Discussion -- 75 Word Challenge -- APRIL

[Starbeast]

5 pages! ugh i'm so far behind. going to catch up in batches, please forgive my forthcoming walls of text.

The task wasn't as easy as you thought? Or were you busy? Either way, no worries, you've still got until near the end of the month. In a way, I guess you've created another challenge for yourself.

Something is wrong! It's only the fifteenth and I've posted. Worse, I came up with the concept as far back as the evening of the 8th, i.e. last Sunday.

(This must be the malign influence of Eastercon....)

The muse was upon you earlier, that's not a bad thing. Or it could be a case of Rabbititus, or P.E.S. (painted egg syndrome). I suggest two chocolate M&Ms every two minutes (peanut is optional). Eastercon, heh heh, that's funny.

Are there, I ask myself, enough candy stores in all of Great Britain, to fill the demand? (Although if anyone is interested, I've been really, really craving some Godiva chocolates.)

With Eastercon over, there are many stores in my area where chocolate delights are 50% off. Temptation got the best of me, I bought three large (big as your hand) chocolate bunnies for a buck a piece. One plain chocolate, one crispy chocolate, and one with a peanut butter filling.

Anyway, I've been reading all of the entries and I must say, there are a great deal of cool stories. Picking one will be another challenge.

 

[hopewrites]

Bowler1: I cant decide if this is told from the perspective of a zombie of some sort of underground zombie apocalypse or just someone who is glad to put the past behind them as something that doesn’t work. Ether way it addresses an issue of growing up with a cold hand that makes it deliciously chilling. I feel your narrator is laughing at his fathers blindness because he has long been done weeping over it. That his only regret is that his father could not let go of the past and see the present with the same clear eyes that the narrator does. Which if said narrator is a zombie puts a wonderful twist on it all.

TacticalLoco: an interesting apocalypse! And one I can just imagine to already be well underway. Disillusionment is always more expensive than wool blinders.

Crystal Haven: the pristine innocence of a child puts just the right ‘rose colored glasses’ on a future that would otherwise appear bleak. I enjoy that this childs view is encouraged by her disillusioned mother who can see being left behind in a positive light.

Scott R Foreshaw: *sinister snicker* some how the rest of the story just unfolds before me, the long chase that these horsemen make once the icecream has been hunted down and consumed. Something resembling a vacation movie, a comedy of errors where the little secret part of one that roots for the errors is vindicated by the knowledge that it is humanities survival they are “really” rooting for.

Swamp Fox: tragic little overview of things going from worse to impossible while vanquishing any trailing bits of hope the machine was trying to buy the nonexistent survivors.

Stormcrow: interesting take from a disenchanted yet not unhopeful view. The sparse imagery is nonetheless vivid enough to show just how bad the world has gone, and the decisive action seams the most logical conclusion to your opening. Well done.

Luci2also: another beautiful monolog of why a promise should not be kept. Lovely to see how hope can over ride a promise made from despair.

Bob S. Sr: Charming! Simplicity of faith overcoming despair and moving to action those who were paralyzed by fear.

Phoenixthewriter: Fortitude. I love that there is an underlying implication that she doesn’t expect there to be anyone to enforce the signage, and at the same time seems not to be able to care if there is.

James Coote: I’m afraid I don’t follow the conversation as well as I ought to, but the world it paints is interesting and I love the idea of an imagination being wet, let alone drippingly so.

Grizzgreen: The underlying social commentary is one that I am more inclined to agree with than not, and is so delightfully cloaked as to make my agreement less unsavory than it ought to be. Well done making such a ‘bitter pill’ so palatable. I also enjoyed the idea that as pawns in a larger universal game, we have proven troublesome as well as advantageous, and feel from the lighthearted tone and title that there will be unexpected consequences for this Black Rider’s unexpected move.

Anthus: Humorous and delightful, the idea of magic wielding dinosaurs is ingenious.

Memory Tale: Determination! Wonderful monolog showing the final breaking down of a mind (and it is assumed body) that is functioning on determination alone. I love that his single mindedness is not single minded, there is shown the struggle with despair, and the rebellion of body and mind to the dogged way in which he fulfills an implied promise and brings hope as well as sorrow to his community. One can only hope that his unfinished sentence turns out the way he intended to finish it.

