Discussion -- 75 Word Challenge -- July

[stevietee]

Wow a vote! Thankyou r_j_dando!

And thanks to everyone who mentioned me in the shorts....

Off on holiday shortly so not got time for a full short list but my vote goes to RcGrant. A lovely, subtle tale that made me throw away my original entry after I'd read yours!

 

[Aun Doorback]

Thanks to all for the kind mentions in various lists. My what a good bunch of stories and I must say that I really enjoyed Mosaix and AirBrain for their entries. But for me Stormcrow wins by a tentacle!

 

[paranoid marvin]

Thankyou for the kind mentions and shortlistings.

Harebrain gets my vote; original and very well done.

 

[stormcrow]

Wassat then!?

Aun - thanks so much for your vote; means a lot! Really glad you liked it!

Nice Tull reference, by the way!!!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

I must say that I really enjoyed Mosaix and AirBrain for their entries.

So much for all those H votes.

 

[Pyan]

Thanks for the mentions, johnniejet, Abernovo and Moonbat - and special thanks for the vote, TEiN...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Than you to all who mentioned my story, and especially to Allanon for the vote (and the compliment!).

 

[Boneman]

Shortlist, Teresa, Alchemist, Boneman, Mosaix.


Was hard to choice but that last line Justice Fingers, decided me in the end.

Many, many thanks Nixie; that's some peer company I'm in, so to get your vote is wonderful!

And many thanks to all the mentions and shortlists. Now, 10 hours to go, must decide who to vote for.

 

[Boneman]

So: re read them all, and there were so many I wanted to include, that I had to be hard and look for the legend bit, which ruled a few out. Here's my list, shortlist, finalists and *winner*
reiver 33
RcGrant
Teresa
Crystal Haven
Vertigo
Memory tale
Glen
Perpetual Man
Harebrain
Stillearning
*Ursa Major*
High Eight (so close!! That Vincent...)
Mosaix

Congrats Ursa!! And congrats to everyone - what a fantastic month, as always. How do we do it??

 

[Vertigo]

Another month of excellent entries in what I thought was a particularly challenging month. My shortlist:

Stevietee - The Justice Tree
Springs - Baptised in Blood
Teresa Edgerton- Rough Justice
Crystal Haven - The Beast of Feirset Crag
Alchemist - Gruff Justice
Glen - Prometheus' Council
Moonbat - A Hero's Welcome to the Jungle
Ursa Major - A Talent to a Muse?
The Judge - First among Equals

And my vote goes to the Judge. I thought it said it all; justice, myth, and written in the style of myths and even some wry humour. Brilliant, ticked every box for me.

Special mention to High Eight for reminding me of a great bike. I nearly bought one back in the '70s but got a Matchless in the end.

Thanks for the mentions to, Kylara, Hex, Abernovo, ratsy, Parson, Starbeast, StilLearning, TDZ, Allanon, moonbat, Boneman.

So many mentions this month; thank you! With there rarely being many more voters than entries, and whilst I usually am happy with my entries, I always see others much better, so to expect a vote always seems silly. On the other hand the short listings show me that others thought my entry worthy of mention. And I can't ask for more than that! Thank you again!

 

[Brev]

Back from a very hot and sunny week in Cornwall. All beach and no computer! The things we have to put up with to keep the kids happy huh?

I did manage a sneaky read of all the entries on my phone...so;

Mentions to Grimbear, Teresa Edgerton, kiffinyjean, Phyrebrat, Phoenixthewriter and mosaix for entertaining and well constructed stories.

But my top three were;


Moonbat - Great last line. Read it over breakfast and almost choked on my shreddies!

Perpetual Man - This could so easily be the voice-over for a film trailer. Stirring stuff.

stormcrow - Great opening line to set the scene. I could almost hear the ropes creaking. And the legendary Kraken dishing out the Justice, loved it. You get my vote.


And sorry for the long post but, thanks to those that have mentioned me and a big thanks to StilLearning for the vote.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Thanks Crystal and Vertigo for the mentions.

