
Perpetual Man


Ah – ye gods!! I really can’t decide between these last 3 . . . .

Am going for a bath, and to ponder some more, but I promise to come back and vote before the deadline.

Thank you to Chel, No One, Parson and TEIN for the mentions – I really didn’t expect them, and they really cheered me up. And a huge thank you to Karn for the vote – completely unexpected, but very cheering.

Anyhoo, back later to confirm my vote
 
Okay, make that mentions from three esteemed contributors.

Thank you SF!
 
Only about an hour and a quarter to go, and only 44 people have voted.

Surely people who had the time to compose such excellent stories have the time to vote?
 
As usual, the stories are ordered by date of posting within category.



Honourable Mentions:
  • Songflight by Boneman
  • From Death to Life - John Newton by Parson
  • Azariah by Teresa Edgerton
  • Noise cancelling headphones win the day by TheEndIsNigh
  • Her Gift by fitzchivalry
Runners Up:
  • Snow White She-Devil by Mouse
  • The Song is Life by mosaix
  • Mikhail's Divas by J-WO
Winner:
  • Les moulins de mon core by chrispenycate.
 
After long deliberation (and falling asleep twice in the bath - it's been a tough and hectic few days) I finally had to resort to enie meanie miny mo . . .

Actually I really did struggle but the humour of Mouse's tale won me over - it still makes me smile every time I read it.

TE & PM - I wish I could have had 3 votes again this month as you would have had the other 2.

Anyway, before i fall asleep on the computer, I'm off - nighty night!
 
Well so much for being clever hiding song titles and starting sentences with 'hidden' lyrics, made the writing a bit clunky.
Hadda story started that was made only of song titles but 'twas even clunklier.
 
Another photo finish coming up. Time to warm up my tie-breaker flip-coin?

Thanks for the vote Brev!
 
Luckily for me, the current tie-break candidates are in different categories of my shortlist, making the vote, should it be required, a simple matter for me.

But there are still thirteen minutes to go....






EDIT: But it seems there will have to be a tie-breaking vote.
 
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O MY! I've only been away from this thread for a couple days and what a difference those days have made! Like judge I had already accepted the fact that I would not receive any mentions this month, and certainly no votes. I'm so pleased to have been wrong!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE MENTIONS! AND THANK YOU FOR THE VOTE , WHOEVER YOU ARE!

Okay I'm done shouting now. Hahaha. Also thanks to everyone who helped critique my last story in the 'improving our challenge stories thread'...
 
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