Mosaix: Thank you for bringing such a lovely bit of wisdom to my attention. I had never heard of Desiderata and not wanting to miss out on its significance, I looked it up. Reading it quickly really brought more fullness and color to your story. There have been a few stories this month that display two kinds of promise, and I like the way that you have done it. Showing what the future promises to be, by the fulfillment of a promise from one being to another. It truly captures the hope that I always find to be paramount in postapocalyptic situations.
I enjoy the quiet, peaceful wisdom your aliens embody, and the humor of flapping gills which made me think of that sigh I have sighed (and have had sighed at me) for the kind of ignorance that is only over come by faith.

Teresa Edgerton: In your first line I enjoyed how you painted the desolation of your world. I expected mountains and got multitudes, thereby reducing both to dust, and thought that was well done indeed. I especially enjoyed the sneaky subtlety in the descriptions in the last line. I have often reached my hand into flowing water to rescue some bit of treasure I thought I saw flashing there, and more often than not it was some plant or pebble that shed its brilliancy with the water droplets, and enticed me to return it to its liquidy home.

Juelz4sure: It always fascinates me to hear ‘birth of a villain’ stories. More often than not they include a ‘and everything would have been alright if not for…’ in the first act. I enjoy that the fall of your angel is the self-destruction of man. Somehow I feel that if this story were to expand beyond its 75word limit, by the end it would show how she came to reconsider her decision to keep ‘man’ out of the picture, perhaps through loneliness. Perhaps by being reminded of the good in ‘man’ that led her to keen and grieve so deeply for their loss.

Azzagorn: While not as lighthearted as its subjects, I enjoy the lightheartedness of this piece in its vindication of the existence of out of the way ‘nowhere’ type places (I can only assume Swindon is one such place since I have never heard of it).

Kiffinyjean: disturbingly cute little ad. We haven’t had an ad for a while now, nicely done, for it shows your world and its consequences quite vividly, and implies so many stories; from how the world got the way it is, to those fortunate/unfortunate enough to respond to the ad itself, to the reclamation of the world by “Fundamentalists” who infiltrate the “Ultradorms” and change the world anew. *makes mental note to avoid all BioKiosks*

 

[hopewrites]

The task wasn't as easy as you thought? Or were you busy? Either way, no worries, you've still got until near the end of the month. In a way, I guess you've created another challenge for yourself.

I wasnt expecting work to pick up the way it has. Not going to argue with 40hrs a week (espically not when i just spent 'all' my money on some much needed self-pampering [i was about 18months over due for that] and am looking to replenish my bank account) but it does make it hard to remain coherent enough to put together cohesive thoughts at the end of the day.
Truly its been delightful and addicting, I think I may keep this up in months to come, if only because I feel I am giving due consideration to the stories presented and hope that when it comes time to vote that my musings on the entries will help me make a more informed decision.

I think if I can catch up and keep up with it on the weekends I should be alright.

 

[crystal haven]

Thank you, Hopewrites, it is really appreciated.

 

[Bowler1]

Hopewrites you made me giggle, thank you. There is a fixation about zombies on here. Don't get me wrong, I think they should have rights and the vote and stuff as zombies are people too, their just dead is all. They can be zombies if you want thats fine, reader perception is everything. The rest you have on the money and you have got all I wanted and hinted at in my post, and more as I had never thought of zombies.

However, if it gets me a vote, then yeah, their zombies!!!!

Also, thank you so much for the mention it makes it all worth while.

 

[Bob Senior]

Thanks for the kind words Hopewrites, I think you got it as it was intended.

I am having trouble with Paw and The Boy showing up in my everyday life though.

Like, The boy just said, "she musta had some real long toenails after 18 months Paw!

Bob

 

[Starbeast]

Truly its been delightful and addicting, I think I may keep this up in months to come, if only because I feel I am giving due consideration to the stories presented and hope that when it comes time to vote that my musings on the entries will help me make a more informed decision.

Nice recovery, you certainly covered a lot of ground quickly. I had fun reading more of your reviews. Hmm, I think I recall others who tried to take on the task of reviewing, but haven't gotten as far.

