Discussion -- 300 Word Challenge #7

[Perpetual Man]

and another shortlisting, thanks to Billhafan!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Ty tactical loco and boneman for the mentions.

And double ty to bilhafan for the vote! you can stand in court alongside me.

 

[Brev]

So, after careful deliberation...

Shortlist:

Scott R. Forshaw, Starbeast, Hex, The Spurring Platty, alchemist, The Holy Drunk, HareBrain, reiver33, Culhwch and stormcrow.
An eclectic collection of stories, bound together by their clever construction, well crafted plot, great description and not a little bit of humour.

Votes:
reiver33, Culhwch, stormcrow
For giving all of the above, and a little bit more.

 

[stormcrow]

Firstly, a huge Thank you to Brev for your vote and that comment!

- swift jig !! -

My "Why pretend? There's no way I can keep this short" list:

springs - "like chalk marks on a board": indelible image, that.
Juliana - surreal; superb.
KshRox - seems like a huge story in only 300 words.
Abernovo - this ran like a film for me.
Kylara - i love the way your dragons have such humanity. Or is that "dracohumanicity"?
Perp man - beautiful. I got lost in the landscape!
Starbeast - oh yeah! Like TacticalLoco, this party seems familar to me!
The Spurring Platty - loved this. what is it with bars, eh?
The Holy Drunk - deliciously dark. Ni-ice.
Culhwch - i lost myself in this for ages: could feel the storms presence.
The Dusty Zebra - What a great piece of lyrical strorytelling (i reckon Jack Hobbs would have loved to have sung this!)
Phyrebrat - wonderful stuff! Love Mr Cinders! Bah to Dr Beeching!

...and my votes go to:

Mouse - love the idea and the dialect!
Grinnel - Unique. i love the idea: very clever!
TacticalLoco - Simply brilliant: my favourite overall. Great stuff!

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks for the really short shortlisting, TSP , and the shortlisting, billhafan.

 

[kshRox]

My Short List (and I really did parse it down with brutal triage):

Reiver33 – They Also Serve
Kapelvig – Outpost
Starbeast – Wormius Daemoniacus
Robjwhite – A Hare’s Breadth
Stormcrow – Black Jack’s Night
TacticalLoco – Feast of the Workers
Lucky_Lola – An Odysseus Lost
Culhwch – Haven

Honorable Mentions:
Stormcrow – Black Jack’s Night (I just liked this, very creepy)
Culwch – Haven (The end surprised me and sent a chill down my spine)

My Choices:

Reiver33 – They also serve
- l loved this and felt it had a very haunting feel to it. I also thought it was very original and emotionally powerful. I felt desolate & desperate and the final sentence left me feeling a wistful forlorn that stayed with me long after I moved on to another activity.

Starbest – Wormius Daemoniacus
- I thoroughly enjoyed the whimsical mixed with horror along with the twist ending that made me wonder if it really happened? Did it? Do you know something Starbeast the rest of us don’t? This plus the personal touch clinched the deal for my vote.

Lucky_Lola – An Odysseus Lost
- Wow - there is such a big story behind what we know from the text we are given. How did this priest so anger a god that he took everything from him and left him to wander in his ruin. The clincher for me was a sense of defiance I felt in the closing sequence. I didn’t see the priest as giving up so much as spitting in the face of god. There are few things more formidable than a man truly committed with his entire being to a course of action – even gods may shudder . . .

Thanks all for your truly great stories . . .

BTW - thanks so much for the mentions TSP and Crow, your opinion means a lot to me

 

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks for the shortlisting and kind words Stormcrow.

 

[billhafan]

Ty tactical loco and boneman for the mentions.

And double ty to bilhafan for the vote! you can stand in court alongside me.

Not a problem, so long as they fit a turnstile at the court that charges yer man for entrance - say, 500E - I'd be happy

 

[Boneman]

Should I point out 'lover' is a term of endearment in Somerset that can be used for anybody, relations, strangers, all sorts? Or let people wonder?

NO!!!! Don't say a word!!! My credibility rating just shot through the roof, and into the stratosphere, and I'd like it to stay there!!

Billhafan, thank you so much for the vote, great way to start a weekend, and the weather looks good for a drive to the Brecon Beacons. What more could I ask for? A shortlist by Spurring Platty - that'll do nicely, thanks!

 

[billhafan]

Boneman, well deserved, and enjoy your trip to Bannau Brycheiniog; if the weather holds off for you! Dry up here in North Wales, right now, so hope you get the same! Have a good drive

 

[Abernovo]

Thanks for the lovely mentions form Juliana, Boneman, johnnyjet, Perp and stromcrow (and, stormcrow, what a nice compliment - thank you ).

Plus, many thanks to reiver33 for the vote. Chuffed, now!

 

[Kapelvig]

In the end I went for:

reiver33
silvermoon
Robjwhite

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

Thanks for the short-listing Bil. I appreciate it.

 

[Juliana]

Stormcrow, thanks for the shortlisting and comments!

 

[TacticalLoco]

Much thanks to Bowler1, Perpetual man, The Holy Drunk, storm crow and The Spurring Platty for your kind votes.

Also David EVil Over Lord, Juliana, kshRox, plus Lucky Lola for the mentions.

This is by far the best any of my stories has done in my almost two years here. WoW!!!

I truly believe thanks to the regular contests and encouragement, I have improved as a writer.

Thank so much to everyone here at Chrons.

 

[Mouse]

Mouse - love the idea and the dialect!
Grinnel - Unique. i love the idea: very clever!
TacticalLoco - Simply brilliant: my favourite overall. Great stuff!

Blimey Charlie! Thank you very much!

I voted for:
HareBrain
Cul
TDZ

and honourable mention to alc because I really liked your story but ultimately didn't understand it cos I'm a bit thick! So couldn't vote for it.

 

[stormcrow]

kshRox - Thank You so much for the HM! Glad you liked it.

You found it 'Creepy'? I'm delighted!

 

[Lucky_Lola]

Ah, such marvellous comments and general back-slapping going on in here!

Mouse and Boneman - you are more than welcome. Here, let me stroke that ego for you And thank you for the shortlisting, BM.

kshRox - thank you for the comments! There is indeed a massive backstory for 'the Priest', one that I hope to finish one day and share with you all

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

Okay, got my votes in.
They went to:
Karn's The Fall of the Last Ancient Wyrm
TheJudge's Hide and Safe
and
Mosaix's Thanks For All the Fish

 

[mosaix]

Thanks for the mentions / short listings, Starbeast and Hex.

And many thanks for the votes, Johnnyjet, Billhafan and Lilmizflashythang.