Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #1

[The Spurring Platty]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I hope to be able to vote sometime tomorrow if I can get caught up on the stories I've missed.

At the end of April my city lost electricity for about a week due to the storms and tornadoes that devastated parts of the southeastern United States. Last week I had to travel out of town, so things are finally starting to settle down. If I don't get a chance then I'll just have to beg for forgiveness.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I'd have thought Gary would have voted by now, if only to cover his...

...future embarrassment.​

I will at 11.58on 18th May.

Moonbat, pull yourself together, you've been having a slice of Boneman's special cake that he gets from Amsterdam.

It sends you time travelling or something.

 

[Boneman]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Congrats to The Boneman for his marvellous victory. Very well done, a distinct and moving story.

Thanks to Nixie, MstrTal, Mouse and Ursa for their votes.
And thanks to the mods for creating another fabulous challenge.

Roll on the July challange

Thanks for those comments, Moonbat. Malaware invasion has given more time to vote...

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

...while Notaware reveals itself....

​

 

[Boneman]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

...while Notaware reveals itself....

That really made me laugh out loud!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Only a little more than a day left for those who have yet to vote ...

 

[Boneman]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

And many thanks for the vote Spurring Platty.

Hope things are settling down for you, after what happened across your state. When I did a 7,000 mile trip on a Harley across the southern USA, what struck me about Alabama was how fragrant, warm and gentle it was (May 2008), which is a tremendous contrast to what it's been through recently. I'd blame the ploiticians, myself.

 

[MstrTal]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

UG Please don't mention traversing Alabama! When I was a youngling my father would pile us in the front of his small Ford truck two to three times a year and we would drive from P'Cola FL to Mobile AL then vertically through the state on our way north to visit family in Indianapolis. I swear I get claustrophobic to this day at the sight of small cab pick-ups or the thought of long road trips.

I am glad to hear that things down that way have settled down however. It is fairly scenic country and not incidentally the state my ole man suffered one of his most embarrassing moments in.

 

[alchemist]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

then vertically through the state on our way north to visit family in Indianapolis.

Damn those tornadoes are strong. I bow to your ability to bend them to your will and use them for transport.

 

[The Judge]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Another fierce battle to reduce the short list to 10, with some entries just failing to get in by a squeak. I know we're used to varied stories in the 75 worder, where people have different takes on the same theme, but this really left us with a wide selection of ideas. I liked how so many of them had a real poetic feel to them, even though not written as poetry.

Anyhow, my shortlist:

Culhwch -- A Clockwork Heart
digs -- Time and Son
HareBrain -- Pavel and the Horologue
mosaix -- Time After Time
Mouse -- Ten to Death
Sapheron -- The Beginning of Time
Slack -- Cold Hands
Teresa -- A Fairytale --Ending
The Dusty Zebra -- The Last Thing
The Spurring Platty -- Vanity


The first vote was easy -- I thought HareBrain's piece was incredible from first reading it. I had real problems trying to separate out two more from the others, but in the end I plumped for Mouse, whose story was so simple but so effective, and Slack, whose tale was so clever in leading us up the garden path as to the apparent disability of the wife, and then ending with the husband's mortality facing him. Really though, congratulations to everyone.

And while I'm here, I realise I've been very remiss in thanking people, since I've only been dodging in and out of the site over the last few days. Sorry for the delay, but thanks to TDZ for the honourable mention and to No One, Sapheron and Stormfeather for the votes! I've done far better than I expected -- this will actually form the basis of one of the old stories/legends of the main (alien) character in my SF WIPs so I'm delighted that it touched a chord with so many people.

 

[Chel]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Voted!

Thank goodness (and moderators!) for the extra time. I've had a few hectic weeks lately, and sort of dreaded having to decide which three out of numerous wonderful stories to vote for.

 

[crys]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I'm a bit late with this, partly because of the recent attack on the site, but I'd like to send a big ''thank you'' to No One. I've had one or two mentions before but if I'm not wrong this is the first time I've made someone's short list, and it means a lot to me. Cheers!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Thank you, everyone, for the votes and mentions!

And for those who haven't voted yet, a reminder that there are only four and a half hours left.

Of course we already know that some people, naming no names, like to cut things very fine.

 

[ctg]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I gave my vote to TEIN as that story was quite brilliant. I thought that particular story did really hit like hundred thousand volts.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

What about your other two votes? (If you didn't use them, you've lost them.)

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Thank you, everyone, for the votes and mentions!

And for those who haven't voted yet, a reminder that there are only four and a half hours left.

Of course we already know that some people, naming no names, like to cut things very fine.

Who could you mean Teresa?

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

Perhaps someone flying by the seat of their possibly-to-be-removed-in-a-Harrods-window-display pants...?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

I was thinking of a name with the letter "C" ... but rather fewer English vowels.

Gary, I think, is just hoping he won't miss his chance at notoriety.

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

If Boneman wins, I'm off the hook.

Me cheeks remain covered and Harrods doesn't get a call from Trading Standards for mis-representation

 

[Gary Compton]

Re: DISCUSSION, 300 Word Challenge, April

The time sponsored by Garycurist is 9.27 and forty five seconds GMT

In other words T - 2 hours 33 minutes to end of poll.