 

[r_j_dando]

Came to say thank you for the short listings to those who enjoyed my offering enough to mention it, and I have a VOTE! *does the happy dance* Thank you TDZ! Most unexpected and very welcome

 

[RcGrant]

Hey guys. I've had a fortnight from hell with work, doing 13 hour+ shifts so I haven't really been around. I've popped on to read entries from time to time though.

First of all, I'd like to give major thanks to everyone who has mentioned my entry. I'm very surprised. Thanks to: David Evil Overlord, Hex, Perpetual Man, Luiglin, Abernovo, r_j_dando, Scott R Forshaw, starbeast, crystal haven, moonbat, boneman

Especially big thanks to johnnyjet, stormcrow and stevietee for the votes. I am humbled.

Today I've finally sat down and read through them all again. These are my lists:

Mentions:

Reiver33, Grimbear, stevietee, Hex, paranoid marvin, crystal haven, ratsy, r_j_dando, johnnyjet, jimness, Glen, kiffinyjean, Scott R Forshaw, Flugel Meister, Brev, RJM Corbet, phyrebat, Moonbat, High Eight

Short list:

stevietee
paranoid marvin
crystal haven
r_j_dando
johnnyjet
jimness
phyrebat

And my vote goes to stevietee -- I fell in love with your story from the moment I read it, back when you posted it. The imagery of the tree is beautiful (reminds me of the tree of life). There's drama (the hanging, is he guilty?), there is revenge, sadness etc. The list goes on. Part of my criteria when I choose a winner is "does it inspire me?" and your story really did. I couldn't get it out of my head. I wanted to know more about the characters, I wanted to know about the relationship between them. In short: please turn this into a novel!

(P.S. I find it ironic you voted for mine, and especially your comment, because as soon as I read yours I thought "well there goes my chance". lol.)

 

[Ursa major]

Thank you very much for the vote, Boneman.


And thanks for the shortlisting, Vertigo.

 

[Perpetual Man]

A finalist with BM, and a top three with Brev, thanks guys, greatly appreciated.

A movie trailer voice over, Brev? I had not thought of that, but now I can just hear it!

 

[stormcrow]

Brev - Thank You so much for your vote! Really pleased that it worked for you - that's put an extra shine on my day!

Cornwall, eh? Beautiful.

 

[HareBrain]

Doesn't voting end in about three hours? I know we usually end up with fewer votes than entries, sadly, but twenty?

Or are there loads of people as laggardly as me?

Anyway, I found the voting especially hard this month because there were lots of good stories I felt had treated myth/legend more as a supplementary theme than genre. Of the ones I thought had the feel of something likely to be passed on as part of a cultural tradition (whether ancient or modern) rather than just a piece of fiction, I most liked those from Teresa, The Judge and High Eight. In the end, after much umming and ahhing, I found it was High Eight's story that pulled at me most, so the tarnished soul gets a buffing.

 

[The Judge]

Nearly forgot it was the last day for voting!

Although as ever some really good stories, my mental checklist effectively disqualified quite a few, as the pieces weren't to my mind in the genre of myth/legend, even an invented one, so much as just using myth as another theme. But then I'm a fussy whatsit.

Anyhow, a short short-list:

Culhwch -- No Justice -- the making of an Australian myth told so simply
Grimbear -- Blodeuwedd -- I loved the first line and the use of Welsh myth
Kylara -- The Game of the Gods -- a wonderfully lyrical tone to it
reiver33 -- While The Hound Slumbers -- I'm not sure I understood it, but I loved the feel
stormcrow -- Consumed by Greed -- macabre and clever

A hard choice, but in the end I went with Grimbear.

Mentions also to Luiglin for the quintessential American cowboy myth and to ratsy, since I love the story of Narcissus and Echo. And a special mention to Ursa for the terrible pun in his title!


Thanks for the vote and kind words, Vertigo! Thanks also for the hon mentions and shortlistings all those who did, you know who you are -- all much appreciated -- and thank you for your lovely remark, Phyrebrat.

PS Thanks for the vote, Mouse -- you sneaked in without my seeing!


PPS HareBrain has been invading my mind, hence his slipping in with my thoughts before me...

 

[Mouse]

I am small and stealthy like.