Discussion -- June 2011 Challenge

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Better read than dead, at least.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Just back from a week of glorious sun and 'beaucoup de vin rouge' in the South of France, and damn have you all been busy! It's only the 4th and page 21 already!! I'm going to need another week off to read through this thread, never mind getting my sozzled head around Kipling...
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

GreenKidx, it's true that Kipling held many of the views on race common to his time, ethnicity and class, but read Gunga Din -- that shows he wasn't the mindless racist his detractors claim.

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/2421/

Read that short story and then call Kipling racist. He was perfectly capable of criticising Christianity, Britain and the Empire as well - see here:

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/2478/
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Hmmmm, so are you allowed to use direct quotes from a Kipling poem (a little like plagiarism) and not just "be in the style of"?

Also on another point has Chrispenycate not used 76 words this time?
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Using a quote of a few words isn't plagiarism, so don't worry about that. And it's up to each individual how to interpret "in the style of" -- if someone wants to quote directly to give a flavour (and frankly with Kipling's prose style in his Just So stories it would be difficult to do much else) that's up to him/her. When we're voting, of course, some people might take a different view, but again, that's up to them.

Re Chris's piece, I think you're right.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Using a quote of a few words isn't plagiarism, so don't worry about that. And it's up to each individual how to interpret "in the style of" -- if someone wants to quote directly to give a flavour (and frankly with Kipling's prose style in his Just So stories it would be difficult to do much else) that's up to him/her. When we're voting, of course, some people might take a different view, but again, that's up to them.

Re Chris's piece, I think you're right.

There is a - very brief - paraphrase from a Kipling story in my entry ('something wrong with the bungalow in Allahbad'....). I certainly didn't worry about plagiarism.:D
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

It's not for me to question a Mod:) but Pyan's added note on the bottom of his post.

This is obviously allowed?

To me it seems to:

1) add to the word count

2) explains the poem in a way that his words don't

If it's allowed then great. I'll use it next month.

Clarification please anybody.:)
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Pyan's note isn't part of the story so doesn't add to the word count. I've seen people write stuff before their entries, does it make any difference that he happened to post it after? As for explaining the poem, I don't think it does.

But hey ho, I'm not a mod either.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

(1) It isn't the first time we've had people add a little comment on the post without it being brought into word count, so I don't see it as a problem. What I will see as a problem is people seeking to take advantage of any perceived leniency.

(2) It doesn't appear to me to be giving any kind of explanation to the poem -- it's a statement of fact which may or may not be interesting to the reader.


EDIT: by way of example, here's a post from Parson which we were perfectly happy to accept http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/foru...words-march-2011-the-judge-2.html#post1476170


And to reinforce the point -- thus far adding a comment has been accepted. If hereafter we think this is being abused, not only will we remove the comment, we will think seriously about removing the story as well.
 
Last edited:
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Thanks for the clarification.

I think for future challenges the post should be kept to title and 75 words - nothing else.

Otherwise it could be mis-interpreted in my opinion.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

I think Pyan was trying to be helpful to the non-UK Chronners, rather than adding to the (depth of the) story.

Usually "hidden" stuff relates to things that are really quite obscure, like ancient myth or "a far-away country [...] of which we know nothing"**, the kind of thing that the reader may wish to investigate to determine what's going on. If anything, Pyan is pointing out what some of us would already know: that these are real establishments and aren't worth googling.





** - Which would apply directly to many of our entries in the first 300-word challenge. (By the way, I've removed a couple of words from the quote that makes its originator sound even more stupid than the oft-quoted shortened version does.)
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

We have allowed comments before and as Ursa say's it isn't adding any depth to the story.

The rules of the challenge are quiet strict so I don't think the occasional note at the end of a story is too much too worry about. Although I will stress if we do find that people are adding notes to give depth or explain hidden meaning then the story will be disqualified.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Personally I think it was simply an 'interesting/amusing fact' and didn't add or detract from the story in any way. Whether it would be better to leave such things for the 'Discussion' thread is another matter ; personally it did'nt bother me in the slightest , but if others are raising a concern then perhaps that's the way to go?
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Re:Oxman ; a 'Just So' story in 75 words , nice going.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

I agree with Gary - the challenge should only be the title and the 75 words. In this case (as with Parson's) there's not a problem at all, but that doesn't mean there won't be in the future. I know the challlenge is for improving our writing/the enjoyment of taking part etc and I cannot imagine anyone who has entered up until now actually trying to steal a march, by putting other comments in the challenge thread itself. But more than 75 words is reason enough for disqualification, which I'm sure we all agree with, so I think a ruling, one way or the other, would clarify this. The simplest answer is to keep all discussion/clarification of the entry in the discussion thread.
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

I was sorry to see Chrispy's story go over the 75 word limit by one.

It was one of my favorites so far.:)

May be a deal Chris. Math for semi-colons?:p
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Gah! have absolutely nothing this month, and seriously doubt that I'm going to be able to come up with something suitable. I've stopped reading the entries as they are just too intimidating (you're all too talented - Bah! Humbug!!)

so far, I have a mis-mash of 'If', 'Jungle Book' (including the movies) and war-time imagery going round my head without making any sense at all.

Am feeling very grumpy about the whole thing at the moment:p;)
 
Re: DISCUSSION the 75 Word Challenge JUNE 2011

Gah! have absolutely nothing this month, and seriously doubt that I'm going to be able to come up with something suitable. I've stopped reading the entries as they are just too intimidating (you're all too talented - Bah! Humbug!!)

so far, I have a mis-mash of 'If', 'Jungle Book' (including the movies) and war-time imagery going round my head without making any sense at all.

Am feeling very grumpy about the whole thing at the moment:p;)

Chocolate is the only antidote!!:)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads


Back
Top