Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #1

[The Judge]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

It's something we're always thinking about, some of us (mentioning no skeletal names) more than others...


Perhaps if everyone's very good, we might get another Christmas present.

 

[MstrTal]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

When it comes to copying things from the net to Word one of the things I have gotten into the habit of doing is highlighting it and right clicking it to bring up the drop-down menu. This allows me to access a number of options among them is the option to conform what ever I am copy/pasting to my default settings. Another option that is perhaps more useful to the tangent discussion that has snuck in here is the ability to "Remove Hyperlinks". This option should be highlighted even if the tags are hidden.

Also depending on which version of Word you are using there is a feature that allows you to "Inspect Document" which will find such hidden embedded features. I know in Office 2007 you click the Icon in the upper left hand corner and simply select "Prepare" then "Inspect". Just make sure you have everything selected.

 

[HareBrain]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

And HB: Wiki may be your friend, although I suspect it's the sentences I've written that may be baffling you, not the individual words.

I've plundered Wiki, to some avail, but I think there must be more to it. Soon as I've voted I'll PM you and demand the explanation that I trust you will now write out.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

While on the subject of this whole links conundrum, I didn't use any words from the interwebs while writing it, but I did test it in a couple of word counters after wards (both of which were useless -- one send I was over 300 when I was not, the other claimed 260!) which may have been when I picked up the random link?!

And while here, as I said during the 75 word voting, I'm usually a mystery voter. I don't know why, and I'm not sure I have a valid excuse for it, so the idea of public voting is suddenly all 'eek!' but if it's necessary, I guess it's to be done.

But I have...hem...been busy or found time's slipped by without my noticing a couple of times during voting periods, so if this were to happen again and I forget to vote, please don't start the lynching party should my votes not appear.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Soon as I've voted I'll PM you and demand the explanation that I trust you will now write out.

Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be explaining everything, i.e. clarifying the tiny things that are probably not bothering anyone much, once Hoopy's lynching is over....

 

[chrispenycate]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

But I have...hem...been busy or found time's slipped by without my noticing a couple of times during voting periods, so if this were to happen again and I forget to vote, please don't start the lynching party should my votes not appear.

Now that is an advantage to nonymous (as opposed to anonymous) voting; we can see who's been shirking his or her voting responsibilities. (gives an evil laugh) I can't imagine that party garnering many votes the following month.

No, all right, we of the challenge subcommunity are not that petty. But imagine the moral pressure it puts on people to do their duty to queen and chronicle, and get out there and decide!

 

[HoopyFrood]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Just realised...a lot more voting time in this one.

So unless something really crazy goes down, should be fine!

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

" Best put away the pitchforks and torches for the moment, lads!"

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

A reminder to everyone who is still working on a story: you only have a few hours left in which to post it.

And then the voting begins. We'll have 15 days in which to vote, so it's hoped that nobody will be overwhelmed at the prospect of reading through 40+ stories of up to 300 words and making a decision (or actually three decisions).

Because the winning story will be featured on the Chronicles home page, it will in a sense represent us all, and so we would like the result of the voting to be as close as possible to a consensus decision. That is one important reason why we have made the rules so that each voter can vote for three stories.

The more voters who use this opportunity to vote for three stories instead of just one, the closer we'll come to that consensus. And the more people who vote, the closer we will come. I know that everyone here has busy lives and other, far more important, responsibilities. But please, if you can, take the time to select your three favorite stories and vote for them.

And please read the rules carefully -- especially the part about casting all three before you hit "submit" -- so that you don't inadvertently lose some of your votes.

 

[chrispenycate]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

We've got 42! Nostalgia for the start of the seventy-five oozes widely.

(of course, we actually had 43 then, but with the discussion indispersed with the stories we thought we had the ultimate answer(or somebody couldn't tell the difference).

 

[Parson]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

It is a good thing we have 15 days to vote. 42, 300 word stories adds up to a fair chunk of reading when you are trying your best to decide whether story A is .01 percent better than story B.

I have no problem with the idea of open voting.

 

[Culhwch]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

We've got 42! Nostalgia for the start of the seventy-five oozes widely.