That's excellent your job has given you more hours. I hope I can obtain a job soon.

I am having trouble with Paw and The Boy showing up in my everyday life though.

Like, The boy just said, "she musta had some real long toenails after 18 months Paw!

I was delighted to see you did another "Paw & boy" tale, it was great. Way-ta-go Bob.

 

[Bowler1]

Ok Cuddly Bear, there is no strategy. I liked your post. For a finance head like mine it was funny and well thought out.

 

[stormcrow]

Hope - Thank You.
Glad you appreciated it; I tried to make things a little clearer with this one!
You've undertaken a mammoth task with reviewing entries this month - much appreciated.

 

[Christopher Lee]

Thank you for the wonderful review Hope! You're doing a great job.

 

[James Coote]

James Coote: I’m afraid I don’t follow the conversation as well as I ought to, but the world it paints is interesting and I love the idea of an imagination being wet, let alone drippingly so.

What didn't you get, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Ursa major]

I'm not sure hopewrites should answer that; not until the voting is over, that is.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Ursa Major, bearly believable Attorney at Law, advised his client not to answer on the grounds it could prejudice the votes of the jury-of-our-peers.

 

[Phoenixthewriter]

I appreciate the review hope. It's funny, but I often wonder what an inverted review would be like. I imagine someone picking apart everyone's hard thought out work wouldn't last very long

Doh! Already the middle of the month. I better get cracking on that 300 worder.

 

[Scott R. Forshaw]

Thank you, Hope; I really appreciate the time you've taken to review, not just my story, but everyone elses, too. I don't think I could even get through the first page, never mind the amount you've managed. Wow!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ooh, got a bit behind, been busy, busy, but catching up now. Very short again, apologies, but there are so many. (Hope, I salute you, so much detail, soooo good. But, in the great traditions, I thought I started so I probably should finish!)

THE PROCRASTINATOR: I loved the massive corpses line, and the concept of the meek that did inherit

BOOKS FOR LUNCH: A lovely promise right at the centre of a chaotic world

ALEX THE G&T: Oops, some people really need to have some patience. The gardener in me certainly feels the pain...

AUN DOORBACK: I love the supermarket trolley burning rubber, it gave me a lovely giggle

NOTT HRAZLA: Very subtle with a lovely reveal in the last line

PARANOID MARVIN: A really nice parady of Sassoon (if I'm wrong, please PM me and enlighten me, but that's the way it hit me), and captured his ironic pathos really nicely

PARSON: Lovely, the ceremony was beautifully captured and the pathos memorable

KAMOSIS: Too little, too late, nice ironic take

CHRISPY: Lovely, moving, fluid, and then a creepy last thought. I really liked this.

MOONBAT: I loved the statement, I'm still sniggering, so good.

LUCIFAL: A real horror tale this, beautifully captured in 75 words: I'm a horror fan, so mean it the best possible way

HAREBRAIN; As ever, so, so good. A fab last line, that made me go back to the beginning and read it again. Twice

GLEN: I loved the desciption in the piece, and Cpt. Fantastic's emotions. A lovely microcosm just caught

URSA: Is the date wrong? surely not.... a really clever contemporary take

RJM CORBETT: Fabulously clever. Who knew we were even living in the plastic age. This one will stay with me.

PHYREBAT: A range of analogies, beautifully portrayed.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Ooh, got a bit behind, been busy, busy, but catching up now. Very short again, apologies, but there are so many. (Hope, I salute you, so much detail, soooo good. But, in the great traditions, I thought I started so I probably should finish!)

THE PROCRASTINATOR

Springs, you can procrastinate later.

 

[chrispenycate]

Not only (quoth the chart man) are we already into record territory with number of submissions, I have a strong suspicion that it's going to be the most ever first time competitors (ignoring the very first where everybody was), to mark the start of year three. With plenty of time left to go, and a number of our reliables left to vote.

Now, if we can also manage the largest ever number of voters…

 

[Alex The G and T]

Now, if we can also manage the largest ever number of voters…

It's gonna take a heap o' voters to represent. That's for sure.

 

[Bob Senior]

Starbeast,
Thank you.
Bob

Ps, thanks from the lad and dad