Discussion -- May 2011 Challenge

[Bob Senior]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Howdy,
Me thinks that we will soon tire of kittens (noisey little things), so i have jumped in early with both feet, as fear usually prompts me to do.
Bob S.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

I'd like to mention how awesomely prophetic I now find Ursa's winning story to be, in light of tonight's news!

 

[MstrTal]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

YES! Inspiration finally struck in regards to a second idea and one that contains a kitty to boot. I wasn't even looking.
I was just watching a movie with my family about a talking bunny trying to escape its fate as the next conveyor of Easter when it hit. Oddly enough this idea has nothing to do with bunnies or Easter.

Now to see if I can whittle them both down to under 75 words.

 

[onebigpotato]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

I didn't get to thank my short listers last month.. You're all wonderful and smell like cookies!

 

[cornelius]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

A belated congrats to Ursa. The theme is a bit obscure for me, I'll have to think this over.

 

[A. S. Behsam]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Hey guys, err... what's the deal with kittens!? :O Two stories in the challenge thread are about kittens... O.O

 

[Ursa major]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

It's a demonstration of the power of suggestion.


The world is... er... littered with examples of this power.

 

[TacticalLoco]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Suburban fantasy? That's Barbara Good/Felicity Kendal, isn't it...? (Though probably only for British gentlemen of a certain age.)

OH MY GOD!!!!!!
I can't believe you said that!!!!
I'm a yank as well, but yes, of a certain age and she ...
I wonder if you can find those online somewhere?

 

[MstrTal]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

It's a demonstration of the power of suggestion.


The world is... er... littered with examples of this power.

LOL!

It does not help that on my end when I first read such suggestions that my family and I where watching "Cats & Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore." It seemed almost as if fate where conspiring or some such for as they say. . .

Cats Rule and Dogs Drool!

 

[Lucky_Lola]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Question for the Almight Mods: does 'streetlights' (or 'streetlamps', I haven't decided which I like better) count as one word or two?

 

[A. S. Behsam]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

I've written a little piece, but I'm not sure if it fits the genre and theme. This is my first time to be on these challenges and I tried to do it right, but what if I'm mistaken? What's gonna happen if it's not the way it should be? :/

 

[alchemist]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

The ultimate test is whether anyone will vote for it. A less ultimate test might be to let smeone have a look at it first.

And "streetlight" looks like 1 word to me, but -I'm not a mod.

 

[HareBrain]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

I've written a little piece, but I'm not sure if it fits the genre and theme. This is my first time to be on these challenges and I tried to do it right, but what if I'm mistaken? What's gonna happen if it's not the way it should be? :/

Does it involve kittens with magical powers who send each other extravagant birthday gifts? Is it set in a conurbation, or, perhaps, the snurb-infested sewers beneath one? If so, you're good to go.

Chances are, if you've thought about the genre and theme at all when writing your story, it fits. But if you're unsure, wait for a while and see how varied the stories others write are. Each genre and theme so far has spawned a huge range of subjects.

 

[The Judge]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Question for the Almight Mods: does 'streetlights' (or 'streetlamps', I haven't decided which I like better) count as one word or two?

Making a unilateral mod decision -- two. (Both my trusty dictionary and wikipedia spell it as separate words.)

I've written a little piece, but I'm not sure if it fits the genre and theme. This is my first time to be on these challenges and I tried to do it right, but what if I'm mistaken? What's gonna happen if it's not the way it should be? :/

Welcome to the Challenge, Aty! As long as your piece is 75 words** or under, it's a story, and it doesn't infringe our family-friendly*** policies, then there's no problem. Whether something fits the genre or theme is something we leave to individual voters to decide -- and sometimes when it comes to voting you'll see members say they really liked such-and-such a story but it didn't quite fit within the genre so they couldn't vote for it.

As HareBrain says, perhaps leave it a little while before posting, so you can see how varied stories can be -- or have a look at the last few months' Challenges, and you'll get an idea.


** as you'll have seen from Lola's question, that's not always as obvious as it might be, so do check for words which are wrongly hyphenated, and count the words by using finger power not a computer program, which can make mistakes.

*** so no explicit violence or pornography or anything! Especially not if it involves kittens!! *considers starting a Kitten Action Front against unscrupulous story-tellers*

 

[nixie]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Nixie, I noticed you used the names William and Nancy. Did you take them from the folk song "Lovely on the Water" or is it a traditional pairing of names in that period?

That was the names of the girl and sailor in the little paragraph I found

 

[High Eight]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

That was the names of the girl and sailor in the little paragraph I found

The names William and Nancy are quite prevalent in seafaring folk songs of the period.

 

[MstrTal]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Hmmm So I am working on 3 little shorts. All are completely different and it is so hard to decide which I like best. They range from a modern prison to a psychiatric ward to a rigid airship. Oddly enough only one involves a kitty. Sadly all three are fighting me at the moment, they are absolutely refusing to be confined to a mere 75 words.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

It was pleasant and delightful on a midsummer's morn
And the green fields and the meadows were covered in corn;
And the blackbirds and thrushes sang on every green spray
And the larks they sang melodious at the dawning of the day,
And the larks they sang melodious
And the larks they sang melodious
And the larks they sang melodious at the dawning of the day.


Now a sailor and his true love were walking that day.
Said the sailor to his true love, “I am bound far away.
I'm bound for the East Indies where the load cannons roar
And I'm leaving, dear Nancy, you're the girl that I adore,
And I'm leaving, dear Nancy,
And I'm leaving, dear Nancy,
And I'm leaving, dear Nancy, you're the girl that I adore.”

Then the ring from off her finger she instantly drew,
Saying, “Take this, deart William, and my heart will go too.”
And as they were embracing tears from her eyes fell,
Saying, “May I go along with you?” “Oh no, my love, farewell,”
Saying, “May I go along with you?”
Saying, "May I go along with you?"
Saying, "May I go along with you?" "Oh no, my love, farewell."


In my youth, I had that one on an album by The Irish Rovers. Played it over and over. Except that in their version I believe the sailor's name was Geordie. He's William in written lyrics that I've come across.

 

[Parson]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Amazingly, I've posted already. I thought this genre would completely befuddle me. But I think I have something that should qualify as Urban Fantasy.

Ursa I loved the theme: "Friendship." I expected we might indeed elevate the prevailing mood. But then came all those Psycho Kitties.

 

[Lucky_Lola]

Re: DISCUSSION -- The 75 Word Challenge May 2011

Making a unilateral mod decision -- two. (Both my trusty dictionary and wikipedia spell it as separate words.)

Thanks, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry!