DISCUSSION -- The 75 word Challenge, April 2011

[The Judge]

Yep, you're right, Ursa. And I worried about that when I drafted it. Almost any two or three words could be used to create a compound adjective, though, which is why the rules also say "validly-constructed". We might have another go at wording that section when we've a little more time to think (perhaps "non-standard compound nouns"?). In the meantime, the advice still holds good -- if in doubt, check with us first.

 

[Ursa major]

The rule itself and the advice are fine.

(And I probably wouldn't have mentioned it except that these threads are in the Aspiring Writers forum. Oh, okay, I would, but only to be pedantic. )

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thinking back, a number of my Challenge stories, entered or discarded, could have fit into this category.

It would be ironic if this time, when the genre is actually Paranormal Romance, I couldn't manage to write anything.

Still, I hope to produce a lovely story that will bring a sentimental tear to every eye.

TEIN:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal_romance

And Parson, you old softy, I agree with TJ.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Oh, I doubt you could bring a tear to Kirby's eye, TE.



(Kirby=Avatar )

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

We shall see. I will bend my formidable intellect to that task.

 

[digs]

Someone did put a question mark at the end of the theme....

The power of grammar! An ellipsis and a question mark can turn the most innocent of fairy tale themes into apocalyptic mayhem.

And I'm totally not buying TJ's good intentions. I think she knew exactly what Chronners are capable of doing to a sweet little theme like this. I think she likes it.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

Are you saying The Judge actually is so sadistic as to want us to give it to her dark and rough, digs!?!

 

[onebigpotato]

So, I've been a thinking. While I'm not a moderator, a big user of the forums or a person of note, I, like an American, am determined to offer my point on something that doesn't really concern me. Apologies to all Americans. Also this may have been covered already. In fact I very much think it would have been.

If someone is disqualified, it could be said they no longer have an entry in the competition. Why do we not then, let them re-enter?

It could be said, giving people endless chances to re-enter post disqualification could make them lax in their checking (pertaining to word count). But of course disqualification also includes those who have written something deemed inappropriate. Either way, a second chance for them to pump their brains for another 75 words isn't much to give.

All in all, if everyone has one story submitted when the time for voting comes round, no one's been done any harm and we may all be a little richer for it.

From Russia with love,
OBP (I live in Sydney)

 

[GreenKidx]

*Excitedly rushes over to the new challenge thread. Reads. Faints. Wakes up and shuffles back to the discussion thread.*

Well, goodness TJ! Wow! There are much easier ways for you to keep me out of this months challenge! Hahaha

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

For those interested, the inspiration picture for the new 300 Word Challenge is now available for viewing and ... well, inspiration:

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/531196-april-2011-three-hundred-word-challenge-read-first.html

Karn, behave yourself, or I'll send you to stand in the corner!

It could be said, giving people endless chances to re-enter post disqualification could make them lax in their checking (pertaining to word count). But of course disqualification also includes those who have written something deemed inappropriate. Either way, a second chance for them to pump their brains for another 75 words isn't much to give.

It would be very easy for us to give.* That isn't the issue. It would be unfair to those who had counted carefully and followed the rules. If there wasn't a penalty, unscrupulous persons (nobody currently a member of course, but there are people with evil minds out there on the internet) might throw in a couple of extra words in the hope that they could get away with it, and thereby gain an unfair advantage over those who stayed within the 75.

*Easy for us to give, but not so easy for us to cope with the irate PMs from people who think someone has been granted an unfair advantage. Or from people who have had second thoughts about their own stories because they think they can improve them and they want the same second chance. Why, they may ask, should they, who have followed the rules faithfully, be denied the same opportunity that we have given to those who transgressed?

Under some circumstances, lenient to one person is unfair to everyone else. This is one of those situations.
.
.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Aww, it's undoubtedly bad enough that you're going to make him wait ten days before he can post a story! I'm afraid he may implode before the time is up.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, it looks like we may have seen the last of Snow White.

What beloved fairytale figure will Mouse traduce next?

 

[Anne Martin]

*head:desk*

"Economy-mode Anne" crashes into wall at 21 words. Must do better.

 

[The Judge]

And I'm totally not buying TJ's good intentions. I think she knew exactly what Chronners are capable of doing to a sweet little theme like this. I think she likes it.

Infamy! *waits for the chorus of Carry On quoters...*

Are you saying The Judge actually is so sadistic as to want us to give it to her dark and rough, digs!?!

Eh! Can we administer slaps for this kind of thing?


And now Mouse is chewing on a dead woman's fingers and creating Prince Suicidal... I dread to think what will happen to the bodies next month.


*hands out bottles of sal volatile to alchemist and GreenKidx* Pleased as I am that the great emotions stirred by the thought of True Love and Noble Passion are causing fainting fits among the susceptible, I do hope that these are the last. Any more bodies around here and it'll look like the closing scenes of Hamlet.

Anne -- press on. Only another 50 odd words to go.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Hmmm I think this one is a good call by TJ, it's certainly going to be a lot harder (well for me).

That being said I've got one that came out of nowhere, but it's not the one I want to write, I know what I want to tell but just don't seem to be able to make it work...

Ahh well I'd better start making comments on what has been done so far, and try and keep on top of things...

Infamy! *waits for the chorus of Carry On quoters...*

And because someone has to do it: "Infamy! Infamy! Everyone's got it infamy!"

 

[Gary Compton]

I'm a murder and mayhem man myself.

Luvvy duvvy??
My tattoos would go on strike

Anyway, could I have the ghost of a jilted lover chasing his love through a dark forest and into the path of a train??

Is that paranormal romance?

 

[Moonbat]

I'm a little confused by the theme.
Happy ever after is a fairy tale ending, does that mean the theme is fairy tales (or fairy tale endings)?
Because, as far as I can tell, some of the endings have been far from happy. I notice people mentioned the ? at the end of the theme, does that mean happy ever after isn't really about fairy tales, but more about a happy ending, but the question mark brings that into question and so the ending can be unhappy as well. Hmmm.

Am I the only one confused?
Should I stop asking questions and just interpret it as I see fit?

Crikey! Blimey! Lordy Lordy!

 

[The Judge]

Gary -- yes. A pity we can't have a bit more Happy Ever After, though...

Moonbat -- sorry for the confusion over the theme. digs is right, though -- the ellipsis and question mark are there deliberately to allow for stories which are questionably happy. No need for fairy tales, though -- just any paranormal romance will do.

 

[The Judge]

STOP PRESS:

Breaking News -- or rather, Broken News...

TDZ has thumped me over the head with a sheet of rolled up statistics and pointed out I've got things wrong in my figures for the year.

By sleight of hand.... OK, arrant carelessness... I slipped 3 votes which should have belonged to Hilarious Joke into Hoopy's line of figures by mistake. *note to self -- stop being so vain and start wearing the damn glasses*

So, this means that Hoopy's figures as given in the stats as detailed are 3 too many, and she has only 30, not 33; and HJ's are 3 too few, so he has 17 not 14. So HJ goes hurtling up the list, whereas Hoopy slips into third place, and Teresa now has second place all to herself.

Sorry, folks! And particularly sorry to Hoopy, HJ and Teresa. As a penance, I shall be going through and checking each and every month to see what other ****-ups I've made.

 

[Culhwch]

I'm pretty sure I should have seventy-three votes and be in first place. So just keep that in mind when you are checking back...