Discussion -- July 2011 Challenge

[The Judge]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

That's because when we wrote the rules no one had even considered the possibility -- and when someone raised it as an issue we duly confirmed our thoughts in the Discussion thread. Getting round to amending/extending the typed-up rules takes a bit longer, I'm afraid. As soon as Chris p has finished tinkering with the mods' time-enhancing machine so every day has 60 hours in it, we might get everything sorted properly back here...

 

[Highlander]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

I think some of that time enhancing has filtered through to the real world - my first week back from holiday (just passed) seems to have taken aaaaaaages... as though each day had over 30hrs in it...

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Make them count Highlander. (and count them well) You'll regret wishing them away soon.

On the 75 -> 300 transition, I believe it may have been I, that asked the question.

When Teresa explained it to me it became obvious that it shouldn't be allowed.

The rules state that every entry has to be unique and to quote

Each entry must be the original work of the person submitting it

.

If the 300 is based on a previous 75 word-er, then it fails the originality test.

I'm pretty sure the plagiarism rule applies too, even if you are plagiarising yourself.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

It does at university!

 

[Aun Doorback]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Superb Harebrain - Dream inspired? Like Coleridge's Kubla Khan?
Great entry

 

[HareBrain]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Dream inspired? Like Coleridge's Kubla Khan?

Thanks Aun -- and yes, there would have been more, but I was interrupted by some Morlocks, tugging their forelocks.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

01010100 01000101 01001001 01001110 (TEIN) – There is something almost alien in reading this one, perhaps the actual thought process of a machine. It seems to become more human as it the tale goes on, and the protagonist realises that it is trapped. I felt it was some kind of exploratory robot searching a desolate world, only to find it was not as desolate as was thought...

01001000 01101111 01101111 01110000 01110011 (Hoops) – There is some truth in the thought, the more complex things become the easier it is to sabotage them. I think this is one of those stories that cleverly uses the 75 words to tell a surface story, but when you think about it there is a hidden depth there, waiting to be filled by the readers imagination. Boundless interpretations jumped through my head, and kept me thinking long after the story was finished.

01010011 01101001 01101100 01110110 01101001 01101111 00100000 01100100 01100001 01101110 01110100 01100101 (Silvio dante) – The most disturbing thing for me about this story is that it rings almost true. I could almost see this kind of thing happening, technology allowing. The cod and impersonal, made to appear personal, somehow makes it all the more colder. A good telling, that feels somehow wrong, the way it should.

01001100 01100101 01101001 01110011 01101000 01100001 (Leisha) – Ouch! This one came with quite a punch to the old heartstrings. And just like the one, you could almost imagine it happening, a feeling of realism. The hard truth is, no matter how real a robot could be made to be, offered the chance at a real flesh and blood child, just what would take priority. And who would consider the feelings of the machine? Excellent

01000011 01101000 01100101 01101100 (Chel) – I’m not sure if I was meant to, but I found this one amusing. The idea of a robot running into a simple problem it could not resolve so just following the only logical course it’s programming would allow seemed so obvious, but amusing as well. I loved the use of a different font for the robot’s voice.

01001000 01100001 01110010 01100101 01100010 01110010 01100001 01101001 01101110 (Harebrain) – A good entry from HB, very clever and again amusing in its way. The twisting of the words, flattening foes like wheat, to actually flattening wheat – and an explanation for crop circles. One that sounds more believable than aliens. I also liked the element of a threat in the last line. Another great entry.

01101101 01101001 01110100 01101000 01110010 01101001 01101100 (mithril) – I wonder if this robot comes with updates. I’d rather like one. A few different subjects perhaps. It doesn’t say a price though, but there is an e-mail address.... hmmmm. A good, different take on the theme, loved the advert format.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

The stories are trickling in slowly, and we only have about a week to go.

I hope that running the 75 Word Challenge and the 300 Word Challenge simultaneously is not going to turn out to be a mistake.

 

[The Judge]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

I don't think so. I'm blaming GRRM releasing his book right in the middle of the Challenges. You think the publishers might have checked with us first.

 

[Ursa major]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

I haven't got that excuse any more, TJ, so I'll have to fall back on my usual decalration of an absence of inspiration (for both this and the 300-word challenge).

On the other hand, there's more than a week to go....

 

[Chel]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Thank you for the kind words, Pep - you hit the nail on the head.

My 300-word story is a WIP, I have about 80 words to finish it with.