(of course, we actually had 43 then, but with the discussion indispersed with the stories we thought we had the ultimate answer(or somebody couldn't tell the difference).

Well, we have forty-three now, so the nostalgia can remain!

Wow, that was cutting it close. I had only half a story as of twenty minutes ago. The first draft was completed about five minutes ago. I have no idea of the quality of the final product. I just hope it's sub-three hundred - Word seemed to think it was, and I didn't think I had time for a hardcount...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

And here is the link to the poll:

Poll​

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ ALL OF THE RULES CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU VOTE

 

[MstrTal]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Well I voted

Not in order of preference: Talysia, Mouse, and Moonbat. Pretty much in submitted order.

I have no idea how to make a short list if only because I would end up putting everybody on the list. I for one enjoyed this challenge and plan to enter the next one as well.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Well, what an amazing month it was! A record number of stories in the 75 Word Challenge, and so many more than I expected in this one. And the quality of the stories here -- even with three votes I am going to have a hard time deciding which three to vote for.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in either one of the Challenges, and especially to those who entered stories in both! We have such a community of talented writers here, I am proud to be a part of it.

 

[Susan Boulton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Perpetual Man; thanks for your kind words about my story.

Off now to start reading the stories again and vote.

 

[The Judge]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Er... forgot to mention before. If anyone is confused by the percentage figures on the poll when the voting is displayed, join the club...

For some reason, instead of showing how many votes a person has as a total of the number of votes (ie 11.1% if he's got 1 vote out of a total of 9) it shows the percentage of voters who have voted for that person (ie 33.3% if 1 person has voted for him out of a total of 3 voters). I think. Someone with a mathematical brain might be better doing this explanation...

 

[HareBrain]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I'm just impressed that the software can automatically show who's voted for whom. I thought "open vote" meant we all had to fess up in this thread.

One thing I'm microscopically concerned about:

Because the winning story will be featured on the Chronicles home page, it will in a sense represent us all, and so we would like the result of the voting to be as close as possible to a consensus decision. That is one important reason why we have made the rules so that each voter can vote for three stories.

I'm sure this isn't what you meant, Teresa, but this could be taken to suggest that we should vote for the story we think would best represent Chrons as a site, rather than being our personal favourite. They might be very different.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I would hope that people choose a personal favorite because they think it is the best story -- because it has some quality of humor, pathos, terror, imagination, or whatever it might be, which they believe sets it above the others.

And if they believe that, then why wouldn't they feel that it is also the story that will best represent the talent, creativity, and diversity present on this site?
.
.
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[Perpetual Man]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Well got just thought I'd complete my comments and post them:

Ursa - There is so much going on in this one, that I don't really know where to begin. As could be expected from our regular pun meister this is riddled with depth and double/triple, perhaps even quadruple meaning. It deserves/needs to be read again and again just to begin to understand what is going on - and that is only if you have all the information at hand. The entire thing is in some ways a giant pun, encapsulating certain members of the Chrons, a self contained Universe all to itself, I'm sure I could read this again and find more hidden away in almost every word. Very, very clever.

Stormfeather - A rather different take on the picture, that was both refreshing and touching. Introducing the story with a horoscope reading was a great way of leading into an emotive story, that was well written and told, with a beautiful supernatural twist, that gave both warmth and comfort in a trying situation. I loved the way the 'spirits' were presented and the feel that even in a close death situation there are those that still watch over us.

Precise Calibre - A great little SF story, that really caught the feeling of a destroyed world, fallen into decay and destruction, with nothing left but ruins. Humanity and all its works little more than ruins, little more than a curiosity. Within the centre of it all the clock, marking not just time but the passage of time, and a view through alien eyes of how different perspectives of time and how necessary or unnecessary that might actually be. Probably a pain to type those alien names though, bet spellchecker loved them, and a great punch line!

Cul - Despite all Cul said about rushing this, I really enjoyed this one. It was a good way to end the challenge, with another different interpretation of the picture that worked well. Two beings passing through the ages, one using magic to update herself, the other clockwork, until it is little more than a clock, but still a balance against the others evil. And yet all the same, they are still in love. Excellent.

Now to consider my vote... uhh votes