 

[MstrTal]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Ursa your avatar reminds me of the Robotic Teddy in my story. For some reason when I was writing it I was envisioning a gigantic white hybrid version of Muffet from the original Battlestar Galactica and the Robears from ThunderCats only with a big lazer rifle and a bowie knife strapped to his leg.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

The stories are trickling in slowly, and we only have about a week to go.

I hope that running the 75 Word Challenge and the 300 Word Challenge simultaneously is not going to turn out to be a mistake.

Well, it worked out fine last time, so my guess is that it will be fine again this time. I think the picture this time (as discussed in the other thread) has a totally different effect on inspiration, in that it isn't lending itself to wild flights of fancy in many directions. And the robot thing is kind of doing the same thing, so the combined result is that the entries are trickling instead of flooding. It'll all wash out in the end, to keep my wet metaphors running.

 

[TacticalLoco]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Perpetual Man (Tactical Loco) – As always there is some good thinking going on with these stories, showing how different people’s imaginations are. Here TL (I think at least) proves that robots don’t need to be a central part of the story to convey the Robot’s Tale. The combot it just there in the background, it’s tale quite small, it launched, it was destroyed, but its import is immeasurable, its loss devastating. Excellent.

PM, your take on the story is right-on as usual. I didn't want the 'robot' to be the ten foot tall protagonist/antagonist type,
so the story could be more about the humans.

Also, I don't know if anyone noticed, but I'm actively working on improving my dialogue.
So I set out from the beginning to tell the whole thing that way, plus the combot got the last word in.

Thanks to you PM for the help you give everyone and thanks in general to chrons and community.

 

[Boneman]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

So many good stories, so little time... the temperature in Poitiers yesterday was 27, and the party went on until 4am, but I woke this afternoon to dull skies,cold winds and an idea for the 75 word-challenge. You have no idea how difficult it was to write - they don't have a qwerty keyboard, and as for apostrophes... still haven't found the elogated dash...

 

[Highlander]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Make them count Highlander. (and count them well) You'll regret wishing them away soon.

I do try and make them count - Life's too short to do otherwise!

Hence why I posted fairly early in both 75 and 300 word stories - apart from others having the same ideas and getting them in even earlier!

 

[Erin99]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Whoa! Thank you, No One and Perp, for your lovely words/summary! I didn't expect that my return this month would get such a reaction.

Some excellent entries in both challenges this month. I wish I'd had better inspiration for the 300-word one, now, as mine seems the least good one.

And though the topic is a couple of pages back now, I'll put up my hand and say that I, too, often have those "Whoa! This would make an excellent book" moments in dreams, where I usually then go off hunting for pen and paper, or spend the rest of the dream trying to memorise what's happening for when I wake up. And I'm not even lucid dreaming.

In the morning I realise how silly the dream actually was.

 

[mithril]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

01101101 01101001 01110100 01101000 01110010 01101001 01101100 (mithril) – I wonder if this robot comes with updates. I’d rather like one. A few different subjects perhaps. It doesn’t say a price though, but there is an e-mail address.... hmmmm. A good, different take on the theme, loved the advert format.

Thank you PM for your kind words. To me all the other stories look so much better. Maybe I should have waited for a couple of months before jumping in . However this does make me more determined to really spend time on the polishing and refining stage of any writing. So an important lesson learnt I hope.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

Maybe I should have waited for a couple of months before jumping in

No, no, we like people to jump in right away. Lots of the people who are regulars now took the plunge immediately on joining. You are in good company.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Re: Discussion July 75 Word Writing Challenge

01010100 01000101 01001001 01001110 (TEIN) – There is something almost alien in reading this one, perhaps the actual thought process of a machine. It seems to become more human as it the tale goes on, and the protagonist realises that it is trapped. I felt it was some kind of exploratory robot searching a desolate world, only to find it was not as desolate as was thought...

...

Perp: An interesting interpretation of the story.

The stories are trickling in slowly, and we only have about a week to go.

I hope that running the 75 Word Challenge and the 300 Word Challenge simultaneously is not going to turn out to be a mistake.

Teresa:

For some reason, this month, I have found it difficult to get my head round both challenges. It may be because both are strongly SF, with little room for maneuver.

With my advanced years, it's bad enough remembering to put the cereal in the bowl before the milk; coming up with two, same genre stories as well, is likely to make the cat to think it's birthday's come early this month.